40 S&W help

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5R milspec

New member
ok guys I am helping out a friend.he is getting into the run around like a chicken shooting steel game.

so I am asking all that you guys can give me to loading up good ammo for him.anything will help out.from the top to the bottom.thanks guys,John

and yeah I want be around this computer for a few days so don't get made at me for no replying to your threads.
 
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dfe2240

New member
I've had good results with Unique and Bullseye-- better with Bullseye. Try 4.9 grains with a COL of 1.120.
 
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BigJimP

New member
For .40S&W I load a 180gr CMJ Montana Gold bullet and use Hodgdon TiteGroup powder.

You can get the recipe off the Hodgdon website.
 
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Shoney

New member
You are a novice.

You pick arguably the most pressure sensative cartridge to load.

You do not have a loading manual, which would tell you all.

Do you have any idea how much liability you bite off when you load for another????????? And even worse, the cartridge you select to load.

The best load you can give him/her is "none at all".
 
5

5R milspec

New member
hey guys thanks for the info.and yes I know about loading for others.thats why he will be loading for himself NOT ME.just needed to see what you guys thought might be a good load for the plinking at steel while running around like a chicken with its head cut off would be.thanks again,John
 
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velocette

New member
5Rmillspec;
Please re-read Shoneys post. The .40 S&W is a very high pressure pistol round with a very small (relatively) case. Small increments of powder or seating depth can and do have very large variations in pressure.
This fact is particularly important to remember if the pistol being loaded for supports the back of the case poorly and more important after the cases have been reloaded a couple of times.
Get thee to a good loading manual or to a powder mfg website or the bullet mfg website and follow their directions. Be VERY careful with seating depth and (I suggest) keeping your loads as light as possible with good functioning of the pistol.

Roger
 
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Xfire68

New member
I am having great results with 180g Hornany XTP's, Starline cases, CCI primers and 6.2g of AA#5 shooting it with a Baby Desert Eagle .40 S&W. Accuracy is topnotch compared to any of the factory ammo we have tried to date.

I see Shoney's point but, I do load for some of my friends but I also won't let them shoot the ammo I make until I have shot 30-50 of the batch first through there guns. I would say I shoot there guns as much if not more then they do!
 
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troy_mclure

New member
he is asking for low recoil plinking loads, not max pressure sd/hunting loads.

i like universal clays, 4.5gr under a 180gr bullet.
 
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sonick808

New member
i'm running 5.8 grains of Unique, cci #500 primers, rainier rnfp 165 grain bullets and OAL of 1.13"

Quickload says the efficiency of this load is 98% and they are the most accurate rounds I've ever shot; raggedy holes in the bullseye, no fliers.

Unique can be difficult to meter due to the flake shape, but it can be done

you might want to avoid 180 grain bullets since that already puts you on the threshold of minimal error.

good luck, reloading is fun! read read read and read some more before even attempting a load though. then read more and more again. your limbs and life are at stake, and maybe the lives and limbs of others near you. Don't skimp on load books. Buy as many as you can afford and cross-reference them
 
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jtmckinney

New member
threshold of minimum error

Hope this is not butting in but 40sw is something I am considering for my first semi-auto pistol and I will be reloading for it. I also thought I would start with Hornaday HP/XTP 180 grain bulletts.

Sonick808 you said:

"you might want to avoid 180 grain bullets since that already puts you on the threshold of minimal error."

Could you please define "threshold of minimum error" this sounds like something I need to understand.

Thank You,
James
 
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velocette

New member
jtmckinney;
The 180 grain bullet is longer than lighter bullets. Thus when loaded to proper length to allow it to fit in the magazine, the bullet occupies more space in the case, thus reducing the already limited case volume.
The reduced case volume is the problem. It causes the round to be even more sensitive to powder charges. That is you can go from a safe 30,000 psi load to an unsafe 50,000 psi load with a very small increase in powder charge. Or if you have a safe load with correct COL, and accidentally seat a bullet a little deeper, you may have the same overpressure. This is not to say that the .40 is not a safe round, it is to say that you must be very careful, follow the rules and always give yourself the largest margin of error that you reasonably can.
Ka-Booms are not fun nor pleasant.

Roger
 
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sonick808

New member
Roger put it much better than i could. 180 grain bullets trim your margins of error down to slivers in nearly every direction.

some experts even argue that 180gr. has no place in .40S&W loadings, and should be reserved for 10mm loadings where your tolerances open up again with that size bullet.


It requires more attention, for sure. I'd see if maybe you can start with 155 or 165 grain bullets ?

Thanks for explaining Roger :)
 
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sonick808

New member
1goodshot i run 165gr with great results as well. i use unique, but will try PP sometime.

Another Chandler guy, cool :)
 
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spacecoast

New member
I am a relatively new handgun reloader (3,000 rounds and counting) and one thing I do to create an extra safety margin, especially with new loads in a tight cartridge like the .380, is to load to the minimum powder and the max OAL length my pistol will handle even if the powder manufacturer's spec calls for a shorter OAL. This creates the maximum amount of free space (and reduced pressure) under the bullet. Once you've verified the load works in your gun, you can try gradually increasing the powder and/or shortening the case (always staying over the minimum OAL for that size bullet).

I don't reload the .40 S&W, but it looks as if the max OAL is at least 1.135" or 28.8mm, so start with that. As long as they will fit in the magazine and feed in the gun, that's as short as they really need to be. Good luck.
 
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troy_mclure

New member
i started loading with the .40S&W.

its not as bad as many people make it out to be.

i use 180gr because they are the most common, easiest to find, and cheapest(for practice bullets).

just follow the manuals and you will be fine.
 
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abber

New member
2 of my keepers.

My 2 favorite loads (so far).

#1
Bullet: Rainier plated 155 grain
Powder: Universal 5.5 grains
Primer: Federal 100
COL: 1.120"
Crimped with Lee FCD.

#2
Bullet: Remington bulk 180 grain JHP
Powder: Blue Dot 8.5 grains
Primer: Federal 100
COL: 1.120"
Crimped with Lee FCD.

The first is pretty tame and very accurate. The second is somewhat stout, but also very accurate. Both are very fun loads to shoot in my P226. I dropped the first loads to 5.0 grains of Universal, but had an occasional failure of the slide to lock open on the last round, so I keep them at 5.5 now.
 
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jtmckinney

New member
Thanks Guys! I learned a few things from this thread. I have only reloaded for my sporting rifles and weighed every powder charge. I will start the same way for 40sw, where I wind up we will see. I am planning on getting a powder measure but thought it would be to help making the weighing process less tedious. I have read that weighing every charge is not necessary but I will only take that shortcut when I get real confidence in the powder measure. I was also paying attention to the importance of COL.

I am also going to get an updated manual. I only have Hornaday Fourth Edition which was published when 40sw was young. The loads mentioned above that include the powders it list are very close.

Once again thanks,
James
 
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