10mm with Unique

[Lineman711]

Got a G29 on the way, new to loading for 10mm. Got some ideas off the threads here on some plinking and full power loads, or a good place to start anyway. I have a bunch of Unique, but am having trouble finding info. I guess I should take a hint and figure out that it's probably not the best powder to load in 10mm, but just thought I'd ask and see if any of you have tried it.

 

[lhensler]

Re: 10mm with Unique

Get you a copy of Ken Waters Pet Loads and you'll be GTG for most all of your reloading needs and suggestions. It'll get you started in the right direction just about everytime. It's excellent reading materal anyway.
Larry

 

[Grump]

Re: 10mm with Unique

Used it in .40 and .357 Mag. I have no doubt that there are some pretty good loads for Unique in the 10mm.

I would also expect them to be lower-flash than, say, Power Pistol (which, sadly, often gives the highest velocities obtainable in non-Magnum semiautos).

I'll look and see what I can find. What bullet weights?

 

[Jerry R]

Re: 10mm with Unique

If you find Unique doesn't work for you I've found great success with Blue Dot loading 180 gr Gold Dots as well as 200 gr XTPs in the G20.

 

[Lineman711]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Grump</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> What bullet weights? </div></div>
Right now I'm leaning towards 165 or 180, probably start there and see how it goes anyway.

 

[Lineman711]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LBH</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Get you a copy of Ken Waters Pet Loads and you'll be GTG for most all of your reloading needs and suggestions. It'll get you started in the right direction just about everytime. It's excellent reading materal anyway.
Larry </div></div>

I think I saw that in the last Dillon catalog I received. Might have to order it.

Thanks everyone.

 

[buffybuster]

Re: 10mm with Unique

You can use Unique for Mid-Range 10mm loads. Basically 180gr@900-1000fps. Start at 7.5grs and work up to 8.0-8.5grs.

 

[vinconco]

Re: 10mm with Unique

I would stay away from cast bullets with Unique. The flame temp is high enough to melt the base and cause leading in the barrel. It's also a little dirty leaving unburned flakes. I've still got a bunch too.

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: 10mm with Unique

It's a little fast for the 10mm. I am about to offer 10mm ammo for sale with a 150 grain JHP and/or a 200 grain XTP. Specifically tested in the G20 and G29 pistols.

 

[akabaron]

Re: 10mm with Unique

Have used Unique on my 10s and wasnt happy with it. I have also used 231 but my best results have been with Accurate #5 for 180s I also have some BlueDot on hand for the heavier loads.

 

[bohem]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would stay away from cast bullets with Unique. The flame temp is high enough to melt the base and cause leading in the barrel. It's also a little dirty leaving unburned flakes. I've still got a bunch too. </div></div>

I've had quite a different experience (other than it being dirty). Use very hard lead and you'll cut your problems down quite a bit. I also shoot a LOT of unique behind cast boolits in my 44mag and have not seen any concerning lead issues. After 500 rounds there's lead in the barrel, a cylinder full of jacketed loads cleans it up and I got back to plinking with lead.


Here's my Unique loads for 10mm with water quenched hard cast

175gr TC cast
10mm Auto
Starline brass
Wolf LP primer
175 cast lead TC
NRA formula lube (50/50 beeswax and alox)

Sized to 0.401"

5.4gr B/eye runs 1000fps from OEM G20 barrel.
6.0gr Unique runs 1050fps from OEM G20 barrel.


Hard cast water quenched shows no leading issues in Glock barrel after 150 rounds.

If you look in the Reloading Depot for a "Handgun ALL CALIBERS" thread I posted probably 2 dozen 10mm loads from 135's through 200's

My 2 pet loads with XTP's are

155 XTP = 12.5gr Blue Dot, 21# recoil spring
200 XTP = 9.8gr Blue Dot, OEM spring

To the OP, if you want to shoot lead bullets in the G29 you can do it if you're particular about which lead goes through it. Regular lead pistol bullets will gunk it up and cause problems.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1329118#Post1329118

 

[vinconco]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would stay away from cast bullets with Unique. The flame temp is high enough to melt the base and cause leading in the barrel. It's also a little dirty leaving unburned flakes. I've still got a bunch too. </div></div>

I've had quite a different experience (other than it being dirty). Use very hard lead and you'll cut your problems down quite a bit.
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1329118#Post1329118
</div></div>

I used it in a 1911 .45acp with a compensator and using comercial HARD cast bullets I was scraping lead out of the comp with a dental pic not to mention wearing out screens on my lewis lead remover. Switched to 231 and then to Clays and have never used anything more than a brush to remove the fouling since.

 

[hugo121175]

Re: 10mm with Unique

I use it to reload .45ACP. The only problem that I have is that it doesn't like to be dropped out of measure on my XL650.

 

[bohem]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would stay away from cast bullets with Unique. The flame temp is high enough to melt the base and cause leading in the barrel. It's also a little dirty leaving unburned flakes. I've still got a bunch too. </div></div>

I've had quite a different experience (other than it being dirty). Use very hard lead and you'll cut your problems down quite a bit.
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1329118#Post1329118
</div></div>

I used it in a 1911 .45acp with a compensator and using comercial HARD cast bullets I was scraping lead out of the comp with a dental pic not to mention wearing out screens on my lewis lead remover. Switched to 231 and then to Clays and have never used anything more than a brush to remove the fouling since. </div></div>

What were the bullets sized to? They should be 1 thousandth LARGER than the standard bullet size in jacketed ammo. IE the 45 acp shoots .452's with jacketed bullets, the lead should be sized to .453 so that there's no leaking gases that slip by the bullet and melt it into the rifling.

If that happens, then I've seen the same thing in my revolvers. The barrel gets to looking almost smoothbore in under 100 rounds.

This is a problem that's unique to HARD lead, soft leads will actually obturate and stop gas leakage and show less signs of leading than the hard stuff does.

Not to argue your problem doesn't exist, but I'm fairly comfortable thinking that there's a way around it to still make the Unique shoot well without leading.

 

[vinconco]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would stay away from cast bullets with Unique. The flame temp is high enough to melt the base and cause leading in the barrel. It's also a little dirty leaving unburned flakes. I've still got a bunch too. </div></div>

I've had quite a different experience (other than it being dirty). Use very hard lead and you'll cut your problems down quite a bit.
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1329118#Post1329118
</div></div>

I used it in a 1911 .45acp with a compensator and using comercial HARD cast bullets I was scraping lead out of the comp with a dental pic not to mention wearing out screens on my lewis lead remover. Switched to 231 and then to Clays and have never used anything more than a brush to remove the fouling since. </div></div>

What were the bullets sized to? They should be 1 thousandth LARGER than the standard bullet size in jacketed ammo. IE the 45 acp shoots .452's with jacketed bullets, the lead should be sized to .453 so that there's no leaking gases that slip by the bullet and melt it into the rifling.

If that happens, then I've seen the same thing in my revolvers. The barrel gets to looking almost smoothbore in under 100 rounds.

This is a problem that's unique to HARD lead, soft leads will actually obturate and stop gas leakage and show less signs of leading than the hard stuff does.

Not to argue your problem doesn't exist, but I'm fairly comfortable thinking that there's a way around it to still make the Unique shoot well without leading. </div></div>


The problem disappeared when switching powders.... all else the same. At the time I was shooting about 200 rounds a week and that continued for almost 10 years (IPSC)
All commercial .45 200 SWC's are sized .452 unless special ordered.

Soft lead obturating and not leading?? at very low speeds maybe. I bought some swaged bullets that were dry lubed (once) To say it didn't work out would be an understatement.

I experimented with cast bullets in rifles for several years and learned quite a bit about sizing, alloys, lube etc. Cleaning lead out of a rifle barrel is a really good teacher.

 

[hill billy]

Re: 10mm with Unique

Unique is a pretty ho hum powder for jacketed 10mm in my experience. I do shoot it under my own cast rounds with no issues. Blue Dot is good for published loads but gets very inconsistent when pushed fast. #9 is a good powder for FAST loads with jacketed bullets. Like 1450 fps + loads with a 180 gr bullet. HS-6 and Long shot are not bad either.

 

[bohem]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Soft lead obturating and not leading?? at very low speeds maybe. I bought some swaged bullets that were dry lubed (once) To say it didn't work out would be an understatement.

</div></div>

My comment was with regards to your 45 acp loads, which are slow. I wouldn't dare try that with something like a cast 30-30 load or anything over 1000fps.

I don't buy cast bullets though, you don't get to spec an alloy or a size unless you special order them as you said. I guess I enjoy making them though too, so...

 

[vinconco]

Re: 10mm with Unique

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bohem</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: vinconco</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Soft lead obturating and not leading?? at very low speeds maybe. I bought some swaged bullets that were dry lubed (once) To say it didn't work out would be an understatement.

</div></div>



I don't buy cast bullets though, you don't get to spec an alloy or a size unless you special order them as you said. I guess I enjoy making them though too, so...

</div></div>

I enjoyed casting as well, especially for rifles, but when I started shooting a couple thousand a month buying them was a lot easier. Still, I got far better accuracy out of my hand cast bullets than I ever did from commercial.

As far as Unique powder goes, it was smokey, dirty and leaded my barrel. I used it for years but was glad when I found something better.