41 mag load development

[Dirt farmer]

I worked up two loads using my S&W Model 57 41 magnum.
1st load: Beartooth 250 gr LNF GC with H110 powder, magnum primers and mixed cases. Shot two-shot groups with 17.4 gr, 17.6 gr, 17.8 gr, 18.0 gr, 18.2 gr and 18.4 grains of H110 powder.
Two loads had touching holes, 17.6 gr and 18.2 gr at 15 yards. I'll be going with the 18.2 gr load to carry when hiking in bear country.

2nd load: ACME 215 gr SWC with Unique powder, magnum primers and mixed cases. Shot three-shot groups with 8.8 gr, 8.9 gr, 9.0 gr, and 9.1 grains of Unique.
Two of three holes touching with 9.0 gr at 15 yards. I'll be going with the 9.0 gr load for plinking. Very comfortable to shoot with low recoil.


One comment about the H110 powder, the small particles bound up my powder Lyman powder trickler and my Lee Perfect Powder measurer. I had to use the plastic ladle supplied in the Lee die set to dispense all the H110 powder which is very time consuming when loading 50-100 rounds. How do you all deal with this H110 particle size problem?
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[ArchAngelCD]

Looks like good accuracy, did you send any of them over a chronograph?

I use a Lee Pro Auto-Disk with all my handgun loading and I have no problems with ball powders including H110/W296.

 

[Dirt farmer]

Looks like good accuracy, did you send any of them over a chronograph?

I don't have a chrony. Someday I'd like to get one. Right now I'm just looking for accuracy and no flattened primers. Thanks for the tip on ball powder measurer.

 

[Charlie98]

Nice job, Dirk! It looks like your 57 likes that 250grn bullet!

Dumb question... are both of your powder measures new or newer? I've had issues with a new Lee Perfect with both Unique and W296... but, in hindsight, I think it was the fact it was new and not 'seasoned'; my Hornady, well seasoned after 20 years of rifle powders, flows everything pretty well... although I can tell after I run W296/H110 through it... it still works it's way around the drum.

 

[Dirt farmer]

Nice job, Dirk! It looks like your 57 likes that 250grn bullet!

Dumb question... are both of your powder measures new or newer? I've had issues with a new Lee Perfect with both Unique and W296... but, in hindsight, I think it was the fact it was new and not 'seasoned'; my Hornady, well seasoned after 20 years of rifle powders, flows everything pretty well... although I can tell after I run W296/H110 through it... it still works it's way around the drum.

Both are brand new. Both have plastic powder contact parts. I saw in the powder measure what looked like "galling" with smeared areas on the plastic. It cleaned up ok but left it stained. I suppose the RCBS and other powder measurers are all metal parts as is the RCBS powder trickler made with aluminum body that my buddy has. It must have something to do with the plastic and friction with the H110 thin particles getting "pinched" and galling the plastic surfaces?

 

[Charlie98]

Ah... OK. I actually got so frustrated with my Lee I sold it on eBay. I usually run about 2# worth of powder through my new measures to try to get them 'seasoned'... that is, coated with a bit of graphite from the powder to help them flow better and not stick to everything. There are other methods people use to try to get their measures to settle down. The fact remains, though, that H110 is a very fine powder, and it's likely you'll have to deal with it no matter what. Others here may have a better solution for it...

 

[Dirt farmer]

Ah... OK. I actually got so frustrated with my Lee I sold it on eBay. I usually run about 2# worth of powder through my new measures to try to get them 'seasoned'... that is, coated with a bit of graphite from the powder to help them flow better and not stick to everything. There are other methods people use to try to get their measures to settle down. The fact remains, though, that H110 is a very fine powder, and it's likely you'll have to deal with it no matter what. Others here may have a better solution for it...

OK, thanks Dennis. Your 215 gr SWC cast load at 9.0 gr Unique was "spot on".

 

[cfullgraf]

How do you all deal with this H110 particle size problem?

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My drum style powder measures, an RCBS Uniflow and a Redding 10-X work fine with H1110/W296. No binding or leaking and consistent powder charges.

I use W296 in my .410 bore shot shells on a MEC 600jr loader. The powder meters fine but with the MEC slide style powder measure, the measure leaks a few granules of powder with each stroke even with the brass washers MEC supplies to minimize leakage.

 

[Col. Harrumph]

"Very comfortable to shoot with low recoil."
Heh, I guess I'm a wuss. I had my 4" mdl 58 out the other day, shooting RCBS 41_220_SWC's over 8.5 gr. of Unique and I thought the recoil was stiff enough to be a bit unpleasant. BTW, that's some good shooting, Farmer.

 

[Charlie98]

"Very comfortable to shoot with low recoil."
Heh, I guess I'm a wuss. I had my 4" mdl 58 out the other day, shooting RCBS 41_220_SWC's over 8.5 gr. of Unique and I thought the recoil was stiff enough to be a bit unpleasant. BTW, that's some good shooting, Farmer.

All things are relative... that's a 'comfortable' load to shoot vs what the .41 is capable of. On the flip side, I've found the grips have more to do with felt recoil than just the load itself. I love the way my 58 looks with the Magna grips... but I sure don't shoot it with them!

 

[Dirt farmer]

My last of three loads developed for the 41 mag was with Remington 210 JSP bullet, 22.0 gr of H110, and CCI Large Pistol primers. Switching from Large Pistol Magnum primers to the non-magnum primers reduced the flattened primer problem I was experiencing and produced a 1 inch 3-shot group at 15 yards. Plenty of "snap" to the recoil in the Model 57 so I think I have a good deer hunting load with this one.
Dennis, I shot 70 of those bullets to get to this point, and enjoyed every minute of the load development. I just shot up more of those "unavailable" bullets than I planned on.
I shot a mule deer with this bullet back in the '80's so I know it's a solid performer for big game.

 

[Charlie98]

I was reading your numbers and I thought... jeepers, you are blowing through all of those! It was necessary, however unfortunate. Once you exhaust your supply of them, I'd probably just stick with cast FP bullets like the Cast Performance, etc. A rose by any other name, so to speak.

 

[Dirt farmer]

So here's today's shooting with the Beartooth 250 gr LFN GC at 15 and 100 yards.
15 yards was 3-shot 1 inch group.
100 yards was 5-shot 11 1/2 inch group (I pulled the 6th shot). First shot is the important one for me and it was the 3 o'clock shot four inches from center.
I aimed for center of target on both targets, with no hold over to see how it shot at 100 yards, and I'm very satisfied with this hunting load with open sights. That's about +/- 6 inches from center. I just need to shoot more often at that 100 yard distance to close up my groups. Maybe get a scope mounted, but I'm undecided at this point.

 

[Charlie98]

One other thing you might want to think about is a different set of grips. My hand has never fit the S&W stocks well, and I don't shoot my pistol well when I leave them on. I have a Pachmayr Decellerator (with the cushioned backstrap) that I swap between my N-frames and it helps my shooting consistency. If I'm able to hold the pistol better, I can hold my sights better, if you see what I mean.

 

[Keyfer 55]

I have a Redding powder mesurer . I use with 44 mag. I don't recall hanyaving problems. All I ever load is h110/296 .