I own a S&W 57 in six inch, started to reload for it. does anyone have any pet loads that would good in this gun? i will be using it for target and hunting, probably shooting 210-220 grain jacketed bullets. someone suggested winchester 296 or hodgon H110. any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Sure....H110 is a great powder for full power loads in the 57. Mine really liked 20.0 with Rem cases, CCI-350 primer and Remington. Nosler or Sierra 210 grain bullets. These chrono'd out at 1350 from its 6" barrel.

A powder i am going to try in the 41 is AA#9. I have seen several loads that "list" a little greated velocity at similar pressure to W296 & H110.

Good luck and if you need any additional data, feel free to send me an e-mail off line(listed above).

Blue Dot is a very good powder in the .41 Mag., also. I use it in both my S&W Mdl. 57 6", and Marlin 1894S .41 Mag.

Try 13.0 grs behind a 210/215/220 gr JHP/JSP, and work up to 15.0 grs. That's a load for serious stuff.

I also use a lot of H110, but the Blue Dot is what I use when I use my Beartooth Bullets, 265 gr. LBT GC. Very good results on Mule deer.

FWIW. L.W.

Mikey...Have loaded for the .41 Magnum since the early 70's. For maximum loads in S&W revolvers would recommend that you try WW296/H110 (same powder, different label). Reason being is that S&W chambers seem to be a little on the loose side compared to a Ruger or TC and with powders any faster the cases will buldge and stick in a S&W way before they will with a Ruger or TC.

My top loads are:
WW brass/WW LP primer/26 gr. H110/170 gr Sierra JHC/Velocity runs 1500-1650 depending on barrel length.

WW brass/WW LP primer/23 grains H110/any 200-220 grain Jacketed or quality lead bullet/ Again velocity varries with the bullet weight and barrel length. With the 200 grain Speer in a 5.5" Redhawk velocity is in the low 1500's.

WW brass/WW LP primer/250-255 hardcast/22 gr. H110/Velocity of 1350 for the 255 from the Redhawk. Load has been fired in 3 differents S&Ws and gave no problems. 19.5 grains from a 4" M57 gave a 1" all touching group at 25 yards. Velocity is about 1050 fps.

Target loads...any case, any primer, any bullet with 8.0 grains of Unique or 7 grains of WW231. Velocity is in the 900-950 range with a 4" barrel.

Get the February issue of Handloader Magazine. Brian Pearce has the best article I have ever seen written on the .41. Also try www.sixgunner.com and look for the Paco Kelly articles in the archives section.

And for those who haven't seen it yet, Marlin has come back out with the 1894 carbine in .41 Magnum. I have one of the first run ones and it's a great shooter.

Bob

The one I am using now is loaded for the same gun as yours only with a 4" bbl. I load 20.0 grains of Hodgdon's Lil' Gun behind a 200 grain Remington SJHP. It has performed fabulously for me so far.

800 x has worked well giving good velocity with 200 to 210 jhp --charges-11- 13 gr work up properly - but it has not worked as well accuracy wise with the 170's-- velocity with all wieghts is good -170's will touch 1500 -- 200 are in the 1400+ 210s in the 1300-- works well with 220 Keith and 230 Keith too mv are in the mid to high 1300-- I shoot mostly cast and use a lot of 296 and a load that has worked great in 6 different .41 is 22gr 296 220 Keith very accurate-
mv is in the 1330+ range-- the 800x is a little dirty but blast is greatly reduced. All these have worked very well for me in my guns can not speak to the unknown though. I have a .41 GNR nearly ready so I guess I will be shooting more JHP now

Will have to respectfully disagree with you MMS. The rear of the chambers in every S&W .44 and .41 Magnum I have owned have been very sloppy compared to the Rugers I have. The cases buldge at the rear badly with most any powder faster than 2400. This "slamming" up against the chamber wall causes the stick. I have both recessed and non-recessed cylinders and it doesn't make any difference....the cases buldge with faster burning powder. In the Ruger guns both DA and SA the cases come out looking perfectly straight no matter how fast the powder burning rate is.
Also if you go to the Limbeau (sp) custom gun site and read his articles it is stated in there that guns with tight chambers will show less pressure signs than one with a sloppy chamber.

Anyway..that's just been my experience with 2 M29s, 3 M58s and 5 M57s.....Bob

Josh...What gun are you have made up into .41 GNR. I have a Gary Reeder 5.5" Custom Bisley but have not had the time yet to play with the GNR cylinder....Bob

Try 19.5/2400/210Sierra used that load to kill to many deer to count. Gives complete pass through on southern deer even with center shoulder POI. Find that for heavy hunting loads in a handgun that 2400 doesn't have such a sharp rap to the hand like 296/110. I didn't know why that was until last year when I had a chance to see some pressure data. 296/110 pressure curve is up/down where as 2400 is up----down and I think it is that flatening out at the top of the pressure curve that makes 2400 not so sharp. I shoot 500+ rounds of .41s' a month so anything that helps I jump on. I do use and like 296/100 also SR4759 and IMR 4227, in fact 4227 is what I use in the .41GNR#2, works great. All that being said I have 11 .41 caliber handguns you'd think they would be more or less alike, just isn't so. They are as different in what they like and dislike as my kids. We can give you what works in our guns and maybe places to look for good workable loads but only your gun can tell you what it really wants to eat.

this is a great site, i really appreciate all the suggestions, im going down right now to load up some shells to take to the range and test out- printed the whole page and will try many of the varieties to see which my gun likes best.
thanks again to everyone who replied.
love that .41
mike

RJM mine is a blue 5.5 Redhawk-- with a 2x Trophy Pistol scope- this is about the third week so the end is near-- and I look forward to receiving my first wildcat-- a.41 of course

RJM, you still have 3 model 58's?

Well my pet load for the 41 is as follows, but note I have no chrony. This just a load I worked up over several years of loading for my perticular gun. That gun is a S&W 57 6"/Nikkon 2X, and it turns in well better than tight groups for a hunting gun.

Winchester cases
National Bullet Co. 225gr SWC cast no jacket
H110 20grs
CCI 350 Lrg pistol mag primers

This load has given me complete pass through on a lot of big heavy Mulies. at ranges from 25 yds out to 70yds. Plus it is a accurate load.
FWIW X-Ring