[stanws6]

I have a S & W 500 with the 8 3/8 bbl. Factory loads were
killing me so I reloaded using Hornady 350 gr. XTP's with
40 gr. of H110. They're still a little more stout than I
would like for target shooting. Hodgdon's range for this
bullet and H110 is 39 gr. min - 43 gr. max. Can I safely
go under the 39 gr. or am I asking for trouble?
Thanks

[Steve C]

H110 is a volume sensitive powder and it usually isn't recommended to go below a listed start load with it. If you want a lighter load look at the Tightgroup data. TG is a fast powder that's rather dense so the charges will take up very little room in the case. Watch for over charges. TG is position insensitive so it works well even in large cases with small charges.

I've seen people get squibs from H110 in the .357 mag and .44 mag from loading too light a load. Its not that the gun would blow up but it will stick the bullet in the barrel where a second round could cause a KB or ringed barrel at best.

[JesseL]

You'll probably want to go to a faster powder for lighter loads. I think most of the light loads listed by Hogdon use Titegroup. If you use titegroup double check the you're not getting double or triple charges - small charges in big cases are easy to overload.

Edit:
Wow, simulpost with Steve C there :D

[EddieCoyle]

Don't go under the minimum with H110! Even at the minimum, I've had some very inconsistent chrono readings. Bumping the charge up 1 grain was all it took to smooth things out.

My favorite "light" load for the .500 S&W is 12 grains of Titegroup behind a Rainier 335gr plated bullet. You can shoot these all day.

[stanws6]

Thanks for the help. Looking at the data Titegroups max load velocity is
lower than H110's min load. I'll try the 12.5 Titegroup.
Thanks again