.41 Mag midrange

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woodperson

Single-Sixer
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
460
Location
Knoxville, TN
I want to load 210 jacketed bullets to about 1100 fps in the .41 Mag. Seems to be many powders that will work. All seem to be a light fill. Have tried some. What works "best" for this application?
 

daveg.inkc

Hunter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Messages
2,503
Location
Kansas City, MO
I shot my .41 M today. I had 7 grs of Titegroup with a 210. Might try RedDot for a medium load. And Unique. And True Blue from Western Powder
 

sixshot

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
1,835
Location
soda springs, idaho
A friend came up from Utah today & we chronographed 8 of his guns but by the time we got around to mine the wind was blowing really bad. Blew the target over twice so we called it a day. I wanted to check out 2 of my 41 magnums, a 4" model 57 & a 4 5/8" OM Ruger with 2 different loads in each, maybe tomorrow.
Since the 60's I've burned a lot of Unique in the 41 mangums & quite a bit of 2400, if you start at 8 grs of Unique, depending on barrel length you'll be a bit shy so work up from there. You should have great accuracy with 8 grs & when you get to 9 grs, again depending on barrel length you should be knocking on the door of your 1100 fps.
Many other powders work fine in the 41 but I've always stuck with these two. You can use Univeral, HS6, Longshot, Power Pistol, 4227, etc. It's been mentioned several times in the last few years by different companies not to use Blue Dot in the 41 magnum, so do & some don't so suit your self.

Dick
 

5of7

Hunter
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
2,296
Location
SW. LOWER MICHIGAN
I have tried to develop an accurate load at reduced velocities in the .41 mg. and failed in every attempt. I have owned 6 different .41 Mg., 2 S&Ws and 4 Rugers. The only one that shot acceptably was/is a Ruger 5-1/2" Redhawk. None shot reduced loads accurate enough to be interesting.

Now, my experience has been far from comprehensive, but in my opinion--which is just that, an opinion--I think if you want accurate reduced loads in a .41 Mg., you need to use .41 Special brass to get there.

I have had the same thing with the .357 Mg. Guns that shoot fine with loads generating 1200 FPS+, are mediocre at best if you try to get the velocity under 1000 fps. but Use .38 Sp brass, and then you can get good accurate results.

Others may have different experience, but this is what I have had.
 

snakeeyes4445

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
110
Location
Dubuque IA USA
My limited experience was different and it involved only one bullet and one powder with varying charges through two revolvers. The bullet was a 220 grain "KT". I bought them long ago and think they were old when I bought them. The single recommended load on the box was 6.8 gr. of W 231. No company name or address on the box...only a picture of a bison. They were beautifully cast at any rate and shot very well at my 50 ft. gun store range with poor lighting and only unstable elbow rest. All groups were under one and a half inches.
Outdoors over sandbags I believe I can reproduce those same size groups, as I can with other calibers. I was using Unique and hoping that 6.0 grains would be a sweet spot as it is for my .44 Specials and 240 gr swc.
I started with 8.0 gr., an established accuracy standard. I didn't care for the recoil level, which tends to shift the grip in your hand to enlarge the paper groups. Half grain reductions of Unique produced sweet spots of smallest groups for Ruger three screw 6.5 at 6.5 grains. For the Smith model 58 it was 5.5 grains. Neither gun liked 6.0 gr. Comfort to shoot started to improve to my liking at 6.5. The Smith grips don't fit my hand very well, so I need a soft load. To my surprise, the Model 58 shot all of these loads to the point of aim of its very visible fixed sights. Doesn't make sense, and the Ruger behaved more normally in that regard, groups going to different places.
I now have a FA 83, six inch .41 mag. with a six power on it for load development. I have been working on hunting loads with 210 XTPs and IMR 4227 and it of course shoots those well anywhere between 18.5 gr. and 19.5. Twenty grains showed very flat primers in that gun.
The water case capacity of the .41mag and the .44spl are very similar, and in theory mid range and mild loads should be achievable and for some of us, desirable.
 

Jimbo357mag

Hawkeye
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
10,350
Location
So. Florida
For that velocity I would go with a medium powder like Universal or HP-38, around 8.0 grain would be about right, but check your sources for the bullet you are going to use.
 

sixshot

Buckeye
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
1,835
Location
soda springs, idaho
These aren't jacketed bullets, but 213 gr cast GC powder coated bullets shot from one of my OM 41 shortys at 65 yds from the Keith reclining position. You can see the 2 different groups using one of 2dogs excellent front sights. This is the old King, mirror front sight, narrowed to 1/10". The load is 8 grs of Unique, the same load I used on a muley a few weeks back & also the same bullet you see in the photo taken from a Texas buck. It's expanded to .760" after breaking one front leg, cutting the heart in half & stopping under the hide on the far side.
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Dick
 
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