Attention .41 RemMag Users >>>

Hi Korey - I have a 6" S&W Model 57 that has been tuned. Very flat shooter. I liked it so much I sold off my 6" Model 29 .44 Magnum in preference to it. Pet load so far is:

7.2 gr Red Dot, 200 gr JHP, Win LP primer ~ 1150 fps.

No experience with it on game but the CO that owned it before me did shoot a deer with it and said it did the job...

Don't know if there's any reason to fill in between the .375 and the .44 though, other than just wanting another powerful, flat shootin' wheel gun.

Regards, Marcus.

As I've said before I've got S&Ws and a Ruger Redhawk in 41 mag. and in my family we reload a lot for it.  Between my brother, son and I we've killed deer and at least 3 large boar with it.

I think the 41 mag is a great cartridge and is perfect for the guy who wants to hunt with a wheel gun and only wants one heavy hunting handgun.  I have sort of moved away from revolvers for big game hunting in favor of the single shot T/C.  I don't need the weight of the wheel gun as I only get/take one shot at game.  the revolver cylinder gap really makes high performance loads impossible due to the great pressure/gas loss in the gap.  The SS is shorter action overall so I can get my 10 inch barrel in the same overall length as a 6 inch revolver.  but these are my reason for changing to hunting with a SS.

The 41 is a good round for hunting as it real is easier to shoot accurately with than the 44 mag and heavier rounds.  For hunting and target bullet placement is paramount, and for most shooters the 41 mag will shoot better for them.  That was the reason it was invented and it is still valid.

A lot of my earlier handgun hunting was with the 357 Ruger single action guns.  I still have a 357 Ruger Blackhawk with a 5 1/2 barrel that I carry for varmints.  I used it for deer in the early 1960s when the 357 was touted as a great magnum deer hunting gun.  I still believe it is adequate on deer with proper shot placement.  But the deer will not go down, and some tracking usually will be necessary.  Later I move us to the Super Blackhawk in 44 mag, it was the lower cost solution, and came with the 10 inch barrel.  It was a heavy gun and with open sights that 10 inch sighting radius made it a tack drover.  But you still had a lot of muzzle rise when you were shooting full mag loads.  More and more 44 mag guys were reducing the loads for practice and liking the improved accuracy they were getting.  I went to the SS hunting handguns just about the time the 44 guys were going to the heavy 300 grain cast bullets, which for me made even the 10 inch barrel wheel guns difficult fort my short hands.

My wheel guns now include  22rfs, 38s, 357s, 41 mag.  I like the thought of the 357 max and the 375max.   But my thinking is if you want to get more power, velocity and accuracy for hunting the SS is the way to go.  I have been shopping for a 41 mag barrel for my contender.

I use to think if I wanted only one hunting wheel gun it would be the 357; but I now think it I wanted only on revolver for hunting the 41 is a better choice.

It I was getting only one revolver to shoot I'd go with the 38 special.

Just thoughts

BEAR  

I am going to provide some data on my reloading favorites in .41 magnum...that said-here is the caveat: "These loads are maximum powder charge loads. As in Maximum.....These loads have proved perfectly safe in MY guns. However, that does NOT mean they will be safe in YOUR guns. Therefore, ALWAYS start with the minimum powder charge and work up slowly, watching carefully for excess pressure signs. Safety first! Get and read a good reloading manual. Start with the MINIMUM loads and work up carefully. Safety is YOUR obligation."

That said, here is the scoop on my hunting loads- I get 1290 fps with a 250 gr. hard cast lead bullet (22 gr of H 110). This is my wild Russian boar ( a/k/a "Commie Pig") load....... and I get a whopping 1640 fps with a 210 gr jsp (21.0 grains of H 110). This is my deer load.....these are MAX, compressed loads folks.......my favorite non hunting load features a 210 gr LSWC pill backed by 18.5 gr of W 296....other powders that work well in the .41 mag include 2400, IMR 4227, AA # 9 and Viht N110...be sure to seat the bullet to where you can just see the top edge of the cannelure.....adjust your roll crimp so that the case mouth is slightly deforming the ridges in the cannelure and biting all the way to the bottom of the groove.

Now, why the .41 mag? Higher velocities than the .357 mag, flatter shooting than the .44 mag, gilt edged accuracy and it uses heavy bullet weights for hunting.....to me, on game performance is virtually identical to the .44 mag, but with much, much less blast and recoil.........dead is dead my friends, and one dead critter can't rationally be called "deader" than another dead critter......I have taken over a dozen deer and at least 10 Commie Pigs (with just one shot each) with the .41 mag.....and they all died quickly. On game performance has been all that can be asked for.....one reason is that I shoot the .41 better than I do the heavier magnums, so bullet placement is absolutely optimized.....and bullet placement is what kills critters....not marketing hype, not thunderous recoil and wrist snapping torque, simple bullet placement........if I can stick a 210 gr jsp or a 250 gr hard cast lead pill in a (non dangerous game) critter's boiler room, I have myself a dead critter. Period.........and the .41 mag won't hurt my wrists or ears when I drop the hammer, something that cannot be said for the .44 mag. and it's larger stablemates, so I shoot my .41's alot.......fact is, with the accuracy and power of the .41 mag, I don't need any more horsepower for deer and hawgs and such........yes, I own and shoot several .44 mags. Yes, I own and shoot a Ruger .480....but my first love is the .41 mag........

Now, do you "need" a .41 mag if you already have a .375 Supermag and a .44 mag. Nope, I don't think you do....there is considerable performance overlap with these cartridges...that said, you should definately "want" a .41 mag as it is a sweet shooting and very deadly pussycat........

klallen wrote: Alright Marcus  >>  That's a good start.  Quality pistol, for sure.  Is this a work related firearm?  I ask, cause my original thinking would be to load the round up with some of the heavy for caliber solids from Cast Performance.  If yours is for work or home defense, I'd imagine cast probably wouldn't be the desired bullet for your uses.?.?.?.?

Hi Korey - No, my S&W Model 57 isn't "work related". This one's purely personal. I've only loaded the 200 gr JHP's in it and 210 gr cast lead SWC's for light plinking [using an obsolete powder "AL-5" that I had in volume - 9.3 grains AL-5, Win LP primer, R-P brass - load data from the Hornady #3 manual ~ 950 fps - kept fairly light to avoid leading]

If it was going to be for "duty" or "home defense" I'd go for a good quality factory loaded JHP.

Here's the "duty" guns...Glock .40 cals:

Some interesting stuff to consider.  Basically, this string has kinda reinforced my thinking that there's nothing real earth shattering about the .41, given my current state of revolver cartridges owned.  "Need" isn't there, but "want" still seems to be.  As with any cartridge of interest, I'll keep my eye open at shows and such for that deal on a .41 that I just can't ignore.  Thanks, gentlemen, for reporting your experiences with this quality revolver cartridge.  >>  >>  klallen     

Man, that Smith and Wesson 657 is one sexy looking revolver! If only i could get one! I found one for 475 on gunbroker.com. I highly doubt that my dad would sgn the papers on a smith. THe cheapest i could find a Ruger Redhawk in .41 Rem Mag was 500 dollars. I am going to check gunsamerica and auctionarms.com right now.

NH_Hunter

Yeah, NH, I'd really like to have a couple more DW revolvers in the safe.  I love my .375 SuperMag.  The .357 Maximum and .445 SuperMag look interesting.  The .414 Super Mag certainly wouldn't be a bad one to play with, either.

You probably saw it, but there's a DW over on GunBroker now in .41.  Just over $400 but looks like a lot of active bidders working to get that one.  Probably won't end to aweful low.  Might keep an eye on it.  Later.  >>  klallen

http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=16021556