5744 in 45-70

[joeb33050]

I just can't get it to work There's so much unburned powder that the next cartridge jams, and I have to push a patch through between shots. Lyman's 48th love4s it, as do some posters. Is it me?
joe b.

[405]

Well, 5744 in the 45-70 is my go-to for accuracy. I shoot a lot of it in the 45-70 and in most straight wall, low pressure loads get the unburned/unconsumed kernels. It seems to be cosmetic in my experience.

A few ideas?

I anneal the necks and only minimally resize. That might help prevent blow back around case with low pressure loads. So the chamber may be kept a little cleaner including fewer unburned kernels in the chamber. The unburned 5744 kernels I've examined are not really unburned but are skeletons of ash that have very little mass. So their interference with chambering or even bullet travel thru the bore seems to be little to none.

I use low density dacron filler in the straight wall, low pressure loads and that may help.

I have tried nearly identical loads in these applications using 4759 (the closest cousin to 5744) and don't get the "unburned kernel" residue. But 4759 does not give the best accuracy nor lowest velocity SDs in the loads I use. And contrary to intuition, 4759 seems to leave more carbon fouling than 5744 when loaded to similar pressures and velocities.

So dunno?

[felix]

True. 4759 has no nitroglycerin and therefore would require a higher pressure for a 100 percent burn. 5744 started life as the "same" with 10 percent nitro, but later lots have been augmented with 20 percent to encourage a more complete burn with the same pressure. 5744 would appear to be more dirty because of the additional deterrents required to keep the burn speed roughly equivalent to 4759. ... felix

In general, use 5744 for large bores, and 4759 for small bores. ... felix

[Doc Highwall]

I get the same results as 405, but I find that if I seat the boolit into the rifling it helps with the start pressure leaving less residue. This is with my 1885 Browning's.

[Shiloh]

I recall that AA #5744 has .45-70 as one of the best calibers for this powder, why it was created. I have used it quite successfully in .30 cal's with cast boolits.

SHiloh

[Don McDowell]

I just can't get it to work There's so much unburned powder that the next cartridge jams, and I have to push a patch through between shots. Lyman's 48th love4s it, as do some posters. Is it me?
joe b.

You need to use a bit more crimp or up the powder charge just a smidge, get a bit more pressure and a better burn. Don't pay any nevermind to the stuff left in the bore it won't hurt a thing.
If a person isn't going to shoot real blackpowder then 5744 is the only other thing to use .

[Greg in Malad]

I use a bunch of 5744 in my 1885. A firm crimp and a heavy bullet helps. If the unburned powder bothers you, try 4227 or 2400. Both shoot fine for me, and when my 5744 runs out I will switch to 4227.

[44wcf]

I just can't get it to work There's so much unburned powder that the next cartridge jams, and I have to push a patch through between shots. Lyman's 48th love4s it, as do some posters. Is it me?
joe b.

You need to adjust your load up or down till all the powder burns. Each rifle is different. Also a good tight crimp.
44wcf

[beagle]

Joe, I had the same problem with it in the .45/70 as you did. So much unburned powder that it would eventually work it's way back into the action on my Marlin 1895 and also worked back and jammed my Number 1 real quick so I stopped using it./beagle

[1Shirt]

Like Beagle, it jammed my #1 pretty well, and I quit using it, for 45-70 and I had a real heavy crimp on my loads. Like it for a lot of other stuff however.:coffeecom
1Shirt!

[45r]

My highwall shoots great with 480 grain saeco seated snug against the rifling over 26 grains 5744.

[joeb33050]

I crimp NO cast bullet loads.
All loads have the OAL as great as possible.
It's funny that there can be such wide experience.
I'm going to make a last try with 457193 and 32/5744. That's faster than I want to go, but worth the try.
Thanks;
joe b.

[44man]

I never tried 5744 in my rifle but it did not work at all in the revolver.
True about 4759 too, I can't reduce the powder much. So far it is the only powder that works in the revolver. If I load a 420 gr boolit with 28 gr it shoots great but even reducing it one gr will give me all kinds of recoil and sounds with one boolit but the reduced load works OK with another.
4759 is more accurate with Dacron filler and the load needs to be enough to even out the burn.

[BABore]

I crimp NO cast bullet loads.
joe b.

And thereby painted yourself into a corner you can't get out of.

If 5744 is the powder you want to use, then you have to learn to adapt your methods to conform with the powder. You need to encourage the powder to burn cleanly. Others have already mentioned most of the ways including crimp, boolit weight increase and increasing the charge. You can also use a dacron filler and a magum primer. Older AA data recommended use of a mag primer with 5744. They don't currently, but there's no reason not to if it works, and it does help. Learn to adapt or fail.

[Doc Highwall]

I do the same as 45r with my 45-70 and 45-90 and get some unburnt powder. By putting the boolit up into the rifling and using a heavy boolit it has minimised it but not eliminated it. In my 308 Win I get no unburnt powder at all with 20.5 grains with a 180 grain boolit.

[cast-n-blast]

Joe, I had the same problem . Then I switched to 2400. 24 grs. of 2400 duplicates BP loads in the .45-70. 30grs. gives you 1500-1600 fps. It is clean, accurate, and meters welll, when reloading.

[mpmarty]

+1 on 2400. I've still got about fifteen pounds of the old 2400 from 1969-1970 clean burning, easy metering and accurate!

[Larry Gibson]

As with 405 I find a dacron filler (1 Gr) to increase the efficiency of ignition so that a much cleaner burn happens. Accuracy is also much better. Since I shoot most of my lower intensity 45-70 loads in TDs I do not crimp either. I have found that 5744 also only burns clean at the top end TD pressure loads with 350+ gr cast bullets.

Larry Gibson

[LAH]

I use 25 grs. with a 420 gas check bullet in my 45-70 with no problems..........Creeker


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