Does anyone reload with Unique? I have been using it for years with great results. I know it is a slower burning powder, but i am looking for others that use it and the loads they use with it. Also, I would like some range results from those that use it. thanx in advance....usajeep1.....

I think it's still pretty popular. I use 5.2 gr. Unique behind a 225 gr. LRN bullet, which can give 2-inch groups at 50 ft. (With a sandbag rest, of course-- standing offhand, I'm lucky to get an occasional 4-in. group.) This is with a bone-stock Series '70.

However I can't say I use a lot of the stuff. My supply still says "Hercules" on the can.

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Triumph, i am using Unique 7.7 grains with a Hornady JHP/XTP 185 grain bullet. It does about 1000fps, and is very accurate. I shot (last weekend) a group of 5 that measured less than 1moa at 25 yds. with a sandbag rest, and 2.25 inches offhand at the same distance. I want to load some other types of bullets w/ Unique and try them for accuracy ... BTW Im shooting a Kimber (full size) with a match grade barrell and trigger, but my buddy has an old series 70 gold cup that shoots the same loads and is almost as accurate!!... thanx for the reply...usajeep1...

well...unique! There's a reason that you've had such good results with Unique in 1911 pattern pistols...

USGI .45 ammo was loaded with a non-canister grade powder that was very similar to Unique, both in appearance and in burning charactistics...and it
was in fact, Unique. It was labeled by Hercules as "Bullseye Number 5" for the US military contracts...but it was Unique.

Unique is the only canister-grade pistol powder that I'm aware of that will exactly duplicate the internal ballistics of true GI-spec hardball...and in a pistol that is correctly timed, will allow nearly reliable function of the pistol without an extractor. Try 6 to 6.2 grains with a Winchester 230-grain RNFMJ bullets, seated to an overall cartridge length of 1.260 inch to duplicate GI Ball.
6.5 grains will push the pressures into +p category with velocities in the 890fps range for most 5-inch guns with good barrels.

Tuner, I have a question. My seirra book is missing the page for Winchester 230 gr. rnfmj, but I am wondering why max pressure for the Hornady 185 gr. jhp is at 9 grains of unique? Am I shooting at a +p velocity with the 185 gr. Hornady with 7.7 grains of Unique? My book shows that I am well under +p range with this load. Enlighten me!! I really dont want to be shooting at +p pressures, as I feel quality balistics can be found at lower pressures. Help please, what am I doing, and am I doing something wrong?.....usajeep1....

Howdy jeep,

Closest that I can get is the data from the Lyman manual...which lists the Hornady 185 XTP and 7.8 grains at qbout 18,000 CUP...which translates to
about 21,000 PSI...which is an industry maximum for the .45 ACP in their gun with that lot of ppwder and that lot of primers and that lot of bullets. Change one thing, and all bets are off. An educated guess is that you're probably well into +p territory with 9 grains though, and possibly right on the peg. If top velocity isn't your main concern, I'd back off a half grain or so and
see how the gun shoots and functiuons. Unique is a bit slow for bullets lighter than 200 grains, so things may not work well.

Hope this helps.

Tuner, I'm using 7.7 grains with the 185 grain Hornady, do you still think I'm well into +p pressure with 7.7 grains of Unique? I like Unique, as it has always been consistent for me, and I have shot this load for a few years now in a few different 1911's. But I dont want to "hammer" my new Kimber w/ +p loads, especially if it is not necessary. Although, I dont want to go to ball ammo because of penetration/balistic issues (probably only in my own head though-the issues I mean-)....jeep...

My bad! I thought you wre loadin' to 9 grains. 7.7 is listed at 17,800 CUP,
which is just about SAAMI standard. You're good to go. You might get more consistent velocity and accuracy with a little quicker powder though...and then again, ya might not. That's what makes handloading such a hoot.

Thats what I thought, but ya never know! Thats why I posted, to make sure I wasn't doing something that I was unaware of. I looked at Alliants reloading data and they suggest 8.2 gr. of Unique for a 185 gr. JHP, at 18,900 psi so I figured I was lower than this, but ya never know. Better safe than sorry I say...thanx Tuner, I appreciate the affirmation.....jeep...

i like unique and use it in my 9mm, 38/357, 44 mag, and 45acp. i also use bullseye and have just bought alot of VV N340. i dont have any pet loads and just uses whats in the book.

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