Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .401 Win. SL with .410 | 210gr | Sierra Sports Master bullet and 6 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 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>> | 88% | 31,952 psi | 90% | 2024 fps | 99.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,176 psi | 62% | 1234 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 82% | 31,357 psi | 88% | 1857 fps | 97.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,943 psi | 59% | 1260 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,007 psi | 79% | 1818 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 96% | 31,618 psi | 89% | 1929 fps | 98.7% |
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 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,931 psi | 67% | 1860 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,708 psi | 44% | 1099 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,588 psi | 83% | 1824 fps | 97.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 8.2 gr | 80% | 14,692 psi | 41% | 1115 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 21.2 gr | 86% | 19,305 psi | 54% | 1611 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 21.6 gr | 84% | 21,727 psi | 61% | 1722 fps | 95.1% |
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 8 powders for .401 Win. SL loaded with the .410 | 210gr | Sierra Sports Master. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,024 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,234 fps to 2,024 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 8 of the 8 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (245 MPa), the top charges use 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % 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. Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .401 Win. SL with the .410 | 210gr | Sierra Sports Master they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, ADI AR 2205, Lovex S053 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. 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.