Goodbye Unique?

[wcwhitey]

I have been playing with other powders based on availability lately. Truth is there are just some rounds that really like Unique and a few classic loadings that got to be classics because they are really good. .44 Special and .44 Mag (7.5 and 10 Grains under a 250 grain 429421 respectively). 5.0 158 SWC in .38 Special, 6.5 same Bullet .357 Magnum, etc. I know a few .45 Colt shooters that will be heartbroken if Unique was discontinued. I just recently started loading the .32’s Long and Magnum. Guess what Unique works really well. My saying was to give me a pound of Unique and I can make you a really nice shooting round with just about any handgun caliber. Not sure what is going on with Alliant. I subscribe to Europe being more of a mess energy, inflation and conflict wise than the news tells us. Shipping prices are effecting availability of some things as costs are making some things prohibitive. Would hate to see it go, it’s really a must for my reloading bench!

 

[Targa]

I would think that if Unique ever went the way of the dinosaurs it would be because Alliant shut its doors, not because it was discontinued. Even if that were the case, Hodgdon would be right there to sweep them up just like Ramshot, Winchester, Accurate and IMR.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Yuck. Sorry, but give me that grouper sandwich you mentioned elsewhere.

I consider good Italian Pork Bologna (a.k.a. Mortadella) kind of like the Ruger Blackhawk: priced for the pedestrian but good enough for a rich man's tastes.

It's all a matter of taste and use-case: .357Mag hunting loads with up to 8.5gr. of Unique under a 150 grain-ish LSWC have been around as long as the commercial .357Magnum. Less flame and fury - and less "crack" - than full-on magnums and still plenty of punch for Florida Whitetail deer out to 50 yards - I get 1350fps out of my 6-1/2" RBH with H&G 51's I buy from Stateline, with good accuracy out to 50 yards off a blind support or steady stick. I have W296, 2400, IMR 4227, Accurate No.9 and Accurate 4100 loads that give anywhere from 100-300fps more velocity than Unique but those powders mostly don't download well at all, and have too much blast for unmuffed ears. I like the flexibility of being able to load down to .38Spl velocities and up to near 2400 velocities with the same powder. Some folks don't appreciate the .357Magnum so those traits might not matter to them. Some folks also don't use handguns for hunting so... ditto. If W231 does everything a person could want from a handgun, that leaves more of everything else for me.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I have been playing with other powders based on availability lately. Truth is there are just some rounds that really like Unique and a few classic loadings that got to be classics because they are really good. .44 Special and .44 Mag (7.5 and 10 Grains under a 250 grain 429421 respectively). 5.0 158 SWC in .38 Special, 6.5 same Bullet .357 Magnum, etc. I know a few .45 Colt shooters that will be heartbroken if Unique was discontinued. I just recently started loading the .32’s Long and Magnum. Guess what Unique works really well. My saying was to give me a pound of Unique and I can make you a really nice shooting round with just about any handgun caliber. Not sure what is going on with Alliant. I subscribe to Europe being more of a mess energy, inflation and conflict wise than the news tells us. Shipping prices are effecting availability of some things as costs are making some things prohibitive. Would hate to see it go, it’s really a must for my reloading bench!

Probably also why IMR prices are doubled. I've been grabbing IMR 4895, 3031, 4064, 4227 and 4198 whenever I see them, even if I have to pay a little more. I won't pay full price, yet, I have plenty for now, but if it comes down to replacing those powders with subs - I have tested loading data - I will but it won't make me happy.

 

[cfullgraf]

Are you starting a rumor about unique getting discontinued?

I hope not.

Just, I've dabbled a bit with 20/28. Mostly in shot shells but I have used it in one or two metallic cartridges.

 

[Charlie98]

Are you starting a rumor about unique getting discontinued?

I don't think anyone here is starting that rumor. I would find it incredible, quite literally, if Alliant discontinued Unique. Say what you want, Alliant has some very good, and very popular powders. I'm sure Alliant is producing as much powder as they can... as they are able to... at this very moment.

 

[Yamifrk]

So it basically comes down to chocolate or vanilla…or strawberry. Your choice and what works for you and your gun’s. There is a reason I have multiple powder choices on the shelf. You can use the same powder for multiple calibers…but it’s not always the best, one size fits all doesn’t always work.

 

[AJC1]

So it basically comes down to chocolate or vanilla…or strawberry. Your choice and what works for you and your gun’s. There is a reason I have multiple powder choices on the shelf. You can use the same powder for multiple calibers…but it’s not always the best, one size fits all doesn’t always work.

Unique isn't special because it's magic. Unique is special because it's been around so long, there is load data for almost everything. For those who are not willing to dabble you can load just about anything, by the book with Unique.... in a lot of the same way if you really understand a powder you can load almost anything with it. Red Dot seems to prove this very well. For my needs I could use only 2400 and target shoot everything I have. Meeting terminal ballistics of bullets for hunting changes the game completely.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Hmm. That’s what my wife says about me.

And like unique, you can find a substitute if you’re willing to compromise.

 

[Charlie98]

Unique isn't special because it's magic.

Unique is beyond magic, it's beyond all understanding, it's The Source for Everything...

And like unique, you can find a substitute if you’re willing to compromise.

And I'll readily admit, Unique is very versatile, but it has some good company. Universal, probably AA#5. Once you go beyond that... you start to specialize a bit... PowerPistol, Silhouette, HS6, or the other direction... W231/HP38, AA#2, TiteGroup, RedDot, et al.

You can use the same powder for multiple calibers…but it’s not always the best, one size fits all doesn’t always work.

Unique is a little different in that manner... I load everything from .380ACP to heavy .41 and .45 Colt, 9mm and .45ACP, and even low- to mid-range cast rifle with it (although I don't care to use it that way, any longer.) I could load 95% of my handgun cartridges with Unique... the only exceptions would be full-house .41MAG, and .45 Colt for my H&R, where a slower powder works better in a rifle barrel, although Unique works there, too.

 

[thirty-eight]

I called Alliant at 866-286-7436 this morning, left a message, and they promptly returned my call. Their flake powders, including Unique, are made in Radford, Virginia. The Reloader series powders are made in Sweden, and the ball types are made in St. Marks, Florida. None are discontinued, and the gentleman simply stated that "demand exceeds supply." The phone number given is answered "CCI, Speer, Alliant."

 

[2ndtimer]

If over the past few months you haven’t found unique, bullseye, sport pistol, ar-comp, power pistol, be-86, 2400, just to name a few, then you just haven’t looked much. No, they’re not all available, all of the time, everywhere, but they’ve been available.

This is such a common thread and always wrong.

I have recently seen Unique, Sport Pistol, Power Pistol, BE-86 and 2400 available, but beg to differ on AR-Comp. It is scarce as Reloder 23 and 26, H-1000 and Retumbo. And I don’t consider a powder “available” if it sells out in 15 minutes on line and remains out of stock for the next 3 months. Also, geographic location has a lot to do with what is available, so for some of us, we aren’t wrong. Happy to hear in your world you have those powders readily available.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I have recently seen Unique, Sport Pistol, Power Pistol, BE-86 and 2400 available, but beg to differ on AR-Comp. It is scarce as Reloder 23 and 26, H-1000 and Retumbo. And I don’t consider a powder “available” if it sells out in 15 minutes on line and remains out of stock for the next 3 months. Also, geographic location has a lot to do with what is available, so for some of us, we aren’t wrong. Happy to hear in your world you have those powders readily available.

I call your beg to differ and raise you this link I posted yesterday to the availability thread.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ead-link-required.910908/page-8#post-12514706

Not directing this at or about you—I’m speaking only about those powders whose availability folks whine about the most. Don’t know about the others you mention.

My world as you say is legit prominent retailers on the Internet so it’s your world too! Thanks for being happy for me now you can stop feeling sad for you

 

[Walkalong]

I called Alliant at 866-286-7436 this morning, left a message, and they promptly returned my call. Their flake powders, including Unique, are made in Radford, Virginia. The Reloader series powders are made in Sweden, and the ball types are made in St. Marks, Florida. None are discontinued, and the gentleman simply stated that "demand exceeds supply." The phone number given is answered "CCI, Speer, Alliant."

Excellent