Loading Missouri bullets for the 1st time

[lturford]

I’ve been loading Berry’s plated in .40S&W, 9mm, 38 Special, and a little .357 mag for about a year and half. I just bought my first Missouri bullets and looking for some advice. I’m shooting paper and with still being new to reloading I’ve stayed away from pushing to max loads. My concern with the Missouri bullets is losing accuracy and/or a buildup of lead and possibly doing damage to the guns. I’m shooting a Stoeger Cougar and a Taurus PT101 in the 40’s – the .38’s are in an assortment of revolvers -

I purchased 155gr .40 SWC’s (IDP #9) and 38 Specials in 125RNFP (cowboy #17). I have liked AA#2 for the .40’s with the plated and Lyman’s 49th lists 5.0gr of AA#2 as most accurate for a 150 in lead. I loaded 10 rounds of this and shot 5, they cycled fine and seemed pretty accurate but with only 5 shots that needs further evaluation. I’m down to the bottom of that pound of AA#2 and need to buy more if that is the powder I should use - I also have HP-38, Power Pistol, Bullseye, and some red dot on the shelf. My thought is that the Bullseye and Red Dot are too fast for the .40 high pressure cartridge with me being a newbie?

When it comes to the .38 I’ve been using mostly 3.6 of bullseye under 125 berry’s -

Any advice and recipes are appreciated.

 

[LiveLife]

Missouri bullets ... I’m shooting paper ... have AA#2 ... also HP-38, Power Pistol, Bullseye, and some red dot ... My thought is that the Bullseye and Red Dot are too fast for the .40 high pressure cartridg?

Yes, I would agree that Bullseye and Red Dot maybe too fast for 40S&W. I would prefer to use W231/HP-38/Unique and slower powders for 40S&W.

I shoot Missouri 40S&W lead bullets primarily with W231/HP-38 using mid-to-high range target loads that are accurate with moderate recoil with no leading (M&P40 and G22/G27-LW barrels) and Power Pistol/Red Dot will work but I would not use Bullseye.

I have used Promo using 2004 Alliant Red Dot load data (as indicated by Alliant) and although it produced accurate loads, recoil was sharper/snappier than W231/HP-38 loads and less pleasant to shoot - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=6509911#post6509911

Following OALs have fed/chambered reliably for my pistols but your should conduct your own barrel drop/magazine feed tests to determine the OAL for your pistol/barrel.

recipes are appreciated.

There's no current load data from Alliant and Hodgdon/Winchester for lead 40S&W bullets and I referenced 1999 Winchester load data and 2004 Alliant load data to work up my loads.

 

[ljnowell]

OP I cant necesarily say for .40s&w, as I dont reload much for it, but I do know that I use AA#2 with my Missouri Bullets in 38 special, 9mm, and 45acp. I have also used it for plinker loads in 45 colt with the Missouri Bullet cowboy #9. No leading issues in any of those calibers.

 

[popper]

IDP5 and unique or hp-38 worked for me.

 

[lturford]

IDP5's are 180's right - I've been shooting 155's but may step up to the heavier round next order -
I did just load some HP-38 under the 155's we'll see how 5.3 and 5.6 of that work out - I should be able to find Win231 at the LGS - AA powders I'll have to wait for the next gun show which is only about 3 weeks out -

 

[ljnowell]

Report back and let us know. My experience with w231 is that it was much dirtier than AA#2, even when loaded to higher pressures. Of course, bullet lube and many things could play into that, but I was using 148gr Missouri Bullet DEWC (PPC#2) with both powders. I usually buy my AA#2 in a big jug. It takes such a low charge weight that the big jug sure lasts a long time.

 

[lturford]

BDS - Thanks for the info and posting the data -

ljnowell - I tend to agree with you about HP-38 as that is what I have found with other loads - also agree with the AA#2 I should buy quantity when/if I find it - it does leak some but I can deal with that cause I do like the way it shoots and it's economical -

 

[popper]

Haven't tried AA#2 but changed from unique to HP-38 for 180 soft cast TC and 165 raineir. It's cleaner and ~ 1 gr less than unique, also meters better. AA#2 is a tad slower than 231 & maybe 1 gr less. I get ~ 2" group @ 25 yds.

 

[lturford]

I loaded some HP-38 last night at 2 different charges both on the lower end - Not sure if I'll get to try them out this wk or not - Hope to get to the LGS and see what powders they have - Last time I was there they did have Win 231 which I'll grab if they have it -

 

[ljnowell]

If you have hp38, dont waste your money on w231. You would be paying more for the exact same powder, just in a different can.

 

[kludge]

8.1gr of No.7 with 170gr LSWC from MBCo is the most accurate load I've ever shot from my XD-40.

 

[lturford]

If you have hp38, dont waste your money on w231. You would be paying more for the exact same powder, just in a different can.

I'm running out and may only be able to get Win 231

 

[sniperlongshot]

i have a m&p 40/.357 sig combo, i havn't reloaded 40 because i've been using the cases for the sig using 130gr lead rnfp's. (u run a 40 case into a sig die, it comes out .357 sig)
but my reloads shot better than the factory 357 sigs,............i use 5gr of hodgen clays, basic primer and the bullets came from bullet works in brackenridge TX,..(mitchel and his wife are good people),..........i've found if you shoot lead bullets,that 5grs is good for unique, clays, and bullseye in .357sig, 38spc, 45longcolt, and 45acp, i have no signs of case buldging, flat primers or any other high presure traits, i fired these loads in uberti peacemakers, scholfields, mod 19 s&w, and ruger vaquro's, rossy m92's, and uberti 73 winchesters etc, it's a great accurate load and even w/20-1 blackpowder alloy bullets leading in the barrels is not a big issue for me, even though the smith Mk&P doesn't have a lead only barrel, (keep a brush and cleaning rod handy after each mag)