Using heavy gr bullets for minor/steel loads

[lucas]

Everyone says fast powder heavy bullet is the thing.What happened to the heavier the bullet the more recoil plus I havent seen any PF's anywhwere close to 130 or less PF which are better steel loads.

I myself tried 3.4TG with 185gr moly and still get 140pf.Someone else posted a 3.3TG with 180gr @ 135pf.These are not anywhere close to a real steel or light load.Can it not be done with a 40cal or are you kidding yourself and need a 38s or 9mm?

[Harmon]

you can do anything with anything you want.

ive recorded some of my fastest steel challenge times with a 1911 45 shooting hardball ammo at 198 PF.

Unless im kidding myself.

harmon

[warpspeed]

for a steel load where you are not trying to knock down the steel, I like a lighter bullet.

[D. Manley]

Everyone says fast powder heavy bullet is the thing.What happened to the heavier the bullet the more recoil plus I havent seen any PF's anywhwere close to 130 or less PF which are better steel loads.

I myself tried 3.4TG with 185gr moly and still get 140pf.Someone else posted a 3.3TG with 180gr @ 135pf.These are not anywhere close to a real steel or light load.Can it not be done with a 40cal or are you kidding yourself and need a 38s or 9mm?

See THIS for a good explanation of recoil/bullet weight.

[JimInFL]

I found this to very readable and understandable on that topic.

http://www.38super.net/Pages/Recoil.html

JimInFL

[ChrisStock]

See THIS for a good explanation of recoil/bullet weight.

+1 Rob's Q&As are priceless, and have helped explain a lot to me since I started shooting.

[Joe4d]

Something you also need to consider, most people shooting steel matches with a .40 are using their USPSA guns and just getting more trigger time. Download too much and you'll need to retune every time you switch matches. Most of these shooters primary interest is USPSA with major power factor. To shoot a steel match they simply lower the powder charge or lighten the bullet. What I like is pairing 180 gr and 155 gr bullets. I load the 180's to major then with no change to my press or powder I simply swap to a 155 for minor pf games. I get about 145pf and have found that my gun will run both without changing springs. Going lighter than that and I end up with failures to eject. When I only shot IDPA I had no problem loading 128 PF ammo with 135 gr SWC's `140 gr TC's or 155 RNSWC's you just need a bulkier powder than Tightgroup.

[Harmon]

Ok, here is where it gets technical:

Light bullets, High Velocity mean more recoil

heavy bullets, slow velocity less recoil...We are talking about normal stock type guns w/o compensators

steel challenge( the real steel challenge) the time is stopped by the bullet striking the stop plate....so the faster your bullets get down to that plate, the quicker your times would be overall due to bullet TOF issues.

so if you shot the same times(recorded off of the gunfire) with 135 at 1000 fps will give a slightly faster overall time than 200 grain bullets at 675 fps.

my steel load is a 9mm 95 grain bullet at 1350 fps with titegroup.

with a .40, it would be a 135 at 1100 fps

Harmon

[DougCarden]

For minor loads AND falling steel....I prefer heavy bullet (147-150) with fast powder edge hits still go down and it is soft...

For steel challenge I agree with Harmon, period.....

DougC