what is the most versatile powder ?

[watkibe]

Wow, 15 powders mentioned, but only 5 mentioned more than once: Red Dot 4 votes, Universal 2 votes, 2400 2 votes, Bullseye 2 votes, 4895 2 votes, and Unique got 19 !!!
I guess it really is UNIQUE...
Dirty ? Brass from my loads using Unique usually have soot around the mouth and sort of an oily feel. I always figured it was due to the low pressure not obturating the boolits completely, combined with the Lee Liquid Alox fumes. In my shotgun, with no bullet or lube, the only "dirt" I see is unburned powder kernels in the barrel.
I'm surprised that SR 4759 was only mentioned once. It's my standby for rifle cast boolit loads. It gives good loading density and is flexible with regards to the velocities you can load it to. If you look on the burning rate chart in the Lee book, it is right in between H110 and W296, which are supposed to be identical. I recently finally found some data for 4759 in the 44 mag. It works just as well, except for being a stick powder instead of a ball powder like H110 so it doesn't meter as smoothly.

[oldhickory]

I'm kinda torn between Unique and 2400...I guess if it came right down to the wire though, (a life-time supply of only one powder) UNIQUE!

[joedapro]

unique

[muzzleblast]

Count me in the UNIQUE camp for the short guns, and put me down for IMR 4350 for the long ones.

[Rockchucker]

Unique!

[putteral]

I only load for the .380, 9mm and .45 and I mostly use either Titegroup, Power Pistol or AA #5. They seem to work the best for me. Like Unique but meters poorly.

[hedgehorn]

Unique or Universal. I like them both.

[geargnasher]

Ok, looks like I opened up a can of worms with the dirty Unique. Truth is, I'm still using the stuff I bought back in high school (early '90s) in the cardboard cans that was made by Hercules. Didn't fiqure it had changed much. I quit using it the first time I tried Universal even though I still have about 6lbs of Unique, so I haven't bought any of the "new" Unique formulation. Maybe I will because it sure worked better than anything else I tried with some .30-30 loads I worked up years ago.

Gear

[Heavy lead]

I have found two things about Unique, number one the new stuff really is cleaner, number two if you run it mid range loads (not light) I'm talking like 10 grains in a 44 Mag or a 45 Colt it burns IME a lot cleaner than with say 7 or 8 grains.

[Trader Vic]

Unique is my 1st choice followed by Red Dot. I use both for handguns & shotguns. NRA PATRON LIFE MEMBER

[oldhickory]

I don't know what all the fuss is about Unique being "dirty". I've used it as my primary handgun powder for ages and it's one of the top three powders I use for cast boolit loads in rifle also. So it's a little dirty...It's still by far the most flexable powder on the market. I tried Universal, and went back to Unique in short order, gave what was left of the Universal to someone else. I have a lot of old unique, and some new, as long as it maintains it's fabulous reputation for accuracy and works in anything I decide to load it in...I DON'T CARE IF IT'S TWICE AS DIRTY AS OLD UNIQUE WAS!

As a side note, I'll use Herco as a substitute for Unique before I try Universal again.