Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .40 S&W with .400 | 170gr | Nosler HP bullet and 60 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 20, Somchem MS200 and Alliant UNIQUE.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,789 psi | 85% | 1027 fps | 96.6% |
| Accurate No. 5*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,950 psi | 89% | 1099 fps | 89% |
| Accurate Solo 1000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,805 psi | 88% | 991 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250 | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,514 psi | 87% | 1040 fps | 100% |
| ADI AP 70N² | <<locked>> | 72% | 26,934 psi | 83% | 1033 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 72% | 27,412 psi | 84% | 879 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,558 psi | 88% | 925 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,485 psi | 84% | 955 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,501 psi | 90% | 1017 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86 | <<locked>> | 84% | 26,774 psi | 82% | 1017 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE² | <<locked>> | 76% | 27,311 psi | 84% | 1060 fps | 99% |
| Alliant Green Dot | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,037 psi | 89% | 1014 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Hercoᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,237 psi | 77% | 1040 fps | 98% |
| Alliant RED DOT | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,718 psi | 88% | 988 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Sport Pistol² | <<locked>> | 72% | 27,992 psi | 86% | 1073 fps | 98.8% |
| Alliant UNIQUE | <<locked>> | 88% | 27,079 psi | 83% | 1070 fps | 98.6% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,254 psi | 90% | 1004 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistolᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,875 psi | 79% | 991 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,732 psi | 88% | 1027 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon CFE Pistol² | <<locked>> | 64% | 28,253 psi | 87% | 1050 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,254 psi | 90% | 932 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon HS-6*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 26,948 psi | 83% | 1060 fps | 90.2% |
| Hodgdon Longshot*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 26,266 psi | 80% | 1053 fps | 92% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 10,762 psi | 33% | 699 fps | 99.9% |
| Hodgdon Universal | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,934 psi | 83% | 1033 fps | 100% |
| Lovex D036*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,906 psi | 89% | 1099 fps | 89% |
| Lovex S011² | <<locked>> | 68% | 26,992 psi | 83% | 991 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S020 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,398 psi | 84% | 1047 fps | 99.6% |
| Maxam CSB 1 | <<locked>> | 92% | 28,732 psi | 88% | 1037 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 2 | <<locked>> | 88% | 26,948 psi | 83% | 1040 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 27,470 psi | 84% | 1007 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 4 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,804 psi | 85% | 994 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 76% | 28,007 psi | 86% | 958 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Silhouette² | <<locked>> | 72% | 27,253 psi | 84% | 1063 fps | 97% |
| Ramshot True Blue*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 27,746 psi | 85% | 1070 fps | 92.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 76% | 27,035 psi | 83% | 1030 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 9,718 psi | 30% | 686 fps | 96.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20 | <<locked>> | 92% | 27,992 psi | 86% | 1096 fps | 99.8% |
| Rottweil P 801² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,253 psi | 87% | 1010 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil P 806*ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,526 psi | 75% | 1129 fps | 89.7% |
| Shooters World Auto Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 28,906 psi | 89% | 1099 fps | 89% |
| SNPE Vectan A0 | <<locked>> | 92% | 29,370 psi | 90% | 1056 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan A1 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,427 psi | 87% | 1020 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,311 psi | 84% | 1017 fps | 99.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,543 psi | 87% | 925 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2* | <<locked>> | 96% | 27,050 psi | 83% | 1050 fps | 91.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,022 psi | 89% | 1050 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 2* | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,660 psi | 88% | 1152 fps | 88.2% |
| Somchem MP200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,354 psi | 84% | 1060 fps | 97.8% |
| Somchem MS200 | <<locked>> | 84% | 26,803 psi | 82% | 1037 fps | 99% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37* | <<locked>> | 92% | 28,616 psi | 88% | 1102 fps | 93.9% |
| Vihtavuori N310² | <<locked>> | 64% | 27,789 psi | 85% | 928 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N320 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,485 psi | 87% | 1014 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Starᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,844 psi | 73% | 909 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330 | <<locked>> | 84% | 27,862 psi | 85% | 1056 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N340 | <<locked>> | 88% | 28,645 psi | 88% | 1066 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N350* | <<locked>> | 96% | 29,138 psi | 89% | 1106 fps | 94.5% |
| Winchester 231² | <<locked>> | 68% | 27,876 psi | 85% | 1024 fps | 100% |
| Winchester 572*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 29,341 psi | 90% | 1102 fps | 92.9% |
| Winchester AutoComp | <<locked>> | 88% | 27,282 psi | 84% | 1037 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 4"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 2*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,432 psi | 47% | 820 fps | 88% |
| Accurate No. 5*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 25,643 psi | 79% | 1050 fps | 86.9% |
| Accurate Solo 1000² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,564 psi | 54% | 833 fps | 100% |
| Accurate Solo 1250² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,097 psi | 40% | 778 fps | 95.2% |
| ADI AP 70N² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,290 psi | 59% | 915 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI APS 350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,755 psi | 64% | 801 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,594 psi | 57% | 797 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 30² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,085 psi | 52% | 810 fps | 100% |
| ADI AS 50N² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,492 psi | 54% | 846 fps | 100% |
| Alliant BE-86² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,822 psi | 42% | 801 fps | 98.1% |
| Alliant BULLSEYE*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 17,912 psi | 55% | 899 fps | 94.5% |
| Alliant Green Dot² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,563 psi | 51% | 830 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Herco*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 12,111 psi | 37% | 771 fps | 87.1% |
| Alliant RED DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,273 psi | 50% | 810 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Sport Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,247 psi | 62% | 945 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant UNIQUE*² | 4.3 gr | 60% | 13,489 psi | 41% | 810 fps | 89% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,171 psi | 46% | 797 fps | 99.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,297 psi | 28% | 686 fps | 97% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 103 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,650 psi | 48% | 840 fps | 99.9% |
| Hodgdon CFE Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,714 psi | 76% | 1004 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,027 psi | 49% | 755 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon HS-6*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 21,060 psi | 65% | 968 fps | 86% |
| Hodgdon Longshot*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 19,812 psi | 61% | 945 fps | 87.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 5,134 psi | 16% | 499 fps | 91.8% |
| Hodgdon Universal² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,766 psi | 48% | 846 fps | 98% |
| Lovex D036*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 25,599 psi | 78% | 1047 fps | 86.8% |
| Lovex S011² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,219 psi | 65% | 912 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S020*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,084 psi | 46% | 840 fps | 93.7% |
| Maxam CSB 1*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,662 psi | 39% | 764 fps | 94.9% |
| Maxam CSB 2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,227 psi | 37% | 791 fps | 98.8% |
| Maxam CSB 3² | <<locked>> | 60% | 14,881 psi | 46% | 807 fps | 99.4% |
| Maxam CSB 4² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,056 psi | 49% | 820 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 5² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,811 psi | 58% | 840 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Silhouette*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 18,304 psi | 56% | 912 fps | 91.5% |
| Ramshot True Blue*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,016 psi | 64% | 961 fps | 88.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 12² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,621 psi | 51% | 876 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 4,975 psi | 15% | 495 fps | 85.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 20*² | 4.4 gr | 60% | 11,458 psi | 35% | 771 fps | 88.2% |
| Rottweil P 801² | <<locked>> | 60% | 20,030 psi | 61% | 906 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil P 806* | <<locked>> | 96% | 21,712 psi | 67% | 1083 fps | 87.5% |
| Shooters World Auto Pistol*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 25,599 psi | 78% | 1047 fps | 86.8% |
| SNPE Vectan A0*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,807 psi | 39% | 761 fps | 87.7% |
| SNPE Vectan A1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,679 psi | 51% | 840 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan BA 9² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,925 psi | 49% | 827 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA10² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,321 psi | 65% | 837 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2* | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,666 psi | 57% | 909 fps | 85.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA9 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,374 psi | 47% | 830 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 2* | <<locked>> | 84% | 25,280 psi | 77% | 1102 fps | 85.9% |
| Somchem MP200*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 15,693 psi | 48% | 850 fps | 90% |
| Somchem MS200*² | 4.3 gr | 60% | 14,373 psi | 44% | 807 fps | 91.4% |
| Vihtavuori 3N37*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 18,072 psi | 55% | 925 fps | 86.3% |
| Vihtavuori N310² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,236 psi | 74% | 889 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N320² | <<locked>> | 60% | 16,128 psi | 49% | 840 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 60% | 9,311 psi | 29% | 659 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N330² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,735 psi | 42% | 823 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N340*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 13,300 psi | 41% | 794 fps | 89.3% |
| Vihtavuori N350*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 16,853 psi | 52% | 899 fps | 85.2% |
| Winchester 231² | <<locked>> | 60% | 21,596 psi | 66% | 935 fps | 100% |
| Winchester 572*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,817 psi | 79% | 1053 fps | 90.9% |
| Winchester AutoComp *² | <<locked>> | 60% | 12,734 psi | 39% | 778 fps | 93.6% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 60 powders for .40 S&W loaded with the .400 | 170gr | Nosler HP. SNPE Vectan SP 2 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,152 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 686 fps to 1,152 fps. Alliant Herco gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 39 of the 60 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (225 MPa), the top charges use 30–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Alliant Herco, Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol, Hodgdon TrailBoss reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. ReloadSwiss RS 20, Somchem MS200, Alliant UNIQUE rank at the top here: for .40 S&W with the .400 | 170gr | Nosler HP they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 5, Hodgdon HS-6, Hodgdon Longshot burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate No. 2, Accurate No. 5, Accurate Solo 1000 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.