Help: Reloading 38 Special, with Unique

[ysr_racer]

I've always sue Trail Boss in my 38 loads, wanted to try something different. It's over 1/2 full, so it won't double charge.

Thanks!

With Titegroup you could quadruple charge a .38 Special case, and still leave room in the case. Be careful

[divingin]

I'm using 5.5 grams of Unique (never used this before with 38's).

Anyway, the powder only take about 1/2 of the case, it's that normal?

You should see 2.8 grains of Titegroup in a 38Spl case. You can probably fit 5 or 6 charges in there. Works fine, though.

[BajaJames83]

perfectly normal.

[croue]

[divingin]

For the love of Christ do not use 5.5 grams of unique. You want 5.5 GRAINS !!

Calm down. 5.5 grams of Unique won't fit in a 38 spl case.

[ysr_racer]

Calm down. 5.5 grams of Unique won't fit in a 38 spl case.

Lighten up Francis

[David Jackson]

How do you measure Unique accurately? I have a Dillon Square Deal and I can't get the kind of precision powder measure with Unique that I just found I can get with Bullseye.

[sigstroker]

When I have a lot of empty space in the case I put a tuft of polyester filler in it to hold the powder against the primer. It gives more consistent ignition. This is mentioned in reloading manuals.

[pennstater]

How do you measure Unique accurately? I have a Dillon Square Deal and I can't get the kind of precision powder measure with Unique that I just found I can get with Bullseye.

I just weigh each charge on my 10-10 or use a RCBS ChargeMaster. Those work.

MLC

[slamfire1]

How do you measure Unique accurately? I have a Dillon Square Deal and I can't get the kind of precision powder measure with Unique that I just found I can get with Bullseye.

It does not really matter in terms of accuracy or average velocity. Weighing charges provides the illusion of control. Every heard this:the appearance of precision provides the illusion of control? This is true when it comes to 38 Specials, Unique, and finer grained powders. What counts is what you see on target and over the chronograph.

I primarily shoot Bullseye powder in the 38 Special, but I have run my own chronograph tests in various calibers, most recently the 357 Magnum. I wanted to develop "38 Special" velocity ammunition, that is a load that pushed a 158 grain lead bullet at 760 fps using a 357 Magnum case. I hate lead rings, so, using the long 357 Magnum brass, I don't get lead rings.

I load on a Dillion 550B, I set the charge adjustment based on 10 thrown charges. If the average of ten charges is exactly where I want to be, I start loading. My normal Bullseye charge is 3.5 grains with a 158 L in a 38 Special case. If the average of ten charges is 35.something, like 35.1, 35.5, 35.6 grains, I think that is enough precision for my purposes. If the average is 35.9 grains, I will adjust the measure and try to get a lower average.

I am trying to use up before it goes bad, a mid nineties keg of AA#5. Accurate Arms #5 is a fine grained ball powder. The keg is over 25 years old and it is time to shoot it up. Accurate Arms #5 is a very fine grained powder, throws exceptionally tight weight variances, and that does not make a difference in terms of velocity extreme spreads compared with Unique. This is true for the 38 Special, 38 Special equivalents in 357 Magnum cases, 44 Special, 45 LC, and the 45ACP. Bullseye, however, is the champ in terms of tight ES's and SD's, and it shoots exceptionally well in all my 38 Specials, and the 45 ACP, but I believe it is due to the characteristics of Bullseye, more than any powder charge variation.

Unique is an outstanding powder in the 44 Special and 45 Long Colt, and works well in a wide assortment of cartridges. It is extremely flexible, just adjust your powder measure based on the average of ten charges, and load. As long as you are not trying to a magnum load, you will be fine.

Maximum loads are tricky, they are more trouble than they are worth when all yo are doing is poking holes in paper. Little things, such as different gun, different bullet, different primer or primer lot, hotter day, different powder scoop , etc, will all conspire to create blown primers and leaking primer pockets. It is better to stick to a mid range load and keep away from maximum loads.

Everyone goes through a magnum phase, the biggest boom, the most recoil, fireballs two feet from the muzzle. Call it the straight pipe Harley phase. After a while, you realize you are doing nothing but making big noises and fireworks, and to reduce the flinch, and the wear on your hands and ears, you cut the charges.

[Spaceghost]

I'm mobile and it's not easy for me to dig threads up. There's an old thread from a member named problemchild, irc, and he turned a nice hk pistol into a hand grenade by using that stuff. The pics were scary, I can't believe he kept all his fingers.

I only use unique and recommend it to all beginners. It's a very forgiving powder. Others are not.

You should see 2.8 grains of Titegroup in a 38Spl case. You can probably fit 5 or 6 charges in there. Works fine, though.

[TomReloaded]

How do you measure Unique accurately? I have a Dillon Square Deal and I can't get the kind of precision powder measure with Unique that I just found I can get with Bullseye.

You don't. Unique kind of sucks. It doesn't do anything that more modern powders can't do too, and it meters extremely poorly. The only thing worse is 700 and 800x.

[pennstater]

Unique sucks!? No, it doesn't. It may not meter well in a lot of devices, but, it is a superb powder. Been around forever; has to be a reason.

MLC

[Wykyd]

You don't. Unique kind of sucks. It doesn't do anything that more modern powders can't do too, and it meters extremely poorly. The only thing worse is 700 and 800x.

To each his own I guess!

Unique is indeed an old dawg in a new era of Tacticool I need the newest most overhyped stuff on the market. Unique is not the perfect fit for any cartridge and it doesn't meter to the tenth of a grain but I can always find data for it on just about any pistol caliber there is. It has nice case fill properties while being soft shooting and not snappy at all. Its not my favorite powder by far but I wouldn't say it sucks. With that said, I always have some on had!

[bigbossman]

An RCBS Li'l Dandy measures Unique just fine.