Who has tried AA5744?

[Str8shot426]

I tried some of this today in my sons Ruger American 30-06 under the Lyman 311284.
Starting load from the Lyman cast bullet handbook showed most accurate and traveling around 1800 fps. My results were 2003 fps average and a shotgun pattern for a group.
So back to 22 grains of 2400 for that rifle!

Anyone have luck with 5744 in other ventures?

 

[35 shooter]

My brother had to work hard at it to finally come up with one load around 2000 fps. with it in his whelen that did pretty well. In the meantime i worked with 4759 and came up with several loads from 1800 to 2200 fps.

The jury is still kind of out with him on 5744 in his whelen. We both wound up using a dacron filler for best accuracy.

 

[Ian]

I've used it in straight-walled cases and 300 Blackout, didn't care for it much in either application. Others swear by it.

In the '06 at "easy" velocity levels it's hard to beat 28 or so grains of H-4895 and a little Dacron filler. 2400 also works well. If you want to push up around 2200 or so, switch to WW760 and some Dacron, and use a ductile alloy and self-aligning bullet.

 

[Intheshop]

I got some as a possible replacement for 4759(still have decent amt.),"down the rd" after reading a ton of info on it.

The usual M.O. however sees it not on the test list.Could be laziness?Heck,probably is but,there's other powders here (inventory) that get used.Ultimately finding whatever load,so never get roundtoit on the 5744.

 

[LongPoint]

I first tried 5744 a bunch of years back when dinking with a Marlin 1895 CB in 45-70. Using the Lee 340 bullet in that rifle, 5744 performed very well, easily outshooting 4759.
More recently 5744 has done really well in my M1A with the Lee 309-160R bullet. Easily outshooting most ball ammo at 100 yards. That rifle wore a beautiful Winchester 4 groove barrel dated 63 if I remember correctly, wish I still had that one.
And still more recently, 5744 is my go to powder in the 30-30. Using the RD 311-165 bullet and 22.0 grains 5744 yields just shy of 2000 fps in my Win.94 and just a tad over 2000 fps in my Marlin 336 with nice quarter sized groups from both.
It meters easily through my RCBS powder measure. Thats all folks.

Marvin

 

[Winelover]

I've tried 5744 as well as 4759. in my AR-10. with dismal results. By the time I got the action to cycle, it was printing shotgun patterns.

Also tried 5744 in 338W Mag with 200 grain cast bullets.....thought I had an acceptable hunting load until I tested it in lower temperatures and group size more than doubled. Found 4759 to be less forgiving, with temperature swings.

 

[300BLK]

AA5744 in '06, generally expect accuracy starting around 22gr with 160-180gr bullets and work up. You may see groups expand and contract as powder charge increases, and I go 1gr at a time looking to see where I need to be. 29gr under the Saeco #301 in RP cases with F210 primers produced excellent groups, but the recoil impulse was pretty stout.

I've used it in other calibers, 30-30, 308, 7.5x55, 8x57, and 35 Remington at minimum, and it was no trick to find an accurate load pretty quickly. Availability and price makes 5744 less palatable, so I use other powders as well. 2400, IMR 4227, H110, Reloader 7, H322, and IMR 4895 are other preferred, cast bullet powders.

 

[Str8shot426]

May be a blessing that it didn't produce good results, it is a bit pricey.

 

[KHornet]

Liked it when it first came out for a number of applications. Good, but others were just as
good. When the price started going radical, I decided I could do without it. Would buy again
if price was in line with other powders.

Paul

 

[RicinYakima]

There have been three 5744's: Israeli military surplus sold in the quart plastic milk cartons, the Accurate stuff new made in Europe sold from Tenn., and now the stuff made for the folks in Montana. In my working with in over the years, each has strengths and weakness. The early MR5744 was easy to ignite and burned cleaner at low pressure i.e. 20,000. accuracy was good over wide range. The newest is heavily coated and seems to require more pressure to burn consistently, but then works well in black powder cases. Just food for thought, Ric

 

[Str8shot426]

I was swayed to buy a pound of it out of curiosity, it is used extensively in the number 4 cast bullet handbook. I'll find something to use it up in,
Experimenting, its what we do.

 

[300BLK]

My first jug was of the 2nd version that Ric mentioned. It was slightly finer grained than the 3rd version that I have now.

 

[Rick]

I used the original IMI surplus in the 7TCU and similar cartridges, excellent grouping and about the cleanest burning powder I had ever used. When that ran out and Accurate had new made in EU it just didn't work in these cartridges as in dirty and couldn't hit a target. I gave up on it but it has a following so it must be working well in something.

 

[Ian]

It sounds like I missed the boat too. The earlier versions of 5744 sound like today's version of Reloder 7, and older versions of Reloder 7 sound like today's XMP 5744. That might explain a lot.

 

[RicinYakima]

It has been said that the first Rx7 was re-branded Norma 200. Today's Norma 200 is a little different than new Reloader 7. There are not that many powder makers left, so there is bound to be overlaps, otherwise nobody could afford to shoot!

 

[smokeywolf]

RicinYakima's post no. 10 pretty much nails it.

I never tried the original, but have used second version in 44-40 loads for a model '73, 40-65, 45-60 and 45-70. At lower (black powder) pressures accuracy is good, but lots of unburned kernels left behind. I've not yet tried it at more robust loads for smokeless powder era 45-70.
I'm told that at higher pressures it burns more completely.

 

[John]

The Late BruceB, cleaned everyones' clocks with an M1 in 308, 311466 and 20 gr 5744 a few years back. This was when it was priced $25 more per 8 lb jug but his rifle loved it.