38/357 loads with Unique powder

[John Barleycorn]

Howdy Pards,  I just finished my first season of CAS and I'm hooked.  I'm just about out of my old Unique powder and have picked up some of the new "cleaner burning" Unique, and I'm looking for some good CAS loads using this powder for the upcoming season.  I shoot 38's from my Gauchos and 357's from my Puma 92, ( 38's did not function well in my puma ) is this normal ? Anyhow, I use 125gr rn for the 38's and 158gr rn for the 357's. Thanks, JB

[Arcey]

http://www.alliantpowder.com/

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

The only thing special 'bout "Cowboy loads" is they're lead, extend beyond the case mouth, and don't exceed 1,000 fps from your pistols.

[hellgate]

Just seat all your rounds out to 357 length and the 38s will feed in your puma. When I work up  load the first thing is to find the OAL that feels reliably in the rifle and then I mess with the powder charge for a more accurate load. You could load 38spl level loads in the 357 cases or seat the 158gr bullet farther out in 38 cases (my rifle seems to like 1.53-1.56" OAL, especially 1.55"). That way you have only one type of ammo for both the rifle and the pistols.

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

Here's some good info for Rossi feeding problems.
http://www.marauder.homestead.com/Rifles.html
The problem may be the rails, lifter or something other than OAL.
I can feed 44 Colt in my 44 Mag Rossi by seating the bullet out just to 44 Special length.  Make some dummy rounds seated out like Hellgate suggests and try running them through the rifle. 
BB

[Tex Dooley]

I found out the hard way not to use Unique when shooting a .38 special snub nose Colt Detective Special.

At the gun range from a bench steady rest, I was getting unburned powder, speckling two feet out in front of the sand bags, a problem that went away, when I switched to a  faster burning powder, of course that was way back when I first starting reloading in my younger greenhorn years.

Now I know this doesn't pertain to anything  you  fellers are doing, but it's just an antidote on my only experience with Unique, and it probably works just fine unless your shooten it out of one of the Sheriff Models, with a shorter barrel.

Tex Dooley

[Curley Cole]

Tex
I shoot Unique in 45lc (have done so for 25 years) I was getting a bit of unburned powder until I tightened the crimp and the problem went away. didn't realize how bad it was until I shot some older rounds the last match.

In 38sp I use Bullseye (have done so for almost 30 years) and I use them in an old Rossi 357 src, and a yellowboy. I don't adjust the length any to size of 357. they feed just fine...

Curley

[Modoc]

John

Sent you a PM. 

We use Unique exclusively.  I recomend that you get a copy of the Laser Cast reloading manual, it has sections for each cartridge that pertain to Cowboy loads.  They have it avaialble for purchase on their web-site.