00 Buck and Unique????

[klcarroll]

My goal here is to keep my component inventory as simple as possible: ……Particularly the number of different powders that I stock.

One of my longtime favorites is Unique, which I buy in the 8 pound canisters. I use it in all of my handgun reloading, and the new Lyman Shotshell Manual has provided me with some very serviceable slug and shot loads for it.

The problem is that when I look for a 00 Buck load, Lyman seems to completely ignore Unique!!

Has anyone here worked up a good 8 or 9 pellet load for Unique using Winchester AA hulls?? I’m not looking for a “top end” max load; …Just a good close-range defensive solution.

Kent

[shotman]

unique is a little fast for slug/buckshot loads in a 12ga. If you are not loading several 1000 get a 1lb of bluedot it the best for those loads

[jh45gun]

I loaded some with a recipe that worked fine but I lost it as he PMed me at a forum that now has gone off the net and I lost the info. Let me Email him and get the info again.

[klcarroll]

@Shotman;

You are, of course, right when you say that Bule Dot is the more traditional choice for slugs: ....But in my particular case, I'm shooting a Saiga semi-auto with an 18 inch tube.

Given that weapon, ....and my surplus of AA hulls, ....the Lyman recommended load of 28 grains of Unique works well.

Kent

[jh45gun]

Win 209 Primer
AA Hull
WAA12 or WT12 with the pedals cut off.
23 grains of Unique
9 pellets of 00 Buck Layered in 3's
No Buffer

I have personally not shot THIS load but I have of others he gave me using Unique
shooting ball and buckshot loads and they were safe and not that heavy.

[klcarroll]

@jh45gun;

Thanks!!!

Kent

[hithard]

What do you think about going with 12 .310 balls instead of the 00?

[Combat Diver]

I've posted this before........

Unique is the only shotgun powder that I have on hand. Also have Lee two cavity .311 RB and .375 RB for cap and ball revolvers.

Remington Hi Brass Hulls once fired
Fed 209A primers
Unique 22.2 grs
9ea .309 round balls ea 45.6 grs total 390 grs (short of 1 oz/432 grs)
Wad WAA12

Pack the balls onto the wad 3 at a time and seat with a pencil. Add just a touch of Styrofoam from some peanuts to finish filling up wad/case. Light recoil and good performance from 18” cyl bore 870. I didn't chorograph the load.

Packing the balls in, use a pencil to seat
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/12_ga_buckshot_packing.JPG

Fired the rounds out of my Rem 870 with 18" cyl bore, recoil was like a Factory reduced 8 pellet buckshot load, ie light recoil

Results 15/25 yds
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/12_ga_buckshot_performance.jpg

Then adding one more .311 pellet for 10 0 buck balls 2x5 with 22.4 grs Unique. Little bit more recoil, like a standard field load, course now weight is exactly 1 oz.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/12_ga_9_and_10_pellet_0_buck.JPG

Then since I also cast and shoot .36 cap and ball revolvers tought of using the 66.5 gr .375 round balls. Had to cut the pedals off the WAA12 wad to be able to stack 2x3 inside. Added a bit of styrofoam to prevent balls from moving.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/12_ga_0000_stacked.JPG

.311-0 buck compared to .375 or 0000 buck
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/12_ga_0_and_0000_buck.JPG

Target from Rem 870 18" cyl bore
http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/12_ga_0000_tgt.JPG


CD

[35remington]

The wad's enclosing fingers that make up the shot cup are called petals and spelled that way for their visual similarity to the petals of a flower. They open like a flower when they leave the barrel. Pedals accelerate bikes and cars.

FWIW.

Since Unique is never used in 7/8 and 1 ounce loads with birdshot, it might be more profitable to substitute something like Red Dot for Unique in these loads. Pressure will be usefully (and needs to be) higher to help the load work in colder weather. Some of the lighter loads using Unique are approaching rather low pressures. Bloopers in cold weather can result.

If the loads approach 1 1/8 ounces in weight, Unique will be more suited.