Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .400 Legend with .400 | 165gr | Bear Creek Ballistics AR Rounded Performacne Tip bullet and 4 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, ReloadSwiss RS 14 and Hodgdon TrailBoss.
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 ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. 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: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGunᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,639 psi | 88% | 2500 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,422 psi | 48% | 1427 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,986 psi | 87% | 2300 fps | 96.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,305 psi | 45% | 1457 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | 30 gr | 92% | 30,342 psi | 67% | 2313 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | 8.4 gr | 80% | 15,258 psi | 34% | 1266 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,418 psi | 76% | 2215 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 8.6 gr | 80% | 14,649 psi | 33% | 1293 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 6 powders for .400 Legend loaded with the .400 | 165gr | Bear Creek Ballistics AR Rounded Performacne Tip. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,500 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,427 fps to 2,500 fps. Hodgdon LilGun gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 6 of the 6 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (310 MPa), the top charges use 45–88 %, leaving at least 12 % headroom. Hodgdon LilGun, Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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. Hodgdon LilGun, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .400 Legend with the .400 | 165gr | Bear Creek Ballistics AR Rounded Performacne Tip they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, Vihtavuori N110 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.