need a cleaner powder

[fishboy747]

I have been shooting the dirty unique powder. Does anybody have a better and cleaner powder for my .44 loads 255 SWC thanks

[HeavyMetal]

Go to WW296 Pass Go and collect $200!

Seriously 296 is pretty darn clean as is most ball powders I've used in a handgun. Down side is it needs to be a real magnum load!

My experience with Unique is it's fairly clean if not under loaded. most mid range stuff run 10 to 11 grains with good boolit pull and a fair crimp. If your running lighter than this it cold be the problem.

[Catshooter]

Fishboy,

I went from Unique (wonderful powder) to Universal Clays (wonderful powder). They burn very much the same, they are both very forgiving, meter well, and are quite consistant. The biggest difference between the two is that UC is much, much cleaner.


Cat

[sargenv]

If you are willing to pay for them, I have heard that the Vittavouri powders are also very clean, but they are about twice the money as the rest of the stuff on the market..

[wildwilly]

Been successfully loading nearly all my handguns (9mm, 357, 41, 45 LC) with Longshot.

[lbaize3]

I agree with Catshooter. Universal Clays is so much cleaner than Unique and the burning rate is close to the same. I also find that many powders that burn clean with heavy loads also provide a lot of carbon and soot with light loads. Red dot is one of those. Light loads leave the brass dirty. Near max loads of Red dot leave the brass very clean (32-20 pistol, 115 gr lead, 3 grains of RD = dirty.... 3.9 grains of RD = very clean brass).

[littlejack]

+1 for Universal, it also meters better than Unique.
Jack

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive used alot of universal clays and never really got the accuracy out of it i get with unique or herco. They may be dirty and may not meter real well but they sure do shoot well. Ive fooled quite a bit with power pistol and if any powder was going to replace unique in my cabinet (not much chance of that happening) it would be power pistol. Bottom line is no powder burns clean in a handgun especially when shooting cast bullets. The lube makes more of a mess then the unburned powder. Just clean your gun every 2 sessions instead of every 3.

[stubshaft]

I switched from Unique to AA#5. Similar burn rate and meters ALOT better, also burns cleaner.

[btroj]

I agree with Lloyd. The lube makes more of a mess than the powder. I don't worry about it at all, I clean the barrel rarely and only wipe down the outside of the gun when it gets really bad.

[wallenba]

As said, lighter loads get dirty. Reason being is lower pressures don't expand the brass as well, and allow gas to blow back and around and into gaps.

[btroj]

Even with a good gas seal the barrel and frame around the cylinder get lots of fouling. Much of this is lube, not powder fouling. As long as it doesn't hurt function I view this as cosmetic and I just ignore it.
Face it, cast bullets can be dirty to shoot in a handgun. So what? It is easy to clean.

[dla]

"clean" is a funny term. In general, fast powders are "cleaner" simply because they've pretty much burned by the time your bullet enters the forcing cone. But they give the lowest velocities.

[Groo]

Groo here
Unique has a high sweet spot, it can be loaded down but gets dirty,, when loaded up
toward the top it cleans up. [ After all it is Unique}

[wallenba]

I cleaned up my indoor pistol loads a lot by using gas checked boolits where I can, Clays and Carnuba Red. I hardly notice it now.

[fishboy747]

When my wife and I go to the range and our hands are so black its time to try something else. My loads for plinking have been 9.0 gr unique for the .44 and a 255 SWC great for paper not wife's hands what load of clays would you use instead in a smith 4'' mountain gun.

[Heavy lead]

I will never be without Unique, I've tried Universal and simply didn't like it. Unique for me with 10 grains in the 44 under a 260 grain Keith burns very clean and is very accurate. I also find the same 10 grains in a Ruger only load under a 300 grain flat point is equal in accuracy and cleanliness. I don't load Unique down much more than this, I will shoot some 8.5 grain loads under the Lyman 454190, but they are not much dirtier. If you want clean burn some 231.

[RobS]

When my wife and I go to the range and our hands are so black its time to try something else. My loads for plinking have been 9.0 gr unique for the .44 and a 255 SWC great for paper not wife's hands what load of clays would you use instead in a smith 4'' mountain gun.

Unique will burn dirty if you don't bring up the pressures for it to burn well. If you are using light end plinkers then working with a faster powder will help or switching to a ball powder in about the same burn rate can also help.

[ke5ldo]

TITEGROUP. i use it instead of Unique.

[Mal Paso]

5.5g of Titegroup gets me 840 fps with a 250g Keith, from a 4" Anaconda.

5g of Clays, 740 fps, 250g Keith, 4" Redhawk

[badbob454]

i use wc820 surp ... very clean burning

[wallenba]

When my wife and I go to the range and our hands are so black its time to try something else. My loads for plinking have been 9.0 gr unique for the .44 and a 255 SWC great for paper not wife's hands what load of clays would you use instead in a smith 4'' mountain gun.

That seems to vary with the gun. As a rule though I find starting loads unsatisfactory. On average, loading 38 special, 44 special and 45 ACP (revolver load) I end up slightly above mid- range load. I aim to make it easy on my brass and shooting hand while getting accuracy. Smoke reduction is the last concern. I would experiment with primer brands as well. Magnum primers might help, but someone else who knows more about them than I, should give you advice on that.

Anybody? Are magnum primers safe to substitute?

[pdawg_shooter]

I switched from Unique to AA#5. Similar burn rate and meters ALOT better, also burns cleaner.

+1 on the AA #5. It is the only powder I use in my 45ACPs.

[leadman]

AA#2 is a very clean powder. It is faster burning than Unique but if you do not need high velocity in a 44 it is great.
I use it in my 38spl. J-frame with Lee's 158gr RFN and get max velocity and very clean.
Have used it in the 44mag for light load and still clean.

[piece]

If you are willing to pay for them, I have heard that the Vittavouri powders are also very clean, but they are about twice the money as the rest of the stuff on the market..

They are very nice and clean, but the price is approx half of american powders.
But thats in Sweden ;)

[MT Gianni]

When my wife and I go to the range and our hands are so black its time to try something else. My loads for plinking have been 9.0 gr unique for the .44 and a 255 SWC great for paper not wife's hands what load of clays would you use instead in a smith 4'' mountain gun.

A well fitting leather gun can be your friend if the hands concern you. I am another that is too sold on Unique to be without it.

[marshall623]

I've burned alot of Unique it's versatilty is hard to beat . I'ts been dirty in revolver loads , but clean in bottle neck stuff. In my GP 100 I've had very good luck with HS-6 . Still some dirty but that's the nasty lube the the bullets was lubed with that bought from this guy. They are almost gone it's time to break out my new to me 358477 mold.