.41 Magnum for the NON reloader

[dgvc63]

I've seen the thread here and elsewhere asking for advice when it comes to defensive loads for the .41 Magnum and have received some good suggestions. However sometimes one "can't see the forest for the thread" and the lack of centralization may leave alot of folks with the impression that the only way to make the .41 Magnum feasible is to reload... OR that if you can't get ammo at Walmart you should stay away from it. I'm here to say that it simply isn't true, especially in this age of "e-commerce"...

I'm new to the caliber as an owner, I borrowed one twenty years ago to hike Alaska but other than a month or two of hard practice with the 4" Smith model 57 I had little experience with the round. I had the same questions that I see asked over and over... so here is what I've been reading and finding through our friends here *and elsewhere... Using the immortal Elmer Keith's data and method we should be looking to move a 200+ gr or thereabouts projectile at about 950 fps for BEST defensive results, so...

FACTORY Defensive loads for the .41 Magnum

My top three choices are :

1. Winchester 175 gr. Silvertips just over1000 fps

2. Georgia Arms 210 gr. LSWC 800 fps

3. Reed's Ammo 230 gr. Keith Style bullet ? fps

*Reed's ammo is the only factory .41 SPECIAL ammo I'm aware of and speaking with their customer service people they say it's right in the 950 fps ballpark but that is UNOFFICIAL and they do not supply stats for the round. It should also be said that Reed's only does limited runs of the .41 special and backorders should be expected with some amount of patience. I have 100 rounds on backorder now and will supply info when received...

Hope this helps... SHOOT .41 MAGNUM!!!
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[1911Tuner]

The .41 Magnum is a great cartridge, and my personal favorite of all revolver calibers. It is, however, very expensive to shoot unless you reload. Even before the Great Ammo Inflation of recent times, you could expect to pay a premium for it, due to the low demand/low production as compared to .357 and .44 magnum.

The Silvertip is a good choice for defensive use, if you can find any. You may find that you'll need to have your dealer order it. I haven't seen any on the shelves in years.

.41 Special offerings are more than likely targeted at the CAS set, so you can expect it to be loaded light...something along the lines of .38 wadcutter. Georgia Arms LSWC loaded to 800 fps closely approximates the old "Police" loading of the 70s. A fairly effective loading, but not as good as the Silvertip IMO. You can duplicate it with any 210 grain cast bullet and 7.5 grains of Unique, which I suspect is what GA is doing.

Like the .45 Colt, the .41 Mag goes with casting and reloading like pancakes and maple syrup. If you want to get the most from your revolver, you might want to give it serious consideration. You'll find that it's a fascinating hobby that will open up new doors for you.

 

[slicksleeve]

Long live the .41 Magnum! This is also my favorite all around revolver cartridge. I am a reloader though, because of the cost to shoot it. But I shot it quite a bit before I reloaded too, mostly Silvertips, as that was all I ever could find on dealer shelves.

 

[mes227]

It's only expensive if you don't buy your ammo on-line. If you do, it's the same price as a 44Mag, and the 41 Special (Reed's & Georgia Arms) drops the price further.

 

[1911Tuner]

It's only expensive if you don't buy your ammo on-line. If you do, it's the same price as a 44Mag,

Still pretty high. Home cast bullets and reloading drops the price to about a nickel a pop.

Life is gooooood!

 

[Oyeboten]

I got an early S & W Model 58 last year, and, got a few Boxes of period Remington 210 Grain Soft Point Ammunition.

Clocked a few of those through the Chronograph, and, if memory serves, they were right at 1,300 FPS.

The Model 58 of course, having a four inch Barrel.

I believe originaly, the .41 Magnum Ammunition tended to fall into two Camps - one, a pretty well full power Load, and, the other, loaded down a ways.


Seems like a very versatile Cartridge, but, of course, present offerings of the Ammunition do not have the variety they did fourty odd years ago.

 

[45crittergitter]

For defensive loads against 2-legged predators, you want to stay with the lighter hollowpoints in this caliber. These work far better than the ~200 grain cast or JSPs at around 100-1200 fps. You don't want to know how I know.

The absolute most effective load I ever found, now discontinued, was the Remington 170 gr. SJHP, which did an honest 1600 fps from a 6" revolver, even though it was advertised at something like 1400 from a 4" gun. Awesome just barely describes it, but it has lots of noise and recoil. This load is not to be confused with something like the Silvertip, which is pretty anemic but is still an excellent load, and far easier to recover from shooting.

I believe Cor-Bon and others offer some good alternatives in the 170-grain range.