Unique Powder and Lee Auto Disk

Colduglandon · April 26, 2006, 06:36 PM

I use the Lee Auto Disk on my Progressive 1000.

In most cases when I select a powder measure from the Lee Manual, and then weigh the powder to check accuracy its fairly close to the chart, never overweight, right on or slightly under. I have used it on 231, Blue Dot, 2400, Bullseye and H110 and found that to be the case.

However I recently used Unique for some 357 158 gr semi wad cutters. When I used the disk measure for the recommened load and then checked it on the scale, it was way under weight. Has anyone had a problem with the Lee Charts for the Auto Disk when using Unique Powder.

Other than that I have not had a problem with this equipment or the manual.

**Unclenick** · April 26, 2006, 07:52 PM

Not checked this, but Unique is light and large flakes that don't always drop promptly into a measure cavity. When the disk receives the powder, check that it has time to drop. Tap the hopper lightly to make sure.

Nick

sindiesel666 · April 26, 2006, 08:44 PM

Smaller cavities and larger flake power like Unique or Clays will definitely cause squibs or near-squib loads. Powder gets "hung-up", for lack of a better term, especially since the Lee hopper usually has small plastic burrs on the bottom, left over from molding. I made mine smoother, but still have ocassional trouble, worst is when I try to pick up the speed on my Dillon 650.

The answer is to find the lowest weight it will accurately throw. For me it's 3.2grains of Clays. So I usually load at the cavity (.53 hole) that's suppose to measure 3.6 grains. It meters between 3.3-3.4 grains, very consistent. Makes major PF with 230gr lead RNs.

**Unclenick** · April 26, 2006, 08:56 PM

Paul,

I should have asked what ballistics you are trying to achieve? I use Unique for reduced rifle loads (firelapping, in particular) but gave up on it in pistol because anything but a near maximum load didn't seem to get hot enough to burn very completely. I wound up switching to single-base Vihtavuori N310 for light loads and N320 for the middling to full-house .45 ACP loads. Cleaner in reduced charges.

Nick

Leftoverdj · April 26, 2006, 09:24 PM

It ain't just the Lee. Like Nick says, the large flake powders do not meter well in small doses. This tendency gets worse when the cavity is narrow or very shallow. Ideally, the cavity should be about as broad as it is deep, but most designs don't allow that.

**Mike Irwin** · April 27, 2006, 09:38 AM

Unique is a well-known problem in many volumetric powder measures.

That's one of the reasons I stopped using Unique.

MADISON · April 27, 2006, 09:47 AM

UNIQUE Powder and LEE AUTO. DISK
I got my "old" Hornady Projector press back in 1989. Found I needed a measure that dropped powder automaticlly. I went with Lee's Auto. Disk measure. I have 6.
Yes, there is a problem of excess powder with any powder you use.
I conted Lee and they gave me the run around. I put up with the over-flow.

Colduglandon · April 27, 2006, 08:27 PM

Unclenick

For me the study of ballistics is hitting the paper.

I read the recommended loads, minimum to max, and load sets of rounds across the range. Whichever load gives me the best group with a given gun, thats what I go with.

What everyone has said makes sense. I have used Unique before for jacketed ammo. Those loads called for a bigger charge of powder and a larger cavity in the measure. Maybe thats why I did not notice the problem when I tested the loads with the scale, or maybe thats why I missed the targets on the silhouette range because I was not aware of the problem. (Gives me a whole new set of excuses)

I think I will finsih up the Unique I have and move on to another powder more suitable for my powder measure.

Thanks for the input.

BILLY D. · May 1, 2006, 03:31 AM

paul

unique did not trip my trigger, no pun intended, and i switched to hodgdon universal clays for any application that unique was mentioned. u/clys is a great powder imho.

qajaq59 · May 1, 2006, 05:19 AM

I use Unique as a light load for cast bullets in my 30-30, but I have stopped trying to use it with my powder measure. I just use a scoop and a scale now. It isn't going to measure right anyway, so I end up weighing all the loads either way. Using the scoop is just easier then knocking squib loads out of the barrel.

MrApathy · May 5, 2006, 12:29 AM

using the new unique and its throwing nearly as good as powerpistol. I get the occasional -.1 throw.

I have had a way worse time getting Hodgdon Universal to throw right on. out of PowerPistol,Unique,Longshot,Titegroup,VvN340,WSF
Hodgdon universal has thrown the worse for me and my autodisk pro.
Vv N340 throwing the best.

dogfood · May 7, 2006, 10:18 AM

Paul:

I haven't used Unique in several years. But, in general, I have found that some powders don't always drop the same as Lee predicts. As you noted, some are very close, but others are under. I have yet to find one that goes too high ... and I'm guessing that Lee has set up the data tables to err on the low side, which would be the safe approach.

Anyway, this is not particular to big flake powder, as others have noted. My Lee powder drops consistently 10% lighter than predicted with Accurate Arms #5 using most cavities. Now, AA#5 meters like a dream. So I figure that either AA#5 has changed since my data was created, or there is an error in the Lee data, or the my Lee disk cavities are out of spec.

Regardless, powder scales are indispensable.

dogfood

April 26, 2006, 06:36 PM	#1
Colduglandon Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 1999 Location: Mass Posts: 493	Unique Powder and Lee Auto Disk I use the Lee Auto Disk on my Progressive 1000. In most cases when I select a powder measure from the Lee Manual, and then weigh the powder to check accuracy its fairly close to the chart, never overweight, right on or slightly under. I have used it on 231, Blue Dot, 2400, Bullseye and H110 and found that to be the case. However I recently used Unique for some 357 158 gr semi wad cutters. When I used the disk measure for the recommened load and then checked it on the scale, it was way under weight. Has anyone had a problem with the Lee Charts for the Auto Disk when using Unique Powder. Other than that I have not had a problem with this equipment or the manual.

April 26, 2006, 07:52 PM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Not checked this, but Unique is light and large flakes that don't always drop promptly into a measure cavity. When the disk receives the powder, check that it has time to drop. Tap the hopper lightly to make sure. Nick __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; April 26, 2006 at 09:27 PM.

April 26, 2006, 08:56 PM	#4
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	Paul, I should have asked what ballistics you are trying to achieve? I use Unique for reduced rifle loads (firelapping, in particular) but gave up on it in pistol because anything but a near maximum load didn't seem to get hot enough to burn very completely. I wound up switching to single-base Vihtavuori N310 for light loads and N320 for the middling to full-house .45 ACP loads. Cleaner in reduced charges. Nick __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

April 27, 2006, 09:38 AM	#6
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,383	Unique is a well-known problem in many volumetric powder measures. That's one of the reasons I stopped using Unique. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

April 27, 2006, 09:47 AM	#7
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	UNIQUE Powder and LEE AUTO. DISK UNIQUE Powder and LEE AUTO. DISK I got my "old" Hornady Projector press back in 1989. Found I needed a measure that dropped powder automaticlly. I went with Lee's Auto. Disk measure. I have 6. Yes, there is a problem of excess powder with any powder you use. I conted Lee and they gave me the run around. I put up with the over-flow.

April 26, 2006, 08:44 PM	#3
sindiesel666 Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2004 Location: San Antonio Posts: 270	Smaller cavities and larger flake power like Unique or Clays will definitely cause squibs or near-squib loads. Powder gets "hung-up", for lack of a better term, especially since the Lee hopper usually has small plastic burrs on the bottom, left over from molding. I made mine smoother, but still have ocassional trouble, worst is when I try to pick up the speed on my Dillon 650. The answer is to find the lowest weight it will accurately throw. For me it's 3.2grains of Clays. So I usually load at the cavity (.53 hole) that's suppose to measure 3.6 grains. It meters between 3.3-3.4 grains, very consistent. Makes major PF with 230gr lead RNs.

April 26, 2006, 09:24 PM	#5
Leftoverdj Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2004 Posts: 934	It ain't just the Lee. Like Nick says, the large flake powders do not meter well in small doses. This tendency gets worse when the cavity is narrow or very shallow. Ideally, the cavity should be about as broad as it is deep, but most designs don't allow that.

April 27, 2006, 08:27 PM	#8
Colduglandon Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 1999 Location: Mass Posts: 493	Unclenick For me the study of ballistics is hitting the paper. I read the recommended loads, minimum to max, and load sets of rounds across the range. Whichever load gives me the best group with a given gun, thats what I go with. What everyone has said makes sense. I have used Unique before for jacketed ammo. Those loads called for a bigger charge of powder and a larger cavity in the measure. Maybe thats why I did not notice the problem when I tested the loads with the scale, or maybe thats why I missed the targets on the silhouette range because I was not aware of the problem. (Gives me a whole new set of excuses) I think I will finsih up the Unique I have and move on to another powder more suitable for my powder measure. Thanks for the input. __________________ From the People's Republic of Massachusetts

May 1, 2006, 03:31 AM	#9
BILLY D. Member Join Date: February 15, 2005 Location: MINOT (MINDROT) ND Posts: 81	paul unique did not trip my trigger, no pun intended, and i switched to hodgdon universal clays for any application that unique was mentioned. u/clys is a great powder imho. __________________ PLEASE EXCUSE UPPER CASE TYPING I AM HANDICAPPED AND ONLY TYPE WITH ONE HAND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. HANDLOADS ARE LIKE UNDERWEAR.....BE CAREFUL WHO YOU SWAP WITH. HAPPY TRAILS, BILL NRA LIFE MEMBER-1965 THE THREAD KILLER

May 1, 2006, 05:19 AM	#10
qajaq59 Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2005 Posts: 139	Unique I use Unique as a light load for cast bullets in my 30-30, but I have stopped trying to use it with my powder measure. I just use a scoop and a scale now. It isn't going to measure right anyway, so I end up weighing all the loads either way. Using the scoop is just easier then knocking squib loads out of the barrel.

May 5, 2006, 12:29 AM	#11
MrApathy Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2004 Posts: 529	using the new unique and its throwing nearly as good as powerpistol. I get the occasional -.1 throw. I have had a way worse time getting Hodgdon Universal to throw right on. out of PowerPistol,Unique,Longshot,Titegroup,VvN340,WSF Hodgdon universal has thrown the worse for me and my autodisk pro. Vv N340 throwing the best. __________________ Divided and conquered, Gripped by fear Wishful thinking that it can't happen here It's well underways but nobody knows A repeat of history, That's how it goes

May 7, 2006, 10:18 AM	#12
dogfood Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2004 Location: Southwestern OH Posts: 239	Paul: I haven't used Unique in several years. But, in general, I have found that some powders don't always drop the same as Lee predicts. As you noted, some are very close, but others are under. I have yet to find one that goes too high ... and I'm guessing that Lee has set up the data tables to err on the low side, which would be the safe approach. Anyway, this is not particular to big flake powder, as others have noted. My Lee powder drops consistently 10% lighter than predicted with Accurate Arms #5 using most cavities. Now, AA#5 meters like a dream. So I figure that either AA#5 has changed since my data was created, or there is an error in the Lee data, or the my Lee disk cavities are out of spec. Regardless, powder scales are indispensable. dogfood