Since there seems to be a lot of shooters here whose favorite hunting handgun is chambered in .41 Magnum I was wondering what everyones favorite bullet is for the game you are hunting.

I have shot several deer and a lot of small game with handguns but have never been lucky enough to have the .41 in hand when a deer showed up.

Sunday I leave for a week of black bear hunting in Maine. The primary arm will be a M600 .350 Remington Magnum but I am taking along a S&W M657 8 3/8" and a Ruger Blackhawk 4 5/8" in case hunting conditions look good for a decent handgun shot.

Ammo is going to be 210 grain Speer Gold Dot HPs and 200 grain Speer JSWHPs both over 23 grains of H110.

Your favorite bullets and hunting expericence with them would be appreciated.

Bob

Bob
I guess all the people that used the 41 were killed when the bullets they used bounced off the game they shot.

Might better carry one of those new 44 Mags you have.

Good luck on your hunt.

..well Tony...now that you no longer carry your .44s, you're one to talk. Since now if it isn't .475/440 grains I am not sure how all those animals you "say" you killed with a .44 died...heartattack from the muzzle blast???

...please pardon us.. We "used" to be friends in another life...

Bob

250 Grain LBT Hardcast.

Thank you 4T1..kill anything with it so far?

My favorite hardcast is the 255 LBT from CPBC. Just emailed with Verl Smith of LBT and I'm planning to get one of his two cavity moulds to try and cast my own...have not cast any bullets since the early 80s...

Bob

I like the standard 210-grain to 220-grain hard cast bullets in the .41, and have several moulds that drop one of the two weights, or close to it. At one time I used the 210-grain RCBS bullet in front of 21 grains of IMR-4227. It shot very well, leaded very little, and was just as comfortable as an old pair of shoes...

Have fun on your hunt, and post pictures when you get back...

I used a 210 grain Rem. JSP in front of 20.5 grains of H110
on a midlan buck at about 65 yds a couple years ago. "They" tell me it isn't a good hunting slug, but the deer never complained after he was done with his BANG/flop.

I reload the Sierra .210gr. I started hunting with a Blackhawk in the late 60s for mule deer. Killed my first one as a teenager in the Sacremento Moutains near Weed, New Mexico. It was a real thrill.

I've killed many mule deer, whitetail, javelina, Axis, and Sika; not to mention jackrabbits and turkey. I love that caliber. I switched to a S&W Model 57 in the early 70s.

Sorry BOB, could not resist.
Actually I still prefer my 44 for protection.

I prefer a DA to a single action and full power 475's are just to much of a good thing.

Nothing wrong with a SA for a primary hunting handgun.

Good luck on your hunt.
Shoot a "bar" with your 41 if you get the chance.

RMJ have taken mostly Deer with it.and one Bear
around Dover-Foxcroft. Mr Smith went back to Jail for not cooperating with the terms of his Parole.Think, his Wife is running things till he
returns.Best of Luck with your Hunt.

I like 200gr cast Lee bullets. If I use jacketed I use the 210 hornady.

I like the 210 gr Hornady XTP for its accuracy and performance on deer.

4T1...Mr. Smith is now out...I emailed with him several times about 3 weeks ago. He is back making moulds... How far did those deer, and especially the bear, travel after being hit and where was the hit...

Catboat...I use the 230 Keith from Leadhead for my backup to the rifle M357 Airlite ahead of 8.0 grains of Unique/950 fps... Not real fast but controlable for followup shots if the bear picks the wrong tree to comeup. I am heading for the Lee/Lincoln area. My friend has a cabin on the Mattawomkeg Road that goes to the wildeness camping area...we are 5 miles in and the nearest neighbor is 2 miles away...

Truck is packed and I am ready to go...Bob

Nice Area.The Deer did not go anywhere except
down.The Bear being alittle tougher,went about
10-15 Feet then folded.Thought,the shot would
have anchor him,But I think my placement was at
fault.A little"Bear Fever",at it being the first time shooting a Bear with a handgun(Rugar
Blackhawk).I normally use my .35 Whelen.

I've tried just about every bullet weight from a 135gr.button to a 325gr.LFNGC. I've finally settled on a 250grWFNGC from a NEI mould a group of us on Sixgunner.com got some years back. With this bullet I've taken everything from field mice to elk and elk-sized African game. Except for a one-off Ruger Blackhawk Bisley, my FAs, and my Dan Wessons, my other .41s don't care much for the super heavyweights in this caliber. For deer-sized game, I tend to favor a 210grJHP by just about any manufacturer. I've got a Ruger OM Blackhawk in .41Magnum I've been shooting since the '60s since they came out. I'm anxious to try Federal's new load with the 180gr. Barnes!

Think I've posted this here before but.....
I've used that .41RemMag since 1989, killed my first big game on New Year's day 1991. I used a Sierra 210g with 19.5g of 2400. That load was my hunting load until 2001 when I started loading a 250g cast from CPBT. Son #2 and granddaughter still use it in their .41s.
That bullet has killed a truck load of deer, sheep, goats and pigs but I didn't like how it worked on big pigs so I started using the cast bullets. I've never killed a bear period so can't say how any of the bullets I've used would work on them. I have killed some very large animals with the 250g and 265g cast though. My POA has always been the front shoulder with the intent to break both and take out the top of the heart. At the 30 yards or less that I shoot all my kills have been pass through. BTY I have always used ground level shooting positions, never killed an animal from a tree stand using a handgun. The longest big game kill (the only one killed over 30 yards under very extraordinary conditions) was cow bison at 67 yards. The bullet a 250g from BearTooth missed the facing leg bone, took out the aorta gang passed through the joint of the off side leg and scapula, as far as I know it is still going. Some of you may remember a long time ago when I posted that I had won an Internet contest of a Maine bear hunt, well that never happened, guide service went TU before I got to go but I intended to take a .41RemMag loaded with a 250g cast load. FWIW I only hunt with the 250g or 265g depending on which gun I be using regardless of the animal.

Either the 210 XTP or the 210 Sierra JFP. Either will work just fine. I have taken several deer from 65# to 180# from 10 to 65 yards and the XTP would be my first choice. I can't imagine it not working on bear as well.

210 Sierra JHC, with 17.5 gr. 2400 in a 4 5/8" Blackhawk, or 21 gr. 296 in a scoped 7 1/2" FA Mdl 83. Both have worked well on hogs and deer.

I took quite a few animals with the Sierra 220 grain Silhouette bullet. I don't think they offer that bullet anymore. While it usually penetrated pretty well I can't say that it always mushroomed consistently.

Kyler

Well it was a wonderful hunt in Maine but I didn't bring one home. The stand they put me on has always been frequented by a big male who has burned every hunter and he burned me the second day... And as last year bear sightings at baits were down as the berry crop is still going strong. My friend did get a 210# sow with a cinomond face and ears with his .350 RM M673...his third bear with that gun.



This is his cabin 5 miles out in the woods...the nearest neighbor is 2 miles away..



Thanks for all the replies...

Bob

NICCCCCCE!

The bear or the cabin....

I have used the 220 grain H&G mold for years. Works ... but does what cast bullets do ... punches holes.

Have also used the 210 gr Sierra HC and the 210 gr XTP. I like both.

Have also found that the 210 gr Remington SP factory load from a 6" M57 Smith does quite well on game. Pretty much "Bang ... Flop." Works fine if you don't have time to load for the season.

BOTH!!!!

It is nice up there...this is the river at the bottom of the driveway...lots of trout, salmon and bass...





..and the inside of the cabin...



Had been the "camp" for the loggers in the area back in the 50s when there was not even a road to the place... The logs were floated down the river 5 miles to the railhead and the cut and shipped. That camp was given to my friend's grandfather when the operations were moved to another area...

Check out this set of palmated horns...they have been there so long no one can remember who shot the deer..



I just feel lucky in being able to use the place...

One thing I do know...if I handgun hunt for these bear again a scoped handgun is the only way to go. All the shots come in the last hour of legal shooting time and where the baits are located you run out of shooting light with a scope 15 minutes after sundown with 15 minutes of legal shooting time left. Sundown was 7:15. One cloudy day I could not see the blue plastic 55 gallon bait drum that was only 20 yards from me with my eyes or though the scope at 7:25. You would run out of light for an iron sighted revolver before 7:00 pm on some days...my friend shot his bear at 6:55 pm.

I have a 6.5" Blackhawk and a 10" TC both of which have scopes, one of which will be coming next time..

Bob

Nice Bear...Cabin...Location.Got to love
Maine for getting away.

I haven't shot any bears or deer with mine, but pleanty of feral hogs. I use several makes of 210gr bullets, but mostly the bulk Remington JHP's and SP. I target shoot a lot as well as hunt with mine, and for the ranges we get the hogs at these bullets provide pleanty of shooting and knockdown for everything we have encountered so far. I have a Ruger Redhawk that I changed out the original sights, for target type for a finer bead. This past year I tried some Tru-Glo to help out with the lower light situations we get into back in the thick stuff. It helps out a lot but you still have to make out those black hogs against the dark backdrop.

Mike...sounds like some fun shootin' and great eaten'....could call it the .41 BBQ Gun..

Bob

I posted to this thread on 28AUG and started by recounting my first handgun big game animal, whitetail deer 8pt 135+BC with the Sierra 210 JHP and a S/W 657

Here is a picture of that deer

250gr 41 cal Outlaw bullet, jacketed soft/flat point, double cannelured, available on e-bay.
Haven't killed anything with them yet but season opens tomorrow and the SS Redhawk is tuned up and ready.
Joe

...crawfish, that can't be you...you have better taste when it comes to fingernail polish....and I've never know you to have a S&W with a Lock...

Bob

A CorBon tech recommended their 265gr cast meplat bullet 41 mag load. The bullet is from http://www.castperformance.com ,no longer loaded by CorBon, not enough were sold,it's an excellent bear load in the 4 5/8 inch Ruger Blackhawk the tech told me & they used Ruger Blackhawks and TC Contenders to test some of their loads.

scr..I was told by Kelly Broast of CPBC who was making the bullets at the time for CorBon that the reason for the switch was that the 265 LBT was too long for the cylinders of some .41 Magnums. Kelly tried to talk CB into using his 255 WFNGC (at .33" largest meplat of all .41 bullets) but they went with the 250 that is the same bullet Federal uses in their CastCore round...and also get the bullets from CPBC.

CorBob is now usning the 250 made by Leadhead bullets. I am not sure who Federal is using.

I like cast bullets but prefer to have some tracking snow when I use them. Sometimes when centerpunched, animals have a tendency to run some distance..where I hunt 100 yards into a swamp is a long way.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
scr..I was told by Kelly Broast of CPBC who was making the bullets at the time for CorBon that the reason for the switch was that the 265 LBT was too long for the cylinders of some .41 Magnums. Kelly tried to talk CB into using his 255 WFNGC (at .33" largest meplat of all .41 bullets) but they went with the 250 that is the same bullet Federal uses in their CastCore round...and also get the bullets from CPBC.

CorBob is now usning the 250 made by Leadhead bullets. I am not sure who Federal is using.

I like cast bullets but prefer to have some tracking snow when I use them. Sometimes when centerpunched, animals have a tendency to run some distance..where I hunt 100 yards into a swamp is a long way.

Bob

Thanks for the update, the corbon 265's worked fine in my 4 5/8" blackhawk I have a supply of 250's and 1 box of 265 CPBC.

I think it was the Taurus guns they were worried about. A friend of mine has a stainless Tracker and he has to deepseat his bullets.

This is one of the 255s after it passed through 6 gallon jugs of water, one sheet of 3/4" marine plywood and then burred itself into a 4x4 post...



The 265s did the same and a second piece of 3/4" plywood....

Bob

That is granddaughter #1 holding the new 657 PC. It was a gift from son #2 for my 40th wedding anniversary. He has the 657 that I used to kill that deer. According the the customer service rep I spoke to at S/W it was the first 657 shipped to NC in 1989 when I bough it. As for the lock, if you take out all the works then the hole is just a blemish.

I figured it was one of the grandkids...you sure should be proud of that hunting family of yours.

That is a very nice looking M657...don't think I have seen that variation before..

Bob

It is a 657-5 classic hunter from the S/W Performance Center. Unfired as yet. Granddaughter #1 keeps at me to let her be the first to hunt with it. Granddaughters (6 of the 7) will be at the farm this weekend and son #1 has already told me that granddaughter #3 (she is 8) plans to ask if she can use it to try to get her first deer, with dad's help, this season. Might have to hold a drawing. Funny thing is that the "loser" will get to use a Ruger SBHH .41RemMag also unfired. looking forward to the up coming general gun season on 13 Oct.

....an 8 year girl old trying to be first with the .41...how could you say "no"...

Bob