Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .400 Legend with .401 | 180gr | ACME FP-NLG COATED 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>> | 92% | 38,870 psi | 86% | 2451 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,569 psi | 52% | 1437 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,160 psi | 87% | 2280 fps | 98.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,510 psi | 50% | 1467 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,631 psi | 66% | 2119 fps | 98.8% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,420 psi | 83% | 2323 fps | 99.1% |
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 | 29.6 gr | 80% | 25,976 psi | 58% | 2172 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,042 psi | 38% | 1283 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 25.4 gr | 80% | 31,082 psi | 69% | 2119 fps | 96.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,418 psi | 36% | 1309 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 86% | 20,813 psi | 46% | 1880 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 26.2 gr | 86% | 24,889 psi | 55% | 2047 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 9 powders for .400 Legend loaded with the .401 | 180gr | ACME FP-NLG COATED. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,451 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,437 fps to 2,451 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 50–89 %, 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 .401 | 180gr | ACME FP-NLG COATED 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.