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Old 07-14-2010, 07:43 PM
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Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.  
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Smile Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.

Looking for a set of dies in 40 cal. Where is there best place to purchase dies and bullets?

Also, what is a good work-up for this round for a moderate load, to include bullet type and weight?
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:20 PM
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Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.  
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Most any dies will do. Personally, I find the Lee 4-die carbide set to work real well for both .40 and 10mm. They are a lot cheaper than some of the other brands, but I have never had a problem with the Lee dies. I've used RCBS and Lyman in the past and they are good dies also. The Lee decapping pin is less prone to breakage.

I use 3.5 gr. of Clays with a 175-180 grain bullet. May bump that up a couple of tenths next time. The 3.5 is a nice comfortable range load.
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Old 07-14-2010, 10:00 PM
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Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.  
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For years i used a Lee bullet mold to cast 171 grain swc tumble lube bullet in my Glock. The charge was 5.9 grains of Unique.
Recently i switched to a Lee mold that casts a 177 grain TC bullet. For this bullet i use 5.4 grains of Unique. These loads are made using a Dillon 550B and Dillon dies.
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Old 07-14-2010, 10:50 PM
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Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.  
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Since .40 S&W fits both revolvers and many semi-autos, the load depends a lot on your gun and the intended purpose.
HP38/231 or Titegroup behind a 180 or 165 gr bullet will get you major power for USPSA, and if you want to shoot IDPA at the Wilmore range S of Lexington, you can go as light as 4 gr of HP38, provided it is enough to work the slide on your semi-auto.
International Defensive Pistol Association

Hodgdon has a on-line loading data site:
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

I like plated for .40 S&W minor loads and use 180 FMJ for major power USPSA loads. The major load is about the same as the Gold Dot 180gr defense load, so serves as a cheaper practice equivalent.
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Old 07-15-2010, 12:29 AM
Titegroups Titegroups is offline
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Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.  
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Dies, most anywhere. Midway, Grafs. Bullets, Precision Delta. 180g. fmj, about $110/thousand. I like Power Pistol behind mine.

Last edited by Titegroups; 07-15-2010 at 12:37 AM.
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Old 07-15-2010, 06:47 AM
Skip Sackett Skip Sackett is offline
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Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W. Dies and bullets for 40 cal S&W.  
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I use the dies that come with a SDB to load my 40S&W at present. I have used, and liked, the Lee dies too. As been said above, cheaper, readily available and they work. Powder through die is the greatest for turret press loading or even single stage for that matter.

My load uses my favorite powder for above average for caliber loads. Not +P necessarily, but more than average. It is the top listing for a 180gr JHP in 40S&W with SR4756. I get better velocity with less pressure and I have 4lbs of it!

Most of my 40 caliber loads are run through a Glock. With the notorious unsupported chamber, I load for a win/win. Low pressure, high pressure being the culprit for most KBs, and higher velocity. 180gr bullets going 1000fps. Works for me.
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