Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast Flat Nose – Formidable 20 Round Box

Description

Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast is a woods load, not a range load. A heavy flat-nosed cast lead bullet at 1,000 fps is built to punch straight through heavy muscle and bone rather than expand, which is exactly what you want when the animal in front of you is larger than a deer.

• Why the Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast Load Exists
• Specifications and Ballistics
• Field Notes

Why the Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast Load Exists

A 200 grain bullet is heavy for 40 S&W, where 155 and 180 grain are the common weights. That mass, combined with a wide flat meplat and a bullet hard enough not to deform, is the classic recipe for deep straight-line penetration. A hollow point trades penetration for expansion; this load does the opposite on purpose.

The flat nose matters as much as the weight. A round nose bullet tends to slide and deflect off bone, while a wide flat point cuts and keeps its heading. That is why hard cast flat nose designs dominate the bear defence and hog hunting conversation.

Underwood coats these projectiles in what they call Black Cherry, a polymer-based coating that replaces their older Hi-Tek finish. It keeps lead from touching the bore, so the Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast load fouls far less than traditional lubricated cast bullets and produces much less smoke. Underwood rates the coating for resistance to heat, pressure, abrasion and chemical degradation.

Specifications and Ballistics

Underwood publishes 1,000 fps and 444 ft-lbs for this load, and Chattanooga Shooting Supplies lists identical figures. The arithmetic checks out exactly for a 200 grain bullet at that velocity, so there is no ambiguity here.

That is standard pressure rather than +P, which matters because a 200 grain bullet already sits deep in a 40 S&W case and leaves limited room. Expect the full published velocity from a four to four and a half inch service pistol and a little less from a compact.

Cases are nickel-plated brass, boxer primed and reloadable. Nickel resists corrosion, which is worth something on ammunition that spends a season in a chest holster in the rain.

• Caliber: 40 S&W
• Bullet weight: 200 grain
• Bullet type: hard cast flat nose, Black Cherry polymer coated
• Muzzle velocity: 1,000 fps
• Muzzle energy: 444 ft-lbs
• Case: nickel-plated brass, boxer primed, reloadable
• Primer: boxer, non-corrosive
• Packaging: 20 rounds per box, 10 boxes per case
• Manufacturer item: 740 / UPC 816874022471

Field Notes

Check feeding before you trust it. A 200 grain flat nose is a blunt, long cartridge by 40 S&W standards, and some pistols with tight chambers or steep feed ramps do not like it. Run a magazine or two through your own gun rather than assuming.

This is not a defensive load against people. Deep penetration is the design goal, which means over-penetration in a human target and a real risk to whatever is behind it. Keep a proper defensive hollow point for that role and reserve the Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast load for the woods.

Point of impact will shift. A 200 grain bullet at 1,000 fps prints noticeably differently than a 165 grain practice load, often several inches at twenty-five yards. Confirm on paper before the trip.

The coating keeps the bore clean, but hard cast is still lead. Wash up afterwards, and note that some indoor ranges prohibit cast lead bullets entirely.

Carrying the same pistol for defence as well? The 40 S&W 155gr XTP hollow point is the expanding counterpart, and the fluted solid 10mm Xtreme Defender takes a different approach again. Coating and load data are published by Underwood Ammo.

For hikers, hog hunters and anyone carrying a 40 S&W where big animals live, Underwood 40 S&W 200gr Hard Cast is the load that makes the cartridge make sense outdoors. MAG5 Firearms stocks it in the 20 round box, manufacturer item 740.