Going to load 40 S&W in the near future.

[CrankyCraig]

I have some 165gr Extreme FP plated Bullets, Well cleaned once fired federal brass along with the following powders on hand: Unique, W231 & Tight Group. Also Winchester & CCI primers.

I'm going to be load for my H&K VP40. & I plan on using published Data starting low. But my question is is the 231 & Tightgroup good in 40 S&W?

Or would I be better served using say CFE Pistol or perhaps something else?

I'm Not trying to start a powder war lol just curious since there is data for just about any of it what you folks with experience loading for 40 S&W use.


Thanks in advance! I really enjoy this forum.
Craig.

 

[badkarmamib]

I use HP-38 with 180 lead flat-nose. It is kinda snappy in my XD-S, but, it IS an XD-S. I mostly started with HP-38 because it was a decent "universal" pistol powder, with a lot of data. I REALLY like it behind 230 LRN in my 1911.

 

[mdi]

I'd suggest you read your reloading manual(s) first then select a load from your manual then buy components. Many fewer headaches and questions that way...

 

[CrankyCraig]

I'd suggest you read your reloading manual(s) first then select a load from your manual then buy components. Many fewer headaches and questions that way...

Well I actually have was just a powder question for those who load it.

 

[Walkalong]

Your Unique will work well. W-231 should work too, but IMHO Unique's burn speed is better suited.

 

[rg1]

Unique works well with 165 fmj and plated FP's. Check all data sources for load data. Don't rely on Alliant data alone. My experience with Unique and 165 gr flat nosed bullets is overall length--1.125". My results with Win brass and CCI 500 primers shows a start load with Unique at 5.7 grains--956 FPS----------6.0 gr--1007 fps----6.3--1030-----6.6 --1070 fps. With Rainier 165 plated FP at 6.1-6.2 grains gets 1013 fps and is a nice load level. Start low with published data and work up. This is just my experience in my Glock 23 pistol. Shot some PMC Bronze 165 FMJ-FN factory and they were 950-960 FPS and my loads at 5.7 equaled PMC's.
If you're buying once fired range brass I highly recommend the Redding Carbide GR-X push through sizing die. I run all purchased once fired cases through the GR-X die. It's expensive but worth every penny. Makes more reliable ammo. 40 S&W is the only pistol caliber I think you need the GR-X die. Regular carbide sizing dies won't size down far enough on the cases.

 

[CrankyCraig]

Your Unique will work well. W-231 should work too, but IMHO Unique's burn speed is better suited.

Thanks I appreciate it.

 

[CrankyCraig]

Unique works well with 165 fmj and plated FP's. Check all data sources for load data. Don't rely on Alliant data alone. My experience with Unique and 165 gr flat nosed bullets is overall length--1.125". My results with Win brass and CCI 500 primers shows a start load with Unique at 5.7 grains--956 FPS----------6.0 gr--1007 fps----6.3--1030-----6.6 --1070 fps. With Rainier 165 plated FP at 6.1-6.2 grains gets 1013 fps and is a nice load level. Start low with published data and work up. This is just my experience in my Glock 23 pistol. Shot some PMC Bronze 165 FMJ-FN factory and they were 950-960 FPS and my loads at 5.7 equaled PMC's.
If you're buying once fired range brass I highly recommend the Redding Carbide GR-X push through sizing die. I run all purchased once fired cases through the GR-X die. It's expensive but worth every penny. Makes more reliable ammo. 40 S&W is the only pistol caliber I think you need the GR-X die. Regular carbide sizing dies won't size down far enough on the cases.

Interesting note about the GR-X die I have a Lee bulge buster how does that compare? Yeah it's range brass I'm sorting them. I also got about 700 federal cases supposed to be once fired. They are in decent shape I have not noticed any Huge "glocked" brass with the federal stuff.

 

[ColoradoShooter77]

Unique is a good powder for the 40, it does better with slower powders. Titegroup is risky because a double charge can happen pretty easily.

 

[JO JO]

I use HS-6 in 40 s&w but I have tried a few others and to be honest I think that the 40 is not powder picky it works well with most mid burn rate powders
find one at a good price and stack up for a rainy day.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Lots of powders do well w/ the .40; I use Longshot, which is for full-power loads.

 

[[email protected]]

Of what you have on hand, Unique would be my first pick, followed by w231. In my opinion w231/hp38 has the same recoil impulse with my cast 180 grain load as factory defense loads. For jacketed or plated I prefer Accurate #5 as it meters a little more consistent than unique. I have used CFE Pistol, SR4756, Silhouette, Accurate #5 & 7, Promo, Power Pistol, Unique, and HP38 in 40s&w. I have gotten good accuracy will all of them after working my loads up. The Promo loads was with the same 165 grain bullet your loading. I never cared for the faster powders with 180 grain bullets. It seems that I would almost have to run a max charge to get defense load's velocity, therefore HP38 is as fast of a powder that I use with the 180 grainers, and that's with cast only.

 

[bbqreloader]

Craig, I run the lee undersized for my 40's and it works great also. Have no experience with the GR-X. Have the Bulge Buster, but still lost a more cases unitl I got the undersized die. Now I lose about maybe 4 or 5 brass cases outta a couple of hundred. I also run CFE Pistol for my primary powder, HS6 for my back up. Have used Accurate #5, Zip, Universal with luck.
Load away.

 

[CrankyCraig]

Craig, I run the lee undersized for my 40's and it works great also. Have no experience with the GR-X. Have the Bulge Buster, but still lost a more cases unitl I got the undersized die. Now I lose about maybe 4 or 5 brass cases outta a couple of hundred. I also run CFE Pistol for my primary powder, HS6 for my back up. Have used Accurate #5, Zip, Universal with luck.
Load away.

BBQ reloaded thanks I'll look into that die!

 

[CrankyCraig]

Of what you have on hand, Unique would be my first pick, followed by w231. In my opinion w231/hp38 has the same recoil impulse with my cast 180 grain load as factory defense loads. For jacketed or plated I prefer Accurate #5 as it meters a little more consistent than unique. I have used CFE Pistol, SR4756, Silhouette, Accurate #5 & 7, Promo, Power Pistol, Unique, and HP38 in 40s&w. I have gotten good accuracy will all of them after working my loads up. The Promo loads was with the same 165 grain bullet your loading. I never cared for the faster powders with 180 grain bullets. It seems that I would almost have to run a max charge to get defense load's velocity, therefore HP38 is as fast of a powder that I use with the 180 grainers, and that's with cast only.

I may have to pick up some accurate#5 I like to Unique fine but when I use the pro auto disk it meters kinda sketchy. I recently got an auto drum I may try it in that and see how it goes.

 

[glc24]

IMO, you can't go wrong with HP38 or W231,being they are pretty much the same powder. They are the only two powders I've used for reloading 180gr. in my G23, and 230gr. in my FNXT45.

 

[rg1]

Tried the Lee Undersized die and it only made things worse. Where my regular die left a radius ring on the case where the die stopped the Lee U-die left an even bigger ring and actually scraped brass material. This again is with purchased once fired 40 brass fired in who knows how many different guns and chambers. My purchased brass was not swelled due to an unsupported chamber but seems to be just fired in large chambers which expanded the entire case past where the die stops sizing. Scrapped several cases per hundred that the Redding GR-X saves and makes them factory sized the entire length of the case. Haven't used a Lee Bulge Buster only the GR-X push through carbide die. The Lee Undersized sizing die works great on thin walled cases where bullets aren't gripped tight enough but not for swelled cases. My two 40 S&W guns, a Glock 23 and Beretta Carbine rifle do not over expand brass like cases I buy.

 

[JohnhenrySTL]

I've had good look with bullseye, unique and 231. Unique produced excellent velocity and 60 yard accuracy on grounded clay birds. I ran unique through a Lee perfect powder thrower. My charge weights were safe with more variance than I wanted, but strangely my velocities were more uniform than I had ever experienced. The load load data I found was extremely contradictory. 231 and bullseye both produce functional uniform reloads. I just had slightly better speed and accuracy with Unique. My .40 is a sig p229.

I doubt this helps but over the years of reloading range cases I've come across bulged .40 cases. I seperated them and reloaded them normally. They all cycled.

In my experience starting low and working up with automatic pistol loadings is more of a hassle if not danger than it is worth. I would find a mid range load confirmed in 2 printed sources. Make a test batch and then load em all.

 

[[email protected]]

The Lee undersized sizing die is good for loading jacketed bullets to ensure you have enough neck tension. Remember that the crimp is not what holds the bullet in place. I use a regular sizing die to full length size the brass and follow it with the undersized die to partially size the brass just past the point that the base of a loaded bullet stops. If you use the undersized die to full length size the brass will have a coke bottle shape after seating a bullet. I haven't had any unsightly scrapes or other issues from the undersized die, and all of my brass is fired in glocks. Lead cast gets regular sized and a good chamfer on the case mouth. I then use NOE expanders to expand the mouth to receive said cast bullets.

 

[vaalpens]

Interesting note about the GR-X die I have a Lee bulge buster how does that compare? Yeah it's range brass I'm sorting them. I also got about 700 federal cases supposed to be once fired. They are in decent shape I have not noticed any Huge "glocked" brass with the federal stuff.

I am using Lee dies, including the Lee FCD with no brass issues. My brass are range pick up, brass I received as a PIF, and my own once fired brass. It could be that the Lee FCD is helping, but no feed issues so far with any of my loads.

I don't debulge my 40s&w brass, but if I need to, then I will just use the Lee 40s&w FCD and push the brass through it. The FCD is what is being used for the Lee bulge buster.

The 40s&w is very easy to load and there are a wide variety of powders you can use. The powders I use are: BE-86, CFE Pistol, Power Pistol, Longshot, 700-X, Unique, Bullseye and AutoComp