Unique and 30 06

[John McCorkle]

Hi all,

Looking in my Lyman cast bullet handbook (4th) I see a great deal of Unique listed for cast rifle (specifically'06)

I live unique, use it in pistol and was what I learned to reload with long ago...

They list what seems like very high loads of unique on cast bullets (ie for their 311672 the show a Max load of 24grains for nearly 2200 fps) I get that is Max load at 56k pressure but wow...that seems awfully high.

Anyone tried loads that high with unique in '06 before? I have seen tons of folks say a 10-14 grain load range for 150-170 grain bullets is a sweet spot accuracy load and tons of fun...

If love to try some on the upper end for hunting at short Louisiana wooded ranges (35-50 yards) the 10 or 11 grain loads just wouldn't have the umph to push at velocity enough to expand well or carry enough energy I feel comfortable with. But at 15+ grains it gets more speed worth hunting with depending on bullet weight.

I'm sure there are tons of bullets that will work better for what I'm looking at but just interested if unique hunting loads are even possible or if anyone has tried it before and what success you've had?

I have on hand 4227, 4198, 4064, 4895 hp38 tight group and unique... so tons of powder to try other loads with too (also Cabela's close by with nearly everything on hand...thank you ft worth Cabela's) but in general....has anyone tried warmer/hotter loads with unique in '06 and how did that turn out for you?

Side question, when shooting pistol powder in large capacity rifle should you use a different primer (ie magnum) or open up flash hole?

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[Maven]

With cast bullets weighing between 175gr. (Saeco #315) - 195gr. (Ly. #314299), I use 12.5gr. Unique and am pleased with the results: very accurate and repeatable. With #311672 or its predecessor, #311644, I'd use 23gr. or 24gr. before trying the high pressure load of Unique.

[NC_JEFF]

It is recommended that you open up the flash hole of cast cartridges, as well as permanently mark those cases if they're to live a life on a cast diet. There is a lot of info as to how and why in the forum here. I use 10-12 gr Unique in '06 cast 130-150 gr boolits when I want a practically zero recoil signal is when my granddaughter wants to shoot one of Pawpaw's big guns. I'm not a hunter so I can't really help with your original question other than to say I'm unfamiliar with seeing Unique used above 16 grs. Not saying it isn't, I've just never seen it. Good luck and stay safe John.
Jeff
You don't have to use mag primers
(I was in boot camp with a McCorkle at Parris Island in '82)

[John McCorkle]

It is recommended that you open up the flash hole of cast cartridges, as well as permanently mark those cases if they're to live a life on a cast diet. There is a lot of info as to how and why in the forum here. I use 10-12 gr Unique in '06 cast 130-150 gr boolits when I want a practically zero recoil signal is when my granddaughter wants to shoot one of Pawpaw's big guns. I'm not a hunter so I can't really help with your original question other than to say I'm unfamiliar with seeing Unique used above 16 grs. Not saying it isn't, I've just never seen it. Good luck and stay safe John.
Jeff
You don't have to use mag primers
(I was in boot camp with a McCorkle at Parris Island in '82)Ha! If there is another McCorkle out there they are almost certainly kin folk....same breed different litter. Too few of us around for us not to be related.

If a lower load is able to give me some decent expansion I'm happy with that too...I'll just have to play around with alloy and bullet a bit to get the results. I really want to start hunting with cast... plenty of other options out there for a handloader but it's like bow hunting or stalking, it adds a new and interesting element to the hunt.

Thanks so much for the input guys.... really appreciate it. Have cast tons for pistol and some for 300 blk (still sort of a pistol round) but not much yet for rifle...and there are new aspects to consider

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[John McCorkle]

You know I wonder what a soup can load would do in 06 with unique...I have the round nose version of that mold from Lee...you could get it up to velocity easier with less pressure spike that would likely expand just fine especially for <50 yard hunting...plus that 113grain version with the wider metplat would make expansion even easier

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[sledgehammer001]

My best cast load with Unique was Lee 170 GC over 13.4 gr of Unique. I found my rifle likes a 200-220 GC better, and I use SR7625 with very good results. Use Unique in my handguns now.

[45-70 Chevroner]

You won't need any more than 15 grains of Unique. The last deer I shot was with a 30-30 at 80 yards. I was shooting a RCBS 180 gr. actually weighed 192 with my alloy. I was loading these boolits with 10 gr. Unique. The boolit went all the way through. He only went about 15 yards and down he went

[John McCorkle]

You won't need any more than 15 grains of Unique. The last deer I shot was with a 30-30 at 80 yards. I was shooting a RCBS 180 gr. actually weighed 192 with my alloy. I was loading these boolits with 10 gr. Unique. The boolit went all the way through. He only went about 15 yards and down he wentFollow on here with alloy, plan is for 50/50 air cooled powder coated and gas checked, sized accordingly to bore...170 Lee flat nose is what I am thinking but I also have the 160r from Lee as well. Alloy sound ok for expansion with 15-16 grain load?

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[John McCorkle]

My best cast load with Unique was Lee 170 GC over 13.4 gr of Unique. I found my rifle likes a 200-220 GC better, and I use SR7625 with very good results. Use Unique in my handguns now.Happen to know what velocity you were getting with the 170?

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[Jack Stanley]

You probably won't need more than fourteen grains to get the job done .

Jack

[JSnover]

Love Unique for all of the above reasons but double check the practice of drilling the flash holes. My understanding is you only need to do that for light loads, it could cause problems with standard pressures, even with cast.

[Adam20]

I just got the lee 170 fn it will be perfect for powder coat it casts at .3075 on driving bands and .297 on nose. (Wwac)

[Hamish]

*Enlarging flash holes is strictly for "cat sneeze", parlour type, ultra low velocity loads* and must be kept separate from standard brass and standard loads.

[Hick]

Can't speak to Unique, but I regularly reload subsonic loads (1000 fps) for my M1 using W231 or 700x-- barely 7 grains for the W231, standard primers, and NEVER enlarge the flash holes. Somepeople recommend drilling out the flash holes, some others say it is bad practice. All I can say is I don't and the loads work fine.

[bigcountry022885]

Hi all,

Looking in my Lyman cast bullet handbook (4th) I see a great deal of Unique listed for cast rifle (specifically'06)

I live unique, use it in pistol and was what I learned to reload with long ago...

They list what seems like very high loads of unique on cast bullets (ie for their 311672 the show a Max load of 24grains for nearly 2200 fps) I get that is Max load at 56k pressure but wow...that seems awfully high.

Anyone tried loads that high with unique in '06 before? I have seen tons of folks say a 10-14 grain load range for 150-170 grain bullets is a sweet spot accuracy load and tons of fun...

If love to try some on the upper end for hunting at short Louisiana wooded ranges (35-50 yards) the 10 or 11 grain loads just wouldn't have the umph to push at velocity enough to expand well or carry enough energy I feel comfortable with. But at 15+ grains it gets more speed worth hunting with depending on bullet weight.

I'm sure there are tons of bullets that will work better for what I'm looking at but just interested if unique hunting loads are even possible or if anyone has tried it before and what success you've had?

I have on hand 4227, 4198, 4064, 4895 hp38 tight group and unique... so tons of powder to try other loads with too (also Cabela's close by with nearly everything on hand...thank you ft worth Cabela's) but in general....has anyone tried warmer/hotter loads with unique in '06 and how did that turn out for you?

Side question, when shooting pistol powder in large capacity rifle should you use a different primer (ie magnum) or open up flash hole?

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I have in a 308 not quite that hot but with good success so I can't see why not just walk up to the high side I think I'm shooting 19.5 in my 308


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[John McCorkle]

Can't speak to Unique, but I regularly reload subsonic loads (1000 fps) for my M1 using W231 or 700x-- barely 7 grains for the W231, standard primers, and NEVER enlarge the flash holes. Somepeople recommend drilling out the flash holes, some others say it is bad practice. All I can say is I don't and the loads work fine.What grain weight boolit you using in that 231?

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[45-70 Chevroner]

Follow on here with alloy, plan is for 50/50 air cooled powder coated and gas checked, sized accordingly to bore...170 Lee flat nose is what I am thinking but I also have the 160r from Lee as well. Alloy sound ok for expansion with 15-16 grain load?

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My alloy was streight Wheel Weights with about 1 persent tin air cooled
Your alloy seems a little soft. I would go with the 170 gr. My RCBS 180 is my favoritq boolit for the 3030 and the 3006.

[Adk Mike]

My go to load in all my 30-06’s is 13 Unique over any good 170 to 200 grain cast bullets. The reason I settled on 13 is it works with the battle sights on my 1917.

[DirtyJack]

I used 15.5g of unique as well as 16.2g of AA#9 behind 180g rcbs sil. bullet with good results.