Preferred bullet weight for .40 minor

[carinab]

Feel free to add a reply and explain why that bullet weight is your favorite.

Also, if you shoot production with a .40 and haven't done so already, kindly take this poll as well.

Thanks!!

[D.Hayden]

For Production, I use 180's, but I've done a lot of playing around with lighter weights for steel challenge with my 40 Production gun (Beretta).

I've used 135, 155, 165 - at very low Power factors (~ 115) and like the way they shoot. I just haven't gotten around to doing the same with Produciton yet.

[zhunter]

180's here, but thinkin' of tryn' some 200's just to see if they shoot a lot softer ( NOT trying to make Major)

[KirbyAU]

Before our .40 & .45 handguns were taken away in Australia, I used my .40 cal G22 in minor / production division.

I always prefered 155gn RN projectiles. I found the recoil / cycling of the 180gn projectiles too sluggish.

Comparing my G17 9mm & G22 .40 on a IPSC classic target at 25m, we found the recoil of the 125gn 9mm to lift the sight to the shoulder of the target.

However, using the 155gn .40, the sight remained within the confines of the A zone.

Kirby.

[kevin c]

I use 180's for the same reason I use a 40 in production - it's what I shoot in Limited, and production is mostly a spillover/afterthought division for me.

[mcoliver]

I've tried 200gr over N320 that gives about 140-145PF. The cycling felt awfully sluggish.

[Crusher]

I'm going to try to load up some 135 JHP Nosler heads (1.155-1.160 OAL) behind VV 320 for a minor load over the next few weeks. Maj load is 180 gr MG JHP 4.8 VV 320 at 1.155-1.160 OAL.

The intent is to produce a soft shooting/relativly fast cycling minor load at around the same FPS (940/950) for both Maj/Min and change NOTHING on the press once established.

[Nemo]

When I played production, after some experimentation I settled with my load of:

Berry's 155gr HBRN over 4.0gr of VV N-320 @ 1.135" OAL.

It was flat, fast cycling and recoil was more or less like a factory 9mm. Besides, my SDB was only setup for 40 so there was the laziness factor also...

[carinab]

Thank you and keep it coming!

[ErikW]

My SMM3G ammo is 155gr FMJ. Not really Minor, more like sub-Major. It is a fantastically accurate bullet.

If I shot a lot of 40 Minor and Major, I would put a 165 above the same powder charge as my 180 Major load.

[sargenv]

I know this was geared more towards 40 prod loads, but when I shoot ICORE, I load my 180's down to about 130-135 pf. In a 6.5" N frame Smith, these have plenty of knockdown for steel, are accurate out to 50 yards (damn ICORE standard) and recoil is managable since there is hardly any. Loaded this light, it tends to keep the muzzle of the gun pretty flat as opposed to the Major stuff I've shot in Revo Div USPSA. I try to get them to about 725-750 fps.

I've tried 140 RN, 155LRN, and 165 RN FP Plated bullets and nothing gave me better accuracy than the 180 Plated RNFP. I generally seat these out to 10 mm length, something you can't quite do in an auto pistol.

Vince

[MikeyG23]

Not loading for Production but I am for IDPA.

180 MG over 4.5 gr Titegroup 1.175" OAL

Yes, I know, this really isn't a minor load but then again it's not quite major either. I like the way it runs in my STI, downloaded .40 has a somewhat sluggish feel to me.

[ChuckS]

I made some West Coast 155 plated .40 with about 4.0 gr of N320 to use in a P16 for IDPA ESP. I had a 12# recoil spring in the gun. They chronoed about 135. Shot flat and soft. I sort of felt that I was cheating

[Kevin Kline]

I currently shoot 180gr jacketed bullets, but am experimenting with 140gr black bullets. I had tried some 155's and kind of liked the lighter "push" in the hand, and faster cycling gun. Kind of curious to see how the 140gr's do.

[stryfox]

155gr montana gold or ranier fp over 4.2 gr. bullseye

OAl 1.135

13 LB SPRING IN PARA 16-40

[Squishy]

I use 180 jhp Zero bullets in Production and for my steel loads. (3.3 grs Clays). I use 200 fmj Zero bullets for Limited major loads. (Clays powder also)

[mhearn]

If I shot a lot of 40 Minor and Major, I would put a 165 above the same powder charge as my 180 Major load.

This is what I'm doing for Tactical matches when there isn't a power factor. It comes out around 145 pf which makes minor. So, to tune up I shoot minor USPSA prior to a big tactical match to practice (i.e. SMM3G)

MHearn

[splashdown]

I plan to use Master blasters bullets when I start reloading. 180 is all Tom offers.

[warpspeed]

Since getting velocity for minor is very easy, I'm more interested in the accuracy of a given load than the feel or recoil or anything else. I want accuracy @ 50 yds. If a 135 nosler is the most accurate from my gun @ 1000 fps then thats what I'd shoot. If a Zero or MG 180 is accurate, then that's what I'd load.

Different barrels will like different bullets, or so I've found.

[reneet]

I can drop a 155 Montana Gold on top of my major charge for my 200 grain Precsion Bullet and have a sweet load that does great in my Benny 6" Fat Free STI.

[Harmon]

the steel load im using right now is a bear creek 140 grain moly coated bullet with 4.0 grains of clays under it.

while its not a mouse fart load at 145 pf, it still cycles the slide of the Glock fast enough not to feel sluggish and is cheap and clean

btw, its plenty accurate for the long shots on the steel challenge stages.

[Kevin Kline]

Hey Harmon,

I just got some Bear Creek 140gr moly's in the other day. I am going to use them for my Production load. I hadnt seen or heard of anyone else using them and thought maybe something was wrong. I used to shoot moly when I made GM years ago, but since then, took a break off and came back shooting jacketed. The jacketed are quite a bit more expensive and the cost has become an issue for me so I thought Id go back to shooting moly.

When I saw the BC 140's, I thought they'd make a good PRoduction load for faster slide cycling. How do you like them. Do you only use Clays with them? Have you tried anything else? Im going to use TG. I also going to be shooting them out of my Glock.

From my calculations, Im going to start at 1.135 OAL, 4.2grs TG with the 140gr Bear Creek moly and work from here. I tried some 155's jacketed that I liked much better than the 180's, but didnt have enough time to make a good load before FLorida Open.

[BillL223]

My .40 steel load is a 165 Berry FP over 3.7 Clays @ 1.200" Very soft shooting.

[supercomp9]

I Like the 175 gr Lswc from Bulletworks

it runs great through my para with 5gr's spr Tgt

leaving the barrel at 950fps = 166 pf right on the

money for what I running ..

See ya at the Range

SuperComp9 `;}~

[Garrett]

I switch between 180s for Major and 155s for Minor.

When I load ammo, I can leave the powder charge the same and just switch bullets.