Old Unique

[gunauthor]

A couple of months ago I scored a pound of Unique at a local gun show. I noticed it was in a non-current bottle but didn't give it much thought as I know powder has a long shelf life. When I started using it to load some 12 gauge shells, I checked out the date on the side of the container, it was Aug 21 '98. Wonder where this powder has been for 21 years? Fired some of the shells and the powder works just fine.......

[Hickory]

I still have two cardboard 8 lb kegs of Unique that are unopened and I'm using the last of the third one.
Still good, I bought it back in the early 70's. I had to buy 10 kegs to get them for $12.50 a keg.

[RED BEAR]

I still have two cardboard 8 lb kegs of Unique that are unopened and I'm using the last of the third one.
Still good, I bought it back in the early 70's. I had to buy 10 kegs to get them for $12.50 a keg.

Mine wasn't that old it had a price tag of 14.50. I used it up just a couple months ago. As long as it shows no signs of deterating i wouldn't worry.

[Gewehr-Guy]

One of my older Hercules powder booklets showed a picture of a glass jar with a quantity of Unique manufactured around the turn of the century. It was stored under water, and they would occasionally pull a sample, dry it out, and compare it to the new batches of powder.
I also remember that glass jar of old powder being used in Hercules ads in gun magazines back in the 80's or 90's , IIRC.

[waco]

I have some Unique and Redot cans with dates of 1990 on the bottom. Works just fine.

[Texas by God]

I’m using W760 from the 1970’s in my .243....goes bang and shoots <1” 3 shot groups. Unless it’s rusty and smells like Eau de Chat oui-oui I’ll likely use it.

[ulav8r]

The OP's powder is at least 20 years younger than the Unique I am still using.

[Hickory]

Unique is the perfect name for this powder, because it is unique.
It can be used in rifle, handguns and shotguns. Cast boolits of course.

[dg31872]

I have a square metal can of Unique, bought in the early '60's. I don't use it anymore, I have plenty of newer powders to use. I just wanted to keep the old can for sentimental reasons.
The first powder I bought. I used a small amount with Speer Plinkers to shoot armadillo's in the pasture.

[leeshall]

I am still using Bullseye in the little metal cans labeled Hercules. Made long before the name change to Alliant. I also have Red Dot, Green Dot, Unique, 2400, and, I think a bit of Herco in the little metal cans labeled Hercules. Still going strong after all these years. I have had powders go bad. I had an 8 pound metal container of IMR4064 reduced to a stinky pile of sludge. A small container of RL7 went bad as well. I have some commercial SAKO 7X64 ammo start oozing blue/green goop out from around the bullet and case neck and from around the primers. I also had some PPU 7.62X54R ammunition go bad in the same way but PPU is wonderful people and exchanged it all for new ammunition. Wish I knew who imports SAKO ammunition and approach them with this problem.

[Happyguy]

I have some Alcan that I am still using without issues.

[dkonrai]

I have some Alcan that I am still using without issues.

From the 50s or 60s? Wow! I scored a can of 24 and 1k primers.

Sent from my LM-Q710(FGN) using Tapatalk

[Walks]

I have 2 mixed cases of HERCULES 1 lb cans of Bullseye, Unique & 2400 in the back of my closet from 1990. Started out as 6 cases.
Works just fine.

[Shepherd2]

A friend gave me 2 square metal cans of Unique a few years ago. I don't know how old they were but the price on the 1 pound cans was $2.75. I used it all up in pistol loads. I never noticed any difference from it than and Unique I used before or after it.

[Moleman-]

I wouldn't consider the 90's manufacture remotely as "old" powder if it was stored halfway decent.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I just recently used up the last of some Unique, Bullseye and 2400 that I bought in bulk back in the early 1980s. All of it worked perfectly.
It was kept in a climate controlled reloading room...never exposed to extremes of temperature or humidity.
A couple of years ago, I bought another large supply of several gun powders to make sure I never had to worry about shortages(even though I had plenty of powder to see me through the shortages of a few years ago).
I have enough powder and primers to last for several years and have taught my son that it is wise to keep several 8lb jugs of powder and several thousand primers in reserve for each caliber that we load for. Our biggest issue is keeping a reserve stock of bullets both cast and jacketed on hand. We seem to load almost every bullet we buy no matter how many. If we don't load them all up as our bulk general purpose loads then we make a bunch of test loads or specialized hunting rounds.

[KenT7021]

I've got some Bullseye that I bought in the 60's.It's still good.

[James Wisner]

Am shooting up the last of my IMR 4350 which I bought from Herters in 1972.

Currently the keg of Unique I was loading with is dated 1990, and I am ready to open the next keg which is dated 1992

As long as they are properly stored, and have not degraded they are fine to shoot.

J Wisner

[Eddie Southgate]

Got a keg from the early 60's that still shoots just the same as when bought . When the world comes to an end the only functional things left will be cockroaches and Unique .

[Winger Ed.]

I've got some Bullseye that I bought in the 60's.It's still good.

I snagged a unopened, yellow, 8 lb., round metal keg/can of Bullseye awhile back for $40.
Not sure when those cans went away, my guess is the late 1960's or 70's.
It looks, smells, and acts just fine..