Bad Accuracy With 180gr. .40S&W

[H&R088]

Anybody else get bad accuracy with 180gr. bullets? I get fairly good groups (about 2" at 15 yards) with 165gr., but that goes to about 6"+ with 180gr, they don't really group. This is WWB FMJ from a CZ 75B.

[somerled]

Each pistol is different, even if they are configured the same and have consecutive serial numbers. My Browning does best with 180-grain Winchester JHPs and Power Pistol. It will group between 2 to 3 inches at 25 yards. I've tried several other combinations with 135 through 165 grain hollowpoints--four inch groups were good. This particular pistol is finicky.

I did try some imported 180 grain JHPs with about the same profile in an attempt to save money. The Browning didn't shoot them well either. I measured the remaining bullets and saw that many of them were anywhere to .003 under or oversize. The Winchesters were exactly .400 in diameter.

[H&R088]

I was thinking that with the slow heavy bullets the gun might be unlocking before the bullet has exited the barrel. There is such a difference in the way it shoots the 165gr. that I think there is more to it than rifling twist and things like that.

[oldcspsarge]

The barrel in the CZ's just shoot better with 165's than 180's in my experience..some 40's are just that way .

[WESHOOT2]

I have this 180g load, see, and it's been shot through well over one hundred guns (maybe over two hundred; it's been in a lot of guns).

It's demonstrated accuracy suggests that a 180g bullet can be superbly accurate.

Perhaps it's just THAT load in YOUR gun.

(I've tested bullet weights from 135g up to 220g in the 40 S&W; I chose the 180g bullet --which costs more than lighter ones, ay?-- because of its performance.)

"First it must go bang.
It must do so repeatedly.
It must do so with controllable accuracy."