Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .400 Legend with .400 | 185gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Fracturing bullet and 6 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, Lovex S040 and ReloadSwiss RS 14.
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 LilGun | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,089 psi | 89% | 2375 fps | 99.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,843 psi | 49% | 1348 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,117 psi | 87% | 2178 fps | 98% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,624 psi | 46% | 1375 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,744 psi | 57% | 1942 fps | 96.8% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,807 psi | 71% | 2126 fps | 97.3% |
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 | 27.1 gr | 84% | 24,903 psi | 55% | 2060 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,592 psi | 35% | 1201 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 22.7 gr | 82% | 28,979 psi | 64% | 1985 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 8.5 gr | 80% | 14,663 psi | 33% | 1217 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 22,162 psi | 49% | 1847 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 94% | 26,701 psi | 59% | 2014 fps | 95.4% |
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 7 powders for .400 Legend loaded with the .400 | 185gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Fracturing. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,375 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,348 fps to 2,375 fps. ADI AR 2205 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 7 of the 7 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (310 MPa), the top charges use 46–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. ADI AR 2205, 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, Lovex S040, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .400 Legend with the .400 | 185gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Fracturing they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AR 2205 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.