41 MAGNUM:

WEATHER: SUNNY AND HOT - HUMID

FIREARM: RUGER BLACKHAWK

BARREL LENGTH: 6.5"

BULLET: SIERRA 170 GR. JHC

POWDER: W296 LOAD: 23.0 GRS.

PRIMER: CCI-300 CASE: FEDERAL

FPS: 1345 FPE: N/A

RANGE: 5 SHOTS @ 50 YARDS

RESULTS: 1.78" GROUP

NOTE: ALL LOAD DATA SHOULD BE USED WITH CAUTION. ALWAYS START WITH A REDUCED LOAD AND WORK UP TO THE LOAD LISTED.

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41 MAGNUM:

.41Mag, now there is something I can contribute loads for. With that cartridge not being one of the more successful commercial sales leaders, it is occaisionally hard to find ammo for and when found, usually will be a couple of boxes of Winchester 175gr Silvertips, a fine load out of most guns, or the hotter 210 JHP which has alot of blast and recoil in the Winchester, Federal and PMC loadings I have tried. I think that Remington still loads the 170gr wadcutter (what originally was the police loading) in a lower velocity load, but I have not seen a box of them in quite some time. Recently I found a 50 round box of Winchester Super X 200gr Semi Wadcutter loads at an old sporting goods store and grabbed them. That was Winchester's police loading, and is very accurate out of a shorter barreled revolver. The loading of the 41 Mag to the level of a "41 Special" is a good way to go as a handloader. I have not gone as far as trimming down cases to the same length as a 44 special case, but have heard of it being done. Hank Williams Jr. has built some single actions specifically chambered for the "41 special" I would love to try one of them sometime. I have had good luck loading 220gr cast bullets over 7.5gr of Unique, which will give about 950fps out of a Ruger Blackhawk. I also have loaded the 215 or 220gr cast bullets over 15.5gr of IMR4227, for about the same velocity. My good friend has a S&W mod 57 with the 8 3/8 barrel with an Aimpoint on it, that gun will shoot a Sierra FMJTC 220gr Silhouette bullet through the same hole at 65yds with a powder load of 20.5gr of IMR 4227. This is a full power load and does generate alot of recoil. The real barnburners for the 41 mag are the Hogden H110 loadings. It is possible to generate velocities over 1500fps with a 170gr JHP Sierra bullet over 20gr of H110. I have actually loaded that load as stout as 22.5gr of H110, it makes about 1650fps out of a 6" Ruger, but there is alot of muzzle flash and der earsplittenloudenboomer. The barrel twist in the typical 41 mag handgun prevents heavier bullet accuracy, however the new Federal CastCore 250gr load does shoot fairly well out of my 4 5/8 barrel Ruger Blackhawk/Bisley framed gun. The new Freedom Arms single action and the Dan Wesson 414 super mag have a better twist rate and will shoot the 275 grain SSK hardcast fairly well. The SSK bullet loaded over 17.5gr of IMR 4227 will make 1200fps. I have loaded that bullet and shot it at slower velocities in the short barrel Ruger, actually running it at only 900fps, and got decent accuracy. For a cowboy load I recommend the 200 or 215 gr cast bullets like the ones that Bull X sells and using Unique or the Winchester 630 or my favorite the IMR 4227. I have never been able to buy one of the limited run of Marlin 1894 lever carbines in 41 mag, but maybe someday one will drop into my lap. I would hope that it would shoot the 275gr bullets good, which would make it a good bear and hog gun. CorBon loads a 265gr bullet in a high velocity 41 mag load, from the velocity I have seen advertised for it I would assume that H110 or Accurate #9 is the powder they used, but I have never found a box of them to try out. I think the all time most accurate loading I have used was the 210 gr Sierra or Hornady JHP loaded with 20.5gr of IMR 4227, it is a full power load and will make 1200fps out of the 4 5/8 barreled Ruger Bisley I own. The IMR 4227 fills the case up completely and the muzzle flash is not bad and recoil is manageable with that load. This load is a great deer hunting load, although I have seen the factory 175gr Winchester Silvertip do a very good job of anchoring a running whittail before.

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