Looking for some .41 Magnum Loads

[45LongColt]

I have been handloading for .41 magnum using Unique powder under a ProofMark 220 gr SWC and have had good results with accuracy and speed. However, the smoke and dirtiness of the powder is leaving me no choice than to find a new load.

Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. I would like to keep it in the medium power range (1,100 - 1,200 velocity) I have Red Dot, Clays, Titegroup, Trail Boss, WST, WSL, WSF and 2400 powders to work with.

45LongColt

 

[cuffkey53]

I use 19 grains of 2400 with a mag primer and it works well for all my 41 mag loads
even with cast and it works great good luck you might also consider H 110 with the same 19gains it also works well

 

[JDGray]

When I had a 41 Mag, 2400 was the powder of choice.

 

[MMCSRET]

There are powders that burn cleaner than others, but, if you are shooting a cast bullet with lubricant in the grooves then that is where the vast majority of your smoke is coming from. Before you jump out and invest in more powders try several jacketed bullets with the Unique, I think you will find that the bullet you are using is the source of your complaint.

 

[45LongColt]

Thanks for the advice on loads. Any recommendations on light 2400 loads. All my manuals have velocities in the 1,400 - 1,500 range and I would like to keep it somewhere around 1,200 for general practice/plinking.

MMCRET, Thanks for the info on cast bullets. Any recommendations of jacketed would be appreciated. Also if the source of the smoke is the lead bullets, how come my 45 Colts, 357 mag's and 38 specials don't produce copious amounts of smoke and I shoot those with the same ProofMark cast SWC bullets?

Thanks all.

45LongColt

 

[rcmodel]

Pressure & velocity burn off more bullet lube.

You are very likely not pushing your .38 Spl and .45 Colt loads nearly as hard as the .41 Mag load.

The .357 smokes less because it is a smaller caliber then the .41 and doesn't have as much lube on it to burn off. It could also be a different bullet design with more or less lube grooves.

Regardless, I agree your problem is not with Unique, it is with the bullet lube burning off.
Unique is smokeless powder, and doesn't produce any more smoke then a lot of other powders.

As for jacketed bullets? The Hornady XTP line is the one all others will have to beat for all around performance & accuracy.

rc

 

[dakotasin]

The Hornady XTP line is the one all others will have to beat for all around performance & accuracy.

been my experience as well. with the exception of my 480 ruger and 357 smith, all my handguns run xtp's. the 480 and smith both run hard cast. the xtp's have done well for me. kill deer well, and retain accuracy to 125-150 yards (as far as i shoot straight walled handguns).

for my 41 mag loads, i run 210 xtp's and h-110.

 

[Steve C]

9.5grs of Unique behind a 215gr LSWC makes a good full power load for the .41 mag. 7.8grs is a sub 1K fps load for a 4" barrel. As mentioned the smoke and dirt is mostly from the lube on lead bullets.

 

[gab909]

I am shooting a MBC 215 gr LSWC over 15.2 grs of 2400. Clean up is a few jacketed bullets, a swab with solvent, 2 strokes of the brush, a couple of patches, and wipe it down. A fun load to shoot and produces a baseball size group from the off hand position. The bullet is much more accurate than I am. I like to yank the trigger (I shoot alot of shotgun).