Who here finds the .40 hard to shoot well?

Thought I was going vcrazy trying to shoot my .40s accurately, certainly couldn't compare to my 9mm's & .45ACP's.

Tried dropping a .357Sig barrel into a P229 and have never looked back. Although the barrel flash wouldn't make this round my first choice for low-light.

Am considering a G23 but as a gift to my girlfriend, figure that she can hit anything within 7yards so additional power of .40 beats the 9mm.
 
Unfortunately, my accuracy is severely lacking with my HK USPc .40. It's too bad, because I really like shooting this gun, and have found it to be very comfortable. I really don't seem to have as much problem shooting other calibers. It's going to hurt to trade it in on the Kimber I'm getting this weekend, but I guess I'll survive. I'll probably pick up another USP in 9mm or .45 in about 6 months.
 
Well my sister who is 100lbs 5ft shoots my .40 easily and my gf does as well. I have to wonder about someone who can't do the same. My gf at the range first time kept all her shots to com. 155-165-180 grain from a sw40v.
 
I've had no problems with the .40, though I have seen posts saying that theoretically the cartridge is less accurate than others.

I've always felt that the cartridge was rather mild. I use 180 gn bullets, if you go heavier, it will, of course, recoil more.
 
My sig P239 in 40 is a dream to shoot. But the other guns I own are mainly 357 mag or 44 mag revolvers. Compared to those the 40 is rather mild. As with any gun CONSISTENT practice is the key. You just need to up your tolerance level a little bit. The first time I shot a 44mag, it was HOLY ****! Now it's not so bad, as I've gotten used to it. Big kick & blast is fun, and gives you a certain feeling of confidence. Only practice until you start flinching a little bit, then stop! If you push it any more it will become unenjoyable and you'll quit shooting it altogether.
 
my first & primary handgun was/is a preban sigma 40 (my other is a intratec 22).. i thought it was me when i first shot it & couldnt hit n e thing.. took all 15 rounds to hit 1 bottle at about 15yrds. pi$$ed me off bad. so 2000+ rounds l8r.. my best is 13bottles @ about 20yds (a long time.. i know). i never considered it was the gun or the load (well not to a great extent) or the caliber.. i always thought it was me.. u know what.. i still think it was me... maybe i would have progressed faster & even b better now if i had started w/a 9 or a 45 but now that i know this im glad i got proficient w/the 40 first.. cause my next gun is gonna b a walther p99 in 9mm. then an hk 45... so i should b great w/those right?
 
Speed...Its not you and its not the gun. Most blame it on the recoil or blast, but the .40 is simply not very inherently accurate. Some calibers are like that and it dosnt matter what kind of platform you launch it from. Its really not quantifiable as to why, but some calibers just arent accurate, some are. The .45 and 9mm are the oposite end of the spectrum..particularly the .45. Even an el'cheapo Lamma .45 will be quite accurate. Much more so than the same weaopn in other calibers. If you dont belave me just look at Barrel blank testing. These tests remove ALL external reasons for inacuracy and fire single shots from a rigedly mounted barrel blank..a human dosnt even pull the trigger..just pushes a button. This is as accurate as the particular load will ever be. the .40 cal always does pretty bad, usualy right above .380. Suprisingly enough .25 acp usualy ranks in the top 98%.

BTW, I used to have a pre-ban Sigma 40. I loved that gun, but also found the accuracy to be pretty dismal. Traded it for a Sig .40 with no improvements..traded that for a Glock 20 10mm and have never looked back. I still mis the Sigma...wish I could find another one in 9mm. The first gen Sigmas were the best fealing handgun I have ever held..particularly ith a Hogue hand-all. It just made you not want to put it away after you got back from the range. I never though another gun would feal as natural as a Hi-power or 1911. I never had the reliability and durability problems that I kept hearing about either.
 
Love my P239/.40, been shooting/carrying it for years.

As with any firearm, tons of shooting is not what makes us a "good shot". Regular, "perfect", dry practice, and occasional limited live fire does the job.

First time I shot the .40 at 25 yards, kept 7 shots inside a small fist-sized group, well centered (braced kneeling). Sorry to say, 25 yard shooting hasn't been that good to me lately, mainly because I've shot too dang much recently. After 80-100 rounds, I can count on some recoil anticipation, & trigger control starts to take a hike. I might add that I haven't lounged around & "target practiced" for a great many years, it's strictly defensive shooting now. I think it's a great caliber, the "best of both worlds".

I'm at a loss for why the concensus is leaning toward more recoil with lighter bullets. I don't see a noticable difference with 180, 165, 155 or 135's. Most firearms that do mark a difference lean toward heavier bullet/heavier recoil. 165gr .38's kick a heck of a lot more than 110gr .357's.
 
My Ruger P94 in .40cal is the most accurate gun I own...which seems kind of wierd...i've shot lots of different calibers...in lots of different guns...the only other gun (for me) that beats my .40 in accuracy is my buddys Kimber .45...but my .40 is a close second...it's suprising even to me how accurate it is...and while my gun cost about $400.00 less than his Kimber...it would be hard for me to justify getting anything else to protect my family with...it's just that good.
Tony.
 
40!?!

Well now, I've got a Ruger 9mm, a SIGPRO 40 S&W, and Beretta 45 ACP in semi-auto. The SIG is by far the most accurate, and has the best trigger too. Is this because it is a 40, or a SIG? Hmmm...

I was at the range last night, with the SIG and the Ruger, 100 rounds each 40 and 9. The 9 was 115 gr and 124 gr, the 40 was 165 gr and 180 gr.

In order of accuracy in my hands(most accurate first):

PMC 165 gr .40 S&W
Lake City 180 gr .40 S&W
Gecco 124 9X19
PMC 115 gr 9X19

As it happens, I shoot both 9X19 and .40 S&W better than the Beretta Cougar (next purchase is a Kimber!)

At first I thought "Why on earth would I want a .40?", then I held a SIGPRO, then I fired it. Now I own it.

I'm happy, your mileage may vary.

-LeadPumper
 
At first I thought "Why on earth would I want a .40?", then I held a SIGPRO, then I fired it. Now I own it.
Click to expand...

Same here. I really like the SIG Pro .40. It has enough recoil to make you pay attention to form but isn't a killer like a .44 mag. I can't shoot box after box of ammo due to arthritis but the first fifty rounds are OK.

But my wife absolutely hates it. She says it rattles her teeth and she will not shoot it, preferring a heavier 9mm or her P32 or even a P.O.S. Bodyguard Special with skinny handle that is nearly impossible to shoot accurately.
 
Yes, I have some problems with the 40. I keep expecting it to kick like a 10mm, so when it whimps out, I am always so disappointed that I get disgusted and go back to a real .40 the 10mm Auto!
 
Well, it depends...With full-size, all-steel pistols, I notice no increase in recoil-related discomfort when firing the .40...when firing aluminum-framed or compact pistols, however, I DO notice that the .40 SEEMS to have "snappier" recoil than either the 9mm or .45 acp....just my perception, I guess....mikey357
 
It seems that it is the CHARACTER of the recoil rather than the amount. Being accurate involves learning to ignore the recoil, muzzle flash and noise. The recoil of the 40 seems to be "snappier" & the flash bigger/faster. It is like being repeatedly slapped. After a dozen slaps you start anticipating it and jerk the trigger, etc.

Try shooting a 40 or 357sig in a ported barrel! The porting is supposed to tame the recoil, but it is even worse because of the noise & flash.

I've only shot heavier pistols & when shooting the 40 my groups slowly get bigger the more I shoot.
Shot the same guns in 9mm, 38super, 357sig, 40, 45. I'll never buy a 357sig or 40. Just me.

Shoot as above, several cartriges in the same gun & settle on your cart. Then shoot half a dozen guns in that cartridge. I bought 45 for my first gun. Some day will get a 9mm. (will have to look at 38super).
 
I've found that I shoot my .40 S&W HK P7M10's *much* better than the 9mm HK P7M8 - so much so that I'm selling the M8. Possibly it's due to the added mass of the slide producing a more stable platform, but I find that the M10 in .40 S&W is much smoother than the M8 in 9mm.
 
My carry gun is a Glock #27.I shoot it frequently and with accuracy at distances up to 15-20 yds using factory and reloads in 180 and 155.I don't notice significant recoil or muzzle blast.My G 35 with its longer sight radius is a real powderpuff recoil-wise and shoots damn near as well as my .45 Wilson CQB!Am I missing something?
 
I own two CZ 75Bs: one in 9mm and the other in .40 caliber. It has been my experience that the .40 is just as easy to shoot accurately as the 9mm version.

According to the test targets delivered with both pistols, the CZ 75B in .40 is the more accurate pistol.

--
Mike
 
My Firestar is not bad the keltec gives me problems. My fat fingers keep hitting the mag release during full recoil.
 
The triggers on ALL DA/SA auto's are terrible! Everyone I've let shoot my 1911 shoots it better. Caliber, recoil, don't really matter.
 
Don't you guys sort of find the recoil a little 'reassuring'? .:p

It makes me feel like my .40 is 'serious business'


YMMV

t-man
 
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