Alliant Unique ?

[Bonz]

Just picked up my first pound of Alliant Unique and have never loaded with it before. I reload all the common pistol loads.

Which caliber & bullet weight is the best for Alliant Unique ?

[dragon813gt]

The shorter answer would be what doesn't it work w/? You can find loads for pretty much everything.

[bangerjim]

Look in your load data books (lyman, lee, etc.). It is EVERYWHERE! I no longer use it because I find it very dirty, but it is the standard powder for many on here.

You are fortunate to find ANY pistol powders these days.

bangerjim

[dbosman]

It's unique in that it works in just about any cartridge.
Start here http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/unique.aspx for load data.

[Bonz]

The shorter answer would be what doesn't it work w/? You can find loads for pretty much everything.

I'm looking for opinions on what caliber & bullet weight it works best with. CFE Pistol is the best powder I have ever loaded .380 with. PowerPistol is outstanding in 115gr and 124gr 9mm. Bullseye is great in .45acp 200gr.

There must be one caliber and bullet weight that this powder really is the best in. I only have one pound and really don't want to try it in everything that I load.

[DeanWinchester]

Much shorter list to name what DOESNT work with Unique.

[35remington]

If we said the rimmed 324 Alzheimer's Special, would you go out and buy one?

You bought a versatile powder. Instead of asking what it's best in, a question no one knows the answer to, why not prove to yourself it does well in a lot of calibers you already own? Most here use it with satisfaction in a lot of different stuff. To repeat.....nobody knows what it's best in. They only know that it works for them in what they've got.

Me too. If somebody said it was "best" in something, that's mostly a matter of opinion, and others would claim it's "best" with something else in the way of powder. The question of what it's "best" in is truly moot. There is NO single caliber and bullet weight it's best in. Too many cartridges overlap in powder usability to ever make that claim valid.

[Kraschenbirn]

Because I've got a fairly decent supply on hand, I've gone (back) to Unique for all of my .45ACP (200 SWCs) and .44 Spl (200 RNFP) practice/plinker loads. Yeah, it's dirty but using Unique let's me shoot all that I want without burning through my stocks of cleaner, more efficient powders that I might not be able to replace for a while (if ever).

Generally speaking, I can't think of a single handgun round that can't be loaded (to some level) with Unique, I've, personally, used it in .38 Spl, .357 Mag, .41 Mag (mid-range loads), .44 Spl, .44 Mag (mid-range loads), and .45ACP. Unique may also be used for reduced velocity CB loads in most CF rifle cartridges, too

Bill

[Old Caster]

Unique's best use is for faster than plinking loads. That is why it is so dirty in plinking or slow velocity loads. This is always the case when a slower powder is used for slow loads. If you like to plink, get the fastest powder for a given caliber you can and then it will be the cleanest and the most economical.

[500MAG]

One of the guys called it flaming dirt. I thought that was hilarious but true.

[jonp]

8.5gr under a 255gr 45 colt in a BH will slay dragons

[nagantguy]

What works with unique?, its total junk if you send it to me along with any other pounds of it you can find I will gladly dispose of it and compensate you justly.

[462]

"If we said the rimmed 324 Alzheimer's Special, would you go out and buy one?"

While searching for an Asperly Aimless, I stumbled onto one and didn't waste a moment in buying it. Man, does it ever like Unique!

[richhodg66]

I find about 8 grains with a 250 grain SWC to be about the perfect load in .45 Colt, if I had to say what it is best in, .45 Colt would be my answer. I also use it almost exclusively in .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .45 ACP, have used it a lot in 9mm when I used to load it and am beginning to use it in .32 S&W Long and .32 H&R Mag.

It's also great in reduced rifle loads and I've used it in as many rifle calibers as pistol.

[358 Win]

I like 500MAG's description of Unique, but when something works as superbly as Unique does in my handguns and 12 gauge loads, I'll continue to use it, "flaming dirt" or not!!:bigsmyl2:

Went to Cabelas in Hamburg yesterday. Not a pistol/shotgun powder to be found. Some H322, IMR4895, Alliant's MR-4000, RL-33, yes 33, and some 8 pounders of IMR4350, that's it. There were some bullets and all manner of primers. Prices were high to my way of looking at them, $28.99 for a pound of powder, primers were $41.00 to $43.00 per thousand and not many of the bullets were under $30.00 per hundred.

358 Win

[Bonz]

I sincerely appreciate everyone's opinion on Unique. And even though I had decided to only load one specific round with the entire pound, I think that I really need to try it in just about every pistol cartridge that I load, just for the experience. I honestly can't think of any other powder that has this many true fans, including Bullseye.

[jonp]

Unique may not be the best powder in anything but it will work in everything.

[flgolfer29]

I've been using 7.0 grains of Unique with a 158 gr. LSWC. This is a very accurate, soft shooting load out of my 686-2 and Ruger Blackhawk.

joe

[dragon813gt]

Went to Cabelas in Hamburg yesterday. Not a pistol/shotgun powder to be found. Some H322, IMR4895, Alliant's MR-4000, RL-33, yes 33, and some 8 pounders of IMR4350, that's it. There were some bullets and all manner of primers. Prices were high to my way of looking at them, $28.99 for a pound of powder, primers were $41.00 to $43.00 per thousand and not many of the bullets were under $30.00 per hundred.

358 Win

Those have been their prices for years. So they are at least holding steady. I'm surprised you saw that many powders there. Last few times I was there they had gotten rid of the powder shelf. What little powder they had was on one of those small stands they place in the middle of the aisles. Maybe three different powders and definitely no eight pound jugs. I try to avoid that store because something out of the Gun Library usually comes home w/ me :)

[gpidaho]

You can make something fly out of about anything with UNIQUE one powder fits all kind of thing. GP

[358 Win]

Those have been their prices for years. So they are at least holding steady. I'm surprised you saw that many powders there. Last few times I was there they had gotten rid of the powder shelf. What little powder they had was on one of those small stands they place in the middle of the aisles. Maybe three different powders and definitely no eight pound jugs. I try to avoid that store because something out of the Gun Library usually comes home w/ me :)

Yep, the powder was on a little center aisle stand just as you described. The bottom shelf had the five 8 pound jugs of IMR4350 @ $199.00 per jug. They also had lead shot, steel shot, wads for 12, 16, and 20 gauge but no shotgun/pistol powder of any kind.

358 Win

[cephas53]

I realize we may have personal preferences in certain cartridges but what wouldn't work with Unique?

[Adk Mike]

13 grains of Unique behind a Lyman 311-644 is all I shoot in my 30-06. Mild and fun.

[aap2]

I have been experimenting with a bunch of different powders to load 45 ACP/200gr Mihec H&G clone and Unique at 7.0 gr is the most accurate so far; 5 shots into 3/4" or less at 25 yards. The new Unique is cleaner burning than the old stuff; I shot identical loads side by side and the results were obvious. Reduced loads of Unique (or most any pistol powder) often leave a lot of residue behind..Unique at 7.0 gr is a lot cleaner than the lower charges in my 45 ACP application.

[DrCaveman]

Hey bonz

It is my best 38 special powder, when charged @ 5 gr behind a 158 lead boolit. I think the window of ideal pressure with that powder is 15kpsi thereabouts, perfect for 38. I could be wrong.

Look into keith and his observations about ideal charge weights for unique in various calibers

[Bonz]

With all the great feedback that I have received, I can see that I need to try it in as many different pistol cartridges as possible. Also sounds like the higher pressure charges are the cleanest, just like a lot of other powders that I use. I am loading .380 with Hodgdon CFE Pistol right now but will load a 100 or so with 100gr RNFP and 4.2gr Unique and see how they shoot.

[WRideout]

I use Unique in my soviet milsurp pistols; 7.62 Tok and 7.62 Nagant. It actually burns cleaner than Blue Dot in low-pressure loads, and can handle heavier/faster boolits than you could with Bullseye.

Wayne

[Petrol & Powder]

8.5gr under a 255gr 45 colt in a BH will slay dragons
Your standard run-of-the-mill garden variety dragon or those gnarly old Billy-bad-a**, curmudgeon type dragons ?

[jonp]

Your standard run-of-the-mill garden variety dragon or those gnarly old Billy-bad-a**, curmudgeon type dragons ?

The Billy-Bad-A** ones get a max load of H110 under a 300gr. :bigsmyl2:

[Shiloh]

Just picked up my first pound of Alliant Unique and have never loaded with it before. I reload all the common pistol loads.

Which caliber & bullet weight is the best for Alliant Unique ?

Short answer?? All of them. For heavier boolits in .357 I use a slower powder.
9mm, 38/.357, .40 S&W, .45 Auto have had zillions of loads using Unique.

Shiloh

[jonp]

Gee Bonz, how did you make it this far in life without trying out Unique? From everyone I've talked to it's usually one of the first stops when reloading.

[Bonz]

Gee Bonz, how did you make it this far in life without trying out Unique? From everyone I've talked to it's usually one of the first stops when reloading.

Honestly, I heard that it meters poorly and is a very dirty powder, so I never tried it. Last time I walked into the LGS, there were people scrambling to buy powder and there was only Unique in the pistol powder section with a limit of one pound per person, so I bought it to try. I just finished loading some .380 with CFE Pistol but I'm going to load a 100 with Unique to try it. Next up on the press is .40 S&W which I will also load a 100 with Unique.

[dragon813gt]

Gee Bonz, how did you make it this far in life without trying out Unique? From everyone I've talked to it's usually one of the first stops when reloading.

Put me on that list as well. I've never used it. I have a four pounder just sitting in the storage box. I will get around to using it one day :)

[jonp]

I started with a set of lee dippers

[bob208]

if a man was to have only one powder to load pistol with it would be unique.

[GoodOlBoy]

Here's my thoughts. On light loads, and/or light bullet weights Unique can be VERY dirty. For some reason, again in my experience, it is even worse with straight wall cases and light loads than bottlenecks with same. Howsomeever, if you load a moderate load with a standard or heavy bullet weight it burns MUCH cleaner. Dunno why that is, but as had been said I don't know of a single caliber you can't use Unique in in some form or fashion.

GoodOlBoy

[10mmShooter]

I never used Unique either, its burn rate being smack in the middle of my two most favorite powders, its slower that WW231, and faster than AA#5 and SR4756, which are my go too powders. WW231 for light target work, and AA#5/SR 4756 when I need a little more horsepower. I use the Dots, Green and Red though, but again they are a good bit faster that Unique is.

[rintinglen]

If I had to pick one best use for Unique, I'd say the 44 Special with 240- 260 grain boolits. It is really good there, 6.5-6.9 grains under a 429-421 sized to fit the gun is likely to be the most accurate load obtainable for said revolver.
The only cartridges that I can think of where it would be a poor choice would be the 0ver-the-top magnums like the 460 S&W or the 475 Linebaugh, and even there I suspect useful light loads might be developed.

[35 shooter]

I started with a set of lee dippers

Yep! My first experience at loading anything was with unique, a lee hand die set in 12 ga., and a set of lee dippers. I still have the dies and the dippers after 40 years. Still have unique too. Worked great for all day shooting in 44 mag. pistols also and now i load 12 gr. behind a 280 gr. boolit in 35 whelen. If i had to live with one powder from now on Unique would be at the top of the list. Not best at any one thing, but good in just about everything.