Found the perfect load for my .40 cal.

Well, me an Stuartg when shooting our .40 cals. Saturday, shot about 4 hours and had the range all to ourselves :thumbsup: . We started out using 2ff Old Ensford at 30 yards and were getting 2 to 2 1/2 inch groups which we didn't like. Then we switched to some 3fff Goex that I had bought and our groups instantly went to 1 inch or so. I mean we were just about stacking the balls into one hole. All this was using Hoppe's No.9 plus with .015 ticking for me and .018 ticking for Stuartg, and 40 grns. of 3fff Goex. Next time we'll take a camera and take some pictures. It really was amazing how quick the groups changed. I wanted to try some 3fff Swiss but they were out . The squirrels an rabbits better watch out this fall!!.

Goex is a good powder for sure...I settled on 40grns Goex 3F for my squirrel / plinking load as well.
( .018" pillow ticking x .395" cast ball )
Good luck with the squirrels !

38" GM barrel / 25yds seated hunting position:

Yes sir, had a great time on Saturday doing some experimental shooting! My .40 seemed to really like mink oil as a patch lube too. Never knew powder and lube could change groups so drastically...

I have square bottom grooves and the .018 with a .395 ball was just too tight for me. .015 is tight but I don't have to beat my hand to death when I short start it.

In my round bottom Kentuck I use .018 patch with a
.390 ball. [38"bbl] and I find that 45 gr ff seems
best....pretty close between 40 & 45. Very easy to
load. No short started needed. I get a I" up at 25yds...in the X ring...
Wulf

Don't tell me I have to get a 40 now! I had several 32's, 45s, 50s a 54 and a 58(in rifles). Then all of a sudden I got a 36 stuck in my head. I couldn't find one at a cheap price and a couple time I did but the deals fell threw for some reason. I finally got one though. It's hard enough to keep all those calibers sorted out. :hmm:

I wanted to try some 3fff Swiss but they were out .

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Congrats on your experimenting.
My wife has a nice .40 cal. rifle that is seldom used. One day I took it out of the safe for an airing. Doing some bench testing with 3Fg Swiss I found the best performance was with only 25 gr. charges. Oddly, very oddly :shocked2: , when shot with that charged it boomed like a cannon.
I have recently switched to 3Fg Swiss in my .45 cal. target rifle and it tosses balls all over the county. I'm having to rethink using it. Which will create a conundrum for me as I have nine pounds of it on hand. Keep testing and use what works for you.

It's interesting how powder can make that big of a difference!

Each rifle is different, what one loves, the next will hate. If I may make an analogy, when my triplet grandkids were babies, I would help feed them. I would set their highchairs in a semi circle and feed them from the same jar of baby food. One would gobble up whatever I was feeding them and the next may make a horrible face and spit it out. Each had their own preferences. Rifles are a lot like my grandkids in that each will have its preferences. In order to get each grandkid to eat, you just had to find out what they liked. Rifles are the same.....you just don't have diapers to change .

Mooman76 said:

Don't tell me I have to get a 40 now! I had several 32's, 45s, 50s a 54 and a 58(in rifles). Then all of a sudden I got a 36 stuck in my head. I couldn't find one at a cheap price and a couple time I did but the deals fell threw for some reason. I finally got one though. It's hard enough to keep all those calibers sorted out. :hmm:

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but of course you will need a .40 (actually, you have made an error in tense: you have needed a .40 for some years now - it's only recently come to realize this unmet need).

Make good smoke!

(hopefully with a new .40 :rotf: )

Good way of looking at it. I guess if they were all the same - where would the fun be in that!?

No gun collection is complete without a .40 cal. And a .36 and a.45 and a .50 and a .54 and and and...
:haha: :haha:
HH 60

Yea but you still get get the pew when you clean it lol