If you look at the fine print on that load, you will see that they tell you to use 6, yes, six, .135 card wads to fill the shell. In addition, it is an unbalanced load if you reduce the powder. Unique is not the powder to use in a 1 1/4 ounce ten gauge load if you want sensible velocities. You don't reduce the powder charge in a 7500 psi load to reduce velocity. You go to a faster powder in order to reduce velocity and at the same time keep pressures up. If you take this load and reduce the powder charge, the pressure will go through the floor and you will get squibs and bloopers, especially in cold weather. Read the "burn rate chart" to decide what powder you should or should not use. If you need to reduce the velocity in this 1265 fps Unique load, you should not reduce the powder charge, you should go to a faster powder, like Green Dot if you choose to use an Alliant product.

Another Unique load comes from BPI. Fed hull cut to 2 7/8", Fed 209A primer, 30 gr Unique, x10x, VP100 wad, 1/4" filler, 1 1/4 ounce lead shot, rolled crimp. Velocity 1130, pressure 7070. Fed209A increases pressure over Win and CCI but roll crimp reduces pressure.

Unique is a little faster than SR7625 which has given good service in the short ten.

http://www.reloadbench.com/burn.html

Bill have you had a high rate of squib/bloopers with Unique and 1 1/4 10ga loads?

No, I haven't suffered bloopers, but I also haven't used the load. However, I do not think it is prudent reloading technique to take a very low pressure load and reduce the powder charge by a couple of grains of powder or to reduce shot weight without pressure testing. No, I don't think the gun is going to blow up, but performance and consistency may suffer without the shooter being aware of it. Not all bad loads sound bad. Unique is just too slow a powder to use in low velocity 1 1/4 ounce loads in a big ten gauge hole.

Bill, seems we have a difference of opnion. My IMR reloaders guide is from 2004 and in it for every powder there are 4 different powder loads when useing the same of everything else. They change 3 to 4 grains with velocity and pressures going up or down. With 21grs of PB - Rem primer - CB-1100 wad and 1 oz of shot the pressure is 3800 at 1100fps. Up that to 25grs and we get 5600psi and 1250FPS. I don't think 7500PSI is a really low pressure load that couldn't be taken down a bit. I haven't shot the one quoted earlier, but I have to believe there's a bit of felt recoil. If useing all the same components and powder is reduced a grain or two the velocity/pressure/ and recoil will go down. I noticed Alliant doesn't give more than one formula per load so I emailed them. Let everyone know what their reply is. Paul

Paul, I'm not implying that I wouldn't reduce the powder charge of a 7500 psi load and shoot it. I'm saying I wouldn't reduce the powder charge of a 7500 psi load and recommend it to a new reloader without telling him of the possible problems that could be encountered.

Bill, you are correct. Usually when going too light one will get a dirty barrel and then the bloopers, more so when it gets colder outside. Those loads I gave were for 12ga. For 10ga IMR shows three 2oz loads in a Fed hull, all different and four 2oz loads in a Rem hull all different. All are at 10,800PSI - a bit more than we're looking for. Paul

Bill & Paul, remember most reloaders using MEC equipment will refer to the MEC bushing chart to select the proper bushing for the powder and amount they want to use. MEC bushings almost always drop a grain or two lighter than advertised in the bushing chart. Many people are shooting lighter powder charges than they think they are.

Pete,

Good point but every reloader needs to weigh their powder and shot charges at the start and at intervals during loading.

Mark

Mec uses a single stage press for bushing sizes. With it the bar is under the powder bottle while you're crimping, depriming, and priming which allows the bushing to fill more than a progressive press where the bar is only momentarily under the powder bottle. You need to go up one bushing size if useing a progressive press. That's why, as Mark said, weigh all you loads. I use a digital scale [ about $35 ] and an adjustable bar [ about $35 ] . No more bushing and you can really dial in a load. Because humidity can change powder readings, I usually weigh once and let it go at that. Right now for clays I'm shooting a 24gm load [ 361grs or between 3/4 and 7/8 oz ]. Cheap on the wallet, easy on the arm, and breaks clays out to 50 yds. Paul

Paul, if I were reading through the IMR manual and found a 3800 PSI recommended load, as you did, I would either trash the manual or use my reloading knowledge to reject the load as a bad load. The manuals are full of loads that will not blow up a gun but are terrible loads. We should learn enough about the principles of reloading to recognize these bad loads.