is 165gr bullet the way to go for a 6" 2011?

[Sandbagger123]

i have a 6 " 2011 with a lightened slide. i have been shooting 180gr in it. the same load that i use in my 5" Edge. The Edge seems to cycle a lot faster even though the slide is heavier. i have been told to try some 165 gr bullets to get the slide speed up.

So is this the way to go with 6" guns?

[xrayfk05]

I take it you are talking about .40 cal ?

What recoil spring are you running in the 6", going with a heavier spring may solve it if it is really light.

[Postal Bob]

I shoot 180's in my 6" 2011. The slide cycles faster than other guns I shoot. I have a 12 lb recoil in mine. If you're running a different weight, that will affect slide speed.

[rishii]

I run 165's in my 6"

I tried 175, 180 & 200's in mine and the gun felt sluggish

The 165's made the gun cycle faster, but I'm also primarily an open shooter, and I'm used to having the gun cycle at warp speed

[2MoreChains]

I've been using 180's for the last few years but at some point I want to try some 165s to see what they feel like. I may very well end up going back to 180's but won't know unless I try it.

[lawboy]

I shoot a 6-inch 2011 as well. I tried 160, 165, 175, 180.

I run a #12 recoil spring. Don't recall the mainspring weight.

I like the 180 because I can reliably make major pf with less powder. Specifically, I am shooting the Ideal #40043, which is the current production Lyman #400343.

The 165 is a little softer shooting but I don't care about that because the 180s are plenty soft too.

Slide speed ... I have yet to notice any impact on my shooting resulting from slide speed.

Every slide on every gun I own is faster than I am on the trigger. The sights are always there when I need them to aim a shot.

I am a Production M and Limited A.

I guess I lack the finesse that others have when it comes to slide speed.

[Sandbagger123]

i am running a 10#.

[bulm540]

Same here 5 seems faster but I can track the front sight better the long slide love my Benny Hill gun. Tried some 165s but didn't like the recoil impulse.

[B45C22]

I have been a proponent of all three (165, 180, and 200) weight limited bullets at some point or another. My honest opinion is that they all feel a bit different, but I can go just as fast with any of them and at speed, I don't know the difference. Yes, slow firing, a difference can be felt, but that difference is not one that would ever show up on a scoresheet. I know that it has been said here many times before, but pick one and shoot a lot of it. Knowing the timing of the gun, regardless of the load/bullet weight is SO SO SO SO much more important than what it feels like in slow fire paper punching mode.

FWIW - Im running 165's now for all of my limited guns.

[Wild Gene]

I'm curious if you are confusing your perception of slide speed with muzzle rise? My 6" runs better with the 180's than the 165's. I don't get as much muzzle rise/snap with the 180's, so the gun doesn't appear to be cycling as fast.

I would get both rounds and do some "Bill Drills". Check your splits, that is going to be more important than actual slide speed, and go with the one you are shooting better.

wg

[wgj3]

Hopefully OP sees that there is no clear answer here. It is dependent on you and the construction of the gun you are using. Whats "amazingly awesome" for one guy may not be all that for another. The only way to know is to try them out for yourself and see which you prefer.

[MrPostman]

I load 220 grain xtreme bullets with 4.2 grains longshot and a OAL of 1.135 for my 6 inch Tanfoglio Gold Match that I built out of a Hunter 10 mm and it shoots just like my Limited 9mm shooting 147 grain. Very low recoil shooting the 220s verses the 165 grain pills I used to shoot out of it when I first built it. If you use 220s choose a slow burning powder to take advantage of the 6 inch barrel. I did some tests with W231 as well and I find that they were not as accurate as the longshot which I attribute to the smaller charge weight and faster burn. Your mileage may vary of course.

[Shadow]

i have a 6 " 2011 with a lightened slide. i have been shooting 180gr in it. the same load that i use in my 5" Edge. The Edge seems to cycle a lot faster even though the slide is heavier. i have been told to try some 165 gr bullets to get the slide speed up.

So is this the way to go with 6" guns?

Yes! That's my preference in a six inch gun. The only way to know if it works for you is to try some.

[bmiller]

I load 220 grain xtreme bullets with 4.2 grains longshot and a OAL of 1.135 for my 6 inch Tanfoglio Gold Match that I built out of a Hunter 10 mm and it shoots just like my Limited 9mm shooting 147 grain. Very low recoil shooting the 220s verses the 165 grain pills I used to shoot out of it when I first built it. If you use 220s choose a slow burning powder to take advantage of the 6 inch barrel. I did some tests with W231 as well and I find that they were not as accurate as the longshot which I attribute to the smaller charge weight and faster burn. Your mileage may vary of course.

For major, I love 200 grain bullets. I have a chronic case of tennis elbow, lighter bullet flare it up. I have been thinking about 220s for a while, when I do searches about them I find well respected gunsmiths talking about blown up guns. I loaded some 160 grain bunny farts loaded with solo 1000, they where the softest loads I have ever shot, not even loud at all. Then I had a friend pressure test them. I don't remember exactly but they were north of 55000 psi! That ended that! Do your primers look normal?

[bmiller]

The 160 bunny farts were in 9mm. It is not letting me edit my post.

[MrPostman]

Yes primers are normal, I also shoot 165 grain xtreme 9mm bullets in my Limited using 2.6 grains of titegroup with an OAL of 1.140. Makes 129-130 pf and shoots like a .22 lol. Longshot is a great powdet for 40 s&w because of its lower pressures and slower burn rate which is great for a 6 inch barrel.