Success!

[Minnesota Wild]

I just wanted to share my happiness. Through this forum I got some good tips on 40 S&W loads and 38 Spc HBWC loads. I settled on a 40 load of Montana Gold 180gr regular jacketed bullets over n320 and a 38 load of 148Gr HBWCs over 2.8 grains of Bullseye. I got out to load test today, and the results were awesome.

I loaded 4, 4.5, and 5 grs of n320 for the 40, and the results we incredible. Out of my XDm, I was thinking that the 5s were going to be the best load, but hoping that I could get by with a little lower charge for a minor load without changing springs. The 5s worked well, but the 4.0 load was the best I've ever shot. Cycled and locked the slide back every time and the accuracy was spectacular. At 25 Yards for five shots I put down three 2" groups and a 1.5" group.

With the 38 out of a Model 14, I got consistent sub-2" groups, and I shot about 15 of them.

Thanks to all the people who share good info on this forum. You helped me get a good jump on target rounds for these calibers!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Congratulation on your success. You do realize you now have a sickness there's no cure for. But then again, who would want a cure?? LOL

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, you'll just keep adding calibers.

This is the last one, honest. I can quit any time I want to.

Why did I buy a new gun in a caliber I don't even have? Umm........

 

[rfwobbly]

Congrats! Feels GOOD doesn't it !!

Hint: Most of the time we would load in 0.2gr increments. You might want to go back and shoot the 40 at 3.8gr and 4.2gr now.

This is the last one, honest. I can quit any time I want to.

It's easy to quit reloading. Why I've quit hundreds of times!

 

[Minnesota Wild]

RF - I've handloaded for a little while and had some background on it. I was doing the .5 gr thing more because these are intended to be competition loads for Steel Challenge and PPC and I was looking for something with good accuracy while maintaining soft recoil. All these loads should be well below acceptable pressure limits.

My question for you or others that may know, have you ever seen big differences with accuracy in charge weights around .2 gr incriments (this is using n320 and 180 gr bullets in 40 S&W). I guess I was more looking for the lightest charge weight that would give accurate results, but if small variations will make that much differences I will keep testing!

 

[Hondo 60]

Next will be the brass cases that followed you home.
(you know, the ones you have no gun for - yet)

About a year ago I had three .38spls, then one day a box of 357 ammo followed me home (so I'd have reusable brass).
Then came the "Honey, I need to buy a S&W M66".

After that a bag of Winchester 45 Colt brass followed me home.
Last Fall 2 bags of Starline 9mm brass followed me home.

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, it's the brass' fault sometimes.

Heck, if you have the brass, you have to load it, and if you load it, you have to shoot it, and to shoot it, you have to have a gun for it. See?

 

[rfwobbly]

My question for you or others that may know, have you ever seen big differences with accuracy in charge weights around 0.2 gr increments (this is using n320 and 180 gr bullets in 40 S&W).

Well, I wouldn't call them big changes, but you can definitely see the change from group to group as the load gets higher. The groups start off looking like a shot gun, then start to tighten up. The point of small increments is to find out exactly where that "best group" happens.

I guess I was more looking for the lightest charge weight that would give accurate results, but if small variations will make that much differences I will keep testing!

And that's my point exactly, because you haven't done that. What you have done is found a very good load that you like. That's really good. But you have no idea if you can go even lighter, do you?

All I'm saying is that there's no need using 4.0gr if 3.8gr is its equivalent in every way. Besides, you'll get nearly an extra 100 rounds out of every pound of powder at 3.8gr. Of course, accuracy and ability to knock down steel are 2 different things, and will (of course) require 2 different tests.

Happy testing!

 

[Funshooter45]

That VV powder is some good stuff for sure! I had always resisted buying it because it was more expensive than other powders. But awhile back I found a jug of N-330 that had been pushed to the back of the store shelf many years ago. It still had a price tag of $18 on it so I bought it. So far I have tried it in .45 Colt and .357 mag. It works great. I have other good loads for those revolvers, but the interesting thing is that if I load on the low side, I typically get black sooty cases typical of low pressure. But the VihtaVuori powder seems to burn a lot cleaner at the very low pressures.

I went back to the same store and found a 4 lb jug of N3SL for $55. So far it seems to be very good in the .45 LC as well. I'm now a big fan of VV powders. For revolvers, the price difference (when I run out of these 2 jugs and have to pay modern prices )is not that big a deal. I'm not sure I want to pay those prices for rifle powder though.

 

[Walkalong]

have you ever seen big differences with accuracy in charge weights around 0.2 gr increments

Sometimes yes. Differences in accuracy, differences in how clean it burns, differences in how clean the brass is. Sometimes (with fast powders) a .1 Gr makes a difference whether I give it a ho hum two stars or a hearty three stars, or more.

Some powders however, have a nice big range where they shoot very well with a given bullet. I like those.

I have not tried N320 in .40, but I have shot it in other calibers, and I bet 3.8 shoots as well as 4.0. If you try both and can't be sure, what the heck, load up some 3.9 and try it. Might just be the cats meow.

 

[Minnesota Wild]

Thanks for the advice, I'll try loading down a bit more. This is why I love this forum...I keep getting great info!