Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading 41 Mag loads

What is everyone like for a general packing/hunting load in the 41 Magnum.

Pistol is a 657 stainless mountain gun.

My hunting load is 16.0 gr. of 2400 with a cast 210 gr. SWCHP/225 gr. SWC (same bullet) which runs 1270 fps from my 4 5/8" Blackhawk and about 1330 from my 6 1/2" Blackhawk. Since 2400 is so hard to find I'm switching over to 17.0 of Accurate TCM (VERY similar in burning rate to 2400) which yields just over 1300 fps.
If I were just carrying the .41 Magnum afield and not really hunting with it, I'd go back to my practice load of 8.0 gr. of W231 and a cast SWC which ran 1150 fps.

Don't know what everyone else uses but I've used 8.0 grs of Unique & a 215-230 gr Keith bullet for 50 years now with very good results. You will hear the normal stories about how it burns dirty, so just clean your gun every 6 months & smile because the groups will be small & that load will take deer & antelope easily, I've done it many times. Unique can be a bit hard to find but if you get a can of it, it will last a long time. Stepping up to 17.0 grs of 2400 with either the 230 gr Keith or the 250 gr LBT WFN will put you in the winners circle on deer, elk, bear, moose or african game, I've taken all of them with the 250 gr bullet, it's a winner & breaks both front shoulders without heavy recoil.
How does it compare to a 250 gr bullet in a 44 magnum, less recoil, better penetration & just a tick flatter but not much. No need for a magnum primer. My buddy took a dandy bull moose with his 41 magnum, one shot with his cast bullet, down & out in 20-30 yds with his cast bullet, center chest as it faced us at about 58 yds.

I’ve been loading 18 gr of 2400 with standard primers and about any 210 gr. bullet for over 35 years in the .41 Magnum.

For a stopper load, a max load of 296 or H110 with a gas checked 265 gr WFN, magnum primer, is hard to beat. I wouldn’t give the S&W M57 too much of this one. This load is too long in a Freedom Arms 97, and probably too long in the new medium frame Ruger Flat-Top.

I've been loading 22gr of H-110 and a Sierra 210 JHP in my S&W 57 since I bought it in 1981. Taken WT deer, Black bear, varments.

8 grs CFE and 230 Keith.

11 grains #5 & 210 hp or 215 HCSWC @1200

16 grains #9 with same bullets ~1400

Tite Group 7.4 grains
Fed 155 Mag Match Primer
Sierra 210 grain Sports Master bullets
1040 fps average from the 4-5/8" barrel Ruger Blackhawk .41 Mag

I've loaded them hot & heavy lead bullets, hot & jacketed hollow points. Mid range softer lead hollow points all the way down to soft shooting 41 specials. Can't go wrong with 2400 that's an excellent powder for the 41 Magnum, you can load it up or down. I've shot up in weight to that same bullet as Idaho1945 the 250 LBT gas checked lead and down to the 170 Sierra hollow points. They all work.

H110 WW296 full house loads are a light show in a 4" with interesting recoil. If you go that route try the 210 XTP great, great bullet holds together at high velocity and close range expands to the size of a 25¢.

Just depends on what you want to do with it, what your looking to hunt. Hands down my favorite center fire revolver cartridge.


41🥳

These days my packin' in the woods load is 210 Swift with 20.4 gn of #11FS (1330 fps).
Other successful combinations are:

210 XTP or Sierra - 22.4 gn #11FS (1350 fps)

265 True Shot WFN GC - 14.6 gn #9 (1050 fps) or 19.5 gn #11FS (1100 fps)

Lyman 410459 212 gn (made with 1:1 Lynotype : pure lead) - 18.0 gn 2400 (1300 fps)

Remington cases and Federal 150 primers were used in the above.
With Winchester cases charges had to be reduced by 1.8 to 2.0 gn to prevent sticky extraction. I have never before seen such variance with different brands of pistol brass, but there you go.
Federal 150 primers have given far less velocity variation than Winchester Large Pistol or Federal 155s.

The above recipes are fine in my gun. Reduce 10% before trying in yours.