I just picked up a Ruger Black Hawk in .41 Rem Mag it has a 7.5" barrle and want to make up some realy hard hitting reloads for deer and bear.

Has any one tryed any 265gr Cast Performace loads in this configeration. the other one I was thinking is a 180gr Barns X for White Tails or a 210gr XTP HP.

Plan on using this for 70 yards or closer

There is no need for "hot"loads !! Just use a good 210 gr bullet that is accurate in your gun. Then practice a lot !

If you feel the need to push your 41 mag so hard; you should have bought a bigger caliber.

A good cast bullet propoerly designed for shooting game launched between 1000 and 1200 fps should handle deer and bear just fine.

I have a blackhawk 41 mag with a 5 1/2 inch barrel. I use 18gr of H110 and a hardcast 210 gr. bullet. It gets about 1300 fps and kills like lightning without the heavy recoil of a 44. It is fun to use on small stuff like prairie dogs and is more than adequate for black bear, and deer. I even took a doe antelope with it once.

I agree with all that has been said above: the 41 doesn't need to be "hotrodded" to take anything within reason. I like 11 grains of AA #5 behind a 210, and I have shot a lot of IMR 4227 with the same bullet (or jacketed 210-gr. Remingtons...), at 21.0 grains. Incredibly accurate, softer recoil than most other .41 loads, and pretty impressive velocities, if memory serves.

Now, having said that, I own the NEI 411-275 mould, and out of my own alloy it drops at ~290 grains. That varies a bit from pot to pot, but never over three or four grains.

I have shot this bullet, sized to .410", out of my Model 57 Smith with 18 grains of H110, a load listed in the Hodgdon manual. It is plenty stout for anything you will ever hunt with that revolver, and the load is controllable. The cases didn't drop free from the cylinder, but they weren't sticky, either. You had to push them out, but they came out without resistance.

This is the same bullet listed in the Second Accurate Arms load manual. The bullets and the cases they were shot in were provided by me, and somewhere around here I have the test report Accurate sent me when the testing was done. I don't remember exactly what the AA #9 data was, but I believe it was somewhere around 13.5 grains.

The last thing I will say is that 290 grains is too heavy a bullet for the conventional twist rate in a .41. This bullet is acceptably accurate out of my Smiths, but it shines in my Freedom Arms 654 Silhouette. The 1 in 14" twist makes all the difference in the world...

Mine all like the 210 XTP with 20.2 grains of H110. Could be a little hotter, but this one is extremely accurate in all my 41s.

I'm using 14 grains of Blue Dot with the Hornady 210. The Hornady book goes to 14.3, but I lost accuracy.

Thanks guys I know I could just look it up but I just like to here what people have for Pet Loads. Then try them out I just went out and bought the dies and 5 bages of brass. Now have 4 boxes of 210gr XTPs and 2 boxes of 180gr Barns Xs so now I am going to try and work sothing up here.

I have H110,LiL'Gun and H4227 that is what I use in my .500 S&W Mag so will see what I can come up with

No need to hot rod the .41 Rem Mag.

Quality of the bullet is more important than anything else. The factory 210 gr SP load has superb terminal ballistics on whitetails.

H110 is a fine powder for full power loads with bullets in the 200-220 grain range. Haven't tried it with lighter bullets.

What I ment by Hot loads is somthing that just awsome not over powering, If I want to just have pure power. I will shoot my .500 S&W Mag with the 370gr,440gr and the 535gr cast rounds

I am looking for what other people have found to be the Hot Load for there guns...And work from that, that has power and accucery not just the power

quote:

Originally posted by mustbhuntn:
I have a blackhawk 41 mag with a 5 1/2 inch barrel. I use 18gr of H110 and a hardcast 210 gr. bullet. It gets about 1300 fps and kills like lightning without the heavy recoil of a 44. It is fun to use on small stuff like prairie dogs and is more than adequate for black bear, and deer. I even took a doe antelope with it once.

Just wondering what gun do you have a 5.5" bbl?

500MagMan, you mentioned the 265 grains Cast Performance in your .41 Mag.

I have not used that particular bullet, but I have used the Beartooth Bullets 265 grains gas check bullet with great results in my S&W 57. I use 13.0 grains of Blue Dot, and also 18.0 grains H110. Works just fine.

I use a 220 grains SWC Keith style bullet in my Marlin 1894S .41 Mag. 21.0 grains H110 is a fine load for bullet in my Marlin. Kills deer very efficiently. Coyotes, too. I'd not hesitate to use it on a Black bear.

Good luck.

L.W.

My load from a 4 5/8" ruger was a 293 hard cast gas check at 1275 fps. 19 grains H110.

There's nothing wrong with loading to maximum performance in any firearm as long as it is safe in that firearm. I have had a Ruger Bisley .41 with 7.5" barrel for some years. I also have been shooting Ruger and S&W .41s since the mid '70s. The Ruger revolvers in this and other cartridges will take "hotter" (still safe) loads than the S&W simply won't because the S&W starts giving "sticky" exratraction do to the extracor pushing all 6 cartridges out at one time whereas the Ruger just ejects one case at a time. It is my believe that when S&W stopped burnishing the chambers and extraction problems were noted that the factories "dumbed down" .357, .41 and .44 magnum loads. Perhaps a coincidence but the dumbing down happened right after S&W's "new and improved" revolvers started having extraction problems. This was most often noted by PDs at the time with .357s.

WORK UP -let me repaeat that - WORK UP to 23 gr H110 in 1/2 gr increments from 20 gr to 23 gr with 210 gr bullets. I use R-P cases and WLP primers with the 210 XTP. I get 1446 fps with excellent accuracy and no pressure signs. This load also is very good with the bulk Remington 210 SPs. NOTE: This load is 2 1/2 gr above what most often gives extraction difficulties in S&Ws - newer S&Ws anyways. The older original M57s with burnished chambers do not give extraction problems with this load. But alas, the "new" S&Ws are so much better, aren't they? You have a Ruger so load to maximum performance (I consider that very different than "hot rodding" or "hot" loads).

Larry Gibson

I'm always glad to see someone using a .41.
In my M57 6" I shoot a lot of RCBS 210gr cast from linotype. It falls from my mold at a little over 200gr. I would chase black bear all over with it, as I did when I lived in SE Alaska. The loads I used were 19.5-20.0 gr H110 at 1265fps. 16.0 of Accurate #9 with CCI 350's or Federal 155's, give me 1290fps. I've tried 16.0 gr of Enforcer and CCI 350's for 1315fps.
Using Alliant 2400 at about 19 grains gives me 1425fps and 18.0 gr of VV N110 comes out at 1335fps. When I go to 20.0 of Li'l Gun, 1270fps is what I expect.
I've sent Lyman 210gr gas-check bullets cast from linotype at 1380fps, using 19.0 of 2400.
Sierra 210gr hollow-point jacketted bullets and 21.5gr of Winchester 296 with CCI350s got to 1340fps.
All of these loads would cut the center out of a 25yd bullseye-target at 25yards from a two-handed hold off the bench, as I was chronographing them. Any load I didn't mention the primer, I used a CCI 300. As ALWAYS start below, as you're using different componants than I...Have fun, I did.

I have twentysomething .41s and have settled on the following for full hunting loads with H110. Start 2-3 grains below and USE A CHRONOGRAPH. A Lee Carbide Factory Crimp Die works very well with helping the H110 burn clean. I use Winchester brass and Winchester LP primers as they are rated for standard or magnum loads.

Any 200-220 gain jacketed bullet/23 grains of H110/velocity runs 1350 fps in a 5.5" Redhawk depending on the bullet.

Any 230-265 grain harcast/22 grains of H110/1325 fps depending on the bullet.

Any 285-305 grain hardcast/19.0 grains of H110/1275 fps depending on the bullet.

170 Sierra/26.0 of H110/1475 fps.

Go slow with the Barnes. Since they are solid copper they don't act like jacketed bullets.

Have found with H110/WW296 that if you seat the bullet so it sits right on top of the powder just slightly compressing it the powder burns very cleanly and the SD is very very low.

I have used all these loads in a S&W 6 shot revolvers and there are no pressure signs and the ejection is very smooth. The 210 grain loads are also just 10-30 fps faster than what factory 210s are doing.

Bob makowski

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Gibson:
There's nothing wrong with loading to maximum performance in any firearm as long as it is safe in that firearm…

Larry Gibson

I agree with you Larry, without brave and knowledgeable folks like Keith, Thompson, Lachuck, Casull, Linebaugh, Weatherby and many others, we will be still shooting black powder level handgun and rifle cartridges. As for moderate load in 41 like 200-220 gr at 1100-1200 fps, I am the one who will always insist that this is where this calibre shines, especially if you are shooting silhouettes. I had 357 Bisley and pushing 180 grains at 1200 fps is in my opinion wrong way; you have to use top loads with pressure that goes with that level, hard on brass and gun in term of erosion on forcing cone and top strap. I tried 44 Magnum with 250 SWC at 1200 fps, but 150-200 rounds in a single day made my hands tingling on the end of the day. Well, I am not young chick any more and decided to preserve my so far excellent health and hands for next decades. Realizing what I need and want, I sold 357 Bisley and purchased 41 Bisley. Now, I can have the same power level or slightly better, with much less pressure, muzzle blast, easy on gun and brass, and still easy on hands. And for the serious business, 45 Bisley with 325 SWC at 1100-1200 is all I want. If that is not enough, I would start with 375 H&H.

Now, since knowledgeable folks are saying that for serious handgun hunt 45-300 at 1100-1200 is plenty (see http://customsixguns.com/writings.htm and http://www.gunblast.com/JimTaylor_FullCircle.htm ) and after spotting this beauty http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?disc=107438;artic...m%20Guns;pagemark=50 , I started thinking “What if?â€, see http://www.rugerforum.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/013443.html .

For some hot loads, see http://www.handloads.org/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=4...Order=Powder&Source=

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:

…Any 285-305 grain hardcast/19.0 grains of H110/1275 fps depending on the bullet…


Bob Bakowski

With this level of power, especially with well designed LBT bullet with meplate .320†dia, 41 is a serious hunting revolver. Look at the last load listed from “Handloadsâ€; 300 LFP with 8gr of Unique making 1050 fps. This load, well placed, will cleanly kill anything that should be hunted with handgun. On top of that, if fired in a hurry without ear muffs, it should have moderate recoil and muzzle blast so it would not shell shock the shooter.


If I can safely push 41-300 jacketed at about 1200 fps, I will start saving for a custom 41 in stainless…

210XTP over H-110 will give you a fine performing load for deer or bear.

Onty....you looking for something like this....



..alass it only holds 5....Bob

Corbon used to load Cast Performance Hard Cast 265gr meplat bullets for the 41 mag:Velocity 1325 fps & Energy 1033 ft/lbs.They worked great in my BH with a 4 5/8" barrel but even with Hogue rubber grips it smarted but I was due for surgery for a torn rt bicep & rotator cuff,haven't fired it since 1999. According to a corbon tech they were good for bears.They were discontinued as few bought the 265gr but Corbon loaded 250gr cast performance bullets for a while now they don't load any cast performance bullets.

Or maybe something like these??

All .41s'
I no longer have any of these, in fact I no longer own a firearm of any kind.

I'm using 21.9 H110 with the 210 XTP and getting good results from my S&W 57's.

BTW, crawfish, that's a nice batch of shootin' irons.

quote:

Originally posted by Onty:If I can safely push 41-300 jacketed at about 1200 fps, I will start saving for a custom 41 in stainless…

Better start saving then... I've shot three different 295-305 grain bullets, 2 LBT and 1 SSK style, averaging 1275 from a 6" barrel. The 19 grains of H110 load come right from the Hogden manual and is also printed in the Lee Reloading Manual. One can get the 300 grain SSK bullet from Penn Bullets and one of the 300 grain LBTs from Specialty Pistol gear (as soon as he fins some more lead). I have tried this load in 4" S&Ws, Ruger Blackhawks and a FAs 6"...

As to a jacketed bullet, you can get them from Hawk Bullet company...don't know why you would want a jacketed bullet however. Pressures will be higher and they probably won't expand all that well...

I will try and post a picture of the bullets..

Bob

Let me be the first to say that I would never pee on someone's parade. I am also a great lover of the .41RemMag and at one time I had more than I even knew. What say??, that is when you start moving things in your safe and "find" a boxed .41 that you forgot you had and 5 that you have never had to the range. I'm all for the shooter who loves to make the earth move when they fire a round BUT after many years and many earth moving rounds I got to the point where the brain took over from the tuercas. I found out that I could shoot through great big animals using a 250 CPBT or BT cast at 1100-1250fps depending on the gun (same load just different action types) I used I didn't have to beat myself up making the earth move. After all you can't kill them more dead than dead. IF your intend is to shoot deer sized game the excellent Sierra 210g Power Master #8520 over 19.5g of 2400 at reasonable ranges will kill deer RDRQ. When you beat yourself enough just remember there are more than a few posters here who really hold the .41RemMag dear and enjoy what it can do WITHOUT beating a shooter up.

I'm there too crawfish,
although I'm down to only two 41's, it is by far my favorite handgun caliber.
GWB

...had a chance to do some chronographing...



http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/695107034/m/4941039142

Bob

500MagMan

Take a hard look at RJM's data. He has been shooting the 41 Mag since the late 70's.

Also, if you need any 38 Super info, ask him...
'cause he was shooting the 38 Super WAY BEFORE it was cool... ie the darling of IPSC.

500....I have loaded the 265 CPBC .41 bullet with 18.5 grains of H110 and got 1075 froma 4 5/8" Blackhawk. The same load also clocked 1495 from a 20" Marlin Carbine. The only other time I chronographed that bullet was with 22 grains of H110 and from a 5.5" Redhawk and it ran 1360 fps...

Bob

Favorite loads for hunting are a 210 JHP in front of 21 grs of H110 or a 265 GC with 19.5 grs of H110. I have complied 41 Mag load data here....

http://gunner.sixshootercommunity.org/files/


41Gunner

41Gunner...in looking at your chronographed loads and what I have gotten over the years they are all within 50 fps of my results...

Bob

A 220gr. bullet with 17.5g. of 2400 @ 1175 fps.
Will stop anything on the north American continent.Welcome to the wonderfull world of the .41 mag.



"Big and slow",for those who like to eat right up to the hole.

I don't own a .41, nor have I ever owned one. What is the heaviest cast bullet that is practical to shoot in the .41 mag -- by practical, I mean that there will be enough case capacity for some meaningful velocity (not hyper velocity)? I would think it could handle a bullet approaching 300 grains. I like heavy for caliber bullets in my handguns -- my .44s get 320 grainers, and in my .454 I shoot 400s.

19.0 grains of H110/WW296 will run a 295-305 grain cast bullet at 1275-1325 depending on the barrel length.

Penn Bullet Company has the 305 SSK. Beartooth I believe has a 285 LBT and Leadhead a 275 TC...so there are plenty of heavyweights out there...

Bob

RJM, that sounds like it would be a formidable load. Have you used it on game?

No I have not....most of my handgun hunting has been with JHPs.

While cast bullets kill and kill well...they sometimes don't kill quicky. Where I hunt there are two problems...a lot of other hunters in one area...the other there are no other hunters but sometimes the undergrowth is so dense when you entend your arm you can't see the front sight.

In either area if you don't knock a deer right down you have a big problem. Two seasons ago a friend hit a deer well but it turned and ran anyway...dead on its feet but just didn't know it... Shot was right before dark...deer turned and ran back into the swamp where it had just come from...took almost two hours of searching the next morning..three of us. Almost no blood till just before the deer dropped...and it only went 60 yards...

So one day if the conditions are right with good tracking snow I will try the cast bullets...

Bob

While I use a 44 Mag, and now a 475 FA I think that JHP's do kill deer sized game faster than Cast Bullets.