Moving into new powder.

Skinny 1950

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My Unique is nearly gone but I have come across a pound each of Bullseye and Powerpistol.
A quick search on the net shows the Bullseye as much faster burning...the Unique being somewhat faster than Powerpistol near the middle of the pack.
http://www.nevadashooters.com/showthread.php?t=19280
I load 5.6 grains of Unique under a 230 grain RN cast bullet and it had been working good.
I am leaning toward switching to Bullseye as my supply of Unique dwindles, seems like I would have to use a lot more Powerpistol to do the same job.
Any thoughts on this are welcome.
 
I'm assuming you're talking about something that's 45 Cal such as 45 ACP?

The two powders you suggest as alternatives for Unique are both good powders for the 45 ACP, and Alliant posts loads for them. You're correct in that the max load for Bullseye will be less than for Unique, which will be less than for Power Pistol, but they will overlap to some extent, i.e. 5.0 grs might be safe in all three.

I'd buy both powders and try them - they'll both work fine and you might find a more accurate load than you had with Unique. Powder being scarce, all the more reason to buy them - you'll get over 1000 loads from each.

Here's the thing about Powder Burn Rate Tables - they're guides. Look at five of them and you'll observe powders in different positions, e.g. is Bullseye faster than Red Dot or vice-versa? "Burn Rate" varies by cartridge and bullet weight as well.
 
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Bullseye and similar powders are very popular for target shooting, accuracy and loads per pound ratio. Being very fast they can be touchy around maximum loads.

A slower powder would be more advisable for full power loads, with better performance and probably more accuracy then.

If I remember correctly, Power Pistol was created for PPC and similar (day time) sports and its only drawback is the absence of flash suppressant; it might matter if your range is indoor.
 
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