Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .400 Legend with .400 | 240gr | CutEdge HG 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% | 38,130 psi | 85% | 1916 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,538 psi | 48% | 1073 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,350 psi | 90% | 1785 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,146 psi | 45% | 1089 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,092 psi | 56% | 1572 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,647 psi | 68% | 1716 fps | 97.8% |
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 | 20.2 gr | 82% | 22,466 psi | 50% | 1634 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,418 psi | 34% | 955 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 16.9 gr | 80% | 26,571 psi | 59% | 1568 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 6.5 gr | 80% | 14,562 psi | 32% | 971 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 20,436 psi | 45% | 1463 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 92% | 24,453 psi | 54% | 1601 fps | 95.5% |
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 | 240gr | CutEdge HG. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,916 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,073 fps to 1,916 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss 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 45–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 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 | 240gr | CutEdge HG they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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.