.40 S&W OAL

Discussions covering the components and techniques of reloading for your handgun.
Post Reply
rdover
Posts: 13
Joined: 14 Feb 2017 15:47
My Press Choice: Turret
Location: Tennessee
Been thanked: 7 times

.40 S&W OAL

Post by rdover »

I have a question. When I first started loading .40 S&W with 165gr RNF (from Rocky Mountain Reloading) bullet I was loading to an OAL of 1.150. I don't know where I got that number. It passed in my Lyman checker, and passed plunk test in my S&W M&P. I shot a few hundred rounds seated at that depth. Last week, I looked at the official specs and saw that the official max OAL is 1.135. So, I backed my OAL down to 1.140. From what I think I know and understand, it is "best practice" to seat as long as you can. Usually, accuracy is improved. So, the question is: keep seating at 1.140? Or set it down more to the official 1.135? Or, since it passed the Lyman Chamber checker and the plunk test, set it back to 1.150? It shoots in my M&P just fine. I haven't had anyone else shoot any of my reloads, but I've got family that have .40s that may want to shoot some. What do you all think?
User avatar
RBHarter
Founding Member
Founding Member
Posts: 2040
Joined: 13 Mar 2014 19:45
My Press Choice: Single Stage
Location: The green hell 90 miles north of Texarka
Has thanked: 76 times
Been thanked: 670 times

Re: .40 S&W OAL

Post by RBHarter »

The thing about cast is that what's perfect in 1 gun might not chamber in the next and might be sloppy in the 1 after that . I would say to go ahead and load what works in your chamber for now and if you go to a family shoot of common buckets find the shortest tightest chamber and load for that 1 the next time .
I have 45s that are the same way , 2 that won't take over .453 the others swallow up .455 like a kid eating candy .
Just a Red neck,White boy, Blue blood American.....
Post Reply

Return to “Handgun Reloading”