A good Unique substitute.

[NinnJinn]

I am reloading mid to upper range 40S&W about 940-980fps I am a unique fan but unique is getting scarce like everything else. I tried Acurate #7 but with my Lee anniversary kit the cheap powder thrower couldn't keep it consistent due to #7 being really fine. I was getting weights as much as +/- .6grains.


Is there a powder sorta like the flake kind like unique is with close to the same burning rate?

 

[17 squirrel]

Bullseye or Win 231

 

[XtremeVel]

I use Unique more than any other powder, but I had to laugh when you asked for a alternative that would drop as good...

Not sure of the structure, but if you stay within the Alliant line, Power Pistol is a great powder for .40... Another option, but would be slower burning would be Blue Dot.... It's flaked and would be more suited for the upper range.

 

[WyldeShot]

I have been using Titegroup for .40 S&W and it works well. Not sure how it will act using a Lee thrower. I was killing some time at Shooter's Supply in Louisville last week and they had several 1 lb containers of Unique. I don't remember the price but I am sure it is more than you have been spending.

 

[AllenM]

I really like Longshot in the .40

 

[kludge]

For .40 S&W Universal is tops. Once you try it you'll never go back to Unique. No.7 is the other powder I use for .40 when using lead bullets, as Hodgdon doesn't publish any lead data. No.7 gives me a bit better accuracy. SR4756 is a good powder also and is probably the lowest flash powder available for the .40. No.7 and Universal are also low flash, in that order. Both are very very clean burning. I've not tried SR4756 myself. No.7 fills the case very nicely.

In my Lee powder measures No.7 is DEAD NUTS ON every time in bot the the Perfect Powder Measure and the Pro Auto Disk. Unique gives me fits though... "meters like corn flakes".

If you want big fireballs, try No.5. I won't use No.5 in the .40 though... way too many Glock kaboom stories start with "No.5", even though I shoot an XD with a fully supported chamber. I also avoid anything faster than HP-38/W231 as a general rule. I like powders that fill the cases better.

 

[WyldeShot]

For .40 S&W Universal is tops. Once you try it you'll never go back to Unique. No.7 is the other powder I use for .40 when using lead bullets, as Hodgdon doesn't publish any lead data. No.7 gives me a bit better accuracy. SR4756 is a good powder also and is probably the lowest flash powder available for the .40. No.7 and Universal are also low flash, in that order. Both are very very clean burning. I've not tried SR4756 myself. No.7 fills the case very nicely.

In my Lee powder measures No.7 is DEAD NUTS ON every time in bot the the Perfect Powder Measure and the Pro Auto Disk. Unique gives me fits though... "meters like corn flakes".

If you want big fireballs, try No.5. I won't use No.5 in the .40 though... way too many Glock kaboom stories start with "No.5", even though I shoot an XD with a fully supported chamber. I also avoid anything faster than HP-38/W231 as a general rule. I like powders that fill the cases better.

Thanks for the information! I will need to try some Universal. Also, thanks for the info on No. 7 use with lead bullets since I'm going to try lead soon. Do you use No. 7 with 9mm lead bullets?

 

[357 Terms]

+1 on Universal, I use it for almost all my plinking pistol calibers. (9mm,40, 38/357, 45 and 44mag)

Clean, and I can get med/low velocity plinking rounds from my mag calibers.

 

[cedarthicket]

It has been a few years since I shot some reloaded .45 Colt ammo. At one time I used Unique. However, my Lyman powder measure would not throw very consistent Unique charges. I tried IMR's SR 7625 and the Lyman powder measure threw much more consistent charges. SR 7625 is a granular (not ball) powder that meters very well. Its burning rate seems to be a just a little bit faster than Unique. You can refer to the Hodgdon website for lots of loads for the .40 S&W and many other cartridges.
Hodgdon - The Gun Powder People

 

[Nelg]

I am reloading mid to upper range 40S&W about 940-980fps I am a unique fan but unique is getting scarce like everything else. I tried Acurate #7 but with my Lee anniversary kit the cheap powder thrower couldn't keep it consistent due to #7 being really fine. I was getting weights as much as +/- .6grains.


Is there a powder sorta like the flake kind like unique is with close to the same burning rate?

I have a couple 8 lb jugs of unique and could let you have one

 

[noylj]

Most accurate .40S&W powder is AA5. Most accurate .40S&W powder for mid-range to max loads is Silhouette.
Powders most like Unique in terms of burning rate, though not in terms of charge weight, would be Universal and Power Pistol. If you can find SR7625, it would also be a good choice.
I don't like any powder faster than AA5 for .40S&W, unless you are loading only for a power factor of 125-130 and are very very very careful.
For fun shooting or target shooting, AA5 and Silhouette are excellent.

 

[ljk]

Power Pistol works good for me on 40S&W, 6.2gr seems to be the ticket. it's very accurate, manageable recoil(XDM 3.8"), I can careless about the fps.

$60/4lb jug @ INGC, cheap enough nowadays.

 

[Exodus]

I'll 3rd the IMR SR 7625

 

[twcrensh]

shooters supply in louisville,ky has unique, power pistol and bullseye throught he end of the month for 19.99/lb limit 10 had a large waist high stack of cases on saturday.

 

[noylj]

Power Pistol is great for 9x19. Now, if I could just find some somewhere.
I shoot at 25 and 50 yards and test off a rest.
Silhouette has been much more accurate, from fairly light to max, than Power Pistol in all my .40s.
However, as said, to answer the OPs question, which many did not, Power Pistol is close to Unique in burn rate, though Universal is much closer.
Remember, the question was NOT what powder you liked but what powders are close to unique in burn rate.