Accurate 5744 powder for cast bullets

[michiganmike]

Greetings,

I spent some time this afternoon cleaning out my Word file Reloading folder, and organizing my Reloading folder in my Firefox Bookmarks. In the process I came across a rather long discussion from this forum about Accurate 5744.

According to the relative burn rate chart in front of me, it is in the same neighborhood as IMR SR 4759, AA 1680 and Alliant Reloader 7. The consensus was that it is a very good powder for cast bullets, with good accuracy in a number of cartridges. Several writers also complained about the cost.

Looking in the Natchez catalog I received yesterday 5744 is still available. Likewise, the cost now appears to be about the same as similar powders from Accurate and other manufacturers.

Question: Is anyone currently using AA 5744? What results are you getting with it? I have a Ruger Hawkeye with the 16 1/2" barrel. And I have the RCBS 7mm mould. It is supposed to throw 168 grain bullets. But it keeps dropping 180 grain bullets, which is fine with me.

Based on the little reading I did, 5744 likes heavier bullets. So, I thought it might be worth a try.

All comments welcome,

MichiganMike

[Bohica793]

I have had success with 27.5 grains of 5744 under a 405 grain RNFP in my 45-70.

[tomme boy]

Usually about 4-5$ higher per pound. Works good in 308win

[WALLNUTT]

I've burned a few pounds of 5744 over the years under cast in about everthing I have. Always at least decent accuracy if not the best. Not as clean as some other powders but that doesn't really matter if it shoots good. I've used it in 30/30,30/40,/30-06,303,45/70,357Max. You'll like it. But you'll also like 4759 and RL7

[rintinglen]

There's them's as swears by it and there's them's as swears at it.
I have tried it in 30-30, 30-06 and 32-20. It works well, but not better than some other powders. I tend to get unburned or partially combusted kernels in the bore. It is usually 5$ a lb more than Hogdon, Winchester or IMR powders, so I tend to use WW-748, 3031, or 4759 instead. Mike Venturino advocates its use. He finds it to give top accuracy in the Military Rifle cartridges he's into these days.
Reloader 7 is also good but availability is spotty.

[.22-10-45]

This has been the most accurate powder I have tried in an original Remington rolling block No. 1 in .40-50 B.N. And while Accurate has it listed for the .22 Hornet..after 1 shot, so much unburned/semi-burned powder grains remained... couldn't chamber another round until I ran a patch thru.

[Scharfschuetze]

I bought an 8 pound caddy when it first came out... what 13 or 14 years ago?

I had abysmal results with it in 45/70 and 50/70 Trapdoor rifles and a Marlin 1895 so I put it in the powder magazine and forgot about it. There was so much partially burned debris left in the rifles that it would tie up even a high leverage action like the Trapdoor. It was unusable in my lever action 45/70 for that reason.

I just tried it again last month in a 30/40 Krag infantry rifle and had the totally opposite result with absolutely stellar results both on target and with consistency over the chronograph with the Lyman 314299 boolit weighing 208 grains with GC and lube. I've now got a series of 303 British rounds with the 314299 boolit loaded for testing when the weather warms up a bit.

I do note that it will heat up a barrel almost as fast as jacketed bullet rounds though. I believe it's a double base powder and that's probably the reason. Compared to my favorite cast boolit powder, SR 4759, it heats up a barrel about twice as fast when using lead projectiles.

While I've never confirmed it, I understand that the formula was revised sometime after I bought my caddy of the powder. Perhaps they got a handle on the partially burned kernels. I always wanted to fire a few rounds of it over fresh snow in a 45/70 to see what the debris pattern was. Never got around to it though and now it doesn't seem too important now that I've found a use for what's left in the jug. Don't think that I'll replace it.

[leadman]

Still has partially burned powder in the bore from currently made 5744. I sold my 5744 to a friend of mine to use in his 223 Rem with jacketed bullets and he likes it. I got tired of it getting in the chamber of my Rolling block and causing dents in the cases.

[ukrifleman]

I agree with previous posts about unburnt powder residue with 5744.
Having said that, it is an excellent cast powder, I use it for all my cast loads with bullet weights from 155gn to 205gn.

I have also used Rel 7, which I find burns much cleaner than 5744 and also gives very good results.
ukrifleman.

[A pause for the COZ]

I have about 9 pounds mainly because it has been the only fast rifle powder in stock.
Lucky me!!!!

I use it with Cast in the 223 AR 15 works real well in that.
I found my 7.62x39 stuff really likes it too with cast.

Much cleaner burning than my RL-7 loads for me. I like it!!

[Artful]

I have used it with success in straight walled or nearly straight walled cases with heavy boolits.
It's a staple for my 300 Whisper loads.

[gpidaho]

I've endlessly complained about the filthy burn of 5744, then to get my supply used up I started loading it in 762x54R with heavy boolits and what do you know, works pretty well and burns almost clean. I think the trick with this powder is to use heavy for cal. boolits. GP

[Scharfschuetze]

It's interesting to read all of the above comments. Most correlate closely with my comments posted earlier so I'm glad I'm not the only lone Ranger out there.

When the powder came out, it was highly recommended for straight wall black powder cartridges and reports in all the magazines of the time heralded its performance when used as such; yet real experience on the range and in the field was completely contrary to what the self-appointed firearms gurus of the printed page reported. I found that odd. Did the gun writers get something other than what was sold the public? I doubt it; but doubt still remain as to the veracity of some of the pundits extolling its virtues in the rounds of the 19th Century.

What now seems to be the common thread among us is that the powder is actually quite useful in bottle necked modern cartridges with both cast and jacketed projectiles, particularly in the military 30 calibre rounds of the 20th Century. Is it worth more expense per shot than the IMR and Alliant brands that we also use? I guess only each shooter can answer that.

[wlc]

I've just started using it in my 416 Ruger under the RCBS 350gr bullet. Preliminary results look promising. Not a single unburned or partially burned kernel in the barrel, decent accuracy, and much milder recoil than full house loads. I've also tried it in my 300BLK with mixed results. Accuracy was OK, but I still haven't found the sweet spot between velocity and cycling in the AR.

[rexherring]

I still use it but found that I need a heavy crimp and use mag primers when working up loads.

[WALLNUTT]

I seems to need a little more pressure than one might think from a cast bullet powder to burn clean. Although 5744 is usable I prefer RL7 for my 30cals. I'm surprised Cause finds 5744 cleaner than RL7. These days sometimes we must burn what we got.

[big bore 99]

I've had excellent results with it in 45-70. Sure can't find any around here though. It was called XMP5744. Same stuff? I had problems with unburned powder too and talked to a tech at Alliant. He said to NEVER use any kind of dacron or other fillers with it. He recommended some crimp. A heavier slug and a little crimp worked wonders. Wish I could find some now.

[Boyscout]

I am using Accur 5744 in my 35 Remington, 30-06, and Mosin Nagant: 200, 170, 200 gn bullets respectively. The only rifle I don't get good results out of yet is the Mosin-Nagant but I don't think it's the powder. It was the powder behind the CB I killed my first deer with this year.

I bought it because the guy at the LGS told me it was bulky and filled the case better, a consideration when using reduced loads in a rifle. The Lyman Cast Manual also said it was good to excellent with many of the rounds I reload.

[A pause for the COZ]

I seems to need a little more pressure than one might think from a cast bullet powder to burn clean. Although 5744 is usable I prefer RL7 for my 30cals. I'm surprised Cause finds 5744 cleaner than RL7. These days sometimes we must burn what we got.

Not in all of them. But I have not found it to be dirty at all. But RL-7 in my 300 Black out is a great shooter but what a mess. Nuff so I ordered a Coated bolt and carrier. RL-7 shoots too well not to put up with it. just havent seen RL-7 in at least two years.

[copterdoctor]

I use 5744 with 405 grain .459 hollow base boolits in a Springfield 1884 rifle. Reasonable accuracy at 50 and 100 yards. A 25.5 grain powder charge works best for me. I also get a lot of unburned powder in the bore.