Loading .40 S&W with Hodgdon Clays

TrevorF

TrevorF

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Has anyone here tried it? I loaded some rounds with 3gr of it yesterday with a 180gr projectile. I need to make 170 power factor. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Trevor
 
I load 3.0 grns of clays with a 180 lead for a MINOR factor idpa/odpl load. Clays will be over max pressure(read dangerous) with a major 170 pf load. try 231, power pistol, aa#7, unique etc to get the pf you want. Your loading manual is your friend.
 
Thanks guys. I went by what Hogdon's website said. It's says to start at 3gr and the max is 3.5gr. I have 231 but it takes twice as much power. If 3gr of clays works out I can load 2000 rounds per pound instead of 1000 rounds with 231.
Thanks,
Trevor
 
Hi. Work up the load. Don't just use the starting load and hope it's accurate out of your pistol.
"...I can load 2000 rounds per pound..." Your arithmetic is a bit off. You'll get 2,000 rounds per pound with the 3.5 grains max load. 2333 per lb at 3 grains. 7000 grains per pound. Certainly a bonus, but not a consideration when you're looking for velocity and accuracy out of your pistol.
231 doesn't use twice as much powder either. It'll give you a bit more velocity with a 180 grain jacketed bullet. Mind you, shooting any jacketed bullet, regularly, gets expensive quickly.
 
i second the universal clay iv had really good results with my 40s&w as mentioned canuckwr
it is a very clean. and a 5-5.8grains it makes a few rounds out of a pound.
 
You can load 40 S&W to major but ONLY is you load it LONG. That means much longer than spec and long enough than it will NOT will fit in most guns, Glock, CZ etc. About the only guns that can chamber these long loads are 1911s, and it had better be a strong one at that.

The loads are HIGH pressure, and any little mistake, or even the bullet being pushed into the case a bit, could result in a KABOOM. Loading long reduces the peak pressure substantially, and the opposite is also true, shorten the OAL and your pressure goes up very substantially.

I would strongly recommend NOT using Clays for 40 major.
 
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ampegor said:
Clays will be over max pressure(read dangerous) with a major 170 pf load.
Click to expand...

Really?

It used to be a pretty popular IPSC Load (with a longer OAL and free bored chamber) Guns weren't blowing up...and no signs of excessive pressure.

I shot it myself for 5 years, before I switched over to Vit 320. No issues...

I still hear that familiar crack at the odd IPSC match...that only clays can make...

Like any new load...start at the low and work your way up...checking from any signs of pressure...
 
Quigley said:
Really?

It used to be a pretty popular IPSC Load (with a longer OAL and free bored chamber) Guns weren't blowing up...and no signs of excessive pressure.

I shot it myself for 5 years, before I switched over to Vit 320. No issues...

I still hear that familiar crack at the odd IPSC match...that only clays can make...

Like any new load...start at the low and work your way up...checking from any signs of pressure...
Click to expand...
Exactly right. One other caveat: do NOT load with Clays if your gun doesn't have a fully supported chamber.
 
Well 3.0 gn was too much. I also had some inconsistent OAL and the short ones were bad. We had one round chrono over 1700fps.
I'm running the OAL now at about the max. I'm also down to 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8. If that does work I'm just going to call it a fail and go with either tite group or 231.
Or who knows maybe I will try Accurate # 5 or Silhouette.lol
 
TrevorF said:
Well 3.0 gn was too much. I also had some inconsistent OAL and the short ones were bad. We had one round chrono over 1700fps.
I'm running the OAL now at about the max. I'm also down to 2.5, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8. If that does work I'm just going to call it a fail and go with either tite group or 231.
Or who knows maybe I will try Accurate # 5 or Silhouette.lol
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like you're too close to the chrono. Doesn't sound like you're getting proper readings.
 
Hey Trevor...as Rob has pointed out... something very wrong with those results. It could be the chrono being too close to the muzzle (as he mentioned) or if you have a folding "Chrony" not having it fully "unfolded" It really messes up the calculations.

Regardless...I doubt there is any load in a 40 cal that would reach 1600 fps without turning your gun into a grenade (even slow burning powders).

The one thing I did want to caution you against is going any lower than you are now (3 grains)

Low powder charges with fast burning powders can cause very unpredictable pressure spikes (the build up in pressure is caused by a slow existing bullet) It's not something you can mathematically calculate (ie. it is not a linear calculation) and there are several factors involved...but the one constant is very low powder charges of fast powder.

I would recommend (after you solve your Chrono issue) that you find out how long you can load in your pistol (without the bullet contacting the rifling) start your load in the low 3's and work your way up, continually checking for obvious signs of pressure (primer flow, flat primers and breech face marks on the head stamp)

You can make major with Clays and 180 gr bullets no problem...many IPSC shooters have done so.


Good luck





relliott said:
Sounds to me like you're too close to the chrono. Doesn't sound like you're getting proper readings.
Click to expand...
 
I think I might call it quits with Clays. As for the Chrono speeds, Three things may have caused some issues, one OAL was short on some cases, two there was a lot of clowd cover and three I may have been too close.
I might go back to Clays but only when my buddy figures out the load.
Thanks guys,
Trevor
 
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