Light .40 Loads?

[orygunmike]

My wife will be attending a class for beginning shooters in June and will be using my 2nd Gen Glock 23 (its the only gun in the small arsenal that: fits her hand and she can rack the slide). (While I would go buy her a gun tomorrow if she wanted me to, her practicality won't allow the expenditure until she decides that she wants to continue shooting on a regular basis.)

She has done well with rental 9mm guns and I'd like to see if I can't find a "softer" shooting .40 cal load for her to shoot at this class. I want to do everything I can to ensure a pleasant experience for her.

Since I don't load my own, does anyone know of what I could purchase that would be easier on this new shooter?

thanks much.

 

[Preacherman]

I'm not sure that anyone loads ".40 Lite" ammo. I've used CCI Blazer (aluminum-cased) ammo during several courses, and didn't find it too bad. I'd recommend the 155gr. TMJ loading, as this is a bit "softer"-shooting than the heavier 165gr. or 180gr. loads.

 

[Bobarino]

ya really think so Preacherman? i think that the cheap-o 180gr offerings are less snappy and easier to shoot than the 155 or 165 grain stuff. for instance, in the Federal American Eagle brand, the 155 is the hottest practice load they make.

if it were me i would definately steer clear of Speer Lawman, and Fiocchi and just go with the 180 grain cheap-o stuff at Wally World or whatever. but thats just my opinion.

Bobby

 

[Duke of Lawnchair]

A lot of folks on Glocktalk claim that the Georgia Arms "canned heat" 180gr .40S&W loads are the sooooooooooooooft.

-Jim

 

[lbmii]

Like there is really such a thing as a light 40 S&W load.
But let's say some are not as heavy as others.

The lowest velocity 180 grain 40 S&W that I have tested is Wolf brand. It tends to be easy to find locally. The hottest 180 grain I tested is Wal Mart bulk pack Remington Hollow Point. The hottest 40 S&W that I have tested regardless of bullet weight is the Speer 155 grain GoldDot.

Winchester USA FMJ 165 grain is pretty light as well, but the 180 Wolf has less kick to it.

From my Glock 35 -- 5 1/3 inch barrel:
Wolf 180 FMJ = 918 FPS
Remington 180 Hollow Point Wal Mart Bulk Pack = 1013 FPS
Winchester USA 165 FMJ = 1040 FPS
Winchester USA 180 FMJ = 965 FPS
Remington UMC 180 FMJ = 982 FPS
Speer 155 grain GoldDot = 1245 FPS (My carry load)

It all adds up to the Wolf 180 having the least recoil.

 

[joeyt]

.40 Lite

The only way to get a soft shooting (relatively speaking) .40 caliber round is to reload them. This caliber is sometimes too much for a new shooter or someone who can't get used to a bit of recoil.Get her something in 9mm and she would be better off. IMHO joeyt

 

[Preacherman]

Joeyt has a point - there are plenty of softer-shooting 9mm. loads available, which are also much, much cheaper than .40 ammo. I eventually bought a Glock 19 for training, and have put thousands of rounds through it, reserving my G23's for carry. Saves mucho dinero...

What are the possibilities of borrowing a G19 for the course? Alternatively, would your budget run to buying a 9mm. barrel for your G23? They're freely available, and are reliable, in my experience. Just be sure to get a conversion barrel, which adjusts for headspace, extraction, etc., rather than simply throw in a G19 barrel, which might fit to the eye, but doesn't allow for those factors. Glockmeister has them (to list just one vendor) - see here for information.

 

[NukemJim]

This caliber is sometimes too much for a new shooter or someone who can't get used to a bit of recoil.Get her something in 9mm and she would be better off.

+1

But the starter of the thread stated that a .40 was the only gun he currently had that would fit her hand and that she did not want him to but another.

NukemJim

 

[crt360]

WWB has to be the "softest shooting" .40 I've used, in both 180 & 165 gr.

Of the cheaper target ammo, the CCI Blazer is probably the hottest.

Fiocchi and MagTech are somewhere in the middle. S&B is pretty mild, too.

The juiced up HP stuff all seems pretty snappy. The 155 gr. Winchester Silvertip is the hottest stuff I've shot in a .40 - if you want to give someone a flinch, sneak one or two in their mags full of WWB. splack, splack, BLAM, splack, splack, splack, BLAM, "what the hell . . ?"

 

[boo586]

When I bought my Taurus PT 140 I also bought some PMC 165 grain FMJ loads. It was a lot easier shooting than the factory 180 grain loadings that I had. PMC's website lists its 165 grain FMJ loads at 985 fps and 355 ft-lbs. of energy. The factory loads werew Winchester USA brand 180 grain FMJ listed at 990 fps and 390 ft-lbs. of energy.

Probably the lightest recoiling .40 lods would be the federal personal Defence 135 grain loading. Federal's Webpage lists it at a muzzle velocity of 1190 fps and 424 ft-lbs. of energy. Federal's 165 Hydra-Shok load is listed at 980fps and 352 ft-lbs. of energy.

These two loads would have to be the lightest recoiling 40 loads out there in a factory loading. The most expensive though too!!

THe 165 grain pmc loads will be the softest shooting and the cheapest that you can probably get.

Boo586

Just looked at Ammoman.com and they have the Federal American Eagle 165 FMJ loads at $109 for 500 rounds. Federal's website lists this stuff at 980 fps and 352 ft-lbs of energy. THis is what I would buy!!!

 

[lyricsdad]

No kidding they are like 15 bucks for a box of twenty! or is it twenty five? maybe thirty i dont remember lol but pretty boxes btw lol

 

[Krag]

FWIW - if you're a handloader, I have worked up a number of .40 Lite loads for my Para 16.40 and Glock 35 for use in USPSA Production and steel matches. I'd be happy to send you the info by P.M.

BUT the use of some of them may require you to install a lighter recoil spring in your pistol.