Win 540 powder and 40 S&W

[Shipster]

Hi folks!

The other day i was thumbing through some load data that I found and it had some data for win 540 for the .40 s&w  180 gr jacketed from 6.2 to 6.9 grains.  Have any of you had any experience with this combination.  The reason I ask is that I have about 6 lbs. of an 8 lb keg that I forgot I had.  Any experience or comments would be great.  

Thanks in advance  

(Edited by Shipster at 1:03 pm on June 19, 2002)

[ErikW]

Yeah it totally tied up my gun with 180 moly lead bullets loaded to low/moderate velocity for steel challenge practice loads.

It's probably better loaded hotter. I think I chronographed some jacketed loads but I can't recall the data off the top of my head. I think it was too harsh or to flippy for me at Major velocity.

[Shipster]

Thanks Erik:

Do you recall what primers you were using, were they SP or SR primers.  I originally used the powder to load 12 ga phesant loads and used the Fed 209's wich was the hottest primer at the time, to get a clean burn.

Thanks

[ErikW]

Probably WSP, though could have been WSR.

I've heard something about 540 needing high pressure for complete combustion.

[gm iprod]

Check with Olin/Winchester. The 540 was discontinued last year, so use up what ever you have got and get a different powder.

As 540 is a slow burning powder as far as pistols are concerned you will need to get plenty in and get the pressures up. Because it uses a graphite type of coating unless the pressure is reasonable it will fail to combust correctly, therefore leaving a fair amount of heavy black residue, it can also be a little harsh on the throat of a barrel.

I use SuperField for hotter loads and SuperTarget for soft recoiling light loads.

[Patrick Sweeney]

I just got a flier from Hodgdon that they either made 540 for Winchester, or get/got it from whoever made it for Winchester, and sold it as HS-6.

Not "just like" but the same powder.  (Wish I could find the damned letter.)

If you need to continue using 540, verify the info with Hodgdon, and they can keep you going.

[Shipster]

Thanks Patrick I'll get intouch with Hodgdon and see what the skinny is.

[gm iprod]

Winchester 540 and HS6 are manufactured by Primex, which is part of the ST Marks Powder Co. I think Olin Corp set up SMP when they got a swag of Govt powder contracts. They have a neat web site.

HS6 is less than 1% different from 540. But I have found that the Hodgdon stuff is more consistant batch to batch. This is according to JB Hodgdon who I was lucky to meet with 4 years ago. Nice man and so helpful, knows so much.