First, the question: I'm looking for .41 Mag Recipees - 2400 & H110, 210 JHP/JSP & 215 gr. SWC.

I'll likely carry the .41 with 215gr. SWC's - so my question is more about max load data or estimates. I'm not locked into 2400 btw, It's just what I had handy when loading. I'm going to try H110 next to see if I can get just a bit more out of the gun.

I'm not opposed to using bigger bullets either. However, this IS an Airweight...

Primary use: carry gun in Black Bear territory.
If the recommendation does come back with a "go bigger" on the bullet, so be it.

************************

So I'm breaking in my Smith 357PD Airweight .41 Mag. Y'know, it's the 27.5 oz. N-Frame...4"bbl.

Yeah, I'm looking to fire true mags out of an Airweight. If you think this is fun, keep right on reading!

Current Loads Tested & Notes:

Starline brass used for all loads.

Load #1: The Plinker
Powder: HP-38 - 7.0gr.
Bullet: Laser-Cast 215gr. SWC
Primer: Fed LP.

Tested Velocity @ 10 feet: 925fps.

Notes: Snappy load in a 27.5 oz gun but not punishing. Bullets do not jump the crimp. Velocity seems right. Book Max reports to be 7.4gr. of HP-38 w/ 210swc. Nice practice load.


Load #2: Mid-Heavy Practice
Powder: 2400 - 16.0gr.
Bullet: Laser-Cast 215gr. SWC
Primer: Fed LP.

Tested Velocity @ 10 feet: 1050fps.

Notes: Enough boom and flash to make people wake up, but not enough to scare. Velocity seems surprisingly low though. Large cylider gap? Might have to measure it. Will have to tighten crimp down more - 6th round started to show minimal signs of jumping the crimp.


Load #3-8: Heavy "Thin-Skinned" game. Intial loads for pressure testing only.
Powder: 2400 - 17.5 gr.
Powder: 2400 - 18.0 gr.
Powder: 2400 - 18.5 gr. - This load "felt" right. Flash & Bang is truly impressive.
Powder: 2400 - 19.0 gr. - NOTE: Just a hair of Sticky Extraction, primer showing firt signs of crater. Considering this to be max.
Powder: 2400 - 19.5 gr. - did not test. Pulled bullets.
Powder: 2400 - 20.0 gr. - did not test. Pulled bullets.

Bullet: Sierra 210 gr. JHC (flippin' nasty lookin' bugger!)
Primer: Fed LP.

Tested Velocity @ 10 feet: N/A. Will test on next go around.

*****************
The lack of .41Mag loading data is amazing to me...as is the incredible variance between load books. Nosler lists the max 2400 load with a 210JHP at 16.7gr. delivering 1500fps from a 10" douglas test barrel.

Hornady starts their load data for 2400 at 17.5gr...goes up to 20.0gr. 18.5 gr. of 2400 shows a book velocity of 1250fps - which sounds about right (test gun, 6" Smith 57). I suspect I'd be around 50fps slower given the shorter BBL.

Anyway, I'm not finding much data on heavy lead loads with the 215gr. SWC. I'd like to get something in the 1250-1300fps category and I'm just starting the process of load dev.

Any thoughts?

If you want max. vel. loads, go w/ the H110. I like 2400, very accurate & usefull for high end midrange loads. H110/W296 are full house, max loads powders. For plinkers, 8gr of Unique under 210-220grLSWC. The Hogdon site has a ton of good data including the heavies. http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

LOL, true .41 Maggies in an airweight? I hate target load .45 acp in my S&W M325!

Stick to the 8 grains of Unique behind those 210 grain slugs!

I have a 3" Round Butt M657 that I use as a concealed carry during hunting season. Horton's had a run of these made in the 1980's. I use H110 with 210 XTPs or 220 Keiths driven by H110 for practice.

The good old Remington 210 SP factory load works very well on game.

This fella gets kinda exciting with heavy loads. I think an Airweight would get very exciting

I like 19.5 grains of W296 in my Smith with the 210 XTP's. Will put'em in one ragged hole at 25 yds with open sights. Plenty of punch but haven't cronyed em yet. I can tell ya much more that 20 grains splits the cases in my Smith. God Bless, Louis

My load for my 6.5" Blackhawk 41Mag is 20.5 grains H110 under a 210 JHP or LSWC bullet. I ran the jacketed slugs over the chonograph at 1335 ft/sec. This load will cloverleaf 4 shots at 50 yds from my revolver with 3X Burris scope from a solid rest and no wind.

quote:

Originally posted by MCA man:
LOL, true .41 Maggies in an airweight? I hate target load .45 acp in my S&W M325!

The silly thing is that only the first couple rounds actually hurt. Somehow, somewhere the other 25 rounds were actually...fun!

Yeah - fun. I'm sick. I've got the disease. I'm sure of it now. I was considering a .44 Mag. for a while as my next pistol but now? I think I'd somehow be disappointed...



When I hit 18.0 gr. of 2400, I knew I was hitting the sweet spot... I could FEEL the rounds in cylinder actually slamming into the back of the revolver. Yeppers, had to check to see if the bullets were backing out... Three guys six lanes down at the range stopped what they were doing just to see "What the hell that thing was that I was shooting..." I've always thought it sad when people think that the 80% range reloads are "true magnums".

Anyway, back on topic. H110 is next on the list. I've got a box of Fed Mag Primers floating around somewhere... I'll report back again in a week after I've shot and chrono'ed a few more.

BTW, I'd love to say I'm after tack-driving accuracy here ('ll take it if it's there but I'm really after a certain balance of power). To be frank (or John, or Mary) I'd be quite happy with a 4" group at 25 yards. This is about black bear defense or getting up close and personal with hogs in Texas. (Not intentionally!)

Anyway, Hodgdon is showing H110 from 20-22.0 gr. of powder with an XTP loaded to 1.580". Same OAL as the Sierra's I have... I'm down for this.

/snicker...anyone want video of this?

YOU NEED PET LOADS BY KEN WATERS. When IHMSA first started we shot $200.00 contenders with iron sights only. the best load for me at 200 meters in a 41 mag was a 255g rn cast bullet with 8.5 of unique. no i never shot a jacketed bullet in that gun.

try 170 grs. sierras with h-110 it works in my blackhawk and in my marlin,shot my first deer last year with the marlin he was about 120 yards and dropped so fast i thought i he ran off.

The 170grJHC is a great bullet for small deer & yotes, jacks, etc. It's a bit fragil dirven above 1300fps to be really reliable on larger game IMO. I have shot a truck load of jackrabbits w/ it though, very effective.