155 SWC for .40 using HS6 or Titegroup

[Stormin.40]

I have been doing some searching for a good starting point and wanted to run these by everyone here. Using Penn Bullets 155 grain Lead SWC with an OAL of 1.120 to start with as my Beretta seems to like the shorter OAL in other bullet profiles.

4.3gr Titegroup
8.0gr HS-6

My manuals do not list any 155 lead data so do these loads seem like a good place to start?

 

[Striker Fired]

While I don't use H-6 or Titegroup,I have been runnig 155gr LSWC in my Berettas with good results using AA#5 and WSF.
One thing I notice and will warn you,you will get a lot of leading with those particular bullets from Penn.For your Beretta you will need .403 to .404 sized lead bullets and Penn doesn't make them that big.I know this from having slugged many Beretta 40S&W barrels and have yet to find one that isn't oversize,but you never know,they may be out there. I use DARDAS exclusively for my .403 lead bullets .They are the only company that I found that has them,plus they have ggod quality bullets.He is also a member here so maybe he will chime in.
Good luck , lead bullets do bring out the accuracy in Berettas.

 

[J_McLeod]

Lyman has data for that bullet.

I did a work up a few months ago with 155gr SWC and HS-6 at 1.125. I shot groups at 7.6, 7.9 and 8.3gr. The most accurate for me in my XD was the 7.9gr. 3/5 shots touching at 5 yards. None of the loads showed any pressure signs. At the same time I went up to 8.1 with 180gr lead bullets and only started to get pressure signs there.

 

[Stormin.40]

I didn't realize Beretta had such large bores, I haven't had any leading with 180gr RNFP lead bullets and these are .401, this being said I am not running them fast they are 44-40 bullets and are pretty soft. I am only using 6.5gr of HS6 for the 180 grain bullets and 7.6 with plated 165gr TCFP.

Thanks for the information, at least I am in the ball park with HS6 which is what I prefer to use anyway. Striker Fired, I will slug my barrel again I did this a few years ago and don't remember being concerned but I also didn't record the number. My Beretta is a PX4 Storm.

 

[Striker Fired]

All the barrels I slugged were various models of 96's. It may be the Px4's are closer to standard,so maybe your good to go. BTW mine also tended to favor 180gr bullets,I was used to a certain accuracy "barrier" when it came to 155 &165gr bullets until I tried those 155Dardas's,they cut the standard group size in half.

 

[Stormin.40]

Well I only made up 3 rounds each to try with Titegroup. 4.3gr w/ OAL of 1.130 averaged 968fps and 4.5gr averaged 1023fps. I had 3 each of 4.7 and 4.9 also but didn't fire them as one of the primers from a 4.5gr case showed signs of over pressure. I thought this was strange at 1016fps?

I was shooting from a rest through the chrony and accuracy was terrible. Maybe stricker fired was right. My 180gr Lead RNFP bullets are fairly soft and may be bumping up. I thin I will try 4.4gr of titegroup and make up 20 or so the do a better job testing accuracy. It may have been my fault as I didn't shoot my other pistol well either, everyone has bad days right?