Arkhangel

Hi Guys,

I figured I would put this to the more experienced members here. Am trying to make my first .40 S&W reloads and coming across something that has me thinking.

First off, I am using 180 grain Rainier round nose plated bullets. Powder is HP-38(Win 231), Winchester small primers, 1x brass.

Looking at the Hodgdon loading sheet, it states the starting load at 4.1 grains going up to 5.0 max. However the Lyman Manual(48th) says the starting load is 5.0, up to 5.6 for max.

My question is which one do I use? To me that is a big difference between 2 different manuals for the same powder. I don't want a kaboom, but I don't want to undercharge either.

Which load would you recommend starting out with. Thanks for any advice you guys could give me.

SY

Shizzlemah

.... I wonder if either of those loads are specific to the ranier bullets, or if they are for traditional jacketed ammo? Raniers are plated and are softer than swaged jacketed ammo. This will matter to the loading data.

Sorry that I don't load the .40, but I do run raniers in.44 and .45. I tend to load them to the lower side of the scale... Not as slow as lead, just a little shy of ball charges.

Arkhangel

Shizzle, just for clarification, the 180gr loads in each manual is for JHP, haven't found a listing for FMJ in that weight yet, was using it as a reference. Am curious as to why the variance in the 2 manuals for same type bullet and powder.

SY

Shizzlemah

My point was that *jacketed* data may not be applicable for *plated* bullets.

How much info is listed for those loads ? are they for the exact same bullet ? What primers ? Overall length differences ? What guns ? Barrel length ?

How about muzzle velocity between the two manuals ?

I guess what I am getting at is there is a lot more to it than putting powder in a case.

Arkhangel

Shizzlemah, looked at the things you mentioned. I looked at same type bullet, 180gr JHP, same primer, 4in barrel. OAL was Hornady(1.135) vs Lyman(1.115). Only common powder in both manuals was WSF. For WSF powder load was the same, velocites were close, but the stated pressures were way different.

I also chked the Rainier site and they said to use lead data for the plated bullets. The Lyman manual is the only one with more than one sample for lead.

Now I am totally confused.

SY

rocky

Suggested loading practice has been to load 10% lower than the chart calls for when loading plated bullets. I would start at the lower powder weight and work up . It's easier to tap a bullet out of the barrel than try to fix a Kb. I have not used 231 powder , but found with the powders I have used I can cut a charge weight in half and still get reliable cycling / function of my gun..

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Shizzlemah

One more thing is how they sample pressures. CUP versus transducers, etc.

And the "same" bullet loading data should be as specific as a bullet mfg and part number.

0.020" makes a significant difference with the .40!!!!

Arkhangel

Rocky, that is what I will do, I will start at the lower loading and go from there. I just wanted to make sure I was reading the different manuals correctly.

Shizzle, the Hodgdon manual didn't state what method they used to measure pressure. And yes I understood that the OAL would make a diff in .40, that's why I was asking, thanks for the responses.

SY

johnnyrigger

I reload my 40 S&W with AA#2 5.7GR to an OAL 1.130, CCI primer w\ Laser Craft 155GR RNSWC(L) "Round Nose Semi Wadcutter (Lead)" I shoot A XD40SC with the 3" Barrel. Shoots good I have had NO problems with this load. I got the load data form the AA web site.

Freedomofchoice

Ranier recommends that you use the same loading data for their bullets that you would use with lead bullets.

Only a guess here, but, since they are first cast or swaged and then plated, Ranier bulletes may have a slightly larger diameter than Jacketed and therefore raise pressures.