Your favourite powder for .40 S&W?

northern skies

northern skies

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I just picked up some dies for my pistol today. What powder do you recommend for a good, reliable load pushing 165 or 180 grain bullets, and why?

Thanks!
 
northern skies said:
I just picked up some dies for my pistol today. What powder do you recommend for a good, reliable load pushing 165 or 180 grain bullets, and why?

Thanks!
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WSF 5.8gr Loading 180gr HCLRN's to 970fps COAL 1.218 Med Crimp
Low smoke, recoil is a nice push instead of a hard 'snap' and the muzzle rise is easy to control.

Makes major PF in a very nice package.
 
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N-320 if you dont mind the expensive stuff, clean consistant nice recoil pulse
WW231 is pretty good all around but dirty, 5.0 with a 180 for major
Green Dot works well as does Promo and Red Dot, green dot is cheap n-320 but not nearly as clean
 
762nato said:
N-320 if you dont mind the expensive stuff, clean consistant nice recoil pulse
WW231 is pretty good all around but dirty, 5.0 with a 180 for major
Green Dot works well as does Promo and Red Dot, green dot is cheap n-320 but not nearly as clean
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What recipie for promo? I see they list it as same gr per gr as red dot, but I have never tried working up a load.
 
Titegroup, 3.5gr with 180gr Canadian BDX FMJ TC. Its a light load that I worked up for plinking only. Cheap, not too dirty or smokey. Haven't tried any other powders in .40S&W.
 
I use Win 231 for all my .40 and 9mm loads. I think I'm using 5.3 gr under a 180 gr clad bullet. I'm at work at the moment so I don't have my notes.
 
I looked at some of the above posted data
don't flame me i try to give safe data

if you look at one data source it is safe and then look at another it is a over load

check out http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

i would use
231 / WST as a target load ( lower cost per round ) 231 first choice as it will make major but is dirty but if you clean after every trip not a problem

231 is very flexable

WSF as a major ipsc load makes major at a lower pressure than some other powders
 
I've been using 4.8g. of Titegroup below a 180 grain BDX. This gives me a IPSC power factor of 175, not sure what that is in FPS, I'd have to look in my records. This is from a 5'' STI but my wife's Glock is about the same.
 
Depends how you want to seats and what PF you looking at, how 'tight' is your barrel.
I use International Clays, which is sold in Canada as a shotgun powder, but it originates from Australia where they are using for handgun loads.
My weight is 4.6-7gr with OAL 1.16-17
PF is bit above 175 from SV pistol
 
Hodgdon LONGSHOT! 10.0 Grains under a 155Gr XTP @ 1.125"

People ask me if I'm shooting a magnum! You know you've shot something with that load (I wouldn't use it in a glock though... my M&P loves it!)

For more Mild.... 3.5 Grains Clays under a 180Gr Cam-Pro... feels like a light loaded 38 to me!
 
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