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I like Montana Gold bullets ...but I've used Berry's as well ( but you need to keep Berry's under 1200 fps ).../ Rainier you need to load to lead specs - not jacketed specs.
Rainier is a much thinner plating than Berry's ...and I would not load a Rainier bullet in any thing over 1,000 fps .../ or based on what I've seen --- you're going to get a lot of cracking in the plating ...bullets fragmenting as they go downrange...( shoot 6 rounds ..and finding 7 or 8 jagged holes in the target is not uncommon with Rainier...) ...but they're fine in rounds like .45 acp.
Rainiers ...and most plated bullets ...are not as consistent as a true jacketed bullet....if you're loading 180gr ...in a plated bullet you may find in a handful of bullets ...some at 175 and some at 185 grains...depends on the batch. It doesn't matter that much just for range practice...but they vary quite a bit. Berry's don't seem to vary as much as Rainiers...and Berry's plating seems thicker than Rainier to me.
If you looked at a handful of Montana Gold in 180gr ....you're not going to find they vary more than 0.1grain ..../ they're a good product. Berry's - delivered - are just a little cheaper.
In .40S&W - I like either Hodgdon TiteGroup or Universal.../ and unless you have a press that has an automotic powder check ....I'd stay away from TiteGroup and go with Universal ...because its more foregiving ..in terms of its min and max variation.../ and I've had good luck with both.
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