What is your favorite/"best" powder for 40 SW?

[Rule3]

Some prerequisites: This is for a fully supported chamber (no standard Glock or BHP barrels) and for 165 and 180 gr FMJ bullets although lead of the same weight is fine also.(one of my guns has poly rifleing, the others do not)

Lyman lists fast powders (Bullseye, W 231, AA 5 )as the most accurate that they tested, but that's a pretty wide range between BE and AA 5 on the burn rate chart.

Do you prefer faster or slower powders?

Sorry if this has been asked and answered a zillion times, but what hasn't

 

[rcmodel]

Any time I load 35,000 PSI pistol calibers like 9mm & .40 S&W, I prefer mid-level burn rate powders over flash-bang grenade powder!

Fast powders like Bullseye, etc, can spike and go over pressure very easily if you hold your mouth wrong when charging cases.

Mid-level burn rate powders will also give higher velocity at less peak pressure.

Personally, I use Unique.
But Power Pistol, HS-6, Universal, or WSF should also be a good choice.

rc

 

[sweater914]

I use 6.0-6.2grs of Power Pistol with CCI primer and 170gr SWC from Missouri Bullet in my H&K USPc. It has polygonal rifling but I have not had any issues, I do clean my gun after every range session. This load is well within safe load range according to the 49th Lyman Reloading Manual. It chronographed about 850-900fps.

I've used Unique, Titegroup, Power Pistol, AA#5, AA#7, Bullseye, and Win231. I prefer Power Pistol because is meters better then Unique and fills the case. You need more AA#5 for same speed and Bullseye, Win231, and Titegroup have lower overall powder charges but it's harder to see a double charge, a double charge of Power Pistol will overflow the case.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Power Pistol gets my vote.

 

[coebam]

I started loading 9mm and .45 acp with Unique and just could not get the 9mm rounds to cycle reliably with my glock 19 or HK P30. The 1911 did not care what I ran through it.
I switched to Bullseye and have not had 1 failure to fire, feed or eject on either 9mm or .45 acp. The bullseye does feel a little hotter, but it feels closer to a factory winchester load to me.

 

[Sin City Shootist]

WSF

 

[Branden967]

I use 6.0-6.2grs of Power Pistol with CCI primer and 170gr SWC from Missouri Bullet in my H&K USPc. It has polygonal rifling but I have not had any issues, I do clean my gun after every range session. This load is well within safe load range according to the 49th Lyman Reloading Manual. It chronographed about 850-900fps.

I've used Unique, Titegroup, Power Pistol, AA#5, AA#7, Bullseye, and Win231. I prefer Power Pistol because is meters better then Unique and fills the case. You need more AA#5 for same speed and Bullseye, Win231, and Titegroup have lower overall powder charges but it's harder to see a double charge, a double charge of Power Pistol will overflow the case.

Didnt know that, thanks for the info.

 

[Rule3]

I have yet to try Power Pistol, I have been using pretty much HP 38/W 231.

Some say HP 38 is fast but by burn rate its pretty close to Unique, I would think it was a middle of the road.

The last time I went to buy it they where out so I picked up some Win Auto Comp (not that my guns are comped) but it was a tad slower and meters great.

I have loaded it in 9, 40 and 45 Auto and seems pretty good to me.

I have Unique but it does not meter as well, also some HS 6 which may work nicely.

 

[LiveLife]

I have loaded 40S&W in 155-180 gr with Bullseye, Promo(Red Dot load data), W231/HP-38, Universal, WSF and HS-6 with good accuracy.

The reason why I use W231/HP-38 primarily for 40S&W is that I prefer to use start-mid range load data for the particularly high pressure 40S&W in Glocks. Unlike the slower burning powders, I find faster burning W231/HP-38 to maintain accuracy even at start to mid range load data for target shooting and clean burning.

If you are looking for full power loads, I would recommend powders slower than Unique.

 

[NuJudge]

Accurate Arms #7. There's no way you can double charge, velocities are excellent, and accuracy is good.

 

[sean eady]

Started with HP-38/W231 and switched to WSF and seem to like it a little more for the .40 . I still use the HP38/W231 for 9mm and .45

 

[janobles14]

HS-6 all the way for me. works great and burns well. the least variable with velocity for me with 165 grainers. and it just smells good!

 

[1SOW]

Many USPSA Limited class competitors like WST for 40cal. Clean, accurate and meters very well.

 

[gab909]

Loading Unique in the 155 grs and getting less than 2" groups at 20 yards, and I am not that good of a pistol shot.

 

[flynlr]

Unique has been my goto 40 cal powder for years.

 

[RunningHorse]

I like Titegroup

Because I'm cheap

And...it works.

 

[Usertag]

I like Bullseye's Powder. And I don't always reload shells, but when I do. I preffer fast burning powders.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

You can't go wrong with Unique or Universal.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Universal.

 

[357 Terms]

^^ yep Universal for me also, in both plinking and SD rounds.

 

[918v]

Fast powders like Bullseye, etc, can spike and go over pressure very easily if you hold your mouth wrong when charging cases.

That's only when you're loading under the influence. Bullseye is perfectly safe if used as intended, i.e. for moderate target loads.

 

[Rule3]

That's only when you're loading under the influence. Bullseye is perfectly safe if used as intended, i.e. for moderate target loads.

Yes it is and it's an excellent powder. I believe that the statement is true however in that a very fast burning powder that does not take much to cause a pressure spike can quickly cause problems if overcharged.

 

[flashhole]

I've been shooting my own cast bullets that tilt the scale at 177 grains. AA #7 and HS-6 both provide reliable cycling and both are accurate in my Taurus.

 

[918v]

can quickly cause problems if overcharged.

Overcharging is not an accepted reloading practice. People who worry about overcharging should not be reloading. Reloading is all about paying attention to the details.

 

[Stormin.40]

HS-6 for me, my Beretta loves it. I tried Titegroup and it would not cycle very well.

I will say that HS-6 is dirty if shooting light loads, titegroup was cleaner but then again I had to load near max to get my pistol to cycle reliably.