Author Topic: .357 / 158 gr swc / Unique  (Read 1234 times)

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Offline bigjeepman

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« on: August 31, 2004, 01:01:45 PM »
I am working up some plinking loads with this combination. Does anyone here shoot the 158 gr swc using Unique? If so, how does it shoot for you?
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Offline BCB

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2004, 01:30:19 PM »
bigjeepman,
Seven grains of Unique and a 158 grain SWC was the first load I was shooting from a Ruger Security-Six with a 6" barrel for a MV of approximately 1150 fps (chronographed)  Accuracy was good--at least I thought so for my 1st reloads nearly 30 years ago for this handgun.  I have since begun casting my own bullets and have found other powders to be a bit better.  YET, it is dang hard to beat Unique in the 357 with 158 grain SWC's.  Good-luck...BCB

Offline Somerled

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2004, 01:30:34 PM »
I use 4.7 grains of Unique in .38 Special cases with 158 grain cast bullets. I doubt I'd go higher than 5.4 grains in the mag cases just to keep the leading and powder usage down.

Beware of old Unique data. The newer lots are quite a bit hotter; it takes less to get the same velocity.
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Offline bigjeepman

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2004, 04:22:27 PM »
Thanks for the replies ...

In Alliant Powder's 2004 Reloader's Guide, it gives a max load of 6.8 gr of Unique for a mv of approximately 1295 fps. I just loaded up 18 rounds using 6.4 of Unique before I saw your replies. I'll see what it does and let you guys know. I wasn't sure what the minimum load would be with this combination.

I use Unique in my .45 lc loads and it does a pretty good job. These loads are my first attempt with the .357 cal.

Again, thanks.
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Offline warf73

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2004, 10:17:22 PM »
For a 158gr lead bullet with unique

min 3.8grs.@ 741fps

max 4.5grs @ 859fps

This from Alliant for cowboy action pistol.

So if you wanted you could load down to 3.8grs and up to 6.8grs. Accourding to Alliant web site.
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Offline Mikey

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2004, 02:43:18 AM »
bigjeepman:  my old Lyman manual shows a range of 4.0 gns to 8.0 gns of Unique under a 158 gn cast bullet - either the swc or the rn.  The velocity ranges for those charges run 680'/sec to 1250'/sec.  The accuracy load for that bullet in 357 runs to about 1270'/sec over a 15 gn charge of 2400, however the accuracy load for the same bullet, but in a 38 Spl with the same barrel twist is at about 850'/sec.  

Looking at the velocity range for that/those bullets in the 357, I would think you could probably get that with somewhere around 6-6.5 gns of Unique.  You can also try the old Skeeter Skelton method of going half the difference between loadings for the 38 and the 357 for any particular bullet weight from a 38 Spl case if you want something snappier and don't want to use up your 357 brass.  For example - your Unique charge range in the 38 Spl for the 158 gn bullet runs 3.5 for 660'/sec to 5.4 for 1000'/sec - in the 357, the range is 4.0 to 8.0.  If the difference is 2.6 gns of Unique between the max loads in both calibers, then you would add half of that of about 1.3 gns to your 38 Spl max load which would put you in the ballpark of 6.5-6.7 gns of Unique.  

However, the total word of caution here is that those loads were to be used in 357 caliber guns only.  I used them for a while until I hit it big on a pile of 357 brass but finally got away from those loadings so I wouldn't accidentally confuse them with standard pressure 38 Specials.  Other than that, I would probably go for 6-6.5 of Unique under that/those bullets in the 357 and it should give you a decently accurate plinkin' load.  HTH.  Mikey.

Offline bigjeepman

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.357 / 158 gr swc / Unique
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2004, 12:41:48 PM »
I really appreciate the time you guys take to help someone out. I do not think it could have been explained to me any better than you all did.

warf73 ... I never even thought about the cowboy loads for the minimum loads I could use. I doubt I will ever go down near the 3.8 gr of Unique but it is useful information. Thank you.

Mikey and the rest ... thanks again. I have been pretty successful in finding "comfortable and accurate" loads in .45 lc, .243, and .300wsm. I am not a speed freak like some shooters are but comfort and accuracy are the two most important needs I have.

I am heading off to the range right now with the 6.4 gr of Unique behind the 158 gr swc. This bullet is new to me also as is the .357 caliber. I understand that both can be quite accurate.
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