.40 S&W accuracy

[Silvanus]

Are pistols chambered for 9mm and .45 more accurate than the one's in .40 S&W for some reason or is it the recoil that makes them a bit less controllable for a lot of people?

I wondered about this for some time now since that is the impression I get from reading about those calibers and talking to people who shot both, or all three. They all shoot the .40 less accurate than the other two.

Can somebody explain this to me or is it mere coincidence and/or the amount of time you spend training with either caliber?

PS: Some people even swear that they shoot the .357 sig more accurate in the same gun...

 

[Moloch]

For some reason or is it the recoil that makes them a bit less controllable for a lot of people?

IMO yes.
Iam very accurate with any .40S&W (As accurate as with 9mm) and most guns chambered in that caliber shoot better than the controller.

I don't know who tells those strange inaccuracy tales.

However, long time ago I shot a friends H&K .40 elite and it was VERY inaccurate. At 30yards I could barely hit the 8 and the 9.

On a bench!

 

[fairview mick]

.40 caliber accuracy myth

The two forty's that I have(Glock m-31 and Sig P226) are as accurate as any other guns I have. It doesn't seem to matter what ammo. It does matter, though, that the shooter is smooth and doesn't jerk. Now, isn't that surprising??????????????????.

 

[support_six]

There is so much more variability in accuracy due to the shooter and the weapon that anyone who tells you a round is more accurate or inaccurate than another just doesn't know "testing" or ballistics!

My Beretta 96FS is as accurate as any other handgun I've owned or shot.

 

[HSMITH]

I've got a couple 40's, a couple 9's, and a couple 45's. One 9, one 40 and one 45 are exceptionally accurate, the balance of them are just 'average'. I have not been able to find a caliber that was 'inherently inaccurate' but I have found some guns that weren't accurate at all.

If someone tells you 40 is inaccurate they are admitting their ignorance and alerting you to it, not a bad thing since you don't need to take anything they say seriously after that.

 

[Harley Quinn]

I was at the range yesterday

Most popular shooter was the 40 cal. There were a few 38s and a 44 mag (me) but the biggest group was the 40's.

By the looks of their targets, you would think they just started. I was amazed at the terrible shooting going on.
Most of it was at a man sized target and they are happy hitting the black.

Funny really. Acted like the object was to get off as many rounds as possible and empty the gun, so they can shoot 15 more, non specific bullets down range.

Not practicing, just shooting up ammo. Wal Mart must be having a sale.

HQ

 

[Nightflurry]

I have a 40 cal and I've found it a bit harder to shoot well then either 9mm or 45, but it's not inaccurate, just has a different kind of recoil I think. I'm getting a lot better with it.

 

[Silvanus]

Thanks for the information! I would have been surprised if the problems had a different source than the skill (or lack of it) of the shooter.

 

[GoSlash27]

My Beretta 96 shoots better than I do.

 

[Figurefoto]

someone fed you some crap!

I tried a couple of different .40's and thought they were terrible..even swore i would never own one...
One day when i was getting tired of shooting the same old guns..i rented a sig 229 .40...............WOW..i now shoot my sig .40 as well if not better than my 357 revolver..
trust me my friend..its not the caliber..its the gun and ammo combination that fits you the shooter..
just my .02 worth

 

[bluto]

I have to agree that it's the shooter, not the caliber. The .40 S&W is as accurate as any of my 9's and .45's.

 

[still 2 many choices]

.40 S&W is only inaccurate if...

1. You buy cheap ammo or reload it wrong
2. Load ammo into a crap gun(bad trigger or whatever)
3. Can not control the .40's impulse wave (wich leads to flinching).

Otherwise, .40 S&W is as accurate as any other factory loaded round IMHO.

 

[oystermick]

I have a .40 Baby Eagle and it's going. It's not the pistol or the caliber, it's just that I don't like it. No complaints about the gun or the caliber per se, it's just a personal preference. I'm selling to a retired sheriff friend who is a much better shooter than I, and he really likes it. As an aside, the ergonomics of the Baby Eagle are outstanding.

 

[tin star]

Just fired the S&W M&P .40 for the first time.
Absolutely LOVE it!
I shot much better with it than Glock 9mm and .40.
However, many will part with an arm before their Glock, no problem.
Whatever works best.

 

[Springfield XD40 Man]

Both of my 40's are tack drivers, the Millenium Pro and the XD. Its as accurate as any other pistol I have shot. It helps that my technique is solid, good trigger control and no flinch. I can keep all my shots within the 8 ring at 40 feet, this is about a 4 inch circle. That's pretty good in my book, considering the Mil-Pro is a 3.25 inch barrel, and the XD is a 4 inch barrel. Is the 40 innaccurate? I say absolutely not, its all about shooter skill and technique.

 

[RobRocket]

When I first got my G27 it took me awhile to get use to the recoil and tighten up my shot groups. Now I'm fine with it, the only difference being that after 70 or so rounds a bit of shooter fatigure sets in and my accuracy is effected... But I didn't buy it for a range gun or plinker and am perfectly happy with it for it's intended use.

If I want to do high volume shooting the 9 is great 200+ rounds no problem...

 

[DunedinDragon]

I'd go along with what some others have suggested that the gun lore suggesting the .40 is less accurate is related more to shooter familiarity than anything else. I think it got started by a lot of people that had been shooting .45's or 9's and then went to a .40.

I've primarily owned 9mm and .45's and only recently got my first .40 (P229). My initial accuracy was terrible, but it has progressively gotten better as I get more used to the gun and the recoil characteristics. I'm still more accurate with the 9 and the .45's, but I suspect if I keep working on the .40 I'll get it to the same level of accuracy.

The problem is definately me and not the gun or the caliber.

 

[FALshootist]

I had a S&W 4013 when they first came out I couldn't shoot it worth a damn. It may have been me, but I shoot my other guns fine. The grip just didn't feel right and maybe that was the problem.

I traded it in on a SIG 239 in 40. This gun is incredibly accurate. I was shocked to find that I can shoot it better than my P220 in 45 on occasion, and the 220 is as accurate or more than everyone claims.

My Glock 27 has always been a fine shooter and was my favorite gun to carry in the woods or when fishing in the swamps.

The bottom line is that I have never seen the claimed inherent inaccuracy in 40 S&W that I read about on the internet. My 40s are some of the more accurate guns I own.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Pilot error most of the time

if you shoot from a bench rest you will notice the accuracy is very good.

The idea is to then become that good while free of anything but your own ability. Takes practice.

The GI 45 1911-a1 was made loose and if you shot a 12" group, you were considered an expert, by todays standards that is terrible.

HQ