Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Are any of the new pistol powders better than Unique?

I load about 90% TiteGroup and Universal, and have been doing it for over a decade. The remainder of my loading for pistols and PCR's is H110.

Overall, I like Titegroup for being clean burning and efficient. I use less powder to get the same bang as Unique. What does not get Titegroup gets Universal. It's much cleaner than Unique.

Unique vs AA5: I like the way the AA pistol powders burn so clean. I also like the way the meter, way more consistent in any of my three powder measures. I use AA 5, 7, and 9. All have worked well for me. Better? For me yes, for you...

It is hard to tell. If it is, they are very small. More like a ball powder that has been flattened more than usual. Black in color. It might be the flash suppressant coating.

AA5 is the ball powder equivalent of Unique (not in burn rate). But clean. Very versatile from starting loads to max loads. Their data is second to none. I use a lot of it.

OK, thanks. I see it is available locally (3rd Gen), I just might drive out to El Reno and pick up a lb. to try.

One very good quality I like is it's ignitability. The BE formulation.

Works well with small cases with taper crimps and short bullets like .380 and 9mm.

No heavy "bullet pull" needed. That is good in those small cases since the primer is powerful enough to expand the brass and release the bullet quickly. Some powders need more resistance in the beginning.

I still use unique but I also use Accurate #5, Power Pistol and CFE-P. They meter a lot better in my powder measure. The nick name for unique is flaming dirt. Hasbeen

I have call it Kingsford. I still like it.

I like AA powders too, but suggest WSF may be the closest ball powder equivalent to Unique you'll find. There isn't much load data published for it, but velocity in 9mm, .40, and .45 all match Unique grain for grain in every load I've tested, to the point I'm comfortable starting with Unique data for WSF when working up a new load.

WSF and AA5 may be very similar though - I don't know. I use lots of #7 and #9 but haven't used much #5.

I agree with this 100%, bought a 1 lb jug of power pistol to try in my wife's 380 as I was not having a good results with unique. So far I really like what I am experiencing with power pistol. When my 8 lb jug of unique is gone not buying any more. I have also heard good things about be-86 but have not found any to try .

In all fairness, the latest version of Unique is reported to be cleaner, etc.
But, for overall versitility, Ramshot's True Blue does it all. Ramshot show very mild Cowboy Action loads at between 600-700 fps with the standard CAS cartriages. It is the recommended powder for the 5.7X28 which can go critical very easily, and it does a good job with almost anything else. As has been said, it won't replace H110 or WW296. But it does get close.
I've used it in the 5.7X28, the .357 magnum, the .44 Magnum and the .45 ACP. Never had any grips. E

Thanks for all of the replies. I get best accuracy in the .45 ACP with AA5. The 44special perks with 7.5 grs. Universal, the .44 Magnum with 8.8 grs. Power Pistol and the 45 Colt and .357 Magnum need 2400 for best accuracy.

I haven't found Universal to be as versatile as Unique and since I use a bunch in cast bullet loads I guess it will remain my goto.

I have tried many, (Power Pistol, Universal, WST, Titegroup, and others) Unique is a bit dirty, but I still have some and use it regularly. Others are perhaps a bit better in some loading's but overall Unique is indeed Unique.

Unique burns dirty when using powder puff loads. But IMHO when loaded up where it should be, the loads clean up and the groups tighten up. I think it needs to be run at 20-30 kpsi to do it's thing, but it does it's thing very well. And I don't think there is a more versatile powder out there. If it hadn't been unavailable when I stocked up I'd have 32#'s of unique, instead I have 32#'s of Universal.

I have used Universal and Unique in my .38 special and .45 LC loads. Both powders are accurate in my 2 Ruger revolvers. I tried Universal as I got tired of the soot that Unique does to my guns,but the recoil of the Unique is less, seems smoother. The Universal is cleaner burning.

Not sure which I will go back to when I run out. Could try something different as I have used Unique since 1979.

This.

Very flexible & versatile powder & my most used.

MM

Unique is popular with uneducated noobs and nursing home escapees.

No. Cleaner maybe, but no better.

No.
Cleaner maybe, but no better.

The newer powders measure better, burn cleaner, and are more versatile.

Aside from that, I don't see that it makes much difference in sending lead downrange.