Reloading 40's

Hey Gonefishing

I shoot that bullet quite a bit for the same reasons you do..
I've found some combinations that work pretty well my my gun with that bullet.




Recently I discovered SR7625 does well also.. (Far right target)



Hope this helps some..

As for the wide variation of bullet weight.. We would need to know how exactly you prepare your casting alloys. Are you fluxing enough?
There are wheelweights made from Zinc. If those get in your mix it will ruin your metal for bullets. That can only happen if you allow your metal to get hotter than 800°F. Less than that zinc will float to the top and removed with the rest of the impurities after a flux.

Anyway you shouldn't be getting variations more that about 0.5gr with that mold.


If you would like more info on casting and want to hang out with folks that do nothing but cast, check this site out..

Cast Boolits
 
Alloy, size and lube are my "biggies", for some odd reason folks think they need super hard bullets in semi auto pistol bullets. Any thing harder than straight wheel weights (11-12 BHN) are not needed and can lead to bore leading and poor accuracy due to bullet skid. I favor a soft lube and I use SPG in all my bullets with very good results. I shoot a 50% wheel weight and 50% pure with 2% tin with very good result up to 1,400fps with zero leading of the bore. This is in both revolvers and semi auto cartridges. Cast boolits.com is indeed the place to go for good info! Please note, these are my results and as we all know results can vary. Good luck and have fun!
 
It has been several days since I have posted anything in regard what I am discovering about reloading/casting an accurate .40 bullet. First off, my alloy although it produces a serviceable bullet, I will pursue an avenue of obtaining a better alloy mix. I have changed out barrels in my Glock, not wanting to damage the factory barrel, I have obtained a Lone Wolf stainless steel barrel. What a difference, now measuring the group size in inches rather than feet. I am also attaining the group size I looking for. Haven't reached the 5 shot group covered by a dime yet, but at least I am in the 1 1/2" ballpark and as I venture out into experimenting with other powders I am sure that I will begin to see an improvement. both in accuracy and bullet performance. One question that continues to perk my concern is; bullet weight. What is the norm weight variation for accurate cast bullets? I deal bullets would group within say a +/- .3 gr. But I am also noticing that bullets that have a +/- 3 gr weight spread (a toltal of 6 gr) as long as I stay within the parameters of a powder charge not exceeding the max chage for a given bullet weight. Comments are most welcom!
 
What if the cavities in the mold are different diameters? The weight will then vary, depending on the difference in size.
 
I don't re-load but have saved up some of the once fired brass.
What's a fair price, if I wanted to sell? How many cents per case?
 
good point, although I don't thing Lee Precision has made that mistake in machining the .401 175 TC mold. but I am noticing that the line created by the two halves coming together is very distinct and in some cases just a little wider and these make it back into the melting pot. The concern I have right now is having a number of cast bullets, with a weight variation of as much as a full 5 gr difference. The bullets function properly but I notice a wide group pattern when in the bullets picked at random and a smaller cluster when the bullets are weighed out into groups with identical weight. My goal is to achieve the maximum accuracy with my cast bullet reloads!
 
I'm interested in your results also, because I'm gonna purchase a mold for 40 cal after the first of the year. Not sure which I will buy at this point. Seems that everybody either hates or loves Lee products, there is no in between.

Merry Christmas!
 
alloy

most moulds are cut to use the lyman No. 2 mixture. If you use a harder alloy than that weight of the projectile will degrease. If you use a softer mix than lyman, projectile weight will increase.
In one of the lyman cast bullet books, i think, is a chart showing what the more common allow mixes will throw too.
An example would be the rcbs 270grain .45colt S.A.A. mould. It says 270grains but softer bullets like wheelweight will throw pretty consistently to 281grains or thereabouts.
 
Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
Joe, I will keep this thread going for as long as it takes to come to the results I think this bullet is capable. Roninphx, good points and thanks for the info, that would be a valid explanation of why my 175 mold is dropping bullets that are averaging 185 to 190 gr I am using range lead and ww's and from your comment, think I will add some tin to the next casting session. Got any suggestions for obtaining a cheap source of tin or am I going to have to rely on purchasing some 50/50 lead solder?
 
yarddog, another good point, up to this point I have not used a thermometer. I was able to get my hands on Lyman Cast Bullet handbook #4. I was convinced after only reading a few pages, that temperature was a big factor in why my bullets didn't have consistancy and have decided that it is real high on the "to get list". thanks
 
The first three weeks of this new year has proved to be quite interesting to say the least! Went back and read up on quite a few of the threads contained on this forum in regards to reloading 40 S&W. I am here to tell you that you can teach old dogs new tricks or at least get them to pay a little closer attention. I kept seeing the statement in regards to re-sizing at .401 dia. and I kept passing over it. Should have been slapped with a heavier newspaper because it finally dawned on me that I was sizing to .400. what a disappointment having to recast approximately 1200 (still working on getting that done) working my alloy up aproximately 10-1 and getting my temperatures down to a 600-700 degree level. Casting and cooling my mold at intervals that would give me more consistant weight groups. Okay, old stuff to some of you guys and I really do appreciate all the advice you tried to give me way back at the beginning of this thread! Well, I did accomplish what I set out to do! I am able to put a 5 shot group into a 3/4" dia. circle at 30', this is with a lead cast bullet from the lee .401 175 -TC mold. bullet weight varies from 183 to 185 gr. with 6.2 gr. Alliant Power Pistol. My Glock 22 gen 4 with a 6" lonewolf barrel functioned perfectly. But, groups fired at ranges greater than 30 feet were disapointing, and have come to the conclusion that Power Pistol has its limitations with the 40. Woking with HS-6 and Titegroup and will get back with results from this venture with the 183 - 185 gr TC bullets!
Reloading even with all its frustrations - is almost as much fun as a good day at the lake and not catch any fish!
 
Got a question for the forum. A couple of days ago, went out and loaded up some 40's with the newly resized .401 183 gr. TC bullets. Have been having some problems in getting the battery powerd scale to give correct readings and started using the Lee "Bar" scale, set it up to the correct weight and weighed out 15 rounds at 6.2 gr Power Pistol. Just out of curiosity I double checked the weight with the Lyman micro-touch 1500 scale using AC power rather than DC. The Lyman scale read 7.4 gr and the Lee scale read 6.2 gr. Not having had any problems in the past with believing what the Lee 2nd edition guide I took the reading of 6.2 gr from the Bar scale as being correct. Big Mistake, Hot is a mild way of saying the charge was too heavy although the 5 rounds fired were in a nice tight 2" group with one Keyhole. Went back a reweighed the 6.2 on the Lyman scale still showed 7.4. reduced the weight to 6.2 on the lyman scale and loaded 15 more rounds. Much better and the groups were a consistant 2 to 2 1/2" diameter at 30 feet. At greater distances than 30 feet the accuracy went south! Also noted that with the Lee classic Turret press, the powder charge from the auto disk was consistant with the scale reading from the Lyman scales but were under charged according to the Lee Bar scale - Which is giving me a correct weight? until I get more conclusive data, I am using the Lyman scales to double check my powder charge!
 
Are you sure your Lee scale is correctly zeroed? I've used a Lee Safety scale exclusively since I started loading and it has served me well. Last year I bought a RCBS 5-0-5 scale when they were on sale at Amazon and compared the two. Both scales were dead on from 1 grain to 100 grains when weighing various objects.

When I set and check my charges on the Lee scale, I first check zero. I then move the ball and window to the desired charge weight then lock the window with the little plastic button. I then adjust the powder measure to throw the correct amount of powder and ensure it throws the same weight many times in a row. I also check the weights a few times in the middle of the session. Be sure to lock the window slider, it's very easy to bump it.
 
At this point in life, anything is possible. All I know for sure, is that me and my son-in-law both checked and double check the scale because I couldn't believe that they were off just a little bit, let alone that far off. even to the point of resetting the lee scales several times just to make sure that we hadn't misread or bumped them. Kept getting the same reading so to continue with the reloading that I was in the middle of, fell back on the lyman scale. Now watch, I'll go back to my bench and find that the scales are giving the correct reading. All I can say is, sure wish those little "Brass Grimlins" would show themselves where it is safe to shoot them!
 
Lee safety beam scale

First let me appologize to Lee precision in doubting the authenticity of their statement that the Lee safety scale is the most accurate scale of its kind! It is and I'll not doubt this fact again! Second, I am not perfect, I make mistakes and I am glad that I check when something doesn't feel right. But I made the cardinal error of "*** u me ing" that I had followed the setup procedures correctly in setting up my Lee safety scales. When in fact I had overlooked the first step and had not zeroed the beam scale. Thanks RSROCET for bringing me back to reality!
 
I just purchased an RCBS weight set for checking beam scales. I had never checked my Pacific M scale, just always double checked zero before weighing powder. As best I can tell the scale is off 1/20th of a grain. Not bad for a scale I purchased over 30 years ago.

If nothing else is correct, I want my powder charges right. :-)
 
Glad you got it sorted out. I always zero my scale at the start of a loading session when I check my drops. Yes, the zero weight might get moved while moving the scale around or something else and I have noticed that sometimes the scale is off of zero after not using it (most likely bumped).
 
Was going through the 2016 Hogdon loading manual. And since the op is loading 40S&W under their load data is the statement that says basically you should not load for automatics who have less than desirable case support. And if you are not sure contact the maunfacturer of your firearm. I used to scrounge range brass and anything except 22's, 9mm.and 40 S&W that had been fired in glocks. You'd see the glock bulge on just about every case. Frank
 
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