Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .401 Win. SL with .410 | 400gr | Woodleigh HS bullet and 7 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N120, Lovex S053 and SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 30,400 psi | 86% | 1293 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,121 psi | 74% | 797 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 30,893 psi | 87% | 1247 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,643 psi | 72% | 820 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,908 psi | 87% | 1194 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,734 psi | 86% | 1220 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 31,053 psi | 87% | 1283 fps | 97.7% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 27,180 psi | 76% | 1247 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,116 psi | 54% | 712 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 15.2 gr | 80% | 23,279 psi | 66% | 1135 fps | 95.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,507 psi | 52% | 728 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 13.9 gr | 80% | 22,481 psi | 63% | 1083 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,441 psi | 77% | 1181 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 17.8 gr | 90% | 24,831 psi | 70% | 1191 fps | 95.2% |
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 14 powders for .401 Win. SL loaded with the .410 | 400gr | Woodleigh HS. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,293 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 797 fps to 1,293 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 14 of the 14 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (245 MPa), the top charges use 72–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 400.0 gr projectile in 0.41" calls for a 1:19.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4198, Norma 200 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 N120, Lovex S053, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .401 Win. SL with the .410 | 400gr | Woodleigh HS they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 1680, Alliant Reloder-7, IMR 4198 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 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.