Tested some loads

[tomme boy]

OK, I went an got some 5744 powder to try yesterday. I loaded up a bunch of my 165gr boolits for my 308win.

The first two loads at 25 an 26 gr was not too bad. After that, they went to heck. I was getting no leading. But, I think something was going on with the boolits. I was getting something flying back at me an hitting me in the arm. I have a 3 port holland style muzzle break on this rifle. The first port has a light grey wash all the way around it. It must be lead.

I tried to recover some of the shot boolits but I could not. I am thinking the lead must be stripping. The bore looks nice an shiney. So I don't know for sure if that is what it is.

I am going to try some more with this powder but at lower charges. Could it be that the lead is too hard? I made a big batch of it. It was 40lbs of range scrap, 15lbs of virgin Lino, and 2.5 lb of 63/37 solder. Then I water dropped them out of the mold.

[Ford SD]

OK, I went an got some 5744 powder to try yesterday. I loaded up a bunch of my 165gr boolits for my 308win.

The first two loads at 25 an 26 gr was not too bad. After that, they went to heck. I was getting no leading. But, I think something was going on with the boolits. I was getting something flying back at me an hitting me in the arm. I have a 3 port holland style muzzle break on this rifle. The first port has a light grey wash all the way around it. It must be lead.

I tried to recover some of the shot boolits but I could not. I am thinking the lead must be stripping. The bore looks nice an shiney. So I don't know for sure if that is what it is.

I am going to try some more with this powder but at lower charges. Could it be that the lead is too hard? I made a big batch of it. It was 40lbs of range scrap, 15lbs of virgin Lino, and 2.5 lb of 63/37 solder. Then I water dropped them out of the mold.

You do not say if they have gas checks or not
is this a bolt gun?

With a gas check 165-170 g and 5744 I would start with 19-20 gr of powder and work up to where groups open up

This low of a charge might be position sensitive so I would start at 19g and use a dacron fiber filler
(do a search on dacron filler if you have no experience with it)

[geargnasher]

They're not stripping.

Use a slower powder like H4350, and use enough to start you off at about 1800fps.

Gear

[CGT80]

Here is another thread about 5744. I found it with a google search. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=88936

I tested some 5744 loads in my 460 last weekend. They seemed just as accurate as trail boss. I had unburned powder fall out of the cylinder when I tipped the gun down and opened the cylinder. I have read that this is normal for light 5744 loads. I also had the same thing happen with trail boss.

Some people mentioned that Accurate powder doesn't recommend a filler with 5744. I don't have any experience there.

Overall, I think 5744 is great for mid range loads in my 460. It seemed to do fine with the few cast boolits I used as well.

Good luck.

[geargnasher]

Comparing 5744 between a straight-walled pistol case and a bottleneck rifle case with a sharp shoulder is akin to comparing steak to watermelons. Expansion ratio and shoulder angle makes a LOT of difference to the way a given powder burns, not to mention relative boolit weight.

Gear

[rexherring]

The loads sound a little on the heavy side for 5744, also, the spit back may be lube and not lead. Boolits should be plenty hard, that's harder than my 170 gr Lee GC out of my .30-30 improved. I shoot about 20 - 22 grs of 5744 with no problem.

[tomme boy]

Right now I am waiting on some Tac1 lube from Randy Rat to get here. I am using NRA 50/50 right now. Yeas they have a Hornady check on them. I am going to load some more of these starting at 19gr an going up to 24gr. Now I guess I know where they go to heck at. One good thing.

Gear, I know I asked about the 4350 before, but no one gave an answer on about where to start as to gr weight for it. Any ideas?

[Shiloh]

You do not say if they have gas checks or not
is this a bolt gun?

With a gas check 165-170 g and 5744 I would start with 19-20 gr of powder and work up to where groups open up

This low of a charge might be position sensitive so I would start at 19g and use a dacron fiber filler
(do a search on dacron filler if you have no experience with it)

My somewhat limited experience with 5744 is that it is not all that position sensitive.
I've used it in Krags and '03's with good results.

SHiloh

[geargnasher]

Right now I am waiting on some Tac1 lube from Randy Rat to get here. I am using NRA 50/50 right now. Yeas they have a Hornady check on them. I am going to load some more of these starting at 19gr an going up to 24gr. Now I guess I know where they go to heck at. One good thing.

Gear, I know I asked about the 4350 before, but no one gave an answer on about where to start as to gr weight for it. Any ideas?

If someone DID tell you where to start, you're advised to do a "sanity" check using any data you can get for that powder. That includes what I'm about to share!

Lee's Modern Reloading, p. 145, shows pressure data for H4350 and a 165-grain lead boolit, including some calculated reduced-load pressures using his reduced-load formula for cast boolits with slower-than-normal powders. This is one thing his book is very good for, and it was worth the $12 on sale just for the info on reduced loads.

So, the measured data starts at 32 grains H4350 and 165-grain lead boolit and shows 1,870 fps at 27,300 PSI. The data goes up and down from there in one-grain increments and max listed is 46 grains at 2,440 fps and 43,600 PSI. The calculated data goes down to 23 grains at estimated 1,580 fps and estimated 20,200 PSI. I wouldn't dare go that low myself, you're in Secondary Explosive Effect territory when you start going down that far, less than half a case of slow powder. If it were me, knowing what I know, I'd start at around 31 grains and use a 3/4 grain of Dacron fluffed up to fill the area between the base of the boolit and the powder, just to keep the powder in place and help it burn. Do NOT tamp the Dacron down against the powder like a wad, this is a dangerous practice. You don't absolutely need to use the Dacron but it can help.

I can tell you from experience that H4350 will burn dirty below about 25-30,000 PSI, but can still be very accurate and consistent. Right about the time the powder starts to mostly clean up you will probably be at about the peak accuracy capability for your boolit and loading techniques.

Gear

[Thumbcocker]

For more speed in rifle cartridges with boolits go to slower powders. AA 3100 has done well for me.

[tomme boy]

Gear, Thanks. It looks like I need to get that book. I have the Lyman 4th casting one right now. It is the only lead based book I have. I have just about everyones book on jacketed. At least editions for each.

I am going tohold off on loading anymore until the brown truck drops off all of my extra stuff I ordered this week.

[tomme boy]

I tested some more today.

35gr H4350 an 36gr using a .5gr dacron seated to be just into the rifling. Both shot right at 1" I used the .310" rcbs expander. It felt kind of loose when seating the boolits. I think I might change it to the .309" expanding plug to see if a little more tension will help. The boolits are sized to .310" I like the way that there is NO recoil. I'm going to try to speed them up a little more.

I also tried some with IMR4895, they were the worse I have shot to date. It was so hot today that I could only fire 5 rounds before I felt like I needed to let the gun sit for awhile. It got hot fast. Luckly I had a nice breeze coming through the shooting shack. Nice thing right now, the corn is grown high enough to create a nice wind block. Out range is set up so out target stands are in the grass waterways. The corn is over 7 foot tall right now.