Used the last of my Unique. Not getting more.

Nick_C_S

New member
Yesterday, I loaded 314 rounds of 357 range fodder. 158 X-treme (plated) SWC; under 7.0 grains of Unique (runs 1115 f/s 4"; and 1065 f/s 3"). That left me with about a Tablespoon of Unique remaining. I used it for an evening mini light show in my backyard.

That it. I'm out of Unique. Can't say it'll be missed. I first bought Unique when I first started loading. As a small point of historical amusement, when I first started loading (1984), I wasn't sure what powders to use, and the store where I was stocked almost entirely Hercules propellants. So I bought the "spectrum": Bullseye; Red Dot; Green Dot; Blue Dot; Unique; & Herco. So I tried them all. Getting off-topic, sorry. Point is, I had past experience with Unique. I believe I even bought more after the original purchase. But as my loading matured, Unique fell out of favor - as did everything that wasn't wide-open-throttle magnum propellants (by then, I learned of W296). Save for W231 for 45 ACP and 38 target shooters.

By the mid-90's, life was happening for me and I didn't do nearly as much loading/shooting. Come October 2012, my life slowed down enough to where I decided to get back into these hobbies (loading/shooting). I bought a few components to get some stock back up, but no intermediate burn rate powders (I had a little bit of HS-6). Then the horrific event of December '12 occurred that precipitated the great component shortage. I was caught flat footed. That, coupled with the fact that my shooting style changed and the big booming magnums weren't so much my thing any more. I needed intermediate powders. I got lucky enough to cross paths with Unique (twice, actually) and bought a total of 4#'s. At the time, this pleased me. I also got ahold of HS-6, AA#5, and Power Pistol. All of which I prefer over Unique.

So Unique sat in my inventory and collected dust. After the shortage, I resolved to pare down my powder inventory selection - I had 11 or 12 different powders. Unique easily made the cut list. So the last 18 months or so, anything that could be loaded with Unique, was. It's gone now.

I'd say "to make a long story short," but it's way too late for that :D So what is it about Unique that I don't like? Well, the biggie is that it meters slightly better than corn flakes. Per someone's advice here on TFL, I did learn the "double tap" method of dispensing with more consistency, but it still throws wonky and inconsistent at that. Getting the powder hopper set to a given charge weight is an exercise in frustration. That really won't be missed.

I also found it hard to make good ammo with it. Light bullets virtually guarantee huge Standard Deviations. Can't get it to do anything right in 38 Special. The only places where it seems to settle down into a good consistent running powder is with jacketed 230's pumped up to full-throttle in 45 ACP; midrange plated 158's in 357 magnum (as in above), and jacketed 158's loaded up good and firm (but if I'm gonna run a jacketed 158, I'm going full throttle with 2400). I can't tell you how much time I spent trying to get 125's (357) to settle down and run right. Velocities were good; but SD's were atrocious at any charge weight. I repeated my tests multiple times. I tried harder to get 125's to work than sanity permitted.

Power Pistol is my intermediate propellant of choice. All others are on the cut list. PP makes great high power ammo (save full magnum loads) in virtually every caliber; and still behaves well when you turn it down a little - unlike Unique; which gets sooty with unburnt flakes everywhere, etc.

I still have AA#5 and do plan on phasing it out. But I like it a heck of a lot more than Unique. I'm in no hurry to move it out of inventory; and will likely reserve it for 180gn plated 10mm basic range ammo - which is where it really shines with amazing consistency and accuracy. But I don't shoot 10mm much at all.

So good riddance to Unique. Thanks for listening. Feel free to comment on your experiences with it, and/or what you use instead as an intermediate burn rate powder.
 
I still have it, always was the go to for low power loads.

I have used HS-6 and kind of neutral, fine.

I guess I never got riled up about SDs for the pistol. Mostly used 2400 and 110, I still have good canisters of green and red (have to look).

I used to reload the 380 Kurtz, I can't imagine why I did that?

Have to look to see if I used it in 9mm.
 
I still use quite a bit of Unique.
200gr LSWC in the 45 ACP,
115,124 gr LRN in the 9mm,
125gr LSWC in 38 SPCL.

Trying to find a home for the 2lbs of Blue Dot. Don't own/load 40 S&W anymore.
 
I too kicked Unique to the curb. It metered horribly thru my Dillon measure causing squibs. Even though it was improved it created a lot of smoke. Used it up and replaced it with Power Pistol. No more complaints. However, I would like to try Universal but just can't find it.
 
I shot the last of my Unique in 9 mm with 125 gr cast bullets. It shot pretty good, as good as plated 124s with Titegroup. I had bought 8# of Unique to load 20 ga shotgun with. I've also used Unique to load .38 Special and .357 with. I found that even tho it doesn't meter right on the nut it's still accurate unless you load powder puff loads. I won't rule it out in the future but at present I'm gonna shoot some Power Pistol and CFE to see how they do.
Actually with Green Dot and Unique I can load 12 and 20 ga and 9, 38 .357 and .45. Can load all with Green Dot but it will drop velocity in the .357.
 
I don't think your experience is unique, but I still use it often. Regardless of how poorly it meters, it's my go-to for most of my revolver target loads.

I know there are better options, but it's something I'm very comfortable and familiar with.
 
Some people love it. Some people hate it.

I still use it.
But... I haven't had to buy any in 10+ years. It lasts forever at the rate that I use it.
 
I quit using it years ago when I went to Universal Clays. When I couldn't get it anymore I started using Power Pistol and later BE-86.
I always liked PP and I still keep some PP around. It works good in just about everything that Unique worked in except for the flash it makes.
BE-86 corrected that.
 
I have about 7# of Unique that was given to my by a good friend who gave up shooting IPSA back in the early 90's. Loaded about 1500 rounds of 9mm to date. I'm with the general consensus that while it's a versatile powder the fact it's a flake powder is it's downfall. I too notice inconsistent metering. I will continue to use but no way would I pay for Unique. I'm developing a new admiration for AA#5 for 9mm . My AA#5, and AA#9 both drop SOOOO smooth and consistent !
 
Some people love it. Some people hate it. (Unique)

I think I'm somewhere in between. I have never tried a propellant that I couldn't find at least ONE thing it does well. But I do find it amusing that Unique has a reputation for being versatile. I'm not sure how the term is defined, I suppose. I guess it does a lot of things "good enough." I mean, it'll burn and send a bullet downrange. But performance has got to be a lot better than that before I consider it correct or the application.

Take 230gn 45 ACP for instance: It runs good pushed hard with jacketed bullets. That's what it does best from my tests, in fact. But when you move to a plated bullet and try to turn down the charge to make a more mild range round, SD's open up. In fact, you can even hear the variance of report when shooting them; with partially spent powder flakes about, etc. To me, that's not versatile.

Of the intermediates that I have used - HS-6, AA#5, and Power Pistol, I would consider only HS-6 to be less versatile.
 
I have been using Hod. Universal is place of Unique. It is a ball powder and meters much more accurately. Not a lot of data, so start low and work up keeping an eye on pressure.
 
I still use it without any accuracy problems in my Ruger GP-100. Unique for 125gr JHP in .38 Special and 2400 for the same bullet in .357.
 
I like it. Mostly load 45 Colt and 9mm with it. It has a big following with the 45 Colt crowd for good reason and it’s right up near the top for 9mm Performance I believe.
 
I have been using Hod. Universal is place of Unique. It is a ball powder and meters much more accurately.

It’s a flake powder too. Meters pretty good in my limited experience.

I have found that Unique is not the only powder that doesn’t meter that great and that it still shoots good anyhow.
 
I use it for all my handgun calibers. It meters just fine in my Dillon Square Deal and has just about the right burn rate for my 9mm and 45 ACP loads.

I even like it for shotgun reloads. Plus, it's not as dirty as it used to be. You should have seen it back in the day. Cleanup was like I'd been shooting bullets made of coal.
 
Dearing the last powder shortage Unique kept my 308 30-06 7mm08 shooting cast bullets . Fun and enjoyable loads it let us keep shooting and not using our regular powder .
 
I just bought another 8# can of it... I love it. I have a shrine to Unique in my reloading room, and burn the Eternal Flame to the gods of Powder (well, not really. At least the flame part.) I have loaded everything from the .380 to heavy 45 Colt loads with it, and, now .45-70. It is my go to powder for .45ACP and the 230grn bullet, and anything .41, .44, or .45 Colt. I loaded a lot of .38/.357 with it. I don't like it in 9mm... when the charge weights get below 5grn, with my Hornady measure, it starts to drop wonky, but I have no problems with it 5grn and up. It is a very forgiving powder when pushed; back in my younger days, I pushed both .41MAG and the .45's over the limits... and it never bit me.

Are there better powders? I suppose, if you wanted to get picky and find a specific powder for each and every cartridge and bullet combo, nothing that Unique can't handle, anyway. No, it's not W231 or W296, but it covers most of the middle ground between the two... and that's pretty... uh, Unique.
 
Have found numerous very good to excellent loads with unique, and am getting to point of not wanting to keep trying other powders. The only low powered load that met my accuracy criteria was 5.5 gns unique under a 230 lrn in 45 acp. The rest are mostly vermin loads

380 full powered 90 grain jacketed
9mm full powered 115 and 125 jacketed
357 mid range 125 jhp jacketed
.40 full powered 150 gn plated and jacketed
44 special full powered 180 and 200 jhp
44 mag mid range 180 jhp
45 acp target 230 lead and 230 fmj hardball
 
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