Guess I'll put my question here as I was shooting PP. 35Whelen, RD359190 PP, sized to .359, trying 5744 powder. Loads were 28,29, 30, and 31 per lower end of chart in Lyman manual, CCI large rifle primers. Can't stand the unburned powder in barrel. Should I go to magnum primers, maybe consider using filler, or just move on to something else? Accuracy @50 wasn't much to get excited about either. Goat
If it were me I'd use a filler and my first choice would be wheat germ. Sieved wheat bran works too but is a little harder to measure but it has a better bore cleaning action (it needs to be baked to kill bugs and dry it out). I started using wheat germ when I found a ring of wheat bran left in the case under the shoulder. Wheat germ is softer and needs positive compression or it will tamp loose. I've never found any traces left in the case. I've also used a higher density of Dacron than normally recommended but I'm not sure that will do much for burning all the powder, i.e. raising the pressure.
Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)
''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''
I never did get 5744 to perform except in full power loads, in straight walled cartridges. Right up to the max I got unburned powder grains, lots of them. And using fillers did not make a difference either. I know those who swear by 5744 but I only swear AT it. I just don't understand why so many people claimed it was good, maybe that's why I worked with it so long, trying to get the accuracy they claimed in articles when it came out a few years ago.
I used to say that with the proper tweaking ANY powder could be made to shoot adequately, but my trials with 5744 changed that belief.
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i am currently trying out the 5477 powder , but over here in holland its called
lovex d 060.
im reloading paperpatched bullets in a 6.5x55 mm caliber , the results i have so far look promissing to me.
i am just a starter in paperpatching and i am now searching for a good reduced
load for my swede , as i only shoot at an indoor range of 100 mtr.
i think i can always go for the higher velocitys when i got the basics down.
you can look in the 6.5x55 mm thread , were i got some fotoos of the results.
for now ... im sticking with the 5477 powder !
Love AA5744...hate the price. My "go to " boolit powder in just about anything....got 4lbs. this spring in a close out for $27.00ea. out the door...
I am with windrider dont think you will be happy on a light loose load . OH dont leave in a plastic powder measure
Is that boolit a 190gr? If the powder behaves like that in the Whelen yet is satisfactory in the 6.5x55 then it may simply need a heavier boolit in the Whelen. The 6.5x55 has a large capacity behind a high sectional density boolit with a low expansion ratio. It may be an idea to look at a different powder for the Whelen.
There is a filler I have tried that really raises pressure quite a bit and that is Grits. I'd be careful of the internal shoulder angle with it but it worked in my 303 Brit. I didn't pursue it because it embedded itself into the exposed base of the boolits. It does meter well. I'm thinking that because it is incompressible and irregular in shape it may provide a resistance that helps raise pressure early in the chamber. I wouldn't put too much in the case either. Although I did actually fill about 40% of the Brit case with it.
P.S. It makes no difference to the cartridge but if you are going to eat the Grits the yellow one is the best in my opinion. Now that's a recommendation. It sure fills the belly!
Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)
''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''
Crying shame that yellow grits has become sorta hard to find here in south La.. Tastes way better. Anyway that boolit weighs out at 193gr with the patch. I've also got some store bought 200's and 250's, both GC, probably try them. As others have commented I have gotten best results so far with powders that fill the case behind PP boolits, example being my .357Max using around 28gr A1680 with that same boolit. Only reason I bought that powder was the shop was selling out, marked $32, got it for half price. Goat
I'm with windrider on this. I paper patch to get jacketed performance with cast and 5744 just doesn't work for me. A slow ball or stick powder that will give as near as possible to 100% load density works best for me.Originally Posted by windrider919
45 AUTO! Because having to shoot someone twice is just silly!
Well I'm one who likes it in 375 Big Bore, 44 mag and 45-70 for straight walls. And 300/221 fireball/whisper/blk for almost bottlenecked. It gave me good accuracy and consistent performance and the unburned grains never seemed to bother anything.
I just picked up a 300 Winchester Mag barrel for my Encore 26 inch. I have been using 26 to 30 grs of 5744 with boolits running from 150 to 187grs.The accuracy has been pretty good and the barrel stays very clean with or with out a poly quilt bat filler.The only thing I see about this powder that I don't like is it seems to run hot. Course it may be the weather since it has been over 100 deg. every time I have had the rifle out.
I have also tried it in my 30-30 Encore but the accuracy was nothing to write home about. But it also kept the barrel very clean.......Terry
Tried it in the 458 Win Mag. Not so great with gas checked, but worked out well with paper patched and Dacron filler. There's probably better powders out there, and cheaper ones to boot. Doesn't work for beans in my powder measure.
What I found was that the more unburned powder grains, the higher the SD shown by the chronograph. Having a low velocity spread leads to tighter groups..the variable of different amounts of unburned powder per shot and the subsequent differing velocities shot to shot make larger groups. For hunting or casual plinking, its probably OK for most people...but when I shoot at 600 or 1000 yards, it makes a BIG difference. Much easier to switch to a different powder that is not so quirky, so to speak.
Like I said earlier, it worked fine with max loads...but when looking for any particular rifles 'sweet spot' of accuracy, I have rarely found the max load to be "The One". My reloading experience of over 48 years has demonstrated to me that with different rifles, I am never surprised to find the sweet spot somewhere between 88% to 94% of maximum...but with 5744, loads in that range had to much unburned powder...and too high a velocity spread. Just the facts.
A bit off the topic, and difficult to put in words......but in choosing between two different powders, both showing a good 'sweet spot' of accuracy from the rifle, I have found that going with the one that has the highest load density will give the better accuracy. Depending on the powder burn rate, sometimes that means that the LOWER velocity load fills the case better...and that one is most commonly the one I expect to get the best accuracy of the two. So it's not just velocity, empty case volume combines too.
Last edited by windrider919; 08-15-2012 at 11:30 PM.
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HINT: Look up copper jacketed load data for a similar weight bullet and use the starting load for the slowest powder listed, preferably a "ball" powder. Use a compacting buffer under slight compression to hold it against the standard primer.
Gear
That works but I have found that the best accuracy load is almost always between the starting and max load...like I said usually around 88% to 94% of the difference between the two weights.
MY quick and dirty for other guys who need a load but don't have the time to do all the shooting/testing n development is to take the difference between the starting load and max load and multiply by .75. For example: if the difference between was 8.5 grains X .75 .....then the load I would try first would be the starting load + 6.3 grains. And more times than I can count, later if I got the rifle to work up the best load, it would be very close, usually a little hotter to the quick n dirty method... like closer to 88% instead of 75%..
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I've not had any success with 5744 and paper patching in my 30 cal rifles either. As others have found the slower powders that filled the case worked best for me. On the other hand, the same 5744 powder has worked extremely well in my 308 and 30-06 rifles with the heavier non paper patch bullets (at least 170gr). Worked the best in the 30-06's with 27.5gr to 28.0gr. Excellent accuracy to 200 yds. I too notice a very small amount of powder residue but nothing objectionable. I use no filler and Rem 9 1/2 Magnum primers almost exclusively with this powder. Not because I think it needs the Magnum primer but because I worked the load up with them after finding quite q few thousand at a yard sale for practically nothing some dozen of years ago. Just went with what I had at the time and never found a reason to change. I still have many thousands left and may never have to find out.
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