40 S&W powder selection

[jameslovesjammie]

I'm going to start shooting USPSA in a few months when I get all my stuff together. Gun of choice is a CZ75B satin nickle in .40. To make major, all I need is to push a 175 grain boolit (Lyman 401638) 920 fps.

The powders I have on hand are SR7625 (LOTS), SR4756, Longshot, Bullseye (not alot), H110, Unique (Old Dirty formula), 2400, True Blue, Enforcer, and HP-38.

I am assuming H110, 2400, and Enforcer are too slow to generate pressure in the short case.

Are any of the other powders I listed winners for the .40? Any with typically a low standard deviation in velocity? I'd like to come as close to power factor (165) without exceeding as I can. I've heard a couple locals mention Clays, Universal, and Titegroup.

I have no problem purchasing new powers if need be.

Thanks,

James

[Tn_River_Ratt]

My favorite load for the .40 is 5.0 of win 231 with a 180 gr rn boolit. I shoot alot of them, not sure of the fps and they are plenty acurate.


Tn_River_Ratt

[kawalekm]

I use Blue Dot for everything.

[mike in co]

i thought they dropped the power factor completely...last i heard it was down to 160....then dropped.

so first off drop the bullet weight if you are going to shoot in competition.

higher bullet weight means a slower second shot.

go down to 135......or 155/165.......but there are enough 135 shot that they make them!

then push them with something like aa5

mike in co

[HeavyMetal]

I'll be watchng this thread closely, one of the guys at work has a 40 and I have never loaded for it.

I have put together a hundred rounds for him , using Power Pistol, because that was what I had on hand. I also loaded 180 grain boolits for him because that was what I could find.

In the future I'm going to load the Lee 145 gr SWC when I can get a mold ordered!

My Lee book shows Loads for both sr7625 & 4756 in this wieght class so if I was you I'd experiment with a few loads and look for "usable" accuracy with these powders.

Getting a low "standrad Devaition" is nice BUT the only thing that really counts is group size when you put it on paper.

I will also second Mike in Co thoughts Recovery for repeat shots is more important than power factor.

My theory when I shot IPSC: shoot minor, shoot all 5's and go home happy!

Power factor only applies when you are getting preripheral hits! If your getting a lot of "edger's" the gun is not "broken in" and it needs more range time.

[jameslovesjammie]

Thanks for the quick replies, guys!


i thought they dropped the power factor completely...last i heard it was down to 160....then dropped.

Mike, the 2008 rulebook says 165 PF for major in Limited, but I'm probably going to start out in production, where there IS no major. I plan on getting the 150 groupbuy from Trickyasafox when the holidays are over. That should be quite a bit better for shooting paper anyway.


Power factor only applies when you are getting preripheral hits! If your getting a lot of "edger's" the gun is not "broken in" and it needs more range time.

Heavy, I hear that! I've had the gun for about a month now and have only had a chance to put about 400 rounds through it! When I got my 686, I had over 1,000 rounds through it at this point. But we've had about 2 weeks now with highs around 10 above and windchill around 35 below. I work days and the indoor range is only open weekday nights. Just my luck!

[xpshooter]

I am using Longshot and have decent accuracy with it, also getting more velocity than I think I really need, although I am shooting a G24C so my thoughts are use a fast 135gr so I have the port pressure to push the gun back down. Not really sure if this is the right thought process so please chime in if I am incorrect.

[mikeyd499]

I use HP-38 with 155gr jacket bullets in a Glock 23 and they shoot very well. Not sure of the powder weight but I believe it's 6 gr. Check your load books to be safe. Not sure about making power factor though.

[Blazin]

Your HP38 is the best choice of the powders you have on hand.

Most 40 shooters in ipsic are using 180 grain bullets pushed by VV320. You want a heavier bullet with a faster powder for a non-comped gun, and vice versa with a comped gun to minimize recoil.

[shotman]

titegroup is very good and is position insentsive seems like 6gr but I am not at bench. It meters well in Lyman55 ---Lee ---and Dillon

[sixshot]

The powder factor is still in effect, its 165 if you declare major, its 125 in minor, you have to declare which you are shooting before the match starts. There is no major PF in production class. Scoring is different depending on major or minor.
I used a lot of W231 in my 40 S&W revolvers but found out the hard way, Area I in Bend, Oregon & again at Area I in Reno, Nevada that its temp. sensitive in reverse! That is, when it chronographed 167.2 here in Idaho at 61 degrees it went to 176.8 at 37 degrees in Bend. Guess I'm a slow learner, the next year it went 163.8 in Reno at 78 degrees! I switched to WST & never had anymore problems, this was using a 205 gr RN cast.

Dick A48544

[missionary5155]

Good morning I have a Springfield P9 in 40 and use ACC #5 ... I do not remember what the max load is listed for the 180 gr cast though. That book is up in Illinois. But I have shot hundreds of rounds with #5 and clean it every 500 or so... Chunk Chunk Chunk.

[Dark Helmet]

Try True Blue-Ramshot lists it at 6.6 gr. for a 170 gr.boolit. I used WSF to push 200 grainers that fast:mrgreen:

[mike in co]

Your HP38 is the best choice of the powders you have on hand.

Most 40 shooters in ipsic are using 180 grain bullets pushed by VV320. You want a heavier bullet with a faster powder for a non-comped gun, and vice versa with a comped gun to minimize recoil.



your gonna have to explain this to me......

everything i every did in pistol comp was go liter for a quicker second shot.....

i shot 180/175 for a while, but jumped to 165 quickly, and as i have said have 135's ready to go.

i never said i was never wrong...but a heavy bullet is more recoil...uncomped guns.

mike in co

[jameslovesjammie]

Thanks everyone for all the input. For now I'm shooting WWB until I get the barrel smoothed out a bit. Only 220 rounds so far, so it's still going to be a little rough for cast yet.