.40 SW Steel Loads?

[MKitzmiller]

I'm looking for a good starting point for a light steel shooting load to run through a 5" 2011.

Any and all help would be most appreciated.

I'm sitting on 8 lbs of Autocomp and 1K 180Gr. Bayou TCG's.

[zzt]

Autocomp is a bit slow for light 40 loads. You want to use a little bit of something faster, like e3. My Minor 40 load is 180gr over 2.8gr e3 for 138PF. I load to 1.126", so you will need a touch more powder if loading long.

[MKitzmiller]

Right on ZZT. I've never run the shotgun marketed powders.. Been tempted to run clays a few times. Do you have any reloading tables that shows this powder??

[zzt]

There are no loading tables for Alliant e3. However, you can very safely use Clays data. e3 is a little more forgiving than Clays.

[accu9]

180gr Xtreme

1.15 OAL

3.0gr N310

135PF from 5.4" Akai

[MKitzmiller]

thanks all

[Big Nick]

Before I switched to unlimited (can't see open sights anymore) I used 3.5 gr of WST under a 155 gr Bayou Bullet. I used a 9 Lb recoil spring in my EAA Limited Pro. The guys at the club couldn't believe how little the gun recoiled. I told them I had been working out and was holding the gun with all my mightt but it was the load.

40 S&W

155 gr BB

3.5 gr WST

1.13 OAL

9.0 lb recoil spring

Edited May 5, 2016 by Big Nick

[Big Nick]

You could probably go 3.2-3.5 gr. WST with your 180 gr. Bullet.

[mwx40x40]

Before I switched to unlimited (can't see open sights anymore) I used 3.5 gr of WST under a 155 gr Bayou Bullet. I used a 9 Lb recoil spring in my EAA Limited Pro. The guys at the club couldn't believe how little the gun recoiled. I told them I had been working out and was holding the gun with all my mightt but it was the load.

40 S&W

155 gr BB

3.5 gr WST

1.13 OAL

9.0 lb recoil spring

+1 this a good load for Steel

[Daft]

I have to play with this tried using 165 gr bullet, 4.0 hp38, 13lb spring and would like to go lower-1.135 OAL, glock

[APL-G35]

140gr bayou. 1.165 with 4.5 of tite group. It's amazing

[MKitzmiller]

I settled in on 3.1 of Clays and a 180.

If it wasn't for the hole next to the X on my target, I'd have checked for a squib.

[GrumpyOne]

I settled in on 3.1 of Clays and a 180.

If it wasn't for the hole next to the X on my target, I'd have checked for a squib.

My old steel load was 3.2 of Clays with a 180...the first time I loaded up a mag of them and shot it, I couldn't stop laughing after I fired the first round...

[MKitzmiller]

I settled in on 3.1 of Clays and a 180.

If it wasn't for the hole next to the X on my target, I'd have checked for a squib.

My old steel load was 3.2 of Clays with a 180...the first time I loaded up a mag of them and shot it, I couldn't stop laughing after I fired the first round...

I shot a few at 4.2 gr of Autocomp. In my mind that was super minimum felt recoil for a .40 load.

When I shot the first round of clays and realized that it was a hit I did the same thing.. Laughed so hard I got light headed..

[jimbullet]

I have to play with this tried using 165 gr bullet, 4.0 hp38, 13lb spring and would like to go lower-1.135 OAL, glock

What sort of speed are you getting out of this recipe? I too am developing some loads using same bullet weight and powder.

Have only gone down to 4.6 gr but would be interesting to know if your recipe has had reliable cycling?

[Hooked]

Hi all,

Any suggestions on a steel load using e3 and BB 165gr FPs?  I see that Hodgdon has a Clays load with this bullet (starting at 3grs), but not sure if I can directly substitute Clays with e3. 

When I was still loading shotshells and e3 had just come out, I had read you could use Clays load data. Don't know if the same applies for pistol loads. 

Thanks!

Edited August 20, 2016 by Hooked

[zzt]

Hooked, you can use Clays date for e3.  My minor steel loads are as follows:  All use mixed HS brass and CCI500 primers.  OAL is 1.126" for lead and 1.135" for plated.

 

2.8gr e3 under a 180gr LTC for 138PF, and 3.3gr e3 under a Rainier 165gr Plated TC bullet for 140PF.

[Hooked]

Thanks zzt.  Having gone through the thread, you're the go to guy on e3 so your help is appreciated. 

I think I'll start at 3grs with the165 bullet and go from there. I might try with a slightly longer OAL as my gun has given me failure to feed issues with 1.125 - 1.135" loadings. 

[Hooked]

Just thought I'd report back:

Using 165gr BB plated bullets, CCI 500 primers and mixed HS, once fired brass, I tried e3 at 2.8grs, 3.1grs and 3.3grs. OAL was 1.18. 

The 2.8 loads wouldn't cycle. The 3.1 loads would cycle but with a stoppage approx 1 out of 5 shots.  The 3.3 loads ran fine and were very soft.  Clean burning, but a little smokey.  They were accurate enough out to 25 yards for my purposes.

Out of a 10 shot string, I had a low of 750 and a high of 816. Average was 781.3 for  a PF of 128. SD was 26.62.  All charges were hand weighed.

I plan to load about another 100 rounds at 3.3grs and see how they work at practice. I might also try bumping up the charge weight to 3.5 just to see how the gun (and me) reacts to a little more pressure/velocity. This would also give me a little bit of buffer in case my press ever drops a light charge. 

Thanks.

[zzt]

Hooked, why are you loading so long.  If 1.135" doesn't work, try 1.150".  If that works you are better off.

[Hooked]

zzt, I'm shooting a STI Apeiro and was having ftf problems when I was loading shorter. At 1.18 for my major loads, I didn't have any problems so I thought I'd keep loading long for my steel loads.

I'll give 1.15 a shot. 

[zzt]

Hooked, I was playing around with so 40 loads for steel, using my CZ TS regular upper and Open upper.  Using a Rainier 135 CPTC over 3.3gr e3 at 1.135" made a super soft, very accurate load for the Limited upped.  Brass just dribbled out with the 13lb spring, so I'd probably have to go down to 11.  With the Open upper, 3.5gr e3 with the Rainier 155 CPTC bullet was soft, accurate and worked the comp enough that muzzle rise was very minimal  Splits were amazing.  3.3gr was too soft and 3.8 was more than required.