40S&W powder recomendation

J

John0011

New member
I have a 40s&w carbine with a 8.5 inch barrel.
I am looking for a powder to drive a 165gn bullet to the highest fps.
My press is a progressive so preferably something that meters well.
Anny ideas?
 
I have never loaded for .40 S&W out of a carbine, but I have made plenty for handguns and my powder of choice is Alliant Power Pistol. As you state your "carbine" has an 8.5" barrel, I would load for that as if it were a pistol. With a long barrel. ;)

If my goal was absolute velocity in .40 S&W, I suppose my best shot at that would be to use Hodgdon Long Shot powder.

You may also find that IMR-800X could battle for top velocity honors -BUT- that stuff may actually be the worst metering powder of all time, hands-down. You'd be weighing each and every charge.

Definitely try Hodgdon Long Shot and refer to the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center online for great published loads.
 
Power Pistol works great, and meters well. Did you mean an 18 1/2" barrel? Then may just a little slower, and AA#5 may well be your powder. Also meters well.
 
Winchester Super Field WSF works well for me. Very good velocity and accuracy in pistol and carbine rifle. Power Pistol also for top velocity.
 
Another guy for Longshot. Safe, good velocity loads.

Vihtavuori also shows a load 165gr TC FMJ for 3N38 at 1211 FPS from a 5 1/2" test barrel.
 
Blue dot? It will push a 165 grainer out of a fullsize glock at 1200 fps so I wonder if it would gain anything from 4 extra inches of barrel.
 
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In a work up, the most Velocity will be with IMR 800X.
But that is such a pain to meter and compress..

So then next fastest is Power Pistol. It is convenient.
But it makes a flash.

So then next fastest without flash and is convenient is 3N37.
 
The load data for 165 gr is scarce. Alliant says BE-86, and since Power Pistol works so well with 40 S&W 180 gr, I expect BE-86 will be good too. I bought BE-86 for the 41 Magnum load Alliant supports, but I do load 40 S&W for my Glock bedside gun.
 
Looks like it is between Power Pistol and Longshot
Do they both meter well?
Looks like longshot is available.
 
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Note that bedlamite was not offering data for 165 gr bullets. I would use a published load from a powder company. YMMV

Speer is one manual that references this bullet weight.
 
After the posts I'll try Longshot in the near future, but my loads with AccuComp over the past 2 years (165gn bullets) have been stellar (@ 3/4 max load).
 
I've used Unique, Longshot and WST with great results. Seems the .40 S&W works well with a wide variety of powders. If my Glock G35 cycles without an FTF and I can hold a 3" group at 50' that's good for me , as i'm only an amateur pistol shooter at this time. I can't say I noticed any better or worse powders. I do know that I seemed to get the most consistency when my velocities were about 930 fps.
 
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