40 s&w: is it that bad of a caliber for outdoor use?

[bnolsen]

All of this begs a question…. if you were in the market for a 40 today, what would you get?

glock 20, with a .40 barrel (or just deal with firing 40 out of the 10mm barrel).

I like the performance of 40 in a full sized pistol against soft man targets. You don't have to be picky about what hollow points you buy, they will all pretty much perform well with both penetration and expansion.

9mm falls into the "good enough" category and is the better choice for these new wonder 9s that are all in the market now.

 

[someguy2800]

glock 20, with a .40 barrel (or just deal with firing 40 out of the 10mm barrel).

I like the performance of 40 in a full sized pistol against soft man targets. You don't have to be picky about what hollow points you buy, they will all pretty much perform well with both penetration and expansion.

9mm falls into the "good enough" category and is the better choice for these new wonder 9s that are all in the market now.

I agree, a full size duty pistol in 40 s&w is like peanut butter and jelly. I prefer a Glock 22 over a Glock 17, but in the compact and micro compact sizes I prefer 9mm.

 

[mavracer]

Just a point to note, this is not really a hot rod load, it is to the best of my knowledge using quickload and published load manuals a saami pressure load. It is certainly warm compared to most commercial 40 s&w ammo, but that is not saying much.

I load my 40s to mimic factory 180gr loads so yeah powder puffish lol.
I load my 10mm toward the warm side with longshot.

I agree, a full size duty pistol in 40 s&w is like peanut butter and jelly. I prefer a Glock 22 over a Glock 17, but in the compact and micro compact sizes I prefer 9mm.

Some of the compacts aren't bad, many like my FN FNS and your Ruger SR40 for instance add just a smidge of weight to the slide by changing slide profile. Micros are definitely easier to handle in 9mm my PPS 40 is a handful with the winchester FBI load

 

[Mike J]

I don't reload so all I've shot is factory. This thread has me somewhat interested in some of the warmer rounds available for woods carry.
As for the pistols themselves, I have owned 3 .40 S&W pistols & shot a few others. First, was a Ruger P944. Second was a XD-40 Service, Third a S&W M&P 2.0 40 Compact. The S&W is the best of what I have owned so far. I don't mind 40 in a compact (G-23 sized) pistol. I've never had any desire to shoot .40 from a subcompact or micro sized pistol.

 

[buttrap]

I still like my .40 and as for get a 9mm have more of them than carter has pills and still like the .40. What convinced me was shooting sheet metal plates, the 9mms just made dents the .44 blew right tru it but the .40 launched it in the air end over end.

 

[cfullgraf]

In my opinion, 40 S&W and 357 SIG would be good outdoor cartridges but their main limitatioin would be that they are generally chambered in guns with fixed sights.

The guns would be good for shorter range protection against an undesirable animal as opposed to an attempt to take down an desirable game animal.

I had a Springfield P9C Sub Compact chamberd in 40 S&W for a while. A 9x19 compact upsized to 40 S&W was not a good result.

I have an S&W M&P40 1.0 and and M&P357 1.0 that are good shooters. I just do not like striker fired pistols. Great range toys though.

I have a Beretta M96. It is good with 40 S&W but it gets a bit large over time.

The best show that I have is a couple of SIG 1911's. One is chambered in 40 S&W and the other in 357 SIG.

 

[GooseGestapo]

In my opinion, 40 S&W and 357 SIG would be good outdoor cartridges but their main limitatioin would be that they are generally chambered in guns with fixed sights.

The guns would be good for shorter range protection against an undesirable animal as opposed to an attempt to take down an desirable game animal.

I had a Springfield P9C Sub Compact chamberd in 40 S&W for a while. A 9x19 compact upsized to 40 S&W was not a good result.

I have an S&W M&P40 1.0 and and M&P357 1.0 that are good shooters. I just do not like striker fired pistols. Great range toys though.

I have a Beretta M96. It is good with 40 S&W but it gets a bit large over time.

The best show that I have is a couple of SIG 1911's. One is chambered in 40 S&W and the other in 357 SIG.

I totally agree! As fond of the.40 as I am, it suffers more than the 9mm from poor platforms for outdoor/sporting use. (Sloppy actions, heavy duty type triggers and rudimentary duty type sights.
For those reasons alone I’ve reverted to revolvers for outdoor purposes.
I’ve returned to the .357magnum M19 nickel, even though I acquired a M69 that is laser-beam accurate with a .44spl target load.
I would preferred the M69 have been a .41mag, however. 6-shots maybe?

 

[mavracer]

In my opinion, 40 S&W and 357 SIG would be good outdoor cartridges but their main limitatioin would be that they are generally chambered in guns with fixed sights.

The guns would be good for shorter range protection against an undesirable animal as opposed to an attempt to take down an desirable game animal.

I actually prefer a fixed sight on cartridges like 40 S&W where I typically just feed it one load. The 3 40s I currently have with fixed sights are perfectly regulated for my 180gr load.

 

[TTv2]

glock 20, with a .40 barrel (or just deal with firing 40 out of the 10mm barrel).

I like the performance of 40 in a full sized pistol against soft man targets. You don't have to be picky about what hollow points you buy, they will all pretty much perform well with both penetration and expansion.

9mm falls into the "good enough" category and is the better choice for these new wonder 9s that are all in the market now.

.40 was designed for hollow points, the 9mm hollows are stuck having to work around the cartridge being built around FMJ.

.40 expands so easily I don't have any concerns about JHP's from name brands, even budget loads like Winchester White box.

 

[Rodfac]

When it first came out, I had hopes that the .40 S&W would offer a broad range of uses, depending on bullet weight and muzzle velocity. The idea that I could get really high speed 135 gr JHP's for CC use, or range up through the 155 & 165s to 180 grainers for other applications really appealed. .

I've had four .40s over the years: a Browning Hi Power, a Colt Gold Cup Elite, a Sig P226, and a Glock 23. And with unlimited brass available from several LEO agencies that use my home/farm range for practice, I tried most every brand of bullet from Norma 135 JHPs to 180 gr Win, Rem, and Hornadys. I also played with two molds for 155 gr LSWC's and a 180 gr FN.

But getting a decent load for them has been a real chore. I've had my best luck with mid-range powders: WSF, Ac7, Herco and Unique, but groups were mediocre for the most part, and none would work well in all four guns. Jacketed or lead alloy, it made little difference, and I've seldom had any that were below 3" at 25 yds. The Gold Cup Elite, with its tightly fitted bushing and slide have been especially disappointing in that regard.

It's still a caliber that haunts me, and from time to time, I spend another month playing with various combinations. Just the thought of those 135's at ~1300 fps or 180 LSWC's at a leisurely 1000, are the draw. The work continues... It'd be great woods walking/CC use candidate if I could break the 'code'.

Pic of the Gold Cup Elite below......Best regards, Rod

 

[mgmorden]

.40 S&W is a perfectly fine round. A lot of people seem to have gotten this impression since a lot of police departments are switching to 9mm that .40 S&W is somehow this terrible cartridge that's useless.

If I was in grizzly country I might would take something slightly bigger - but I also wouldn't be super worried even there walking around with a .40 S&W.

 

[WVRJ]

I have 3 pistols chambered for the 40,and they are all good guns. The Performance Center Shorty Forty is the ultimate carry pistol to me. The M&P 2.0 is also a PC gun and is a very good shooting striker fired polymer pistol that is very smooth and accurate. My Sig P226 is the pistol that I would pick if I knew I was going to get in a gunfight. I also have a 357 Sig top end for it but I like the 180 grain Hornady XTP loaded close to max with CFE Pistol. The little Shorty Forty is a handful with that load. The M&P is ported and the P226 is heavy, so recoil is not so bad. I prefer the 40 to the 357, especially if I'm carrying a pistol in the woods because of the heavier bullet.

 

[buttrap]

Here I just have 2 .40 guns and am very happy with both. A CZ-75b and a Sig P-229. And I like the option of just swap barrel and its now a .357 to with the 229. Woods gun I really like the P-229 .40 as it don't smart near as bad as a L frame .44 combat mag.