Factory 40 cal

[111Steve]

I was just wondering if anyone shooting Limited in uspsa ever shoots factory ammo. I shoot almost exclusively production division with my own reloads, but on the rare occasion I shoot limited I usually use Winchester white box or Remington UMC and I usually place better than I do in production. Is it cost or availability that keeps guys from using factory ammo? I can tell a huge difference in my ammo and factory, is there really that big of a difference with major PF?

Steve

[ZackJones]

When I shot Limited I did it with my own ammo and never factory. I did so because I had a load that I knew made power factor and ran well with my gun (STI Edge at the time). I've never run any factory .40 S&W over the chrono to see if it makes power factor or not. I suspect it does but it's probably at a higher power factor than really needed.

[111Steve]

There just seems to be such a huge difference in 9mm, I haven't seen it with 40cal.

[dauntedfuture]

I think that you will find that factory .40 is a little hotter then it needs to be. I know the original .40 180g loads were loaded hot (over 1000 fps?) and some still load to that spec for duty and practice ammo.

[Gooldylocks]

I know my major loads out if my G35 is a pussycat, but shooting factory makes it feel sharp in the web of my hand. That's as much as I need to know to keep me from shooting factory.

[WidowsSon683]

Wwb has always been between 175-180 out of my xdm 525

[GeorgeD]

The last time I chronoed factory ammo, I think it was prvi, it was over 190pf. 180g doing like 1060fps. A bit hot for USPSA

[zzt]

WWB 165gr would have been my choice, but it didn't make Major in my 5.5" barrel. Don't know if the barrel is slow or the powder used is temp sensitive. At any rate, with the chrono at 10' I got 164PF. The 180gr stuff is a lot hotter than needed, so I use reloads.

[open17]

FWIW, WWB 180 would make major out of a my G22 or G35. The 165 gr FMJ WWB would make major out of the G35,

but it went minor out of the G22. The 165 stuff was not nearly as snappy as 180 in both guns. Stock barrels.

[SWprotected]

I think it is a combination of things. I have run a couple of different types of factory ammo over a chrono, they were hotter than needed around 180 to 185 PF. The cost of loading your own assuming you can find the needed components is less expensive, plus you can adjust your load to your gun. Depending on the type of gun you are using also matters, some guns run better with longer loaded ammo. I like loading my own, I can change individual things in my load to find what works best for me as far as reliability, and also the way the load feels.

[ano]

my major loads has a LOT LESS recoil than factory, also factory is loaded to spec, aka short, which works surprisingly good.

but my reloads cost 1/3 of cheapest factory here.. sooo

[OHIOAFC]

Hand load 180g 40sw for all club match & practice and factory ammo ( PMC 180g FMJ-FP ) for all major match. PMC chromed 170-173pf ( 2011 customs gun w/5 barrel ), I like to use brand new ammo for major match.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nitrohuck]

I could never afford to run factory ammo...

Average price for 1k rounds of .40cal is about $300 give or take.

Average cost of my reloads is $65 per 1k.

Multiply up to 100,000 rounds and the numbers become:

$30,000 for Factory

vs.

$6,500 for reloads

Savings is almost 80%

Combine that with the fact that my ammo is purpose-made to my liking with the intention of practicing for USPSA and in my gun, factory ammo is not.

[WidowsSon683]

That all well and good for the long time, well stocked reloader. I didn't get into reloading until right before the powder crunch. There is no one near me that sells reloading supplies. Closest is almost an hour away and they have never had any pistol powder the several times I've been there. So for some, factory is our only option.

[mntbighker]

I'm just about to get back into shooting sports after 20 year break. I was hoping to avoid getting back into reloading right away, but it sounds like that won't make good economic sense. I loaded 10mm back then because it was so expensive to buy. Now I'm starting out with a G35. I was hoping someone was doing reloads aimed at competitive shooters that are a lot less expensive than factory, but clearly that was a pipe dream. I suppose there are too many variables to make that practical anyway. Although maybe I could find a local who already reloads, and would be interested in making extra if I chip in for supplies. Are there collectives around that pool resources to produce ammo at reduced cost?

[SSGJohnV]

I know some clubs do group buys on reloading components every once in a while, but making loaded ammo for sale requires an FFL from the ATF, along with insurance (liability and all that) so that's usually out of the question. I won't even load ammo for my buddies at work. They lose a finger, and I'm on the hook for it.

I have been shooting my reloads for a little over 2 years now, including 3 major matches, and I much prefer it over factory, especcially when shooting steel. I can make rounds much cheaper that are at the PF I want without issue, and don't have to worry about finding enough of the same ammo at a local store or online.