Skalkaho Slim Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 After reading over twelve pages from my search results, I couldn't find quite what I was looking for. I'm reloading 40S&W, .401", 200gr, FN, LEAD pills with Winchester Small Pistol primers for a Walther P99, and would like to know a good recipe with straight, regular Clays. Won't be shooting steel with it, just target and defense. I hear Titegroup is good, but I got a lot of the regular stuff on hand. I've heard that OAL is a bit strict with this round. This is my first time reloading for the 40. Anything special I should know? What should the overall length be? Since I'm used to crimp grooves, how do I know how low to seat the bullet? I've heard that seating is very important because of the pressures generated by this round. If Clays is way out of line, please let me know what might be better. I would like to stay with Hodgdon if possible. Thanks all! Toujours Pret! Skalkaho Slim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 Fast powders and heavy bullets generate more pressure...which is a no-no in the 40. I have never loaded with clays...any of them. I don't know one from the other. I might be missing out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 What you have is bad combination for .40 S&W... heavy bullet, short OAL (I assume the P99 magazine requires keeping the round substantially under 1.20"), and a weird, fast-burning powder. And you are new to reloading .40. Bad juju. You will notice Hodgdon doesn't list heavy bullet Clays data and Jeff Maas' load list doesn't list Clays loads. Viht. 3N37 works great with 200 gr lead bullets, even at short length. That's the combo many of us used in USPSA Limited when Major power factor was 175. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaass Posted September 4, 2002 Share Posted September 4, 2002 I agree that CLAYS is a bad choice for you with 200gr LSWC...it's just too fast for the purpose. If you feel the need to stay with Hodgdon, try *Universal CLAYS*, which has the same burning characteristics as Unique (they recently announce officially that it is the same powder!). You can find a number of loads on the IPSC Loads List at: http://home.columbus.rr.com/jmaass/index.html Too many people pick a load based on what powder they happen to have on hand at the time. Eventually, that container of powder is gone, and they have saddled themselves with a lousy load! In the grand scheme of things, powder is cheap. Pick a couple of good candidates (that's where the IPSC Loads Lists can help, by telling you what other people are using), and buy a pound of each. Work up a good load for each of them in your gun, and keep a record for later, when Hodgdon discontinues Universal (can't happen? remember 452AA? WAP? TRAP 100? WSL? WW571?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skalkaho Slim Posted September 5, 2002 Author Share Posted September 5, 2002 Thanks for the info guys! I loaded up a dummy round last night using the OAL as prescribed in my manual. After cycling it from the magazine, it would only get hung up and not chamber. It was jamming up into the top of the chamber and leaving a real good crescent "ding" on both the bullet and the case. I used the OAL as prescribed in my Speer manual. I'm using a FNL (truncated cone) lead pill. It'd be a real bummer to load up a bunch of these only to find out that they won't chamber. Any ideas as to why this is happening? To tell ya the truth, I wonder if I might be better off buying factory stuff. There seems to be a lot of nitpicks with this round that I'm not sure I'm real comfortable with. Maybe I'll just stick to my CAS reloading and leave the auto stuff to you folks. Thanks again for your help! Toujours Pret! Skalkaho Slim (Edited by Skalkaho Slim at 8:08 pm on Sep. 4, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted September 5, 2002 Share Posted September 5, 2002 Nevermind the magazine and hand-cycling... will your rounds drop into the disassembled barrel? (Or better yet, a cartridge gauge.) Sound like you might not have enough crimp, like you haven't removed the case mouth bell. Load up more than one dummy round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUN SHOOTER Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 The crimp is a good place to start; had feeding problems on my Sig 229 and had to go back and put a heavier crimp to eliminate feeding problems. I'm now using a 180 gr JHP with 5.1 grains of 231- a middle of the road load. It feeds well and shoots well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAL Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 I was also trying to work up a load in .40 using the 165 Lswc Using Universal Clays. Read back 2 pages for that thread. First of all my advice on straight clays is way too fast for your pistol. A full custom 1911 would be safer for just Clays. Second the Universal Clays is still too fast. I tried 100 rounds at 4 different charge weights and still did not like the beating it was giving my Sig 229. After some very good advice, I ended up using IMR 7625 which is a much slower, softer and safer powder. Although it is only the second powder I tried for this .40 combo so far it works well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quigley Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 Hey KAL, I'm experimenting with a 165 JHP (Montana Gold) over 4.7 gr of Clays at OAL of 1.230. It just makes major in my SVI (we need 170 in Canada) I'm going to try shortening them a bit , closer to 1.20. I lilke the way it's shoots compared it to my old load, 200 gr MG over 4.7 Clays International OAL 1.225. The 200's have a more pronounced kick...kinda like a slow punch in the face with a big hand as opposed to ...well you get the idea... I tried some bill drills with both loads and the 165's were about the same time but much better groups. It's hard to describe the impluse during recoil but it's better for me. I checked for signs of excessive pressure and everything looks good. I'll let you know how I make out once they're tuned but so far so good. Cheers Quigley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bulm5 Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 had a different exprerience with t he 165s, there was more flip on my gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAL Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 Quigley, Yeah please let me know what you get worked out. I have not been able to make any changes as of yet. Holidays over time to get back in to it. I made a mistake in my earlier post. Imr 7625 is faster on the burn rate chart than Universal Clays but for some reason feels softer and plush compared to Universal which give a very sharp type blow and a ton of flip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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