Is it time to move away from Unique?

[TXTad]

This year I've noticed that several powder brands are available, sometimes at pretty reasonable prices. I bought several pounds of W244 for about $27 / lb earlier this year, and both Natchez and Brownells have it right now for right around $30. Unique has finally showed up again, but is "on sale" at Natchez for $45.39 / lb. Power Pistol and BE86 are about the same, and RL 16's "sale" price is $61.19. RL 15 is still AWOL.

244 isn't Unique*, but it is pretty useful and at 2/3, or less, the price, I have been using it where I would normally be using Unique, only using Unique for my .44 Special Skeeter loads and nothing else right now.

I'm hoping that this is temporary and maybe caused by Alliant in particular having government contracts that the other powder vendors don't have, but that seems a little far fetched. I would imagine that all powder vendors have government contracts.

I know none of you have better crystal balls than I do, but does anyone have any interesting guesses as to what's going on or what the future might hold?


* Some burning rate charts disagree and show 244 adjacent to Unique.

[crandall crank]

I still use Unique, however I have been using W231 alot in many pistol cartridges.

[TXTad]

I still use Unique, however I have been using W231 alot in many pistol cartridges.

231 is great and I almost bought that when I got the 244, but the 244 was on super-sale around the holidays so I decided to give it a try.

[Winger Ed.]

My first thought was:
Move away from Unique? Oh noooo.......
This is blasphemy......... Burn the witch!!

It's all I'd ever used for .38 & .45ACP. Awhile back I got a old 5 pound metal can of Bullseye for $40.
When everything dried up, I found a couple cans of 231 for $20. each and grabbed them.
Unique was off the shelf then, and I couldn't pass those deals up.

Both are good, and if I ever run out, I'll probably go back to Unique unless the price goes all stupid.

[TXTad]

My first thought was:
Move away from Unique? Oh noooo.......
This is blasphemy......... Burn the witch!!

It's all I'd ever used for .38 & .45ACP. Awhile back I got a old 5 pound metal can of Bullseye for $40.
When everything dried up, I found a couple cans of 231 for $20. each and grabbed them.
Unique was off the shelf then, and I couldn't pass those deals up.

Both are good, and if I ever run out, I'll probably go back to Unique unless the price goes all stupid.

Believe me, I don't want to move away from it, but between availability and price, I've had to at least learn to be flexible.

[dverna]

Unique is one of my core powders. I use, or can use it, in many applications and stocked up on it. IMO it will not be displaced or obsoleted by Alliant. That does not mean it will easily available or cheap until things get back to "normal".

If it remains difficult and/or expensive to acquire, there are other powders that will get the job done.

I am in that situation with Varget. It has been tough to get over the last 5 years. I made the mistake of not stockpiling enough. I am down to 3 jugs and if it stays scarce and expensive, I will move to another powder.

My advice is to carry a 10 year supply of any component that is critical for your needs. Of course, now is not the time to implement that plan. But things are improving; so I watch the sales and will buy more components as opportunities arise. I think powder will get to the $225/jug range and primers to $225/5k sleeve. Those are my current "trigger" points where I will order more stuff.

[Winger Ed.]

Believe me, I don't want to move away from it, but between availability and price, I've had to at least learn to be flexible.

Yeah.
I hope Win 748 doesn't have similar 'issues'.
That'll really give me itchy palms, an upset tummy, and night sweats.

[TD1886]

Unique is one of the best powders ever created and it has the most fitting excellent name. NO I'll never move away from it and I was able to find it and buy.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Move away from Unique? MAY IT NEVER BE! There might be powders as useful, but few, if any, as versatile and that do their job better. To me it's kind of like....would I give up and quit using my .30-30 Marlin because a Tombstone lever came along? Some things, like Unique, are timeless.

DG

[HWooldridge]

I got away from Unique about 25 years ago and never looked back; I was always able to find something that worked better in a particular application. Unique is not a bad powder but you can generally do better with some effort. I know that's blasphemy so let the stones fall where they may.

[Hannibal]

I'll always keep some Unique around just because it's so versatile. It's not the best for many things but it'll work fine in so many things. Indispensable for me.

[TXTad]

My advice is to carry a 10 year supply of any component that is critical for your needs. Of course, now is not the time to implement that plan. But things are improving; so I watch the sales and will buy more components as opportunities arise. I think powder will get to the $225/jug range and primers to $225/5k sleeve. Those are my current "trigger" points where I will order more stuff.

I am actually in good shape with Unique, but as long as there is no end in sight to the availability problems with it I'm using available alternates anytime I can.

I see primer prices coming down to something like they were before, corrected for inflation.

[TXTad]

Move away from Unique? MAY IT NEVER BE! There might be powders as useful, but few, if any, as versatile and that do their job better. To me it's kind of like....would I give up and quit using my .30-30 Marlin because a Tombstone lever came along? Some things, like Unique, are timeless.

DG

This thought isn't because something newer and better has come around, it's because I'm not sure if I can count on being able to get Unique like I could in the past. If I can, but I have to pay 33 to 50% more, then I'll just use it for things like my Skeeter loads.

[Electrod47]

Reloading costs have never been "cheap" just cost effective. Even in the cost environment we are in today. its still cost effective as is. Nobody has said yet they are going to stop producing the most widely used and documented powders in firearms history. When that day comes there won't be anything at any price.

[txbirdman]

Yeah.
I hope Win 748 doesn't have similar 'issues'.
That'll really give me itchy palms, an upset tummy, and night sweats.

Don’t think you have anything to worry about in the immediate future. I bought a pound of 748 at my local gun shop yesterday and there quite a few more left on the shelf.

[black mamba]

Now that Unique is more expensive than Vihtavuori N330 (very close burn rate and nice and bulky, too) why not switch over to the better powder? Meters better, shoots cleaner and more accurately.

[Castaway]

25 years ago, I settled on Unique as my primary powder, loading 380 ACP, 38/357, 9mm, 45 ACP, 45 Colt and shot shells. Since the “shortage” of Unique started, I now have found substitutes for my pistols and saved some, but not much of Unique back for loading my 12 gauge loads. Unique has such a devoted base because of its versatility across the board.

[Froogal]

I have experimented with the 244 replacing Unique. I LIKE it. When my supply of Unique is exhausted, I'll just move on to the 244. No problem.

[deces]

Unique is one of my core powders. I use, or can use it, in many applications and stocked up on it. IMO it will not be displaced or obsoleted by Alliant. That does not mean it will easily available or cheap until things get back to "normal".

If it remains difficult and/or expensive to acquire, there are other powders that will get the job done.

I am in that situation with Varget. It has been tough to get over the last 5 years. I made the mistake of not stockpiling enough. I am down to 3 jugs and if it stays scarce and expensive, I will move to another powder.

My advice is to carry a 10 year supply of any component that is critical for your needs. Of course, now is not the time to implement that plan. But things are improving; so I watch the sales and will buy more components as opportunities arise. I think powder will get to the $225/jug range and primers to $225/5k sleeve. Those are my current "trigger" points where I will order more stuff.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. I have noticed that a lot of the newer powder are claiming to be "Green", as if that is something any reloader cares about. I can see lawmakers making a big deal out of it though, possibly implementing it by law.
Well, there would go all of our time tested classics.

[TD1886]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. I have noticed that a lot of the newer powder are claiming to be "Green", as if that is something any reloader cares about. I can see lawmakers making a big deal out of it though, possibly implementing it by law.
Well, there would go all of our time tested classics.

The fact that powder burns it's NEVER going to be green!!! What are they going to do, put a catalytic converter on the end of our muzzles?