Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Replacements for unique and Bullseye?

Unique and bullseye appear to have vanished, I'm loading for 45 acp, 45 Colt. Any suggestions?

Red dot

I have switched to BE-86 from both Unique and Universal.

If I had to quit using Bullseye for my 45 acp's, I would use WST.
Phil

I’ve used titegroup and 231/hp38. My buddy used red dot for 9mm to 44/45.

Red Dot and AA5.

BE-86 is good stuff. Haven't used it in 45 ACP, but it shoots well in my 45 Colt and 32 H&R Mag. It's been pretty readily available, too. Get similar velocities to Unique, but it seems a little cleaner.


As to the OP, Midway and PV have both had Bullseye and Unique in stock fairly recently. Alliant powders in general sell out really fast, though. Not sure if that is from the supply side, demand side, or a combination of both.

I've become very fond of CFE Pistol over this past year. It's shot very well with just about every bullet/cartridge combination I've tried it with, it burns really clean, and it's relatively cheap by today's standards. An 8 pounder will set you back $200-ish. It's also pretty much constantly in stock at most online stores these days.

Green Dot

Look at a powder burn rate chart. Neighbors on the chart work similar. Hasbeen

Red Dot, HP38, Clays, as substitutes for Bullseye; Universal Clays in lieu of Unique. I use them all as well as B'eye & Unique, almost interchangeably.

Is BE-86 as versatile as Unique?
How about Universal Clays?

BE-86... probably not. It's a little slower and more dense than Unique. It looks very similar to Power Pistol.

I do think that Unique is probably the most universal powder around with Universal right on its heels. I have used Unique and Universal in my 45-70 as well as the pistol calibers that I load for. I have not done much with BE-86 but have read that those who have used it for 45 Colt, 45 ACP and 44 Mag do like it. My son shoots 45 ACP and I shoot milder than mid range 44 mag loads using BE-86. I'm happy.

Yes! I shoot 200 grain cast match profile bullets with WST and it works just fine. BE-86 was tried and I don’t have a single pistol that likes it.

My 10 mm Delta Elite loves Longshot in every bullet type FWIW.

.45 Colt try Universal. .45 ACP go with CFE Pistol. Both are pretty easy to find now.

CFE Pistol. I use it for 45 ACP, 9mm & 10mm

Red Dot is great target load powder in the .45 Colt.

For full house loads, I’d look elsewhere.

DF

Herco works about anywhere Unique will........sometimes you run across an odd lb or 2

In the name of safety, there is no such thing as “Universal Clays” today. Hodgdon did bring the propellant out in 1992 under that name, but wide confusion among reloaders prompted them to rename it “Universal”. Too many reloaders were confusing data for Clays with Universal Clays - the results were not pretty since in many cartridges a starting load with Universal is an overload with Clays (see .38 Special data below). Never underestimate the carelessness or ignorance of some reloaders. Hodgdon was wise to rename it decades ago, making the old name obsolete.

Universal is an excellent substitute for Unique (hence the similar name) but it is not identical. In some of my .45LC loads they give virtually identical fps/grain, while in the .38-55 Universal is considerably faster.

I am using a lot of TightGroup these days.

Yes, a lot of ignorant noobs think that until they try any of the zillions of better powders.

I like zippy 45acp so I'm fond of AA5, Silhouette, HS6, Power Pistol - my thumbs are getting tired....

I have a good supply of older Unique from an estate sale.

It's not the cleanest, but not that dirty if you shoot it hot.

I'm sure there are better, newer powders, but the old powder has done it's thing for decades and has great shelf life.

There may be better choices, but Unique if never a bad choice, especially if you have a bunch of it during a time of shortages.

DF

what he said

Universal vs Unique

Tite Group vs Bullseye

and others

https://loaddata.com/images/articles/burnratechartnew.pdf

45ACP ..red dot works well . Newer powders sport pistol is very good in 45 ACP ..BE 86 is geared towards 9mm / 40 s&w

Try..........Trail Boss

Although I hear its scarce now too

I love universal clays. Yes, that is what I call it too because that is what it used to be called and I burned up a dump truck load of it in my trap loads. Now it is just called "Universal". Works great in the 40 S&W and 45 ACP. Very clean burning, unlike unique. That stuff is dirty.

Hmmmmmm

thought it was two different products ??

My Universal bottle(s) say nothing of 'Clays Technology'

https://shop.hodgdon.com/compare/172/178

Red dot, Longshot, Herco, Tight Group , are all usable for the same cartridges I use Bullseye and Unique for.

Universal is the huckleberry.

Nitro100NF works well for Bullseye-ish loads, and a little goes a long way, but it can be hard to find sometimes.

I'm asking because I've had good results using Unique in everything from fairly light 38spl wadcutter loads, to 44 mag mid-range loads, to some fairly warm 45 Colt loads (270 SAA at 950 fps from a 4 5/8" barrel)
Always got pretty good accuracy.

Unique is hard to find, so looking for something as versatile.
May look into subsonic 223 loads, at some point - it might work there, too.

I have been using Power Pistol in place of Unique, although I never loaded light loads with Unique. Usually std pressure or or slightly hotter an Power Pistol works well in this role and meters like a dream.

I have a couple cans of International I got from the previously mentioned estate sale.

Some say International can cause pressure spikes when used in pistol and revolver ammo, thus not much data other than shotgun.

Anybody using it in handguns?

I've read it's OK with low velocity CAS loads, but not recommended for full house loads due to pressure spikes.

DF

Hmm. OK


Yeah, I think that is what someone who went on a rant here about people getting confused about the name "Universal Clays" and "Clays". He stated some people were confused and tried using them interchangeably. Why? Who the fu ck knows? Pure stupidity because they were 2 different powders. It's like people mistaking green dot with red dot and then claiming to be color blind. The new bottles look like this:


Universal and Universal Clays is the same powder. Clays is not the same as Universal..

I've used it in 45acp.

The problem I had was it was prone to squibs in cold weather. I was using standard primers, magnum might have worked better. Ran fine in warm weather. I wouldn't recommend it for 45acp unless it was all you had.
I never used it in shotgun.

"Pressure spikes" is a bullshit term tossed around by mental midgets who don't understand what "max load" means in their reloading data.

Power Pistol and True Blue have become favorites of mine

I sure hope Unique has just disappeared because people are hoarding it...

I've been using it in the 223 for economy and range practice shooting steel at 300 and 400 yds...
I'm down to about 12 pounds of it left...but at 700 rounds of 223 out of a pound... it goes a long way...

Just saving my Blue Dot for varmint season, but also playing with alternatives, to broaden my base....
Unique has been working well....

Some jerk stole 40 pounds of Alliant Steel and about 100,000 plus primers out of my garage, earlier this year...
Desperate times make people around here, make people do schidty things... and of course Oregon legalizing all sorts of drug use, couldn't have added to that problem, could it? Friggin DemocRATS....

Hey Birthday Boy!

ya wanna know some info and results of Unique in 223s loads?

Ya got my number.. gimme a hollar!

give my best to "The WARDEN"....

Stolt your primers?!!!

Some beach!

Good reason to be secretive secure.

I am with Sam and use Titegroup in a pretty large range of rounds.

I use Titegroup for 32 ACP, 38 and 357 ,9 mm, 41 Mag, 45 ACP, 45 Colt. I have some Unique but Titegroup is my go to.

Great and like 45"long Colt " or 38 special cases with large capacity that usually need little powder or cowboy load in 44s and such. To my understanding they quit making trail Boss. But in like 9 mm and 45 ACP not so much not a case capacity

Great thing about tight group is it doesn't seem to be positioned sensitive like some other powders that use a low charge and a high capacity case

AA#2 for Bullseye and AA#5 for Unique.


Dan

In my experience Titegroup works great in rounds from the 32 H&R to the 500 Linebaugh.

I like Titegroup too !!

Available

https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/product/hodgdon-titegroup/

I've got a can of Titegroup, but just never had much luck getting it to shoot worth a plug nickel out of anything.

I must be doing something wrong with it, as many shout outs as it has gotten. 😕

Titegroup is a really consistent fast-burning powder that I use in pistol and small-bore rifle cartridges. Not quite as fast-burning as Bullseye, but very close.

I haven't found a powder that I consider a good substitute for Unique, but Longshot is close. Very consistent, and also works well in small-bore rifle rounds, producing a bit more speed than Titegroup.

Unless I missed it, nobody has mentioned IMR Target, which lies one powder above Bullseye in the previously linked burn chart, as a Bullseye substitute. I bout a few pounds of it back before "the troubles", just as a possible Bullseye substitute, but have not tried it in anything yet.

They discontinued Target a year or two ago.

Seafire,
Unique in 223-- would like to know more about that

Pm me if you will share your data

Well crap. Thanks for the info.
Rex

In years past when favorite powders were unavailable I tried European Nobelsport Vectan powders as stand-ins with success. Sorry for bad news but even they are unobtanium lately. What da heck is going on ? Is a monopoly controlling what flow from foreign manufacturers can reach our shore to fulfill demand ?

As to OP's question, Red Dot, as has been mentioned.

Lucky day today at the LGS.

Idaho or Texas? Where at?

Pretty sure most suppliers basically stopped importing NobelSport powders once the Obama era domestic shortages came to a close.

that jug of Bullseye would probably out last me..........):

Plinker load for the 9mm & 148 gr hard cast from Rim Rock

3 grs Bullseye & a Rem 7.5 primer

I bought an 8# of Unique a couple years ago that will probably outlive me, too. 2.9gr a pop in 32S&WL and 3.9gr in 32H&R Mag.

I don't shoot THAT much 😏 I was just looking for a couple single pounders, but the 8 fell into my lap at a good price.

Yeah it will feed two sons as well.

Hell, I just sold an 8lb jug of unique, will never use it... I have 16lbs of 452AA I'll never use up and neither will my grandson probably. Forgot how great a powder it is... shotgun, handgun and will work up some reduced 222 and 223 loads. 3.1gr is my load for .38 stubby and 4.3 in 45.

452 was discontinued in '91, not a lot of help as a substitute for unique.

Still have some Unique, Red dot, Bullseye, Green dot, Blue dot.

Kent

Graf has 8# of Bullseye in stock. 435pm cst 11/10/2022. $241.99

Texas.