10mm / 40 Caliber Reloading

[R Dub]

Post you questions, answers, and recommendations about the 10mm & .40 caliber load data here.

Use this load data at your own risk. YOU, and ONLY you, are responsible to use common sense and safe load development techniques in working up to a good load for your own use. Always consult the Powder Manufacturer’s specs and stay below the maximums they recommend.

[Steel1212]

Right now I'm pretty settled on these load for IPSC. Me and Kydoc have been chronoing some loads and I think these will work.

4.0 titegroup, 1.125 OAL 180-185 Moly, around 170 PF out of tactical .40
3.0 titegroup 1.125 OAL 180-185 Moly, around 135 PF out of tactical. 40
4.0 titegroup 1.125 OAL 140 moly, around 135 PF out of tactical .40

[KYDoc]

Originally Posted by Steel1212

Right now I'm pretty settled on these load for IPSC. Me and Kydoc have been chronoing some loads and I think these will work.

4.0 titegroup, 1.125 OAL 180-185 Moly, around 170 PF out of tactical .40
3.0 titegroup 1.125 OAL 180-185 Moly, around 135 PF out of tactical. 40
4.0 titegroup 1.125 OAL 140 moly, around 135 PF out of tactical .40

That's about right. I'll post some load data for varying amounts of TG under 185 molys at about 1.120 - 1.122 (mixed brass) as I work up a minor load for XD-40 service.

[DNM]

Thanks... for a dude just getting into reloading it's good to read what others have made so I ca know what to expect. Though of course, I'll have to find out what I like.

[dlouque]

First let me say that even though I love T.G. it is temperature sensitive as I have found out today. I have a .40 Sc and tactical and a .45 tactical.
180 Berry's plated hp. 4.7 T.G. 1.125 OAL Fed primers
1012 fps ES 24 SD 8.1 P.F. 182.1 in Tactical
957 fps ES 53 SD 17.5 P.F. 172.3 in SC very accurate in both Xds
970 fps ES 46 SD 12.9 P.F. 174.7 in Brazos .40 terrible accuracy
This is a minor load that shoots well in all my .40s
Zero 180 JHP 3.5 gr T.G. 1.135 OAL
797 fps ES 28 SD 9.1 P.F. 143 excellent accuracy in XD Tactical and SC
Brass ejects about 4 inches above gun and drops to ground. Velocity increased with temp 43 fps when it was 45 deg. last week and 72 deg today.
Best load to date in my XD .40 tactical was 180 zero jhp over 4.8 gr. of WST. Shot 1.42" one hole group. My Brazo's didn't shoot this load accurate at all though. Was loaded to 1.135, my Brazos likes 1.200.

[Straight-Shooter]

I'm looking for a load consisting of 165gr plated HP bullet and using W231. Any help would greatly be appreciated. From what I've researched, i'm guessing around 4.8gr of W231 to start. Comments ?

[Crimp]

Originally Posted by Straight-Shooter

I'm looking for a load consisting of 165gr plated HP bullet and using W231. Any help would greatly be appreciated. From what I've researched, i'm guessing around 4.8gr of W231 to start. Comments ?

Well, assuming 40 S&W, it sounds in the ball park to me.
Lyman says:
150 gr #2 alloy flat point at 1.090 OAL is 5.5 to 6.5 gr of W231
175 gr #2 alloy flat point at 1.125 OAL is 4.3 to 5.8 gr of W231

And, of course: Use this load data at your own risk. YOU, and ONLY you, are responsible to use common sense and safe load development techniques in working up to a good load for your own use. Always consult the Powder Manufacturer’s specs and stay below the maximums they recommend.

[Noah Mercy]

My favorite knockaround 40 S&W loads are:

Jacketed load:
155 grain Winchester FMJ
CCI small pistol primers
6.0 grains Win 231 powder
1.130" COL


Cast load:
175 grain lead semi wadcutter or truncated cone
CCI small pistol primers
4.0 grains Win 231 powder
1.125" COL
(This load is seriously mild...I use it for punching paper and small game.)

I like the 231 since I load on a Dillon and it meters very uniformly. And when loaded to near book max, it burns fairly clean. If you purchase it in 8 pound kegs, it is also economical, so it sees a lot of use in my auto pistol loads.

I haven't tried these loads in my XD yet (I will shoot the jacketed load this weekend and post photos of the groups), however they have fed and functioned perfectly in several Rugers, Sigs, and a Para Ordnance. Groups were never disappointing (some were bragging size), so I'll hope my new .40 likes them. The jacketed load is warmer than what I would personally use in a stock Glock barrel, but it is a book load, so if you choose to use it in your combat Tupperware, observe all the usual caveats please.

[KYDoc]

.40 Service at about 40 degrees

185 precision moly's
2.7 titegroup
mixed brass
1.120 OAL

velocity = 680 - 700 fps: PF 125 - 130. Variability may be due to brass/OAL variability.

That's as low as it gets, so I think this will establish the basement for minor loads using TG/185 precision molys.

Soft recoil, round holes, slide cycles fine. Good accuracy.

For competition, I'm going to try with a little more safety margin for minor... like 2.9 grains next time. Just in case it chronos low one day (different temp, etc).

[KYDoc]

Below are the continuation of the results of working up a minor load using an XD 40 service, Precision moly coated 185s, WSP, mixed brass, and TG, loaded to 1.120 OAL:

Temp 39 degrees, and a cold, overcast, quiet range day: (Jan 1: Not a popular day to take off for the range, in the KYDoc household)

3.1 grains TG:

AVG 688.9 fps (PF 129)
700H, 668L
SD 13.1
CV 1.91
MAD 11.3
CV 1.65
ES 32.2

The 668 shots didn't make minor, so this is an iffy load, though probably fine in warmer weather.

3.2 grains TG:

AVG 734.9 (pf 137.12)
745H 725L
SD 6.5
CV 0.89
5.2 MAD
CV 0.71
ES 20.7

These were slightly more consistent, and all made minor. Nice feel. Probably the best of the bunch for a minor load if you don't want to be too close to the margin.

3.5 grains TG:

AVG 759 fps (pf 146)

SD 15.4
CV 2.03
MAD 10.3
CV 1.36
ES 50.3

and

3.8 grains TG

AVG 8.3 FPS (pf 150.14)
SD 16.3
CV 2.0
MAD 11.6
CV 1.42
ES 48.7

A little hot for minor.

I could probably get the consistency (all the statistics below the PF) a little better with the same brass of the same generation, as well as more experience reloading. But here's the data FWIW.

Other interesting data is that WWB 165 grain value pack didn't make major in my XD 40 4" but did in steel1212's XD 40 5".

S&B 180 made major in my XD.