.40 e3 180g charge to start?

[carlspeed]

Bought a bunch of moly coated blue bullets in 180gr rnfp. There is a match coming up Sunday I want to shoot, and I can chrono some loads after match, but not before. Thinking of making match ammo at 4.1g, and then ten each of 3.7, 3.9, 4.3, 4.5 to chrono for speed. Is 4.1 safe for starting? Goal is 168/170pf. I don't care if I don't make major for match, just want them to be safe in gun, which is a STI Edge, 5". Thanks in advance!

Edited October 13, 2017 by carlspeed

[bowenbuilt]

You should find what you are looking for between 4.0 and 4.5 grains. All should be very safe. I have used 4.5 with a 180 bullet for years for Major. You may get lucky as some others here and have to use less but all the loads you listed should be safe.

[Mountbkr]

I'm at 4.2 e3 for 172pf in a DVC if that helps in your decision, 180 Blue Bullets

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[zzt]

Wow.  My Major load is either 3.6 or 3.7gr e3, depending on bullet, under a 180 for 172PF @ 1.126" OAL.  3.7 for blue bullets.  I use that same load in bot by 2011s and my TS.  

[Mountbkr]

I maybe should have specified thats at 1.175 OAL


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[carlspeed]

I am loading at 1.183 for my OAL. 1.185 is what was recommended to my by my STI's prior owner. All bullets I weighed were over 180g, most 180.5/181, so I guess I need 916fps for 165PF, and 935fps to be comfy. I've got ranges from 3.5g to 4.7g, with the loads I made for the match at 4.15g. While they could end up being plus or minus .2g for ideal, I would venture they should be safe enough to shoot a match with. Once done I'll chrono and post up what I ended up with. Thanks all for your help!

[rowdyb]

My gun, my bullets, my oal from my very first ladder/shots of E3 this morning I didn't make pf (165) at all with 3.6, 3.8 and just barely and only half the shots with 3.90.

 

So I'm about to head back out with 4.0 and 4.10 to see what gets me a reliable 170pf.

 

Again, 180gr plated bullet, 1.185" oal, mixed brass, Win spp, Atlas Titan with 5" kkm barrel.

[ttolliver]

6 hours ago, zzt said:

Wow.  My Major load is either 3.6 or 3.7gr e3, depending on bullet, under a 180 for 172PF @ 1.126" OAL.  3.7 for blue bullets.  I use that same load in bot by 2011s and my TS.  

 

Interesting. I'm using 4.3gr e3 with 180 FMJ at 1.126" out of a Tactical Sport and getting ~175 (175 my chrono, 176 last level 2 chrono).

 

The gun was a mid-season purchase and once I found 4.3 was dead accurate I decided to spend my Saturdays at matches instead of continuing to tinker at the chrono. But I figured I'd pull it down to a 170-171 level if I could during the off season. And I guessed that would be at 4.1 or 4.2 grains. But I'm surprised that I'd still be .5 grains above your coated load. I know cast and coated take less push, I'm just used to it being more like .2.

[carlspeed]

Doesn't OAL affect speed slightly?

[tcazes]

yes and not just slightly. i have tested ammo at 1.125 that was major but went minor at 1.185

[carlspeed]

So I should have noted I'm using small winchester magnum primers, I've always heard that's maybe 15fps, but I haven't ever actually checked that. I chronoed about 6 different loads, and found that 4.15g and 3.92g were the closest. The FPS for 4.15g was avg 942, with a good spread of 959-931. 3.92g yielded an average of 916fps, pretty big spread on just two shots from 951-896. Through some intense calculations, I fond that 4.05g should give me pretty close to 930fps average, so keeping even the lower shots right at the min point. I'll be loading that up this week. Anywhere between 4.05g and 4.1g should be fine if I get lazy.

 

Chrono was done at 10 feet, STI 5" factory barrel, 180g blue bullets, 1.183 OAL, and Alliant E3 powder. Thanks everyone for your help!