I've never loaded with Unique but I use Winchester WST exclusively for .45ACP, burns clean and meters very well.

 

I have been using 6.0 grains of Hodgdon TiteGroup under a 255 RNFP. It also is clean and meters well through Dillon 550 and a Redding powder measure.


mrdix is correct...my mistake.

 

Titegroup is made by Hodgdon , unless there is some new powder I am not familiar with

 

Titegroup, Hodgdon's suggested starting load is plenty stout. I use 5.0 and a 250 on a 550. Titegroup sells for $19.99 in this area.

 

I alternate between Trail Boss and Unique (Trail Boss seems to burn cleaner).
Also have 16# of now discounted SR4756 that I use for slightly “toastier” loads.

 

I thought your post was asking for similar substitutes at first. So for that, Universal Clays. But both are dirty.

I use Titegroup a lot, usually go back to it after accuracy testing with other powders. But it is very powerful and you only use a tiny bit, so you better be very careful reloading. You could easily double or triple load a case if you don't know what you're doing. The bulky powders prevent that...at a cost of being dirty burning.

 

Agree. Titegroup has a burn rate in the Bullseye and Red Dot range, pretty fast. Where as, Universal is similar to Unique.

I recently loaded some 44 Spl 240 gr that demonstrated spectacular velocities from a Std Dev standpoint i.e., 4 fps on two strings of 6 shots and 6 fps on a third string with a nominal 830 fps average. Colt SAA 4 3/4 bbl.

 

6.0 grains of Hodgdon 700-X in 45 Colt, 44-40 or 38-40.

 

I've been using Ramshot Silhouette from Western Powders for my 45Colt. It meters really well and burns cleaner than Unique. My pet load is 8.4grs Ramshot Silhouette with a 250gr RNFP coated Leatherhead bullet (now called Gallantbullets).
Here's a picture of the last reloading run from a couple of months ago.

 

Titegroup and Trailboss seem to be crowd favorites. I haven’t used either in the past and would like to give them both a try. I’m definitely not a hard-core reloader. Right now I’m only fooling with .45Colt and 44-40 (on a single-stage) as those are the handgun calipers I plink with most frequently and unlike 45ACP and 9mm (my 2 other go-to’s) can’t be readily had on-the-cheap. My biggest issue with Unique has simply been the inconsistent metering. I’m running every charge back to the digital scale as my Lee “Perfect” Powder Measure is dropping this stuff with a deviation of around .5

 

I switched to Univ. Clays years ago for 44 spl. and 45 Colt because is meters so much better.

 

Bullseye. Worked the best for me with all the powders I've tested. Although AA#5 looks really good too. Have some Ramshot Silhouette loaded for testing as I write this....

 

Winchester Super Target (WST) is a great choice. I would also look at RedDot, (PROMO) 700X, IMR's new powder Target, & and Bullseye is great too.

 

5.5 grs TB under a 250 gr. bullet. Very clean too, and if you use a poly coated bullet, even cleaner.

 

Exactly my load.
No complaints.

 

700X has been promoted for many pistol calibers in the past, but the grains have a rough finished texture and it does not meter well for me - and I bought a 8 lb jug 4 years ago.

 

I tried some 700 and 800X several years ago, you are correct in that it meters like gravel!

 

Use trailboss. I switched to it years ago. Unique is filthy.

 

Clays Universal is a near direct substitute for Unique...

FWIW

Chuck

 

Bullseye for 9mm, 38 Special, 38's-32's (L, S, S&W, Colt), .45 almost everything. I posted this before and here it is again, some old calibers of interest.

 

I suspect your metering problems are more with the Lee powder measure than the powder itself. I've probably used 5 or 6 lbs. of Unique over the last few years and it meters plenty good through my RCBS(x2) and Lyman powder measures.

That said, if you're only loading plinking loads as you said, I cannot recommend enough either Red Dot or 700-X. With both of these I've assembled some really accurate loads.

Both these powders are popular with shotshell reloaders therefore are widely available.

Cholla

 

For target shooting in the 38SPL there is no better powder than Bulls-Eye.

There are lots of good powders around that work well... but Bulls-Eye has not survived in the market place for 117 years by not doing a great job. Bulls-Eye meters well, is economical and extremely uniform from lot to lot.

Going back as far as WWI target shooters have chosen Bulls-Eye for their target loads for 38 and 45. A load of 2.7-2.8 grains under a 148gr wad cutter is the long established load for best accuracy.

Some complain Bulls-Eye is not as clean burning as something new, but if we clean our guns after shooting it makes no difference... and we all clean after shooting... right?

Anyway, I suggest you try Bulls-Eye... it is still the best for target shooting...


FWIW

Chuck

 

Have to agree with cxm357. Was using Bullseye and Unique before all the other powders came out, and have no reason to change.

 

I've tried this powder and that one too, Bullseye for .45 ACP, Unique for .45 Colt.
Just loaded some 44-40, yep Unique here also.

Years ago we used Unique in just about all our handguns.

 

I too had metering problems with Unique. That is, until I changed powder measures. My Redding match grade powder measure with either a pistol or rifle insert just didn't like Unique. I bought an old used Lyman 55 on eBay and it throws extremely accurate loads with Unique. Maybe it's the shape of the cavity?