New to reloading. I need recommendations for powder.

[Skip Sackett]

I don't want to hijack the thread or anything but along the same lines I have a powder question. Would Longshot be ok for .40 S&W, shooting with M&P .40 and Glock 22 (Gen 3)? From what I understand the Gen 3 Glock is supposed to have a supported chamber?

ALL DAY LONG!

I am currently loading Longshot in my M&P in 40S&W with lighter bullets. I do not like lighter bullets but, son #2 was issued an M&P 40S&W as a duty gun and they use 155gr bullets for their duty loads and I wanted to give him a cheap way to practice. Cops need to practice too you know! haha

At any rate, I have just switched back to 180gr bullets, because I like heavier bullets ( ) and will be working on a Longshot load for them. Previously, I was using SR4756 with the 180gr TC bullets from Berry's and had great results. Keeping pressure down (using a slow pistol powder) and getting velocity up (because the gasses continue to expand for a longer period of time) is a win/win for my way of thinking. I have a load using that powder that hurled that 180gr pill at just under 1000fps and the pressure was less than lots of other powders with much lower velocity. The ONLY one that beat it was Longshot! (I didn't have any of it at the time I loaded the SR4756 while I had 4lbs of it!)

THE key to shooting/reloading the 40S&W successfully is:
#1: Clean your firearm down to the firing pin hole or space.
#2: Know your firearm. If it has a supported chamber, load for that. If it has an unsupported chamber, load for that, and THAT can be done very successfully.
#3: Consistency. What you do at the beginning that brings success, continue and do so being safe all along the way!

Hope this helps!

 

[all357mag]

Bullseye, W231, I do really good with Green Dot for 45acp.

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

Why I don't like clays in 40 major loads is due to the pressure curve. With some powders pressure curve is fairly linear, clays is only "linear" in a small window. Once you start going above max loads to make major it very quickly goes from safe to OMG I'm cratering primers. An example of this without even hitting max came when I was loading bunny farts in 38 super, 3.7gr under a 130gr lead bullet (hodgdon data for a 135gr lead is 3.5min to 4.2 max) bullet was giving me cratering worse than my 38 super major loads. Backing down to 3.5gr and all was good again.

The powder has kind of an exponential pressure curve after a certain point in certain applications.

Clays works great in 45 major loads, and 40 minor. For 9mm there are better choices than clays.

*when I say linear in respect to pressure it's a generalization

 

[steamloco76]

If you are going to try and stay with just one powder, Unique is the way to go. It is a little dirty and doesn't meter as well as others, but it will fill your needs for the 3 calibers you list. I have reloaded for 40 years (mostly revolvers) and Bullseye, Unique and 2400 filled 90% of my needs.

Bullseye, Unique and 240 are also my three go to powders after experimenting with W231/HP-38, W296/HP110, AA #5, AA#9, and TiteGroup. I still use some W-296 in Heavy 44 Mag loads for my rifle. Unique is a very easy powder to live with, it works with moderately light through moderately heavy loads and does so without odd pressure spikes. It is also not a temperature sensitive as some newer powders.
Only problem with Unique? At the moment it is hard to find since so many people use it! All my local supply stores have been bare of Unique since October. Found some today 55 miles from home and bought the last 2lbs and the last pound of 2400.
Now I can start loading my big pile of brass!

 

[ladyT]

Why shouldn't I reload .40 in Major Power Factor. Is there something I need to be aware of.

Well being new to this will I have problems with my G35 with a Lone Wolf ported barrel.

Forget to add I now havd thd following powders to work with:
VV-N320,N340,N42C
W231
Unique
Universal Clays
Titegroup
Vargent

 

[series guy]

I use Titegroup for all my pistol calibers from .32 S&W to .44Mag. And also .45ACP and .45 Colt. Meters well and a little goes a long way. You need to take care to avoid multiple charging a case as there's not much bulk to the powder but that should be SOP anyway.

 

[jimkim]

I use AA#7 in all three of these. I cast my own bullets and use a good lube. I use a proper fitting bullet, quality lube, and a load that generates enough pressure to burn clean. I only shoot 25 rounds five days a week, and fifty on SAT. I don't know when I last had to clean my barrel.

 

[Rudi Z]

For the calibers you listed, I use Alliant Power Pistol and Alliant Unique.

 

[VMaxSplat]

WW 231 works great for 45ACP and 40 S&W reloads. I like 4.6 grains of 231 with a 180 bullet (at max COL) for a practice 40 load.

 

[all357mag]

Used to use W231, but use Bullseye only in 45acp and 38spl.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Well being new to this will I have problems with my G35 with a Lone Wolf ported barrel.

Forget to add I now havd thd following powders to work with:
VV-N320,N340,N42C
W231
Unique
Universal Clays
Titegroup
Vargent

In my above thread I suggested using W231 and I see you do have W231. Of the powders you list Unique and Universal will also do a good job. Please do not use titegroup, so many KBooms are associated with that powder especially with the 40 S&W.

 

[Nevada Ed]

VV N42c...........................

could that be N32c...... "Tin Star" for CowBoy shooting ?
Great stuff............

 

[ladyT]

VV N42c...........................

could that be N32c...... "Tin Star" for CowBoy shooting ?
Great stuff............

Yea thats it. Trying to do things by memory usually results in shorting out my remaining brain cell.