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Preferred grain for .40 S&W?

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  • Cyc Wid It
    Veteran Member
    • Mar 2009
    • 4485

    Preferred grain for .40 S&W?

    Any suggestions accompanied by brief explanations? Any particularly good brand/grain combination?

    Thanks in advance.
    WTS all BNIB: Colt S70 Repro, HK45c, Gen4 G19
  • #2
    tomd1584
    Calguns Addict
    • Sep 2008
    • 5895

    180 gr. Speer Gold dot is whats in my magazines.

    for training/plinking, i'll use WWB , Independence 165 gr., and speer lawman 165 & 180 gr.
    Last edited by tomd1584; 04-14-2010, 8:31 PM.

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    • #3
      Fjold
      I need a LIFE!!
      • Oct 2005
      • 22924

      What's your imtended use, Home defense, plinking, target/competition?

      What type of gun, 5" Comp/target model, 4" service model, 3.5" compact, 3" subcompact?
      Frank

      One rifle, one planet, Holland's 375




      Life Member NRA, CRPA and SAF

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      • #4
        Cyc Wid It
        Veteran Member
        • Mar 2009
        • 4485

        P226R

        It's my newest gun so I'll need some range time to get comfortable with it. I'll probably keep a little defensive ammo around too, although my "nightstand" type gun is my 1911.
        WTS all BNIB: Colt S70 Repro, HK45c, Gen4 G19

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        • #5
          tomd1584
          Calguns Addict
          • Sep 2008
          • 5895

          Originally posted by Cyc Wid It
          P226R

          It's my newest gun so I'll need some range time to get comfortable with it. I'll probably keep a little defensive ammo around too, although my "nightstand" type gun is my 1911.
          edited original post, sorry.

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          • #6
            Cyc Wid It
            Veteran Member
            • Mar 2009
            • 4485

            All good thanks for the response. I like the Speer stuff in .45 so that's good to know.
            WTS all BNIB: Colt S70 Repro, HK45c, Gen4 G19

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            • #7
              XYZ
              Calguns Addict
              • Jan 2010
              • 5481

              I'll use Speer Gold Dot 165 for HD. 180 is heavier and you can shoot through a car door. The 165 gives you a little more speed. I use WWB 165 for target practice as well.
              sigpic
              NRA Endowment Member

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              • #8
                BigDogatPlay
                Calguns Addict
                • Jun 2007
                • 7362

                SiG P226, I stoke it with 165 grain Ranger SXT. This started out being issued ammo, but it has been unfailingly reliable in my gun, and shoots to good tight groups. I usually shoot Federal Hydra Shoks in all my guns but this Ranger round has been excellent in the SiG. I want to try some of the new bonded PDX stuff to compare.

                In terms of "power measurements" the 165s in .40 caliber seem to be the best balance.
                -- Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun

                Not a lawyer, just a former LEO proud to have served.

                Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. -- James Madison

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                • #9
                  bruss01
                  Calguns Addict
                  • Feb 2006
                  • 5336

                  180 is what the round was designed around. Lighter weights can feel "snappy" rather than a good solid "push" recoil-wise. I'm apparently so convinced that it's a superior load that I had a dream recently and every shot fired resulted in one hostile out of the fight. I'd like to see you argue with results like that. ;P
                  The one thing worse than defeat is surrender.

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                  • #10
                    Nynvolt
                    Member
                    • Oct 2009
                    • 297

                    I try to stick with 180gr. I am not too picky as far as plinking ammo goes since I feel lucky if I can find any under $20/50 but for HD I use PDX1 180gr. When testing it's reliability I was surprised at my grouping, maybe just dumb luck but it was the best group of my session that day.

                    I'm in the heavier is better camp for defense rounds. It will penetrate deeper and hopefully be more effective. Not really worried about over penetration, if I hit it will lose most, if not all of it's momentum, if I miss there will be little difference between a 180gr and 165gr flying through drywall.

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                    • #11
                      nick
                      CGN/CGSSA Contributor
                      CGN Contributor
                      • Aug 2008
                      • 19151

                      I prefer 180gr. 165gr feels much snappier and can be unpleasant to shoot. That being said, 165gr and 155gr Winchester Ranger feel pretty good and are very accurate. Winchester also makes 180gr subsonic JHPs in the Ranger line though. Those are very very nice to shoot.

                      My experience isn't with SIGs though, but with Glock 35, Glock 27, S&W M&P 40, and Witness Elite Match.
                      DiaHero Foundation - helping people manage diabetes. Sending diabetes supplies to Ukraine now, any help is appreciated.

                      DDR AK furniture and Norinco M14 parts kit: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/....php?t=1756292
                      sigpic

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                      • #12
                        PutTogether
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2008
                        • 2370

                        I like .40 caliber bullets to be as light as possible. I can't quite explain this, since as a rule I am a "slow and heavy bullets are better" type guy, but the lighter and faster you make a .40/10mm bullet, the closer it gets to acting like a hot 125 grain .357 magnum.

                        In my mind, if you aren't going to be a .45 caliber, 230 grain at 850ish fps, then you should be a 125 grain bullet at as close to 1500 fps as possible.

                        I'm sure it is just a trick of the mind, but the closer in my head I can make a .40 or 10mm feel like I have the ballistics of the classic .357 in an auto loader, the happier I am.
                        sigpic

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                        • #13
                          Cyc Wid It
                          Veteran Member
                          • Mar 2009
                          • 4485

                          Thanks for the helps folks. I've shot some of the 180gr, but I might buy a box or 2 of lighter stuff to try out.
                          WTS all BNIB: Colt S70 Repro, HK45c, Gen4 G19

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