Light loads other than Unique powder

[GhostHawk]

Red Dot. From 2 grains in .32acp or .32sw long to 13 grains in .444mar

There is a whole litany of calibers that work very well in the 3, 4.6 to 6.5 ranges.

If you want to stay below speed of sound that is easy also. If you want to push up into the 1600 to 1800 fps just work off the higher side.

What's more a pound of 7000 grains of Red Dot will last you forever in the 3-4 grain range. Darn thrifty. Primers maybe pricey.

[Rich/WIS]

I use 5.0 grs Bullseye in 30/06 and 30/40 with either the 311291 or NOE 311-115 and the same charge in the 243 with the NOE 246-105. Group well at 50 yards but beyond that accuracy falls off.

[jonp]

These guys did a lot of light load testing

http://www.gmdr.com/lever/lowveldata.htm

I use the .30-30 data for my .308.

PS my go to load has been 8.0gn of Blue Dot with a 170gn plain base bullet. Don't shoot the light load much these days with the prices of primers.

That is a great link. Thanks

[TribunusSanGeorgii]

I've used BE-86 in 7.62x54 light loads with a cast 160gr lee boolit. 5gr of powder I think without checking.

[Photog]

I worked up a few rifle loads with different pistol powders and settled on Power Pistol for its versatility, and clean burn. 7-10 gr under a rifle boolit will get 1400-1700 fps and burn completely and give good accuracy. I tried faster powders and never got the velocity needed for decent accuracy, and if you get into the 2400 speed range, yo use lots more powder - which negates the reduced load benefits of using less powder. Yeah the 7 to 10 gr loads are double the powder than a Red Dot load, but its actually a good accurate round at the right speed for cast (around 1500fps). Used it in 30-30, 30-06, 30M1 carbine, .308, and they all work with 110-178gr projectiles.

[Rich/WIS]

I use 5 grs of Bullseye in the 06, 30/40 and 243 Win.

[braddock]

You can try Shooters World Ultimate pistol, almost a straight swap for Acc#5 or unique, I use it in the UK where it's marketed as lovex D036 in loads for my 30/30 carbine in single figure grain doses ditto 38 sp, 357 mag, 308 and maybe half that in 223 all with cast bullets, with the 357 and around 11 grains it generates nearly 1700 fps in my 20" barrel carbine. Burns real clean, meters well, and is cheaper than the more famous brands.
Boolits are 158 grn swc, tc or rnfp for 38/357, 55 grn lee cast 225 gc for my 223, 173 grain 309 fprn and 180 lee 2r gc sized down to 309 for my 30 cals.
I've also used universal in small doses but it doesn't meter as well as the ball powders, even with the Lee auto disc powder measure, due to the small bore of the disc. Favorite for the 357 is 2400 which also does well with 8 grns behind a 120 grain plain based 309 diameter boolit in my 30/30 ideal for gallery shooting, roundabout 8 -900 fps.

[Chill Wills]

I believe the closest substitute for Unique, would be Hodgdon's Universal.

I have heard this before. The loads data is in the ballpark but are the "on target results" close too? I ask because I have Universal and my Unique is close to done.

[1006]

I have has good luck with Clays, same charges as Red Dot or Bullseye.

[jdsingleshot]

I've been using 4756 for decades, just because I had it. 3.5g in .25-20 WCF, 87g bullet; 8g in '06 and 7.65x53 with 158g bullet. All bullets plain base. Finished off a moose with the '06 load--quiet and clean.

[jimb16]

I got lucky today at a show. A guy had 2 8 pounders of Unique. I grabbed one. I can tell you this....it wasn't cheap. I got mugged, but at least I got the powder. I also picked up a 1# can of Bullseye at a reasonable price. Finding good powders is getting tough these days.

[LAGS]

I seemed to be lucky.
Back when there was a powder shortage in 2008.
I was able to find 8 lb jugs of both Unique and Bullseye.
Mostly because people at the time were out of work , and didn't have the money to buy the bigger jugs.
You couldn't find any 1 lb cans at the time either because guys bought all of what they could afford.
But now , you are lucky to find any powder , especially at a good price.

[Milky Duck]

Red Dot. From 2 grains in .32acp or .32sw long to 13 grains in .444mar

There is a whole litany of calibers that work very well in the 3, 4.6 to 6.5 ranges.

If you want to stay below speed of sound that is easy also. If you want to push up into the 1600 to 1800 fps just work off the higher side.

What's more a pound of 7000 grains of Red Dot will last you forever in the 3-4 grain range. Darn thrifty. Primers maybe pricey.

OK so out of left field question...in 44 magnum I see loads for the pistol/shotgun powder I have on hand in the 6-9grn range for 240-280grn cast...if I was to switch to a 180grn JACKETED projectile..and still want 13-1500fps load.....does 7grns sound about right???safe???

[Charlie Horse]

I had some kind of secondary explosion effect or similar happen with a very light load of Unique and a round ball in a TC pistol. I was using about one grain of powder or so. There was a definite hang fire then a loud "POP". It bulged the chamber. Not enough that you can see it, but enough that cases from normal loads no longer extract easily. Just sayin'.

[popper]

Been playing with WSF in 300 BO, looks good. Just a tad slower than unique.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I've used HP-38, TiteGroup, HS-7 and Herco for light loading in the 30-30, 32 Special, .300 Savage, 308 Win and .358 Win with excellent results.

[1Papalote]

Haven't tried BE86 but it is adjacent to Unique on the powder burn chart. And it is available.