Heavy 41 mag bullets and Unique

[cbourbeau32]

I just ordered a 260 grain .411 mold for my 41 mag blackhawk and since I use Unique already for some other loads I was wondering if anyone here used Unique in the heavier loads. I have plenty of load date in my various manuals for 240 grain and below bullets using Unique but none above 240. Does anyone have load data for 260 grain and Unique? Thanks in advance for any replies. Charlie

[leadman]

I shoot a 41. Would not recommend Unique for heavy loads. Midrange it is fine.

2400 is an excellent powder, not quite top velocities but an easy powder to work with. H110 and 296 work great for top velocities.

LiL' Gun has the highest velocities with lower pressure for top velocities. Go to www.hodgdon.com for loading data.

[S.B.]

cbourbeau32, I'm looking for the same thing? Nobody wants to answer with straight talk though\? Everyone who replies talk the talk but, evidently doesn't walk the walk? Good luck with this.
Steve

[rbuck351]

This is a miss match of powder burn rate and bullet weight so you may not find any data with this combo. You can probably make it work though. I would pick a similar weight bullet for the 44Mag and use the starting load of unique listed for it and work up. Keep in mind you will be in uncharted waters, unless someone has tried this and is willing to share, and caution will be necessary.

[x101airborne]

I am shooting a 240 grain WFP plain base over 6 grains unique. Any more, I get impeaded extraction. Not really hard, but I dont want to over charge it. This is in my weapon, so do what you like. I can tell ya that no hog around here stands up to it. And it is cheap to shoot.

[S.B.]

x101airborne, I decided to start at 7 grs. of Unique and extraction is very easy with well rounded primers, in my 57 Smith? What type of gun are you shooting yours in, are you sure your chambers are clean?
Steve

[sixshot]

I've shot quite of bit of Unique in my 41 Bisley using a 250 gr WFN & 9.2 grs of Unique & a standard primer, this is my load, use at your own risk. This load is not maximum according to some very good sources. I'm getting about 1150 fps & have taken one elk with this load.
Check out some of the heavy bullet loads in John Taffins excellent books, I think you'll find some very good data. I never load to maximum, mainly because I don't know what maximum is & I'm not sure many others do either, could be wrong.

Dick

[RobS]

I've shot quite of bit of Unique in my 41 Bisley using a 250 gr WFN & 9.2 grs of Unique & a standard primer, this is my load, use at your own risk. This load is not maximum according to some very good sources. I'm getting about 1150 fps & have taken one elk with this load.
Check out some of the heavy bullet loads in John Taffins excellent books, I think you'll find some very good data. I never load to maximum, mainly because I don't know what maximum is & I'm not sure many others do either, could be wrong.

Dick

There ya go. I stated to work up to 1100 fps or a touch more in another thread that S.B. started.
I would try 7 grains of Unique to start and work up until you get yourself to 1,100 fps maybe a touch more (probably won't take much more powder though). Unique is one that can spike once it hits higher pressures. Personally I would go 1,100 fps with Unique and then switch up to a slower powder if you want more velocity.

It's harder to say when working with Unique as the pressures can spike with quicker powders. This very reason is why people are cautious in giving definite loads using Unique as each gun is a bit different i.e. tighter throats and even different boolit hardness and/or different ambient temperatures could be all it takes to unravel a revolver when loads are reaching the limit. Slower powders especially H110/Winchester 296 have been proven to be more linear as pressures increase and are safer when working heavies at upper velocities. A balance if you will.

[leadman]

I've shot boolits from 215gr to 265gr in my SBH Hunter and found Lil Gun to deliver top velocities with very stout recoil. H110/W296 delivered second highest velocities with recoil reduced. Unique shot well with the lighter boolits but did not give me the very good accuracy of other powders.

Boolits over 230grs never did give me the fine 100 yard groups of the lighter 220gr Saeco TC boolits with Lil Gun.