My initial M&P 40 Pro recipe has terrible accuracy.....

[glassblower]

Howdy, I used an initial recipe of 4.6 gr of VV320, coated RNFP 180 and an OAL of 1.14 in my M&P 40 Pro and It had the horrible accuracy. Like an 8 inch spread at 15 yds. The only other ammo I’ve shot with this gun has been OTS stuff and it was ok. Any recommendations for more accurate recipe? I have VV320, VV340, WST, and TG along with MG 180 JHP and 165 JHP. I know a ladder load might be appropriate but I am “wishing”:someone might have a load for this that works well. Interestingly, a search for M&P In this forum came up empty.

 

I load for my STI limited, various 45’s, revolvers, etc and have very accurate loads for them. BTW, that above recipe is amazingly accurate in my Sig X5.

 

Thanks, Al

[Hi-Power Jack]

Have you tried the same load with different OAL's?    (Isn't 1.14" kind of short?)

 

I'd try couple factory loads     

[DesertTortoise]

Could be that bullet is sized too small for the barrel. I know the 9mm ones can vary from .355 to .358 or so

[rowdyb]

in my experience coated bullets need brass with more belling before seating

in my experience coated bullets are crimp sensitive

 

if both these things weren't jjjuuuusssttt right then i too got horrible accuracy and having either or both wrong effects the coating in a negative way.

Edited November 15, 2017 by rowdyb

[rowdyb]

180gr plated bullet in a 5" barrel for me is 4.4gr Titegroup or 4.7gr WST to make major pf. 1.185" oal with a rnfp profile in a 2011 type gun and 1.125" in my CZ tac sport.

[glassblower]

Thanks, all the suggestions are spot on, if the crimp, bell, bullet size (.401) wasn't already working well for my 2011's and X5. All I did was shorten the OAL and lower the powder charge in my 1050 head I use for 40. 1.14 is about as long as I can go in the M&P mags with this profile. This OAL plunks ok, but I'll shorten it a bit. Maybe a .401 bullet size is a bit large for the M&P, I'll try some MG 180 JHP's with the same settings and see if that improves things.      I was hoping someone had a recipe they knew worked well in an M&P 40. 

[TDA]

This is interesting, as I have a M&P40 and it's the most useless pistol that I own. It's about like you say, a 6"-8" group at 15 yds.

 

Glock, Sig, Beretta, all shoot very well on the same ammo, but I gave up on the M&P after about a year of fighting with it and trying different loads and projectiles.

 

It was actually worse than that when I first got it and it went back to S&W. They replaced the barrel and it was better, but still useless in comparison to other pistols.

 

YMMV

[72stick]

Have you tried factory ammo? When I have a problem with accuracy in a .40 I run a box of Winchester White box 165s through the gun at 25 yards. It has the best consistency for accuracy I've found for any platform. If it doesn't shoot well with WW Box 165s, there's usually a problem with the gun and not your reloads.