40 Major Powder

[dskinsler83]

Ok guys I'm bout to pull my hair out here lol!!! I need a new powder to make major with new 185gr Precision (Black/Moly) bullets. I can not find VV N320-40 anywhere and I'm told it's the best! I want a soft push type recoil impulse and would prefer cleaner burning. So what should I be looking for? What is the next best thing to VVs powder? I need something better than WSF. The WSF load I had for the 170gr precision bullets is way to snappy and to much muzzle flip. I'm shooting a G24 solid slide and just picked up a pair if P16s. I know W231 will make major. What else guys I hve searched and searched on here and none if the answers or topis seem to help alot. Is it S1K, Unique, Power Pistol, ram comp, WST???? OAL AND CHARGE GRAINS NEEDED AS I CANT FIND 185gr LOAD DATA EITHER!

[Joe4d]

WST is about perfect Moly bullet powder, almost as good as 320 and very similar to 320 and usually easy to find and cheaper. alot of people use Solo 1000 and like it also. Use 180 cast data and fine tune with a chrono, the moly 185's will travel a bit faster and they are a bit heavier so you'll reach 170 pf sooner than you would with lead or jacketed 180's. I hinestly cant remember my load but I think I made 168 with about 4.5, loaded at 1.180 with a 6" gun. I have no idea what a glock 24 is, so adjust from there. Im gonna guess you'll be loading about 1.140 so I would load up some 4.2, 4.4 and 4.6, and chrono.

[titandriver]

Try Alliant E3 -- 3.5-3.7 grs did it in my 24.

[dskinsler83]

The WST loads I see are way over published data...that's worrisome

[Joe4d]

so are most of the other loads we use, I'm not a balistician but alot of people myself included are making major with wst moly bullets and 1.140 and greater OAL with nary a problem.

[Mark R]

Dan, I run Precision Moly 180's in both my Glock and Para P16.

I use Clays major in Para because I can load long. 4.0-4.2 grains clays at 1.180" OAL. 4.0 gr gives me 170 PF. 4.2 give me 172 PF. Both feel real soft shooting.

DO NOT LOAD CLAYS SHORT OAL = Case head seperations. Also, do not load Clays major in Glock because of short OAL required by magazines.

For Glock major, go with Solo 1000...4.2 grains at 1.130"OAL yields me about 170 PF...4.4 gives me 176 PF. Start low around 4.0, move up slowly for you gun.

Now for Glock minor PF...go with 2.6-2.8 gr clays at 1.130 OAL...feels like shooting a BB gun.

Hope it helps.

[juan]

WST is by far my favorite,

[CocoBolo]

WST works very well with Moly bullets and Bayou Bullets AT OAL 1.180 or longer 185gr = 4.7gr wst. You can use it with Jacketed bullets 5.0-5.1gr with 180gr Jacketed Zero 1.180 or longer. 5" gun like STI Edge.

At 1.140 expect that you will blow the top off a few brass and split a few cases. HB + FP + SOAL = Kaboom do the math. HB=Heavy Bullet FP = Fast Powder SOAL = Short OAL

I've shot probably 20k at lengths of 1.185 to 1.200 with no issues, but as always start low work up. I use Federal SPP when I can get them else Win SPP. I shot probably 5k out of a CZ TS at 1.140 and sold it because I got tired of carrying right angle needle nose pliers in my pocket to pick the pieces of brass out of the chamber, messes up your stage good.

If you have a slow barrel then you need to find a slow powder. If you are way off on PF with these loads you got a slow barrel or you are doing something wrong like using a Lee FCD die or crimping the heck out of them.

N320 also works well and may just be a tick lighter on recoil than WST with Moly bullets, it is definately superior with jacketed bullets. 185gr Precison 4.5gr, Jacketed 180gr Zero 5.0gr, again the OAL is 1.180 or longer.

[johnny1gun]

WST works very well with Moly bullets and Bayou Bullets AT OAL 1.180 or longer 185gr = 4.7gr wst. You can use it with Jacketed bullets 5.0-5.1gr with 180gr Jacketed Zero 1.180 or longer. 5" gun like STI Edge.

At 1.140 expect that you will blow the top off a few brass and split a few cases. HB + FP + SOAL = Kaboom do the math. HB=Heavy Bullet FP = Fast Powder SOAL = Short OAL

I've shot probably 20k at lengths of 1.185 to 1.200 with no issues, but as always start low work up. I use Federal SPP when I can get them else Win SPP. I shot probably 5k out of a CZ TS at 1.140 and sold it because I got tired of carrying right angle needle nose pliers in my pocket to pick the pieces of brass out of the chamber, messes up your stage good.

If you have a slow barrel then you need to find a slow powder. If you are way off on PF with these loads you got a slow barrel or you are doing something wrong like using a Lee FCD die or crimping the heck out of them.

N320 also works well and may just be a tick lighter on recoil than WST with Moly bullets, it is definately superior with jacketed bullets. 185gr Precison 4.5gr, Jacketed 180gr Zero 5.0gr, again the OAL is 1.180 or longer.

I have a friend who doesn't crimp his 40's. Is this a safe practice with a 40?I know you have to crimp a 45.

[kalaur]

I have a friend who doesn't crimp his 40's. Is this a safe practice with a 40?I know you have to crimp a 45.

Depends on how much you flare. If you're running FMJ and not flaring much, may not need to crimp as much. I shoot lead and flare quite a bit, so I have to crimp. However, even when I do crimp, all I'm doing is taking the flare off the case, maybe a TINY bit past that so short cases don't have the flare as well.

Same goes for 45 ACP, you don't *have* to crimp, but you should at least remove the flare you've put on the case.

You shouldn't use crimp to 'hold' the bullet in place. If you get a lot of bullet setback without crimp, you may want to use a undersizing die. Using crimp to hold a bullet in place from setback is a crutch IMO, and could lead you down a path of dangerously high pressures. The exception to this is big revolver cartridges, where you're roll crimping not taper crimping.

[kalaur]

Ok guys I'm bout to pull my hair out here lol!!! I need a new powder to make major with new 185gr Precision (Black/Moly) bullets. I can not find VV N320-40 anywhere and I'm told it's the best! I want a soft push type recoil impulse and would prefer cleaner burning. So what should I be looking for? What is the next best thing to VVs powder? I need something better than WSF. The WSF load I had for the 170gr precision bullets is way to snappy and to much muzzle flip. I'm shooting a G24 solid slide and just picked up a pair if P16s. I know W231 will make major. What else guys I hve searched and searched on here and none if the answers or topis seem to help alot. Is it S1K, Unique, Power Pistol, ram comp, WST???? OAL AND CHARGE GRAINS NEEDED AS I CANT FIND 185gr LOAD DATA EITHER!

'Best' is subjective, you may like it, you may not. VV powders are generally pretty good and clean, however availability and cost are issues. As others have said, try a few different powders at the same power factor and see what you like best, WST, WSF, 231, Solo 1000, clays, etc. Just be careful with the faster powders and 40 loads, if you're not loading long (>1.180) you can run into case head separations. Even loading long you can run into this. To me, its not worth the risk, the first time you blow a head off a case and blow a stage, all the advantages of the powder are out the window. Could have just run a powder that didn't recoil quite as nice, but finished every stage with it.

[Cowboy1629]

Looks like Powder Valley has VihtaVuori powder in stock but you will have haz-mat fees associated with it. Get some buddies to pitch in on primers, powder and haz-mat fees it will end up being cheaper.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Cowboy1629

[jimzim]

Looks like Powder Valley has VihtaVuori powder in stock but you will have haz-mat fees associated with it. Get some buddies to pitch in on primers, powder and haz-mat fees it will end up being cheaper.

And free shipping from Powder Valley if ordered today. Hazmat fee still applies.

[Shadowrider]

I use WST. 180 grain, 1.180" OAL.

Lead: 4.6gr

Jacketed 5.1gr

I wouldn't use this fast of a powder loading at factory length! If you have to load short, use a slower powder along the lines of Universal. And as always chrono in your gun but these should be in the general area of 168/170 PF.

[SDM]

WST works very well with Moly bullets and Bayou Bullets AT OAL 1.180 or longer 185gr = 4.7gr wst. You can use it with Jacketed bullets 5.0-5.1gr with 180gr Jacketed Zero 1.180 or longer. 5" gun like STI Edge.

At 1.140 expect that you will blow the top off a few brass and split a few cases. HB + FP + SOAL = Kaboom do the math. HB=Heavy Bullet FP = Fast Powder SOAL = Short OAL

I've shot probably 20k at lengths of 1.185 to 1.200 with no issues, but as always start low work up. I use Federal SPP when I can get them else Win SPP. I shot probably 5k out of a CZ TS at 1.140 and sold it because I got tired of carrying right angle needle nose pliers in my pocket to pick the pieces of brass out of the chamber, messes up your stage good.

If you have a slow barrel then you need to find a slow powder. If you are way off on PF with these loads you got a slow barrel or you are doing something wrong like using a Lee FCD die or crimping the heck out of them.

N320 also works well and may just be a tick lighter on recoil than WST with Moly bullets, it is definately superior with jacketed bullets. 185gr Precison 4.5gr, Jacketed 180gr Zero 5.0gr, again the OAL is 1.180 or longer.

What does your crimp measure?

[BlueOvalBruin]

I loaded bear creek moly 180gr with 4.5gr Solo at 1.131" and got 167PF out of a lone wolf barrel in my G35. It was high pressure though and leaded up the throat. I wanted to go higher for major matches but would have chosen a different powder most likely.

Bear creek 180 over 4.6gr solo at 1.180" got me 179PF from the .40 lone wolf barrel in my 6" G20.

Bear creek 180 over 4.6gr solo at 1.200" got me 171PF from the .40 lone wolf barrel in my 6" G20.

Bear creek 180 over 5.2gr solo at 1.200" got me 171PF from the .40 barsto barrel in my 5" STI type limited gun.

[blaster113]

Used to use HP38/WW231 for .40 major loads at 1.180 oal with moly and jhps; really liked the recoil impulse but the powder was a little too dirty for my tastes. Tried Universal; very clean but snappy recoil. Just started using Solo 1000. Its much cleaner than HP38 and has a soft push almost like N320. N320 is the holy grail but is damn expensive. I save my small 8lb stash of N320 for my major match loads.

[Biloxi23]

I have a Glock 24 and a Glock 35, and shoot Precision 185's out of both. 4.7 grains of WSF shoots very nicely. I load the cartridges to a COAL of 1.135. This is from a stock barrel in both guns. I have ordered an aftermarket barrel with traditional lands and grooves and will see how that shoots.