40 S&W 180gr. plated bullets and Power Pistol loads?

[Cbritt]

I have finally expanded my reloading set-up to include 40S&W. I am shooting a GLOCK G35 with a lone wolf barrel in USPSA Limited Division and am looking for a load that will make major power factor using Power Pistol.

For some reason my chrono took a poo last weekend, so i cant test my loads until i get it replaced or repaired. I have a club match this weekend and would like to at least have some ammo loaded to be able to run that match. I have berry's plated 180gr bullets, CCI 500 primers,and power pistol powder.

I have searched and searched but nowhere seems to have very much load data for power pistol. alliant's site was really no help, they only have 1 load listed for 180gr and it's for GDHP's at 1013fps. by my math, to make 170 power factor i need them hitting about 945-950fps.

Anybody have a starting point for me on this one?

It goes without saying i will get this worked up on my own to my gun, altitude, etc, but i would just like some input on a base line, or starting point.

[IATURNKEY]

Per Hornady- using their 180gr. Bullet

5.1gr.= 850 fps

5.6gr.= 900 fps

6.1gr.= 950 fps

6.6gr.= 1000fps

7.1gr.= 1050fps MAX LOAD

I haven't used Power Pistol for a couple of years but my last load that I worked up was a 180 Berry's with 5.8 gr. @ 1.135 OAL.

Was accurate but was just under Major PF.

[JJP161]

I will check in the morning, I may have a starting point for you.

[DougM]

Don't know if this will help but someone had posted in the past on this forum that he was loading 180 gn Montana Gold with 6.0 gn of Power Pistol and getting 955 fps out of it. Someone else was running the same bullet over 6.6 gn of Power Pistol and getting 990 fps out of that load.

[Cbritt]

thanks Doug. I spent a couple hours searching the past topics & responses and must have missed those. Really appreciate the help. at least that gives me a place to start.

[JJP161]

Ok not sure if it will help much but from Hornady 8th edition, 180 gr. @ 1.125" Power Pistol 5.1 - 7.1. According to the book 6.1 grains will give 950 FPS and 6.6 1000 FPS. I would start with 6.0 and work up slowly from there. I haven't tried this load with the 180 Berrys yet but have had good success with other Hornady loads in the Berry's. My favorite load for the Berry's 180 FP is 4.9 of W231 @ 1.135" with a power factor of 177.

[noylj]

Since you have a MAX load (so, multiply the MAX load by 0.89 for the starting load) and you know you need to work the load, you are going to work the load any way, I have no real idea why you are asking.

From various sources, 4.5gn of PP gives 738-776 fps, 6.0gn gives 876-916fps, 6.5gn gives 1020 fps, 6.7gn gives 974 fps, and 6.9gn gives 963-1050 fps. So, I would think that somewhere twixt 6.0 and 6.5gn would be what you want, but you will still need to load them. As you can see from the numbers, various guns and lot numbers of powders give a range of velocities.

PS: you NEVER start any where but the starting load (which, in my manuals, range from 4.5-6.2gn, showing the significance of component differences), sinceI don't know what my gun, lot of powder, and bullet will give, so I would start at 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, and 6.3gn, chronograph and watch for pressure.

Using Handwavium Statistics, the equation would be, to the degree that Microsoft can do anything, Charge Weight = (0.0092)(velocity) - 2.3886. Inputting 945 fps, this gives 6.3gn as your "target" charge weight. R^2 is 86%.

Edited December 27, 2015 by noylj

[.45 ACP nut]

I like this one:

3-Apr-15 40S&W Mixed X-treme 180 FP plated Power Pistol 5.6gr 922.22fps Tula 1.125OAL 39*F 165,999 P320 accurate