traveling1253
Member
Success, went out and burned through my first 100 handloads today. .40 S&W using once fired Winchester brass, CCI #500 SPP, 180gr Berry's plated RS and Hodgdon Longshot powder. 10 each 6.5,6.7,6.9,7.1 and 7.3gr also 50 with 7.0gr. My 3.8" barreled Springfield XDM digested everything, no jams, squibs or hiccups of any kind. You could definitely feel the difference from the 6.5gr starting load and the 7.3's. Brass from all loads looked great after firing. My goal was to have an affordable practice load that would simulate the same feel as my factory SD loads. 180gr bullets at around 1000 fps. 7.0gr of Longshot seems to be the ticket, feels to have about the same punch as my 180gr bonded Speer Gold Dot factory rounds.
As a bonus my XDM is much cleaner with my handloads than it would have been shooting the Winchester white box practice ammo I have been using. I was surprised to see this, considering the impressive muzzle flash the Longshot gives.
For my next loading I need to come up with a milder round with less recoil for plinking and for my wife to enjoy. I'm thinking of getting some of the 155gr Berry's and maybe HP-38. Suggestions for a soft shooting .40 load? I see that Berry's also makes a plated 135gr RS in .40, anyone try bullets this light in a .40?
Thanks
As a bonus my XDM is much cleaner with my handloads than it would have been shooting the Winchester white box practice ammo I have been using. I was surprised to see this, considering the impressive muzzle flash the Longshot gives.
For my next loading I need to come up with a milder round with less recoil for plinking and for my wife to enjoy. I'm thinking of getting some of the 155gr Berry's and maybe HP-38. Suggestions for a soft shooting .40 load? I see that Berry's also makes a plated 135gr RS in .40, anyone try bullets this light in a .40?
Thanks
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