200gr Zero FMJ + Clays + 1.225 OAL + Minor = ? Powder Drop

[CHA-LEE]

I am trying to get my lady into USPSA match shooting and I want to get her started on a very soft shooting .40 Minor load. I have some 200gr Zero FMJ bullets, a boat load of Clays powder and the gun I am going to run it in favors a 1.225 OAL.

My question here is, what should my starting powder drop be for a Minor load using the above bullets, powder and OAL? I know that with the 200gr bullet I only need 625 - 650fps velocity for minor (125 - 130PF). Since the 200gr bullets are longer than the 180gr ones I am not sure what kind of Ebonics math to use to figure out a safe starting powder drop to achieve the 625 - 650fps velocity. I know that with the 180gr Montana Gold bullets 0.1gr will add or take away about 10 - 20fps. Using this and allotting for an additional bump in velocity due to the longer 200gr bullet should a 2.5gr drop be close?

I normally shoot Montana Gold 180gr FMJ bullets, Clays, 1.225 OAL and a 4.7gr powder drop for my Major loads and they work great. I have also shot the 180gr Zero FMJ’s and only needed a 4.5gr drop to make major. So the Zero bullets produce more velocity than the Montana Gold bullets, at least in the 180gr versions.

I am shooting these through an EAA Witness Limited pistol.

Thanks in advance for some feedback!!!

[ong45]

3.2 grains of clays behind a 200 grain mg gives me about 150 pf, oal is 1.180.

Hope this gives you a rough starting point.

[CHA-LEE]

ong45> Thanks for the reply. I built up some tonight with 2.5gr and will see how they do this weekend.

[CHA-LEE]

Ok, I tried the 2.5gr drop and the rounds averaged 350fps

They were so weak sauce that they wouldnt even cycle the gun. It was actually funny.

I have built up some 3.5gr & 3.7gr drop rounds and plan on trying them tomorrow. These should get me up into the 600fps range...... maybe

[Cy Soto]

I would have assumed that 3.0gr to 3.2gr should should have been a good starting point for 200gr MG bullets.

For example, I load 2.6gr of Clays behind an LTC 180gr bullet for Sandra's M&P and they produce ~128PF. I also know that Dave loads 3.2gr of Clays behind a 180gr MG FMJ for both his Beretta and Laura's XDm and he gets about ~130PF out of each of those pistols. The biggest difference is that I use an OAL of 1.125"; this could be the reason why your average FPS readings were so low.

BTW, I am very happy to see that your lady has decided to join us in the addiction!

[staudacher]

Ok, I tried the 2.5gr drop and the rounds averaged 350fps

Are you positive of that?? I messed around with some low velocity loads before and ran into a problem with the muzzle blast tripping the chrono. moved from 8ft back to about 12-15ft and all the sudden my reading were in the neighborhood I had expected.

...and if that is the actual velocity you are getting I agree with Cy Soto your OAL is way to long for that light load. IMO

Edited November 13, 2009 by staudacher

[CHA-LEE]

staudacher> You might be onto something there with being too close to the Crono. I was pretty close to it when I chronoed those rounds. I will setup a little further back the next time I give the other loads a try. I can't change the OAL to a shorter case or it will cause feed issues in my gun. I am stuck with the 1.225 OAL to ensure reliable feeding.

[staudacher]

staudacher> You might be onto something there with being too close to the Crono. I was pretty close to it when I chronoed those rounds. I will setup a little further back the next time I give the other loads a try. I can't change the OAL to a shorter case or it will cause feed issues in my gun. I am stuck with the 1.225 OAL to ensure reliable feeding.

You could also make a cardboard blast shield to put up in front of the chrono.

[CHA-LEE]

I gave the 3.5 and 3.7 drop rounds a try this weekend and found that the 3.5’s were averaging between 700 – 725fps. The 3.7’s were obviously faster since they had more powder. I switched to a 6lb recoil spring before shooting these rounds and it is comical how soft it shoots.

I have built up some 3.0 and 3.2gr rounds and will be giving those a try this weekend. I think one of those two loads will be exactly what I am looking for.

One thing is for sure through, this gun will shoot as soft as a .22 once I get it all dialed in. Just what my lady needs to build her confidence in shooting.

[CocoBolo]

Clays starts misbhaving in light loads and throws a squib here and there. Search the Revo forum on Clays minor loads.

My wife is a recoil a fobic so I lightened her loads with 4gr of WST. WST behaves well in lite loads. I started her on 3.8grs of WST over 180gr Zero, they shoot like a air soft. If I recall correctly the lenght was 1.185. Once she got use to shooting the gun I kept moving her up 4.4gr for a while and that I am fairly confident that made minor. Now she shoots 185gr Precision Moly with 4.7gr WST.

The best 200gr Zero load I worked up is 4.2gr of TiteGroup at 1.185 just back down from that to where you want. Ooh be aware cold temps make it hot, it is nasty dirty, burns hot, but shoots nice and soft.

[CHA-LEE]

CocoBolo> I tested out some more loads this weekend, a 3.0gr and 3.2gr setup. The 3.0's were right at 600fps and the 3.2's were around 650 - 660fps. I think I am going to load up a bunch of 3.1's to land it in the middle of these two loads. That should put the fps where I want it. Its a little on the light side but like you said, I would rather start off light and then bump up the powder a little later once she is use to the lighter ones.