Summer of 2010 I'm going to Alaska, sight seeing and fishing. My wife and I will be traveling around and fishing with various guides. I want to take my .41 mag. S&W #58 for personal protection, 2 and 4 legged. I would like to load a heavy, flat based lead bullet with a wide meplat. Any suggestions would be appreciated as I've never hunted with a .41 mag.

Either get a 4 gang mould made by LBT in a heavy for caliber WFN or, order some bullets from Beartooth bullets.

I'm using 265gr. Beartooth WNFPGC bullets in my Smith 357PD scandium .41 Mag. I use 2400 powder - can't remember the load exactly as I'm not at home.

Anyway, I get 2" groups at 50 yards with the load, clocked at 1100 fps. Recoil is bit on the snappy side of things.

Montana Bullet Works

These folks are great to deal with and will taylor the bullet to your specs at a reasonable price. They go up to 240 grains for the 41. I have tried the 220 in both gas check and without and they shoot great!

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
Summer of 2010 I'm going to Alaska, sight seeing and fishing. My wife and I will be traveling around and fishing with various guides. I want to take my .41 mag. S&W #58 for personal protection, 2 and 4 legged. I would like to load a heavy, flat based lead bullet with a wide meplat. Any suggestions would be appreciated as I've never hunted with a .41 mag.

If you reload get the Beartooth Bullet 265 grain and some H110 or W296 you'll get better volocity and less gun abuse than 2400

If you want factory loads then purchase from Buffalo Bore either the 230 grain SWC or the 265 grainer. The 265's will hoot higher than your M-58 is sighted for the 230's will come closer to t your sights

If you're willing to consider factory loads there's a pretty good one, Cor-Bon's .41 in a 250 hard cast. They make the bullet themselves. Details are on their e-site. I've hunted deer with it, but it's overkill for that. It's about all the recoil I would want to fool with in a 4" M58 (if that's what you have) and still be ready for multiple fast follow ups.

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:
and less gun abuse than 2400

That's just not true. Gun abuse occurs when you over-load the gun. Keep the pressures within reason and there is no abuse.

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:
and less gun abuse than 2400

That's just not true. Gun abuse occurs when you over-load the gun. Keep the pressures within reason and there is no abuse.

When you do not exceed listed max loads with both powders and the H-110/296 loads are faster and the screws do not loosen the way they do with top loads of 2400. My interpretation is less gun abuse. Peak presure is only part of the equation, pressure curve is another part. But what do I know I've only been reloading ammo since 1967, hell I probable ain't picked up any valuable info in all that time

Maybe, just maybe, in another 30 years or so, jwp, you might actually learn something useful in reloading.

Or maybe not.......

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Originally posted by Whitworth:
Maybe, just maybe, in another 30 years or so, jwp, you might actually learn something useful in reloading.

Or maybe not.......

Of course I was assumimg top loads and then the 265's will go 1250 FPS or so out of a 4" S&W at least my 4" gets those speeds with no undue stress

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:
and less gun abuse than 2400

That's just not true. Gun abuse occurs when you over-load the gun. Keep the pressures within reason and there is no abuse.

When you do not exceed listed max loads with both powders and the H-110/296 loads are faster and the screws do not loosen the way they do with top loads of 2400. My interpretation is less gun abuse. Peak presure is only part of the equation, pressure curve is another part. But what do I know I've only been reloading ammo since 1967, hell I probable ain't picked up any valuable info in all that time

No denying that H110 will give you 50-75 more fps with max loads...but with H110 all you get is a max load and the demand for mag primers.

To each their own - I've never actually had much luck with H110 and have had much better luck with 2400. Never loosened any screws either.

When I was in Alaska, I carried an M58 loaded with RCBS 410KT210 cast from linotype over 9.0gr Unique for 1175fps or 18.5gr of 2400 for 1255fps. I also used the Lyman 410610, which is a gas-checked semiwadcutter, with 19.0gr 2400 for 1370fps. Any LP primer will work just fine. I use CCI 300's, but I have used RP 2 1/2, Federal 150, Win WLP, and Magtech 2 1/2's.
I also use the same boolits with hollow-points, but don't think much of them if an encounter with Br'er Bear is in the offing.
Two-legged varmints are easy to persuade to change their minds with a .41, so don't worry about that.
Have fun,
Gene

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:

quote:

Originally posted by rnovi:

quote:

Originally posted by jwp475:
and less gun abuse than 2400

That's just not true. Gun abuse occurs when you over-load the gun. Keep the pressures within reason and there is no abuse.

When you do not exceed listed max loads with both powders and the H-110/296 loads are faster and the screws do not loosen the way they do with top loads of 2400. My interpretation is less gun abuse. Peak presure is only part of the equation, pressure curve is another part. But what do I know I've only been reloading ammo since 1967, hell I probable ain't picked up any valuable info in all that time

No denying that H110 will give you 50-75 more fps with max loads...but with H110 all you get is a max load and the demand for mag primers.

To each their own - I've never actually had much luck with H110 and have had much better luck with 2400. Never loosened any screws either.

With H-110/296 it is best for top loads and where big bears are concerned that is what I would do with a 41. Reducing the the loads with H-110/296 is not recomended, 2400 will do better for mid loads is true. @40 at the top ends in a 41 will have a litter bark and faster recoil impulse. When I first loaded the H-110/296 and shot the loads I would have bet that the 2400 load was faster based on the reciol impulse, but the chrono showed different. As bullet weight goes up and especialy with a heavy wieght such as the 265 grainer H-110/296 will give top velocities and burn clean, 2400 will also burn clean, but will lag behind in the speed department.
As s posted ealier my 4" M-57 will get about 1250 with a 295 grain and H-110/296 With an animal that can eat you I'd take the extra 150 FPS, in a 50 cal I'd not worry about the difference

I have played with Alaska's Bears a time or two

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll go on beartooth's web site and see what I can find.

I would second the suggestion for Montana Bullet Works. Good folks to deal with, reasonable prices and stuff is usually in stock.

Personally I have used a 255 grn LFNGC behind WW296 for my heavy load in the 41.

Good Luck

Eric

The other factory load I would suggest is the Federal Castcore load. It comes with the Cast Performance 250 grain WFNGC bullet. They ain't cheap, but neither is your health.

quote:

Originally posted by Eric_P:
I would second the suggestion for Montana Bullet Works. Good folks to deal with, reasonable prices and stuff is usually in stock.

Personally I have used a 255 grn LFNGC behind WW296 for my heavy load in the 41.

Good Luck

Eric

Another vote for MBW. Great to work with and usually very quick shipping.

Yep, Montana bullet work for me too.

I've pretty much settled on a 250gr.WFNGC ahead of H110/W296 for a heavy load in the .41Magnum. I've tried the 255s, 265s, and the SSK 275gr. offerings. I have taken elk, kudu, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, etc. with the 250s and have never had a problem killing cleanly with them. The Federal 250gr. Cast-core is a good load for when you don't want to load.

Does anyone publish any load data for these heavyweight cast bullets in the .41 mag? I need a starting load for H-110 and 250gr. & 265gr. lead bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by JOE MACK:
I've pretty much settled on a 250gr.WFNGC ahead of H110/W296 for a heavy load in the .41Magnum. I've tried the 255s, 265s, and the SSK 275gr. offerings. I have taken elk, kudu, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, etc. with the 250s and have never had a problem killing cleanly with them. The Federal 250gr. Cast-core is a good load for when you don't want to load.

Joe, please post up some potos! I am sure everyone here would love to see them!