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What bullets for 40?


bigarm

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Another question for all of you. What bullets and grains do you use to make major in 40? I generally like FMJ and heavier bullets, so my first choice would be 180 grain FMJ, maybe from Montana Gold. However, I am up for suggestions on type of bullet, grain etc. Also, I really only used lead bullets for cowboy action shooting, but those were loaded pretty light. Is leading in the barrel a concern? I will be loading for a Brazos High Performance Edge and I would like to be able to make major. What about moly coated bullets? I see that the blue bullets are going to have a 200 grain round nose flat point 40/10 no lube ring bullet around the end of the month. Is that too heavy? I kind of like the idea of no lube ring. They have then in 165, but not 180. Are there other coated bullets for 40 with no lube ring?

Edited by bigarm
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Some sort of 180 grain bullet is the most popular choice for .40 major. For non jacketed I like BBI 180s though they have a lube ring. With the new coating the BBIs are clean shooting and have as much smoke as an FMJ. For jacketed Zero (if you can find them) or Montana Gold. 165s require more powder to make major and have a little more snap. Start with 180s and try a few 165s and 200s for comparison.

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I use 180 gr. HPFMJ. Pricey but consistent accuracy. Before the MG bullets I used Frontier 180 gr. JFN that where less accurate than the MG's but cheaper. The Frontier are difficult to get. Never tried lead but my buddy shoots them using Titegroup like I do and his smokes a lot more from vaporized lead. Don't know if coated lead is much cleaner but a lot of people love them.

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I have a 2011 build by Gans. The only bullet I have used is BBI 180gr. I found WST works the best when shooting major. Why spend the extra money on FMJ if you don't have too? Sitting here right now the gun has 4,609 rounds through it. I have not had one problem with leading or passing the chrono at a match.

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I use Zero 180gr JHP. Traditionally, Zero availability is hit or miss, so I load up when they are available.

Due to availability (or lack of consistent stock) ,I had to switch to Montana Gold for my Super Comp.

I see you are from Montana (and I assume by the handle; the Flathead region), so Montana Gold would be a natural choice. My parents live in Polson and I was thinking about sending my dad to Kalispell to pick some up!

PS - Good to see a fellow Montanan! My wife and I were born and raised there and both of our entire families live there.

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All I have ever shot out of my Brazos is plated. Rainier, RMR, and Extreme 180s. Used Titegroup for a while, tried N320 and now I am using WST. All my loads are at 1.180" Lots of people use lead with the moly coatings as well. I don't see a need to pay extra for FMJ. I also have some 200s to try later.

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I have a friend who is a master class shooter, he uses 165gr bullets out of his six inch barrel.

I standardized on Zero 180 gr with VV320 powder out of Kart, Nowlin and Schuemann barrels.

I switched to Zero 200 gr with VV320. The seems to be quite soft in terms of muzzle flip and recoil.

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After looking for a few days, I am strongly considering Precision Bullets 185 grain or the new Blue Bullets 200 grain no lube ring when they become available. Both are coated, a little cheaper than plated or fmj, and both seem to be no lube ring. If what they say is true and with the coating there is no leading, then saving a little money seems like a good idea. So ideas between 185 and 200 grain? Also, then I need to locate loading data and what powder to use. I assume that one would use load data for lead bullets. Is that correct? Any other information you can provide? I am really appreciative of the information people are willing to share here.

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I was a huge fan of the bayous til they dried up.

Didn't know they had dried up ?
Inventory was pretty poor for a while. Hopefully they're caught up.
Just spoke with Donnie... He said he's not dried up. Just placed order.
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