[glockky]

I just bought my first 40ca. Tell me your experiences with the 40. What powders do u like and what grain bullets seem to excel. thanks for the info

[918v]

I like 180 JHP with 4.5grs of Bullseye or 3.5grs of Titegroup. The former is a near full power load. The latter, a poobutt plinker. Both shoot 1" at 15 yards in my Glock.

[mxjunky78]

I regularly use berry's 180gr fp with 5gr of Win 231. Best of both worlds, minimal recoil and great accuracy.

[sean eady]

I have come to like 180gr plated hp from either Rainier or X-treme with 5.2 of WSF.

[jjjitters]

Heavier works good for me ,180gr XTP's or Nosler JHP's. I use do alot of 175 &155gr lswc for target shooting mostly over AA#5 or WSF.

[griff383]

165 and 180 work well for me, I usually use Silhouette but have used Titegroup with good results as well. Silhouette is the same as WAP which was the original 40 cal powder when it was first introduced.

[Ex]

165 gn or 180 gn Zero JHPs, using Unique at 5.8 gns. This yields about 1000fps from my G22, makes for great accuracy, less muzzle flip with quick target re-acquisition.

Have also used Zero 165s but like others, I prefer a slightly heavier slug.

[Hamish]

I'm a fan of the 180 gr jacketed bullets from Precision Delta. I've loaded and fired thousands of them with TiteGroup through my Glock 23 and Sig Sauer P226 Elite. Very happy with the Precision Delta bullets. I've used Berry's and Rainier's as well, now I only buy the Precision Delta.

[santanzchild]

Rainier 180/165 plated with hst seems to work well for me

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727

[Redneck with a 40]

I like the big banger's, try 6.7 grains of Longshot with a Berry's 180 grain bullet. These definitely let you know you're shooting a 40 cal, lol.

[murphy's law]

I use 4.5 gr of W231 under a 180 fmj. mild recoil and accuracy is excellent out of my G23C.

[noylj]

If you want general .40 S&W information:
1) AA5 is the most accurate powder in all my .40s.
2) Silhouette is the most accurate powder for near max performance loads.
3) Best accuracy is with 145-165gn bullets. Unfortunately, data for 165gn bullets seems rather sparse.
4) In general, 180gn is the max bullet weight for .40. 200gn bullets really take up a lot of the room for powder and can hit the case web.
5) Lead bullets, particularly L-SWC and L-TC (or L-RNFP) are very accurate. I can't afford jacketed bullets so have very little experience with them.
6) Inspect every round for bullet set-back. The .40 has a penchant for KaBooms due to any excess powder or bullet set-back. It SHOULD be no different than loading any other round, but just look on the web for KBs and you'll find that the .40 has more than its share.
7) Related to 6), load to the longest COL that fits your magazines, feeds and chambers. Also, be sure to inspect each charged case before you place a bullet to be seated. Careful loading is quite important as any error will bite you.
8) If you can see a visible bulge on any case, toss the case (crush the case mouth and throw it away). Most cases will have slight bulges that can be "ironed" out with the Lee Bulge Buster, but if the bulge is so large as to be clearly visible, the case has been permanently damaged.
9) If you haven't reloaded before, and you have a .45 Auto, start with that cartridge as your learning platform.

[sellersm]

What murphy's law & mxjunky said: 180gr with 4.5-5gr of Win-231 (or HP-38).

I also agree with the note about Longshot!! It's literally a blast to shoot...

[armoredman]

My barrel is over-sized at .402, so a .404 cast 175 grain Lee slug over 7.6gr of AA#7 works reasonably well, given the limitation of the platform.
if you do your own casting, this particular Lee mold has worked very well.

[glockky]

Thanks for all the info guys i appreciate it. I have been reloading for 10 years years and have loaded thousands of 38,357, and 45's.

I just always shyed away from the 40 because of all the kabooms to be honest with you. I just really like the performance of the 40 so i figured i would give it a try.

And as normal i have gotten a lot of good info on here. I have some w231 AA#2 to start with and may have to try some AA#5.

[bds]

I just always shyed away from the 40 because of all the kabooms
I have observed several KBs with 40S&W ranging from blown case base and ejected magazine/broken mag release to split barrels and damaged shooting hands. I recommend you not start out with Titegroup as it has narrow load range and can be spikey near the max. Bullseye can work but the recoil impulse is snappier than W231/HP-38 and can be less pleasant to shoot.

Mid-to-high range W231/HP-38 will not overly bulge the case and Lee carbide resizing die will reduce down to case base to not require the need for push-through resizing with FCD/Redding G-Rx dies. If I run into Glocked (overly bulged) cases that won't fully resize down, I will rotate the case 90 degrees and attempt to resize a second time. If I can't, I deem the case base far too stretched (thinned) and toss in my recycle bin (If you are using Dillon resizing die with Glocked cases, it may not fully resize down to the case base and you will need to push-through resize them with FCD/G-Rx dies).

As previously posted, you really want to double-check bullet setback with 40S&W. My QC step is to measure the OAL before and after I feed/chamber the test rounds from the magazine by manually releasing the slide. If you have measurable decrease in OAL by several thousands, you may have neck tension/brass case wall spring back issue.

I do not recommend the use of FCD with lead bullets as it may reduce neck tension and increase bullet setback issues.

Tell me your experiences with the 40. What powders do u like and what grain bullets seem to excel.
I transitioned from 45ACP/9mm to 40S&W as my match caliber and depending on powder/charge used, it can be loaded for accuracy and milder/moderate recoil without overly bulging the case. I have shot 140/155/165/170/180 bullet weights in jacketed/plated/moly-coated/lead and tested Bullseye/Promo/Clays/Titegroup/WST/Green Dot/W231/HP-38/Unique/Universal/PowerPistol/HS-6/WSF/AutoComp powders.

- 180 gr bullet weight can easily produce very accurate loads even using start-to-mid range load data. IMO, it is more accurate bullet weight compared to other weights and can produce less felt recoil for prolonged shooting sessions.

- 155/165 Montana Gold jacketed (FMJ/JHP) bullets have been my match bullets driven to mid-to-high range W231/HP-38 load data that produces moderate recoil. MG 165 gr FMJ/JHP with 5.0 gr of W231/HP-38 at 1.125" OAL is my favorite match load.

- I use WSF for full-power loads and like Remington Golden Saber/Speer Gold Dot 165 gr JHP bullets for SD/HD practice/back up loads and carry factory GS JHP ammunition.

- I introduce new shooters to 40S&W using 180 gr Berry's/Rainier/X-Treme TCFP plated bullets loaded with 3.8-4.3 gr of W231/HP-38 at 1.125" OAL. Produces lighter than full-power 9mm recoil yet very accurate loads and I work them up to 4.5 gr.

There's plenty of load data available from 125 gr to 200 gr on Hodgdon's load data site (http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp) and I referenced Lyman #49 and 1999 Winchester load data (http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=159609&stc=1&d=1329800605) for lead bullet loads.

Here's current published load data from Hodgdon I referenced for my loads:
165 gr Sierra JHP W231/HP-38 OAL 1.125" Start 4.8 gr (946 fps) 28,100 PSI - Max 5.3 gr (1001 fps) 32,500 PSI

165 gr Sierra JHP WSF OAL 1.125" Start 6.3 gr (1055 fps) 28,100 PSI - Max 6.7 gr (1115 fps) 32,700 PSI

180 gr Hornady XTP W231/HP-38 OAL 1.125" Start 4.1 gr (797 fps) 23,800 PSI - Max 5.0 gr (947 fps) 32,900 PSI

180 gr Hornady XTP WSF OAL 1.125" Start 5.4 gr (946 fps) 28,000 PSI - Max 5.8 gr (1013 fps) 32,900 PSI

Here's 1999 Winchester load data:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=171374&stc=1&d=1347233619

[gamestalker]

165 gr. XTP's and 7.3 - 7.8 grs. of Longshot, end of story.
Take your barrel out of the action and seat the bullets to a depth that will fit the magazine, cycle reliably, and not contact the lands.
GS

[Stormin.40]

I have loaded 155gr LSWC, 165gr Plated FP, & 180gr Lead FP and RN. By far my light 155gr LSWC have been the most accurate and hotter 180gr LRN match the feel of my carry load, Federal 180gr HST.

HS-6 is great powder at medium to upper range load data, seems to like pressure. Titegroup works well a lower pressures.

[Arkansas Paul]

175 grain trunicated cone bullets that I cast and 4.2 grains of Bullseye.

[Captcurt]

Shot many 170 gr. LSWC in front of 4.7 gr. of Universal. Chrono reads 950 fps.

[Huskerguy]

I shoot the 180 grain Berrys DSRN with 4.2 grains of Titegroup, 1.125 OAL and they are very accurate and easy on the recoil. My XDM likes them very much.

[BBDartCA]

Most accurate load so far is 155g Gold Dots or FMJ at driven at about 1200 FPS with Power Pistol (just under 9 grains, this is near max, work up the loads). I experimented with lots of different powders and found Power Pistol to be the best. I have never been thrilled with 40 accuracy, however.

Not saying trajectory profile translates into accuracy, but if you look at some of the ballistics data, you will see 155 and 160 have almost half as much bullet drop at first measurable distance than 180g. The lighter 40 bullets have the higher % of one stop shots too (big ole can of worms getting opened). http://www.handloads.com/misc/stoppingpower.asp?Caliber=11&Weight=All

[JEB]

my main "go-to" powder for .40s&w is accurate #7 for 180gr gold dots, XTPs and 170gr LSWC from missouri bullet. if i want max power i use a 180gr XTP with a max load of power pistol.

[plateshooter]

My load is 175gr cast TC bullet with 4.2 grains of Red Dot. Works well for me in my Glock, S&W and my XDm.

I use it for paper punching and steel plate shooting.

[gamestalker]

I'm with BBDartCa, in that I have always preferred a jacketed XTP or Gold Dot, on top of some slower burning powder for some super accurate and significatly flatter shooting perofrmance. My personal go to powders for the .40 cal have been Longshot and HS6, but I've been considering giving Power Pistol a try for some time now, simply because it has a simular burn rate.

GS

[jacksgd]

175 gr. Lee tumble lube wheel weight cast with 5.8 grains Power Pistol, 1030 FPS with a 5" S&W M&P.

[Captaingyro]

Looking at the long string of excellent answers, it occurs to me that a better question might have been, "Is there a pistol/shotgun powder that doesn't work with .40 S&W?"

[bds]

Well, faster burning powders will work but will produce more snappier recoil than what my wrists/hands are comfortable with. For me, W231/HP-38 is as fast as I want to use for target loads and preferably Unique/Universal and slower for full-power loads.

If you have neck tension/bullet setback issues/concerns, W231/HP-38 is more forgiving at mid-to-high range load data to keep your chamber pressures below max pressures.

If you are at near max/max load data with faster burning powders like Titegroup that can be spikey at max charges and experience bullet setback during feeding/chambering (as the bullet nose bumps the ramp) and happens to be using mixed range pick up brass with weakend/stretched/fixed brass case wall, case wall failure/rupture could occur resulting in a KaBoom.

I use mixed range pick up brass and let the amount of case wall bulge dictate my powder/charges used. Say I am using Universal/WSF and I see case bulging, I lower the powder charge. If the reduced powder charge load won't burn consistently enough to produce accurate shot groups, I will switch to faster burning powder like W231/HP-38 and use mid-to-high range load data that won't bulge the case wall as much. For 40S&W, I prefer to have a bit of head room on chamber pressure.

[ImjinScout]

For .40S&W I really like HS-6, load 6.3 to 6.4 grs with a OAL of 1.125 and Berry's 180gr FP

[CZ57]

I can still remember my first impressions when the news of the .40 S&W was released from the 1991 Shot Show. The loads were to be a 180 gr. JHP and a 155gr. FMJ, both from Winchester. I was particularly excited about the 155 gr. weight because I felt it would only be a matter of time before 155 gr. JHPs would be made for it and the velocity was about the same as most factory 9mm loads with a 115 gr. bullet with an announced velocity around 1180 FPS I believe.

I studied every bit of handload data I could get my hands on and the one thing that I have never let slip my mind was what I heard reported by some of the more technically inclined gunwriters of the day and it applies just as much today as it did then: The .40 S&W is a naturally fast pressure peaking cartridge. There is really nothing quite like it and the only thing that comes to mind that is even close is the .45 GAP but it runs at much lower pressure with a max. of 23,000 PSI. Small case with a fat bullet. The only way to slow down the pressure peak somewhat is by the use of slower burning powder. And, just because you can resize to get rid of the bulge it doesn't mean the case still has the same structural integrity.

I am not trying to criticize anyone's powder choice but I have some pretty strong opinions about fast pressure peak powders and how they relate to Ka-Booms. I feel like they go hand in hand in the rare event that someone gets a bulged case that has been pre-stressed and then reloads it with a fast burning powder. IMO, this exacerbates the issue along with the unfortunate event that that pre-stressed area of said .40 S&W cartridge ends up at the 6 O'Clock position over the feedramp of a poorly supported chamber. In some cases it has even happened in pistols that have good chamber support.

For safety's sake I decided I would never use a faster burning propellant than AA#5 or say Unique except that I no longer use extruded flake powders in my handgun loads. Especially if you load to factory level velocity. To me, even AA#5 is a bit on the fast side. When I worked up to full power loads with AA#5 I can still remember feeling the secondary recoil spring engaging with the H&K USP's excellent recoil reduction system. Spent cases showed no signs of over pressure. Today, I would not use a powder faster than Unique/Universal and since I no longer use flake powder the fastest ball powders I would use would be either AA#5, Ramshot True Blue or N340. BTW, on Ramshot's latest burn rate chart they have moved True Blue up to where it has always belonged and that is around the same burn rate as AA#5. To me, True Blue is the ball powder equivalent of Unique and I have used it in a number of cartridges with very good results. 9mm and .40 S&W being just two of them.

A number of years ago SPEER released a data sheet for medium loads in the 26,000 - 28,000 PSI pressure range. Maybe it's still available but this is around the time that the medium velocity 165 gr. JHP was introduced and began service with the FBI. Most all of the commonly used powders were used to work up the data. The loads are like what a good number of you guys are loading for target loads as far as velocity goes. The thing I took away from it was that the medium slow burning powders were used at what is essentially a full power start charge. Here, I am referring to powders like WAP (which is now Ramshot Silhouette), HS-6, WSF, V-V 3N37, 340 & 350, AA#5 & 7, Power Pistol, Longshot and others. I think I've tried them all, and then some, including Blue Dot. I also used Vectan SP-2 while it was available in the US. Those are the types of powders I was using when I eventually gave up the .40 S&W and switched to the .45 ACP for defense exclusively to achieve the same end but with a lower pressure round. In all of the reloading articles I have ever collected for defense type loads the most accurate powders were Ramshot True Blue, WSF and Ramshot Silhouette (WAP) which is said to be the powder Winchester used to develop the .40 S&W cartridge. I have used all three and most of the rest. The best accuracy I ever achieved with the myriad of .40 S&W pistols I have owned over the years was with the CZ-75 B loaded with Nosler 150 gr. JHPs over Ramshot True Blue, in case you're interested. I probably burned more V-V 3N37 than any other powder and it always gave very good results.

Sorry for the length of the thread but like I said, I am very opinionated when it comes to the .40 S&W. ;)

[jjjitters]

Finally, someone else that uses 3N37. That powder has been good to me also but most try to go the fast route.

[bds]

I have some pretty strong opinions about fast pressure peak powders and how they relate to Ka-Booms. I feel like they go hand in hand in the rare event that someone gets a bulged case that has been pre-stressed and then reloads it with a fast burning powder. IMO, this exacerbates the issue along with the unfortunate event that that pre-stressed area of said .40 S&W cartridge ends up at the 6 O'Clock position over the feedramp of a poorly supported chamber. In some cases it has even happened in pistols that have good chamber support.

For safety's sake I decided I would never use a faster burning propellant than AA#5 or say Unique
I absolutely agree for full-power loads. Seen too many KBs with Titegroup ...

I do use faster burning W231/HP-38 for my lighter target loads (especially to introduce those new to 40S&W) but at lower chamber pressures. Using 180 gr TCFP bullet at 1.125" OAL, I start with 3.8-4.2 gr which would place the chamber pressure around below 23,800 PSI to perhaps 24,500 PSI. These loads produce lighter than full-power 9mm load recoil and are very accurate. I work up to 4.5 gr which I think is less than 29,000 PSI.
180 gr Hornady XTP W231/HP-38 1.125" OAL Start 4.1 gr (797 fps) 23,800 PSI - Max 5.0 gr (947 fps) 32,900 PSI

For my match load, I use Montana Gold 165 gr RNFP/JHP with 5.0 gr of W231/HP-38 at 1.125" OAL which may be around 30,500 PSI.
165 gr Sierra JHP W231/HP-38 OAL 1.125" Start 4.8 gr (946 fps) 28,100 PSI - Max 5.3 gr (1001 fps) 32,500 PSI

These are shot out of G22/G23/G27 using factory and Lone Wolf barrels and they minimally bulge the case when using factory Glock barrels with looser chambers and readily full-length resize with Lee resizing die without the need to be "fixed" with FCD push-through resizing.

[Bullseye25]

I really like hs-6 under a 180 gr fmj. Soft shooter and accurate. HS-6 is one of the slower burning powders for .40 an it fills the case nicely. I've used it for 165 gr fmj and 155 gr LSWC too with good results.

[srtolly]

I'm using 165gr Berry's over 5gr of Unique. Been pretty accurate for me.

[918v]

Most accurate load so far is 155g Gold Dots or FMJ at driven at about 1200 FPS with Power Pistol (just under 9 grains, this is near max, work up the loads). I experimented with lots of different powders and found Power Pistol to be the best. I have never been thrilled with 40 accuracy, however.

How accurate (in inches at what distance) is your load?

[Walkalong]

When the .40 first came out, all the writers said they needed to use medium speed powders to get good accuracy, and that the fast powders just didn't work, accuracy wise.

It seems like most folks who shoot a lot of .40 still agree.

[918v]

Gun writer reloading-fu is not good.

Stock Glock. 15 yards, benched.


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a35/918v/photo-1.jpg

[Josh45]

AutoComp, Power Pistol or W-231.
Prefer the 180-200 Gr bullet weights. Pretty accurate for my fathers Glock 22, my Taurus Pt-940 or my brothers Taurus -Pt100.

[bds]

It seems like most folks who shoot a lot of .40 still agree.
After shooting several hundred thousand 40S&W loads, I second that sentiment from the perspective of faster burn rate powders will pound your hands/wrists much harder during a 300-500 round practice range session.

Slower burn rate powder loads will allow me to work the next day and be able to hold a pen steady without throbbing/twitching. :D

No Bullseye or Titegroup 40S&W loads for my "delicate" hands/wrists! :p

[918v]

U think a 180 doing 750 FPS is harmful to your wrists? It barely cycles the action.

[bds]

I was talking about USPSA major/minor power factor loads. ;)

[918v]

A 180 doing 750 makes minor PF and you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between a fast powder and a medium powder.