What is 5744 good for?

[Martin Luber]

A friend has 3#. I've never seen it before.

[dannyd]

308 Winchester, 300 Winchester Magnum, 30-30 Winchester, 30-06. Good powder for cast bullets.

[rhemcla]

300 BLK all bullets, 45/70 with cast bullets

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[beshears]

Good for large capacity old blackpowder loads

[cwlongshot]

Its a nice cast bullet powder for large cases. My 450 Bushmaster & light 45/70 loads love it!!

[farmbif]

5744 is a very versatile powder can be used in calibers from 223 rem to 45-70 and more and many in between. if you download the western powders hand loading guide, look up calibers you want to load.

[405grain]

5744, Shooter's World Buffalo, and Lovex D060 are all very close to the same stuff. The Lyman 4th edition Cast Bullet Handbook calls out 5744 as the "most accurate load" in many of the cartridges that it has loads for. It's a double based powder, so the nitroglycerin content means that it's easier to ignite and less position sensitive even with a smaller charge in the case. I'm using Shooter's World Buffalo in 7.62x39, 308 Win, 7.65x53 Mauser, and 30-06. I've tried AA-5744 and the results seem to be the same (Buffalo burns a little cleaner). The only main difference is the price; 5744 is one of the more expensive powders, while Buffalo cost a lot less.

[390ish]

5744 is beautiful in full house 7.62x54r cast 200 grain loads.


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[richhodg66]

According to the latest Lyman cast bullet manual I have, it's the best thing going in everything.

[black mamba]

All of the above is good info, but it is really too slow for handgun loads, unless you have a very long barrel. Even with heavy loads under heavy bullets and with magnum primers in my 6½" 44 mag, I get unburnt powder everywhere. Best for light loads in rifle cartridges.

[Nueces]

A unique feature of 5744 is it's ability to reproduce black powder pressures and velocities, with fine accuracy. Simple process, load 40% by weight of an original BP charge and you're done.

Example, for my Sharps 1874 in 45-70, the original charge was 70 grains BP, so I load 28 grains of 5744 and get excellent results on target with a muzzle velocity of 1270 from a 28" barrel.

That charge needs no fillers (AA cautions against fillers with 5744) but does leave a few unburned grains in the barrel, which matter not at all.

[ABJ]

For me it's a replacement for anything I used 4759 in. 30-30, 35 Remington, 30-06, 45-70, most any 30/31 mil-surp. These are the ones I remember. I have used it in other's but will have to check my load notes at home.
Tony

[Larry Gibson]

Never found 5744 that good. In some applications it is ok. Have always found other powders that perform better.

5744 does excell as a hand warmer especially in cold weather as it excells at heating barrels fast.

[762sultan]

I like 5744 and Shooters World Buffalo rifle but can't find either...anywhere.

[John Boy]

https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/reloading/accurate-5744-powder-versatility-in-a-bottle

[dannyd]

From 1989 till 2021 that powder has gone through some changes. In 1989 XMP5744 was used in 357 magnum silhouette loads and worked okay, but the newer powder doesn’t and data is not listed anymore.

[PAndy]

We have shot a bunch of the shooters world buffalo. It is certainly slower-burning and doesn't match the 5744 data...especially in low pressure loads. Ymmv

[too many things]

me send asap

[15meter]

All of the above is good info, but it is really too slow for handgun loads, unless you have a very long barrel. Even with heavy loads under heavy bullets and with magnum primers in my 6½" 44 mag, I get unburnt powder everywhere. Best for light loads in rifle cartridges.

In the documentation for 5744, Accurate states that unburned kernels is normal. I've been loading it for ~25 years. Started in 50-70, I had unburned kernels but great accuracy.

Since then I've used it in probably two dozen old, odd wierd cartridges since then and liked it. Only problem is the expense. Two years ago, before the big reloading famine, it was going for $45+ when most powder was less than $30.

[LeonardC]

I'm using 5744 for reducted loads in a 375 Ruger, fun to shoot!

[quilbilly]

As examples, both my 338 WM and my 30/30's love that powder and even loads as low as 30% ignite nicely without fillers. The downsides are is that it is expensive and often very hard to find so I developed alternative loads that shoot almost as well usually using RE-7 which is more reliably available. Another thought about cost is that even though it is expensive, you will use a lot less of it evening out the cost.

[Shuz]

5744 is great for reducing your money supply! LGS is selling for $49.99/lb!

[black mamba]

I have used it to fireform 35 Whelen AI brass, 32 gr. under a 250 GC cast bullet filled the sharp corners nicely and printed 1½" groups at 50 yards, without fillers. I still have an unopened 1# bottle, if anyone in southwest Florida would like to trade for it, send me a PM. I'd be interested in pistol powder or LPPs.

[Jack Stanley]

I've used it for reduced loads in a Remington 300 ultra magnum and it worked fine . It tamed the recoil while the shooter was getting used to his rifle .

Currently I'm using it with heavy lead in the 7.62x54r and it works nice .

Jack

[Ithaca Gunner]

Seems all the gun writers think it's the best thing since smokeless powder was invented, (of course they're getting it free or at a whopping discount). I tried it and was not impressed, I went back to IMR4227 and IMR4198 for those applications. It seems a mediocre to good powder in about every application it's suited for, but the best in none, (not fact, my opinion).

[John Boy]

So, there you have it Martin … a very wide caliber use. What. caliber do you plan to use 5744 for. .?

[beefyz]

It went to post #20, LeonardC, to say what i was going to say. You will find it being used in/for reduced loads in some calibers. I've used it in .30-06 & .30-30 as such, believe i might have used it in .25-35 also....