Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .400 Legend with .400 | 185gr | Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator 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 Vihtavuori N110.
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>> | 94% | 39,813 psi | 88% | 2425 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,785 psi | 51% | 1401 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,248 psi | 89% | 2257 fps | 98.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,553 psi | 48% | 1427 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,282 psi | 63% | 2054 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,853 psi | 80% | 2254 fps | 98.9% |
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 | 28.6 gr | 80% | 24,439 psi | 54% | 2100 fps | 96.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,360 psi | 36% | 1247 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 24.5 gr | 80% | 29,762 psi | 66% | 2057 fps | 96.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,621 psi | 35% | 1273 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 88% | 20,856 psi | 46% | 1854 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 25.9 gr | 88% | 24,918 psi | 55% | 2021 fps | 95.6% |
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 9 powders for .400 Legend loaded with the .400 | 185gr | Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,425 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,401 fps to 2,425 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 9 of the 9 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (310 MPa), the top charges use 48–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Lovex S053, 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, Vihtavuori N110 rank at the top here: for .400 Legend with the .400 | 185gr | Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 11 FS, ADI AR 2205, Lovex S053 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.