.41 Mag Association

[Barbaroja]

For those of you who cast your own bullets, what do you use for raw material? Old wheel weights, or do you buy an ingot of something specific?

Wheel weights are supposed to be great but very hard to come by in my area as they switched to steel wheel weights about a decade ago
.I use mostly range scrap, Old fishing weights I find and estate sales, there was a lead drift boat anchor in my shop when I bought the place, that was turned into a bunch of shotgun slugs, 41 and 9mm bullets.

 

[Dogman 45]

What a great forum! I have been a member of The HighRoad Forum for years and I only found this thread tonight as I was looking (still again) for loading data for cast bullets for my S&W 57. The information just isn't out there; apparently it's all right here. And to answer 336's request for lead bullets, For years I've been getting mine from the Missouri Bullet Co. Great folks to deal with, consistently good quality coated bullets with a BHN of 18. I just don't get leading and accuracy has always been good. AND they give you a discount if you'll just tell them you are a member of The HighRoad. And thanks guys for all the loading info! I love my 41s, and cast bullets are all that I shoot. I certainly needed the data that I got here tonight. Dogman 45

 

[Charlie98]

apparently it's all right here.

There is some amount of data out There, but you have to be careful using someone else's data blindly. Most of the guys here are handloaders for the .41, I know I couldn't afford to shoot it otherwise, but I also like loading for the .41.

I have a compilation of published and unpublished .41 data on a spreadsheet I downloaded many years ago, if you would like a copy, PM me your email address and I'll shoot it to you.

 

[Dogman 45]

Thanks Charlie, I would really like to see a copy of what you have compiled. This is only the second time I have gotten on to an internet forum, so is there a way to send you my email address without posting it?

Dogman 45

 

[Charlie98]

Thanks Charlie, I would really like to see a copy of what you have compiled. This is only the second time I have gotten on to an internet forum, so is there a way to send you my email address without posting it?

Dogman 45

Yes, you can send me a PM (private message.) Click on my name in the green avatar box, and then 'start a conversation.'

EDIT: duh, I'll do it for you...

 

[11MikeMike]

Hello, Great forum! I have lurked and found resources on THR over the years, but finally decided to sign up. I recently picked up a set of .41 dies. I am planning to do more shooting with an old 3 screw Blackhawk, and want to build some target loads with and little more modesty. Those factory full house loads are a bit much for repeated use. Does anyone have any experience with .41 Blue Dot loads that have worked well? Thanks.

 

[RJM52]

Welcome aboard.....

I use between 10-13 grains of Blue Dot depending on the bullet. 10 grains with a 210 cast is a place to start...

Bob

 

[Barbaroja]

I know bluedot was used for years in 41mag but I believe the Alliant no longer recommends blue dot for this cartridge.
As for some mild loads I would look into getting some universal or unique.

http://www.alliantpowder.com/getting_started/safety/safety_notices.aspx

 

[Charlie98]

I know bluedot was used for years in 41mag but I believe the Alliant no longer recommends blue dot for this cartridge.
As for some mild loads I would look into getting some universal or unique.

I have loaded BlueDot in the .41 many years ago... but I don't anymore. I don't know what magical combination Alliant came up with, but I'll take them at their word. I'm dumb, but not stupid.

 

[Barbaroja]

I have loaded BlueDot in the .41 many years ago... but I don't anymore. I don't know what magical combination Alliant came up with, but I'll take them at their word. I'm dumb, but not stupid.

Yes with so many other suitable powders available, I have no interest to try it for myself.
As luck would have it blue dot works quite well in a number of other cartridges so it shouldn’t be had to use up elsewhere if you have a lot of it.

 

[Charlie98]

I actually bought it for .38SPC, where it did worse than it did in the .41. Knowing now what I didn't know then... it was completely the wrong powder for that application. That was probably 25 years ago... I've never bought another # of it since, so no worries there.

 

[Barbaroja]

I keep it around in 12ga 1oz slugs and 1 1/4oz field loads. Works well for 1oz 20ga, smacks me less than the Longshot loads in the light single shot 20ga I use.
The longshot loads had a habit of ripping out beard hair under recoil, so bluedot it is!

 

[Drail]

Heavy loads of Blue Dot in any caliber will eat the forcing cone out of a revolver barrel. That's not an Internet myth - I have watched it happen. Speer used to list some pretty hot loads with Blue Dot in their load manuals back in the '90s. Not any more. Use any other powder. If you want to load heavy stuff for .41 Mag. use WW296 or Alliant 2400.

 

[11MikeMike]

Thanks for the feedback on the blue dots. I think I’ll try to procure some unique if i can find it, and start there. There isn’t much info for loading light (150Gr) bullets, and I picked up some of those copper Lehigh Phillips head looking units ( I was thinking light speed / laser beams! LOL ). Any suggestions?

 

[NeroM]

MikeMike:
Many experience good loads with Unique powder.
Would like to also suggest CFE-pistol.
Approx 8 gr with a 215 gr swc has worked well for me as a utility load,
Easy to shoot.

 

[Charlie98]

There isn’t much info for loading light (150Gr) bullets, and I picked up some of those copper Lehigh Phillips head looking units ( I was thinking light speed / laser beams! LOL ). Any suggestions?

There is data for lighter bullets (170grn, for example) in most loading data for the .41. I would start there. I would think Unique and faster would be better with that light of bullet... and, just so you are aware, you are probably going to get a lot of muzzle flash with that light bullet.

 

[RJM52]

Blue Dot...the reason Blue Dot is no longer "recommended" has nothing to do with it being "dangerous" in a .41 Magnum...it is because there was too much "published" data out there that was dangerous. So for their own liability they just took .41s off the Blue Dot list. If one can use Blue Dot in .44 Magnum there is no reason one can not use it in .41 Magnum.

I've only been using it in some mid-range loads because I have a bunch of it that I bought for using in .38 Super that I didn't get the published velocities out of. Once it is gone it's gone...

Bob

 

[Barbaroja]

Blue Dot...the reason Blue Dot is no longer "recommended" has nothing to do with it being "dangerous" in a .41 Magnum...it is because there was too much "published" data out there that was dangerous. So for their own liability they just took .41s off the Blue Dot list. If one can use Blue Dot in .44 Magnum there is no reason one can not use it in .41 Magnum.

I've only been using it in some mid-range loads because I have a bunch of it that I bought for using in .38 Super that I didn't get the published velocities out of. Once it is gone it's gone...

Bob

Where did you come across this info? I’d like to know more about it

 

[Charlie98]

Where did you come across this info? I’d like to know more about it

I agree... it's the first I've heard of that one.

Published data disagrees ALL the time, I don't know why one manufacturer would issue a prohibition for one single cartridge/powder combo... it does not make sense.

 

[Barbaroja]

I agree... it's the first I've heard of that one.

Published data disagrees ALL the time, I don't know why one manufacturer would issue a prohibition for one single cartridge/powder combo... it does not make sense.

Yes seems suspect.Powder companies are not responsible for how a person loads the powder they produce. Why would they arbitrarily limit who they are marketing the powder too. If it was indeed safe, wouldn’t Alliant want to sell as much as they could to people wanting to reload 41 magnum with it?

If correct in his assumption, I would think that would Alliant just put out a notice saying that much of the published data is unsafe and then provide the correct data?

 

[RJM52]

It may have been HANDLOADER Magazine but it was so long ago I don't remember...

Liability wise it is easier to just tell people not to do something at all than revising the loadings. That way if you blow up a gun using old data they can say "we told you so". From what I have read there is also a "ban" on using it for 125 grain bullets in .357 Magnum as there were so many what proved later to be over pressured data out there. I used some and found the same..."safe" published loads flattened primers in my guns...

 

[RJM52]

A few years ago I noticed some Blue Dot loads on LoadData.com from a then recent Brian Pearce article. When I inquired about them the woman who wrote back stated that these loads were ok as they were recently developed with "new" Blue Dot. A couple of months later when I checked the loads were gone...

It's all about liability...

 

[RJM52]

Just went over and checked LoadData.com....zero .41 Magnum data for Blue Dot. Hundreds for .44 (.429) Magnum...

.357 Magnum...one page for Sierra 125 JHPs and only in a Rossi Carbine... Tons of loads for every other bullet weight...strange ain't it...

"Warning! Notes: Update: Alliant Powder Company does not recommend Blue Dot in the .41 Magnum for any bullet weights. Their new tests on recent powder samples have shown high pressure spikes that can damage personal property or injure you. For this reason we removed all Blue Dot data from .41 magnum tables."...yet perfectly save in a .429 Magnum...yea right.

 

[Barbaroja]

I understand your line of thinking.
I’m certainly not trying to tell you what to do with your own property, load em how you want. That said, you haven’t provided any actual facts, just anecdotal evidence.
You could very well be right but I’m going to take Alliants word for it.

 

[Charlie98]

You could very well be right but I’m going to take Alliants word for it.

I have loaded BlueDot in the .41MAG, this was back before the warning... I still have all my digits... well, most of them... and the pistols are not doorstops. I don't understand why one bullet with, quite literally, .019" difference can spike pressures into the Danger Zone, and one doesn't, but I don't make dumb bets, either. Alliant says 'no,' and they have the pressure equipment... I don't. Easy-peasy.