40 Minor Load

[oak hill]

Looking for a .40 minor load for use in 2011 platform.

I would like to try some 140 gr cast bullets. Any suggestions from previous experience with powder preference?

[gng4life]

With that light of a bullet, you have to get it going at a decent speed which will cause more smoke so that may not be the best choice. What is this for? USPSA/IDPA/Plinking?

[oak hill]

What is this for? USPSA/IDPA/Plinking?

3 gun primarily and IDPA practice load (cast are less $)

[Cosmik de Bris]

For minor you only have to make about 900 ft/sec, not too bad for a lead projectile. Do a search there are quite a few minor 40 recipes on the forum.

[justforfun]

I've run 140 Bear Creek molys with 4.3 Solo 1000 and it shot good out of my Glock. Ran ~970FPS.

[Joe4d]

I ran alot of these till I switched to 155 rnswc, as the 155's were available locally cheaper. When I started IDPA there was zero minor 40 data that I could find so had to start experimenting, A minor 140 load leaves alot of volume in the case, this volume needs to be used by powder. I found powders like titegroup despite manufacturers claims to the contrary suck at low charge density. I then came across a chart that showed the space a grain of a given powder takes up, using that chart, a burn rate chart and what was available I settled on WST, takes up alot of room in the case, is clean enough for most matches, usually available and not a premium priced powder. When Clays came out I worked with that as it takes up even more volume than WST. It is also cleaner. Unfortunately it was also less accurate, WST is a great all around powder for 40 minor or major.

[oak hill]

Thanks for the info, that is exactly what I am looking for. I realize there is some load development to be done, but wish to minimize it as much as possible by using other suggestions.

[DougCarden]

Oak,

Your choices are a powder like W231 or Unique, in that burning rate. Your OAL will be shorter, and you will need to make up some dummy rounds to find out what OAL will work best. I would start with leaving as much shoulder exposed on the bullet as you can with keeping at least a 3rd of the bullet in the case. I know around 3.8gr of W231 will get you close. Another option, which will be more accurate, is to use a 180gr bullet. There is a ton of this data on the forum.

Good luck and go slow!

DougC

[Harmon]

WST..low smoke with lead.

i had to load those bullets (the bear creek 140s) to 1.050 oal with the 40 caliber to get them to chamber in my KKM glock barrel.

with those i shot them over my jacketed bullet major powder charge, 4.3 grains Titegroup.

it really didnt smoke much but was pretty dirty.

with plain lead i would shoot WST at 4.5 grains and about 1000 fps.

[Joe4d]

Oh the other posters reminded me, With WST or Tightgroup a really good strategy is to set your press and charge weight for 180 gr bullets loaded to major, Then taking a 155 gr bullet with the same or similar profile do nothing to your settings other than switch bullets. You will end up with abotu a 140 pf load that is enough to cycle your gun reliably without changing stuff around. I do this for loacal steel matches that have no major PF loads rules.