.41 Mag Association

Where's my .41 T-shirt and hat?

 

Count me in! Lookin' for reloading info

I have 2 .41's. What I'm lookin' for is some guidance in loadin' with a Keith style 210 gr. bullet in my Smith mod. 57 for defense. Really don't what to have to experiment with alot of different loads. Don't have the time or facilities. Lookin' for some help and good advice. Also the best place to buy these bullets. One last thing, in some posts I've read people say you should use a .411 or .412 when reloading lead bullets??? Anybody know whats up with that? Thanks fellas!

 

del...8 grains of Unique.

 

+1^^^ As far as lead bullet size goes I like to get lead bullets that are sized .001" over nominal groove diameter so .411". For cast bullets give these folks a try. They have the lowest prices that I've found and appear to be of very good quality. http://shop.snscasting.com/


BTW associates here is the new leather I got I love Simply Rugged products.

 

I've got a couple of S&W .41's in my safe. A 6" 657 and a .41 Mountain Gun. I have a press and dies, but never yet put them to use. I've been looking for a good load for target shooting. You guys look like to group I should be watching. Sign me up.

Vern

 

1911Tuner turned me on to 8.5gr of Unique for a target/general purpose load, it is a good one. It ain't overly light in the recoil department but it sure is accurate. From what I gather this load should be moving along close to 1100fps. For my range report you can go to post #48 to see how it shot for me. BTW welcome to the association.

 

Just for the record...

Unique and the .41 and cast 210 SWCs were divinely ordained. I'm convinced of it and I'm stickin' to it.

7.5 grains duplicates the old "Police" load offered by Winchester and Remington...which had an advertised velocity of 970 fps. Most lots didn't quite make that, though, and averaged around 900-30 give or take. Some few didn't break 900. From my Model 58, 7.5 grains is good for 950 and will flirt with a thousand in the 4.625-inch Blackhawk.

Stepping up to 8 grains puts it solidly into the "Grand" category from most 4-inch barrels.
Accuracy improves a little as well.

8.5 grains is the Holy Grail for Unique and cast bullets and the .41 Magnum. 50-yard accuracy is often astounding, and it's no weak sister in the horsepower department.
1100 fps is attainable in short Blackhawks. There seems to be something about that extra half-grain that hits the pressure curve just right.

Going up another half to 9 grains, and you're starting to get into genuine "magnum" territory. Again, it just seems to hit the pressure curve just right for a decent velocity jump. Bump up to 10 grains, and you've into the point of diminishing returns, and there's really no sense in going above 9 grains. You get more recoil and noise for little power gain.

If more power and velocity is needed...it's time to switch to 2400 and start over. The .41 seems to respond better to 2400 than the "other" two magnums, and rewards the careful handloader with velocities at safe pressures that make me look at the chrono screen and ask: "Are you sure about that?" Then...several more rounds verifies that it wasn't a fluke...and the accuracy is still right there, unlike some calibers and power loads that often start to scatter shots as pressure and velocity go up. I don't know what to make of it, or attribute it to...but the .41 is just nearly as perfect a revolver cartridge as anything I've seen. Good bullet diameter and mass...velocity and power...accuracy...flat trajectory. It's got it all, and a shame that it's been eclipsed by its smaller and bigger cousins, and ignored for the most part. Of course, the upside is that there are more .41 Magnum revolvers for me.

Now for the caveat. 2400 provides a sharp rise in velocities at safe pressures, but when the peak is reached...it can spike quickly and become unsafe with just a half-grain more powder. (Yeah. Ask me how I'd know about that.) When you start to see only small velocity increases with half-grain increments...stop. You've taken it as far as it's gonna go without taking a risk.

 

Oh! Almost forgot. A word on handloading...mostly intended for those who are just starting, but also for some experienced hands.

Something that many don't understand is that powder burn rates are only relative. They're not constant and they're not the same for all applications. 2400, for instance might burn faster in one caliber than in another...and it doesn't remain constant with an increase in pressure. As pressure goes up, powder burns faster. As a certain pressure level is reached, the burn rate of the remaining powder may burn as fast as Unique...or even as fast as Bullseye. That's what gets many handloaders in trouble, and that's why sometimes the only difference between a safe load and a dangerous one is a half-grain more powder.

As a wise man once noted...and this is paraphrased to match the caliber:

"The pressure required to accelerate a 210 grain bullet to 1200 fps in 4 inches of barrel is more than sufficient to blow your eyes through the back of your head."


Let's be careful.

 

1911Tuner I do agree with you whole heartedly about Unique. I like it as much for my .38 SPL as I do in the .41 mag. That 8.5gr load is a good one for sure and one I'll be using a lot. BTW what is a good full power loading with a run of the mill commercial 215gr SWC. I can't find any load data for it with 2400. Would it be safe to use the data put out by Lyman for their version of the 220gr Keth bullet?

 

Nothing to contribute re: reloading.

I usually just keep both my four inch 57 & my 58 stoked with 175 gr Winchester Silvertips.

It's a good moderate load, low muzzle flash, and allows for easy followup shots coming out of the N-Frames.

Anyway, count me in the club.

 

336...5 grains more weight won't mean anything. The main factor in increasing pressure is how much space does the bullet use up in the case when it's seated. Compare a 210 grain bullet with a 215 or 220. The length from the crimp groove to the base will determine whether to adjust your powder charges. If it's a little longer...back off a grain.

Different makers' bullets vary in design, which is why the rule of thumb is to back off the powder charge whenever any component is changed...even with bullets of the same weight. If there's more bullet behind the crimp groove, it eats up more space and presents more bearing surface to the barrel...which drives pressure up.

Chindo...The 175 Silvertip is a good round, for sure. I like it a lot, but around here it's hard to find and hella high-dollar when I do.

 

1911Tuner: Yeah, the Winchester factory fodder has gone up (like every other version of .41 Magnum)

A couple of years ago, I started buying every box I came across, as for some reason, the Silvertips seemed to gather dust on LGS shelves. I was constantly running across boxes for $14-$18. In any event, I managed to put away a fair amount of stock with the idea that I would have a decent load and lots of future available brass.

I obviously need to reload. Just never had the space for it over the last couple of decades living an itinerant lifestyle. No excuses nowadays.

 

Is there any advantage/disadvantage to gas checked bullets? I'm not planning on running them at jacketed bullet speeds. Found a couple boxes of 210 SWC from American Cast Bullet Co. in my reloading things, so I'll start there with the 8.5 grain Unique load 1911 Tuner mentioned.

 

Count me in too! I "JUST" bought my first 41 mag today! A Ruger old model 3 screw w/ a 4 5/8 barrel. Can't wait to get it. Waiting on the UPS guy to deliver it. What can brown due for you? .......... he can hurry up and deliver my gun.

I'm also new to this forum. This is only my second post. Member of other multiple forums however.

 

Welcome Redbone311.

I had the same weapon a long time ago and foolishly traded it away. It was my second .41 Mag. That barrel length just looks "right" on a Blackhawk.

Enjoy your Ruger!

 

Nice choice on your first .41, post a pic when you can. I assume you're waiting for UPS to show up at your FFL and not your house.

 

Redbone...You know that old 3-Screw is really mine and you're just lookin' after it for a spell. Right?

 

Count me in!! I have a 57 and a 657 and am a fan of the 41 Magnum.

 

Relax. Relax and let your mind clear. You only hear the sound of my voice.

The 3-screw is mine. The 3-screw is mine.

Relax and hear my voice.

You are compelled to obey.

Miiiiiiiine. Miiiiiiiiiine.

 

I finally had a chance to get the chronograph out to the range this past weekend. It was hot but the range was empty which made things go a lot easier.

The shooter stations on the range:




I brought a few things to test since I hadn't been out with the Chrony in so long


This one is my favorite, it's had a lot of use and could use some refinishing but it shoots well.


This is how I had my Chrony set up, I'm on the 150yd rifle range so nobody would disturb me.


Once I got everything setup I was ready to shoot.


And since we're talking 41mags, here's how that turned out.


All in all it was a good trip to the range.

 

Chrono

RKRCPA - who makes the chrono your using?
I'm in the market to buy one. And I love the printout and shot date info it provides to you. Very nice!

 

Redbone - That printout is from an Excel spreadsheet, I'm using the low budget Chrony model. It doesn't have any of the bells and whistles but I don't really need them either. I've had the Chrony for many years and it does a nice job, I just jot down the velocities when I'm at the range and input them when I get home.

 

OK thanks RKRCPA for the reply. I never got Excel to look that nice. But obviously I have to give it a better try.