Help! Getting better accuracy?

[JAbee]

HELP!!

I know weighing out each boolit and grouping them together will help with accuracy, but how much does the brass manufacture matter? I'm checking to make sure case length, COL, seating depth, and powder charges are all the same. I'm still getting shots all over the place. I've slugged my barrel, sized the bullets .001 more than barrel size.

I'm shooting the Springfield XD-M 40 S&W. 175Gn Cast boolit with lee 401-175-TC (Two Cav) using COWW+2% Tin. with 6.0 Gn Power Pistol and Winchester WSP primers. Putting a mid crimp on them using the Lee factory crimp. (Factory ammo shoots great in this gun)

[JWT]

If you are using mixed brass there will be pressure variations due to differing internal case volumes. I always segregate by headstamp for handgun. For some rifles I also weigh the brass.

[HeavyMetal]

I saw no mention of boolit lube, suspect Lee also?

Good suggestion to separate brass by head stamp, new or old factory crimp die? The old design will seat boollits new won't old one real easy to over crimp with.

[runfiverun]

I suspect a diameter and a speed problem.
try backing things down to the 850 fps area and trying again.

[Yodogsandman]

Try pulling a few boolits from finished rounds and measuring them to be sure that they're not being re-sized down by the crimp.

I don't load for 40 S&W yet but, because it's a high pressure round, I'd water quench the boolits from the mold for a little more hardness.

[243winxb]

Lee factory crimp. Post sizing the bullet smaller?

[Shiloh]

I second reducing the velocity. As stated, and SOP for consistency, separate components by headstamp. Group boolits, by weight and see.
My crimp consists of closing the belled mouth only. Nothing at all on the boils. Plenty of tension to hold them in.

SHiloh

[Ed_Shot]

My 2 cents: I use a G22 w/LW barrel and I no longer use the Lee 175 gr. or 145 gr boolits because I get obviously (to me) better accuracy with Lyman 170 gr. and 150 gr. I size to .401 w/ WL 2500+ and use the Lee FCD. I have tested and find no difference in accuracy, that I can tell, using a single or mixed headstamp 40 SW brass. I personally don't see any difference over a chrony between single or mixed headstamp 40 SW brass either. Your alloy sounds fine. I don't use Power Pistol but 6.0 gr is obviously a mid-range load. I have tried several different powders for 40 SW and some powder/boolit combinations shoot a whole lot better than others IMHO.

What diameter are you sizing your boolits?
What is the diameter at the case mouth after you crimp?
What's your lube?
What's your COAL?
Are you getting any leading?

[country gent]

Also try experimenting with loads, some powders bullet primer combinations just arnt liked by a certain firearm for some reason or another. Star out around the starting load and work up let the pistol tell you what it likes.

[John Boy]

Help! Getting better accuracy?

Is it the handgun or is it the shooter?
What are your groups and at what distance: shooting modern or traditional, offhand or from rest?

[M-Tecs]

Most Springfield XD-M 40 S&W are not accurate enough to tell the difference in sorting brass. Same for weighing bullets. Bullet size, alloy, lub and velocity will have a much greater effect on accuracy.

Try a box of match ammo and work to equal the results.

[Recluse]

HELP!!

I know weighing out each boolit and grouping them together will help with accuracy, but how much does the brass manufacture matter? I'm checking to make sure case length, COL, seating depth, and powder charges are all the same. I'm still getting shots all over the place. I've slugged my barrel, sized the bullets .001 more than barrel size.

I'm shooting the Springfield XD-M 40 S&W. 175Gn Cast boolit with lee 401-175-TC (Two Cav) using COWW+2% Tin. with 6.0 Gn Power Pistol and Winchester WSP primers. Putting a mid crimp on them using the Lee factory crimp. (Factory ammo shoots great in this gun)

First off, accept the fact that the 40 S&W is not a tack-driver caliber in terms of accuracy. Second, understand that the combination of rate-of-burn for the powder combined with volume-of-powder can cause wild pressure swings, which will in turn result in wild variances in terms of accuracy.

I cast and reload that same bullet for my SIL and have found that a medium speed burning powder (I use AA#5) works better than a fast-burning powder like Titewad, with all else being equal.

Bear in mind that the entire birth and development of the 40 S&W was a compromise between the size of a 9mm and the velocity of a 45ACP--so naturally, load development will entail the same mindset of compromising and experimentation.

I didn't see any mention of a lube, and this too can have significant effects on accuracy. I use the Hi-Tek coating on all my cast stuff these days, including that Lee .401 boolit I load for the SIL. Accuracy is very good and consistent with the AA#5 powder, but we see a measurable drop-off with the Titewad. Changes (up/down) in the charge weights did little to change those results. This is a cartridge in which there is little wiggle room in terms of charge weight so any up/down is really insignificant so long as you stay within the published limits. Where the change comes from most is in the selection of which powder (burn rate) you use. There you will see significant differences.

[dverna]

Sorting brass and weighing bullets is a waste of time for your issue. Correct size, alloy, lube, and make sure you are not reducing bullet diameter when taper crimping.

Don Verna

[sutherpride59]

I second reducing the velocity. As stated, and SOP for consistency, separate components by headstamp. Group boolits, by weight and see.
My crimp consists of closing the belled mouth only. Nothing at all on the boils. Plenty of tension to hold them in.

SHiloh

i second that especially if you are tumble lubing the bullets, that stuffs so tacky it darn near holds the boolits in like glue.

Also powder selection is huge, ask around I'm sure there are plenty of fellows on here that can tell you what powder would work well for what you are trying to do. I loaded fmj's with power pistol for the wife back when she had a an fnp .40 and I could never get good accuracy out of it either. I found accurate#5 to be a better choice in powder for 175's but the were fmj's. Also #5 meters better too.

[M-Tecs]

Sorting brass and weighing bullets is a waste of time for your issue. Correct size, alloy, lube, and make sure you are not reducing bullet diameter when taper crimping.

Don Verna

I missed that in my reply. When I first started that was my biggest problem. I've been using Lyman M Dies so long I forgot about it.

[runfiverun]

HOLY COW!!
JD it is good to see you.

[dubber123]

Try 5.5 grains of Power Pistol. I use the same boolit in my Shield, and noticed accuracy noticeably decreased above 5.5 grains. A harder boolit might bring it back for me, but these are just practice rounds, and air cooled is easier for me. I use conventional lube, and can get groups in the 2.5" range at 25 yards, which I consider pretty good for this type of firearm.

[kungfustyle]

Factory crimp die for rifles ++++ Pistols bad ------- the crimp die for pistols sizes the boolit down inside the brass. Try seating then crimping with the reloading die just enough to get the round to chamber. Field strip the pistol and plop the rounds in. Once you get that plop crimp the rest and you should be good to go. Like most said drop the speed down, start at the beginning of the load and increase .2 grains till you get to the magic load. Should be good to go.

[Half Dog]

I had a simular problem. I was relaxing my grip as I was squeezing the trigger.

[John Boy]

Gentlemen ... there is no sense trying to guess what JAbee's issue(s) when you ask the BASICs - what his group accuracy is - he comes to the thread to check the responses and doesn't say a word what his existing group accuracy is
Accordingly - I say Let Him Figure His Own Issues Out because throwing suggestions at the thread is a pure waste of timenot knowing if or not there is an accuracy problem!