41 mag

wtroper

Out of curiousity -- anyone care to share their pet "41 mag" accuracy load. I am not a competitive shooter. But I hunt with a 41 mag. Even for hunting purposes, I am more concerned with the accurate load rather than the fastest one. Shoot S&W 657 (6 1/2 in), FA M83(7 1/2 in) and FA M97(7 1/2 in). I understand that the max loads that the FA 83 will take might be dangerous in the S&W & even the 97. Over the years I have spent some time working out loads for each of these. Just wondering if any one has done likewise.

wtroper

Anybody have an accurate load for this round using a cast 225gr SWC?
I'd prefer using 2400. Blackhawk with 6.5 bbl.

Pinhead

I have been shooting the .41 magnum since it first came out. My all time favorite load for it is: Speer 200 gain JHP, Federal large pistol primer, 20.0 grains H110 powder, seated and roll crimped at the crimping groove on the bullet. As I have stated before on this forum, very accurate and deadly on anything up thru deer--never hunted anything larger with a handgun so I can't speak with any authority about that. My experience anyway.

wtroper

Thanks, Pinhead. I have harvest several animals with them. Use 210 XTPs for the FA & 210 Rem for the S&W. I have never hunted with Speer.

Pinhead

wtroper, I have never used the xtp's for a simple reason. The Speer was about the only game in town when it came out-the only other option being factory loaded ammo by Remington(which did more to hurt the popularity of the .41 magnum than any other cause). Their lead load was too soft and leaded like crazy and their jacketed load was too hot and only those used to heavy recoil wanted to use it. I started using the 200 Speer and 220 Speer and fianlly just went to the 200 Speer. I have never used any other load, not because they didn't work but because the 200 Speer worked for me and I saw no reason to change. I have shot several other bullets but since I had a great load already devloped, I never changed. The .41 was created to give more power than the .357 mag. but without the recoil of the .44 mag. It does this very nicely. My experience anyway. If I could only own one revolver, it would be the Model 57 in .41 magnum.

SCorvers

Pinhead shared his hunting load with me before the deer season, and I am very pleased with its accuracy. Now if I could just get myself to shoot better.[:D]

wtroper

Gentlemen - agree with you completely. If you have a load that works well in your revolver, use it. Several years ago when I purchased my first Freedoms 41, I was shooting a lot. As I am sure that you know, the FA M83 is a very strong revolver. An acquaintance of mine in Idaho had received one of the first FA 41s and did some load development. He had 210s doing close to 2000 fps and some of the "hot" loads were very accurate for him.

I began to develop one for me. I found that my best accuracy was with a load a little under 1600. John was using 110 & 296 but my best accuracy was with Hercules 2400. That was about the time that Alliant replaced Hercules. Alliant 2400 did not do for me what the Hercules did. I purchased many lbs of Hercules before it was gone. Still have a good supply.

An aside -- my accuracy load for my S&W 657 is with Hercules Bluedot. Have a supply of that too. LOL 2400 will give me close to the Bluedot load, but not quite.

wtroper

I almost forgot what I really wanted to communicate. I tried a few bullets along with the various powders and weights of powders. For me, the XTP was as good as any of the jacket ones and better than all of the casts that I tried. I will not say that it is better than the Speer. But in my crude tests, it was as good.

I selected the Remington for the S&W because it looks very different from the XTP. Thus, less likely that I will get the wrong one in a particular revolver.

Both the XTP & the Remington 210 have performed well on deer sized animals for me. Last Sept. took a blackbuck antelope (standing facing me) in the neck at 94 yds. Year before shot a fallow buck (also standing facing me) in the neck at 96 yds. My self imposed max with these revolvers is about 120 yds. Both with FA revolvers. My unofficially adopted grandson put a Remington from the 657 (in one side & out the other) through a corsican ram's heart @ 60 yds last year.

Good hunting & shooting.

Pinhead

Well, I've finally decided to try some lead in my Model 57. I just ordered some 220 grain Keith SWC's from Black River. He said it would be a couple of weeks or so till he could ship them. I haven't been able to find any really good lead bullets since my two suppliers(Lane's and Mid-Kansas) went out of business. Will post results when I get the bullets.

wtroper

Keep me informed. Used to use BRP 213 gr casts in my 657. They were the most accurate casts that I ever tried. But I think that BRP is out of business or sold. However, I have a bunch of them. [:)][:)]