Reloading .40 Rainier 165gr Hollow-Points

[leifglock]

I came across the below load data on Handloads.com for 165gr JHP .40. I'm trying to find a decent recipe for some Win231 and some 165 Rainier HP .40's I have. This load doesn't reference the brand of 165gr JHP used therefore I don't know if it matches the length of my Rainier s. Are all "165gr .40 JHP's" a pretty standard length?

I'm still relatively new to reloading and so far I've been loading .40 Rainier 155gr TMJ's at OAL of 1.125" with 5.1-5.5gr of Win231 with good success. Of course the 165gr Rainier HP's are much longer. Therefore seating at an OAL of 1.125-1.130" there will be quite a bit less space inside the powder cavity. Is that why, in this case, the powder charge is a bit lighter?

Bottom line question: will this load work for my Rainier's? OAL? Powder Charge of W231? Should I reduce powder charge by 10% since Rainiers are coated and not jacketed? These are for plinking and target shooting.

Load Data from handloads.com:
JHP 4.8 gr Winchester 231 Unknown ; 1.130" Win SP guest
Shot last two IPSC matches with Para P16. Nice load. Snappy and not too much recoil. Don’t know if it makes major.

Thank you in advance,
Leif

 

[rcmodel]

Are all "165gr .40 JHP's" a pretty standard length?

NO.
It all depends on the shape of the ogive, the depth & width of the HP cavity, and even a few other things like jacket thickness and internal skiving.

The bullet you ask about has a Truncated Cone shape, so you will need to take the barrel out of your gun and use it as a cartridge guage to insure the TC bullet shoulder isn't hitting the rifling before it can fully chamber. Seat at whatever depth you have too & still keep the bullet from running into the rifling.

5.1-5.5gr of Win231

Hodgdon shows a MAX charge of W-231 with a 165 grain Sierra JHP as 5.3 grains.
The starting load is 4.8.
OAL is 1.125".

rc

 

[KBintheSLC]

You bring up a good question. I just ordered 1000 of the 165g Rainier HP's to start loading in 40 & 10mm cases. I will have to check back for responses from the experts that chime in.

 

[leifglock]

Hodgdon shows a MAX charge of W-231 with a 165 grain Sierra JHP as 5.3 grains.
The starting load is 4.8.
OAL is 1.125".

Thanks for the reply. I think the Hogdon data is the best I can do. I might even just buy a 100 count pack of the Sierra JHP's so I can compare them to the bulk Rainier's I have.

Thanks,
Leif

 

[armyofmunn]

I've had good luck with w-231 4.8 gr at oal 1.125 rainier 165gr solid round and accurate to was wondering has anyone tried using unique got 4lbs given to me and running low on w-231?

 

[rcmodel]

IMO: Unique is a better powder choice for .40 S&W then W-231.
Especially if you want full power loads.

I feel W-231 is too fast for the high-pressure .40 S&W, and you would be better served with less chance of unpleasentness with Unique.

rc

 

[Walkalong]

Agreed.

Overall, medium speed powders like WSF, Unique, AA #5, etc are better for .40 than the faster powders. I do use some fast powder .40 loads, but they are light loads. My "full power" (not pushed to the limits) .40 stuff uses Universal, which is very similar to Unique, albeit a bit faster.

 

[armyofmunn]

rcmodel,walkalong
going with unique and a 165gr rainier don't have a lead compable load but for 155 it is 6.2 and 180 is 5.8 I'm guessin start at 6.0 and work it from there.

 

[Walkalong]

I believe 6.0 will be fine, and a bit more possible. Alliant goes to 7.2 with a 165 Gr Gold Dot, as does Speer # 13. (1064 & 1064 FPS respectively. Coincidence?) My Universal load with a Zero 165 Gr JHP is over the Hodgdon online max, but under the Speer #13 max. Try 6.0 Unique, then work up slowly if needed/wanted. AC