1 Attachment(s)
More useful .500 S&W load data
For those of you who like to rely on published loading data from a powder manufacturer with pressure testing equipment, as opposed to the recommendations of an enthusiastic amateur with fewer technical resources at his disposal, I have some good news.
I have often said that the now discontinued powder 4759 is a very useful propellant in the .500 S&W. It is about the same speed as 296, but considerably bulkier such that a Smith & Wesson revolver cannot be overloaded with it unless the bullets are made of something that is more dense than lead, and it doesn't have ignition issues when loaded down to black powder pressure levels.
4759 is difficult if not impossible to come by nowadays. It was THE powder to use in big bore rifle calibers that were originally designed for black powder. Many of those people are now using Accurate 5744 in their .45-90s, .50-110s, and the like if their guns will handle 25,000 psi pressures.
This powder is made in Canada, and the factory provides a wealth of loading data for it and the other powders that they make. The entire manual is available online at
http://www.ramshot.com/wp-content/up...371.1603529555
I have taken the liberty of doing screenshots and cutting and pasting the relevant 5744 data for the .500 S&W. It is sized such that it fits perfectly on an 8.5 X 11 sheet of printer paper.
Doing some simulations with Quickload, which supports 5744, it appears that this powder is capable of giving an overload, but not a dangerous one--which is to say, not as high pressure as a proof load. There isn't enough room in the case to get more than about 70,000 psi with any weight lead bullet. That's always a good feature to my way of thinking.
Conveniently, the factory also provides data for "reduced" loads using this powder. A glance at these will tell you that they yield considerably more power than any load using Trail Boss.
I will throw out one area where I disagree with whoever compiled the loading manual. They specifically state "No other load recommended" with their "reduced load" data, implying that you must follow it exactly.
I suspect that if you drop the powder charge below what they have published, you may end up with ignition issues, and I understand that. Quickload estimates that the pressures of their "reduced load" recommendations are in the 25,000 psi to 27,000 psi range.
However, I see no reason whatsoever not to use any powder charge of 5744 that is greater than their "reduced load" recommendation, but still less than what they list for a "starting load" with that bullet and powder.
This powder merits further experimentation.
