41 Mag

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Old Savage
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41 Mag

Post by Old Savage »

Seems most reloading material for this cartridge is toward the high end. I am interested in a more relaxed approach as if it was a 41 Special. Does anyone have loads they particularly like in that vain. I have a couple 4 5/8" Rugers.
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GunnyMack
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by GunnyMack »

I'm intrested in light loads too! I also have a Blackhawk in 41 not to mention my Henry.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by 3leggedturtle »

OS, Cast Boolit forumn has a quite a few on there. Type in 41 Special n the search function. Todd/3leg
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by yooper2 »

I have Model 58 Smith that has fixed sights and is regulated to the old Police Load. I use the H&G Kieth bullet over 7.5 grs of Unique for a shade over 1000fps. Easy shooting load that still puts things down fast. In my Blackhawk I also like 9 grs of Unique under the same bullet for closer to 1200 fps. I've been messing around with Green Dot a little bit. 6.5 grs under the same bullet shoots well but I haven't chronographed it. I'd guess it is in the 900-1000 fps vicinity.


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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Sixgun »

Eric is right on.......I have taken it a step further for all cases of that size....41,both 44's, 38-40,44,40 and just dump in 6 gr. Of Bullseye , no matter what bullet weight for general plinking.

Speciality loads get various powders.

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Ray Newman
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Ray Newman »

I run Berry's 210 gr. FP (Flat Point) copper plated bullets in my .41 Magnum Rugers.

When I called Berry about load data, they said do not load with 2400. They recommended 8.7 gr of Unique with their 210 gr FP for about 1030 FPS with a 6" barrel revolver.

For those Not-In-The-Know 'bout Berry: https://www.berrysmfg.com/

I found Berry to be a few cents more than lead and much cheaper than jacketed and without any leading. I load them in a .38 Spec., .44 Spec., .41 Mag., .45 colt, .30 WCF, and .45-70. At one time, if your order was over $75.00, Berry paid shipping. Not sure if that is till the case.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by stretch »

I've used 7.0 gr. of WW231 under a 215gr LSWC for years. OAL is 1.540.
Accurate in S&W and Ruger Blackhawk, and easy to shoot all day.
Around 900-1000fps, I think. My all around load.

My HEAVY load is a Cast Performance 250gr WFNGC at an OAL of 1.550.
Powder in that one is 19.5 gr of H110. I only shoot it in the Blackhawk,
and 25 rounds is more than enough in one session for me. :D

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Re: 41 Mag

Post by guido4198 »

For a very mild load in the .41 Magnum, I've used a 225 gn cast bullet over 6.7 gns. Unique.
Never ran it over a chrono, but it made "Major caliber" on a ballistic pendulum for IPSC revolver competition.
Shot well out of a couple of S&W M-57's with iron sights. When I ran them through a 10" Contender with a Leupold Red Dot sight, and a solid sandbag rest...
It put 10 rounds into a single ragged hole at 50 yds.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by GunnyMack »

In my post yesterday, 'Neat App' they list 41 SPECIAL.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Blaine »

they said do not load with 2400
2400, which is about the same burning rate as Blue Dot, and Blue Dot isn't supposed to be used in .41 mag either. Hmmmmm :?
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Old Savage
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Old Savage »

I would suspect that any shotgun powder from 2400 on down would work in this application. American Select proved very good in the .44 Spl. And .45 Colt.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by JimT »

For fun loads I use the NEI 230 gr. Flatpoint over 5 gr. Bullseye.

Whew ... had some issues trying to post photos! Not from here .. from where I have them hosted ... anyway ...

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230 gr. NEI cast .... 5 gr. Bullseye

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210 gr. XTP .... 20 gr. WC820
Last edited by JimT on Sun Mar 25, 2018 7:50 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by model55 »

Have the same type revolver and have shot a fair amount of 215 grain lead bullets over 7 grains of Unique.In my revolver if I went over that I had leading I believe they were sized at .411 so may try some sized at .412 next go around.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Hawkeye2 »

"When I called Berry about load data, they said do not load with 2400." Why not? Back in the 60's & early 70's I shot a lot of 2400 in my Smith. 20 grains of 2400. CCI primer, Remington brass, 210 grain Hornady (Speer?) JHP, sledge hammer load. I realize current 2400 is a little different than the old stuff but how much?
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by AJMD429 »

Hawkeye2 wrote: Mon Mar 26, 2018 9:03 am "When I called Berry about load data, they said do not load with 2400." Why not?
Yeah....what is the issue...did they say...?
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Ray Newman »

The Berry representative did not say and I did not ask what the problem(s) was when loading their.41 magnum 210 grain bullet with 2400. I was told not load the bullet with 2400.

Maybe 2400 loads exceed the velocity limits of the Berry copper plated bullet? As the Berry 210 grain .41 magnum bullets web page says: "Can withstand velocities up to 1250 fps." https://www.berrysmfg.com/item/bp-41-210gr-fp
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by wolfdog »

215 grain plain base 7 grains of unique is nice mild load. Pop gun load is same bullet over I think is 5.7 grains of Trailboss. Same bullet over 8.5 grains of Unique will break both shoulders of a 200+ pound hog at 40 yards out of 6 inch model 57
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Hawkeye2 »

"Berry copper plated bullet"

I'm not very (not at all :D ) knowledgeable about plated bullets but the answer may lay in the difference between them and a copper jacketed bullet. Perhaps someone here can enlighten me.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by GunnyMack »

All I can say about Berry played is DO NOT use them out of a rifle barrel at more than they say, I made that mistake!
When I got my 41 Big Boy all I had on hand were plates 210's, Lilgun was pushing them to about 1800 from the 20" barrel, accuracy was krap and the bore was very fouled!
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by piller »

Sounds as if the plating material is being torn off and the lead is warping at the higher velocity. Just my guess.

While I like the small high speed calibers, for most things that need to be killed a 200 grain or larger bullet in any caliber beginning with 4 and velocity around 1,000 fps seems to do well and give good accuracy to boot. I am referring to pistols. Fast rounds are fun, but not always the best for every purpose.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Old Savage »

Decided to start with 6.0 gr of American Select and a Sierra 210 JHC.

Shot some Remington factory 210 SP. Waters listed this load at about 1475 fps. Definitely more than I care to shoot. Took some skin off the thumb. Might need a glove for those.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by JohndeFresno »

EXCELLENT posts on this great but somewhat "high maintenance" caliber. Archived.

Thank y'all!!
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Old Savage »

In researching the .41 Mag I found that the case capacity is very similar to the .44 Spl.. It would seem that any .44 Spl. load is a candidate for a reduced .41 Mag load.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Old Savage »

Think I backed off too far. Seems to shoot better about 950 fps. 1 3/4" at 10 yds gives me the info to adjust the sites. Looking a options.
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by stretch »

Yer gettin' closer.

The Sierra manual gives loads with 2400 from 16.6 @ 1000FPS to 18.9 @ 1200FPS
with the bullet you're using.

I've always had good luck with accuracy using 2400 in 357. Give the lighter load a try.
Things might stabilize a wee bit better at a slightly higher velocity.

-Stretch
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Re: 41 Mag

Post by Old Savage »

That is about where I am going. The best group came with a factory copper plated 210 gr. load listed at 966 fps. Shoots high at 10 yds. Only had four rounds left when I got to this target.
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