HI ALL...AT MY CLUB RANGE TO DAY TO TEST NEW RCBS CHRONO....
Weapon is S&W M57 .41 Magnum Serial # S237xxx...1964 vintage..THE MOST ACCURATE REVOLVER BY FAR THAT I OWN....

OK..Load is as follows...new starline brass...wwlp primer...17grains AAC #9
Boolit is Ballisti-Cast # 258 220grain authentic ELMER KEITH specs...

10 shot string:
High 1410fps
Low 1322 fps
AVG 1366fps
ES 88 fps
SD 32 fps

SMOKIN' FAST LOAD....heavy wrist twisting recoil and loud vicious muzzle blast...no leading...no flat primers...primers are round...
and phenomenaly accurate load to boot.....Am ready for black bear season this november.....glad I got the chrono...THIS S&W DELIVERS.....

S P E E D and A C C U R A C Y...

Pete

Looks like a good accurate load, though I might be hesitant to shoot a bear with a .41 mag. (I used to carry My Redhawk with very potent .44 mags for bear)

BTW; I recently saw a few black bears roaming the open meadows during the last few weeks, while visiting relatives up in the Warren, PA/Frewsburg, NY areas.

Good Hunting!

Yeah!! GET SOME!! Now that you've got a good load, the world is yours! Nothing builds confidence better than the right gun and cartridge.
I first shot a deer using Rem. Bronze Tip in 130 gr. .270 cal. It was dead=nuts accurate in my 1947 win Mod 70. When I changed to .30-06,
it was 150 gr. Bronze-Tip. Seemed like the critters'd trip over each other
to join me for dinner! I KNEW I couldn't miss.
Looks like there's gonna be bear steaks and sausage on the menu!
Later, TACC1.

What was the distance on the target? Rested or freehand?

thanks for the post
I have a pristine M57 that I continue to treasure but use a M57 mountain gun version or a Rooger SBH for such loads.

That is magnificent shooting!

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

Great post. The .41 Mag is one of my favorites. Glad your early Model 57 is so accurate. That load combination is a great one, with plenty of history, as well, given the EK style projectile and the velocity range. While it might be tempting to try to wring a few more fps out of the load, why mess with success?

Care to mention the source of the bullets [understanding you may have cast them yourself]?

Regards,

Dyson

Titegroups...THAT target was shot last month as I was testing AAC #9 in that newly acquired weapon....25 yards...off the sandbags...

m657...see the pic....I do NOT want to shoot the one in the pic..it is pristine and un-fired...vintage 1967......

DGNY...I cast ALL my own bullets for my 357...41 & 44 Magnums....I have ORIGINAL Hensley & Gibbs molds that cast AUTHENTIC KEITH SPEC BOOLITS for 357 (#51) & 44(#503) mag...only lately have I acquired any 41 magnums and it is rather difficult to find a Hensley & Gibbs 41 Mag Keith mold at this late date...sooooo..I went with the Ballisti-Cast mold...they purchased H & G when it went out of business and continue to make authentic Keith bullet molds A LA H & G.....I use Lyman #2 Alloy for all cast bullets and size them to the throat diameter of the weapon...no leading and full speed in all my magnums...not to mention that so far, my 357 & 44 S&W and Ruger magnums have accounted for 14 deer...I do not take shots past 50yds..my self - imposed limit for handgun hunting...and the deer do not move far after being hit with any 357 or 44 KEITH boolit...

PETE

Several guides in the NW/NE US swear by and have taken many large blacks and grizzlys with the .41 Mag and Remington 210gr JSP factory load.

QUOTE,
"Wayne Bosowicz carried a .357 Magnum Colt Python for years. Then he encountered a situation in which a charged-up bear came down from a tree and tore into his hounds and soaked up an entire cylinder full of 158-grain bullets in its chest without slowing down. Bosowicz immediately changed over to a Ruger Blackhawk in .41 Magnum, which has never failed to stop a bear.

Bullet selection is probably more important than anything, in fact. A black bear is tough-muscled with thick fur, hide and fat layers. You need a bullet that will penetrate through all that, and most hollowpoints used for .41-, .44- and .45-caliber commercial cartridges and handloads aren't good choices. Bosowicz uses commercial Remington 210-grain JSP softnose loads in his .41 Magnum, and recommends any similarly structured loads. In .44 Magnum a 240-grain JSP, or a 220-grain (or heavier) silhouette-style bullet like Federal loads commercially, or Sierra and other bullet-makers offer as components, would be a good choice."

Sargeny1 thanks for the detailed range report, very insightful.

DGNY if your looking to purchase bullets like sargeny1 used look here
Quality hand-cast bullets for reloaders, competitors, and recreational shooters - 41 Mag Pistol Bullets - Price List.
Scroll down and you will see that they list the H&G #258 220gr bullet. I've never used their products so I can't comment on them, however I've never heard a cross word spoken about them from those that have used their products.

Cruising thru the forum on .41 mag topics, I saw someone recommending 2400, but didn't see any powder amounts. My 4" Model 57 seems to do well with 9.1 Unique under Rem 210 JSPs. It astounds me what it will do at 50 yards. Maybe one day I can learn to shoot half as well as this pistol does. I'm ruined anyway, just bought a 6" Model 57. Hard to beat for smiles per shot.

Sarge

All looks very, very nice!

Thanks Sargeny1 for taking the time to post the data on the .41 Magnum. I'm seeing a lot of good performance mentioned for AAC No. 9 lately and your post inspires me to try some.

I'm only now dabbling a toe in .41 Magnum. Wanted one for many years but didn't scratch the itch until last October.

Here's a load that worked well for me.

Speer 220 grain half-jacket
19.5 grains of H 110
CCI 350 primers
PMC .41 Magnum cases

This handload didn't have a whole lot of thought put into it. It split the difference in the Speer data's 18.5 grain minimum recommended charge of H 110 with Speer's 220 grain half-jacketed soft point bullet and their maximum listed charge weight of 20.5 grains H 110. Several other manuals listed from 20 grains to over 21 grains as maximum charge weights with 220 grain jacketed bullets.

Muzzle Velocity 1339 fps
Muzzle Energy 876 ft./lbs.
Extreme Spread 81
Standard Deviation 28

The extreme spread seems well ... extreme. H 110 has always given very uniform performance for me. It would be more gratifying if it was under 50 fps. I usually try to lean toward maximum listed loads when using H 110. Perhaps if I slightly increased the charge weight it would tighten velocity consistency.

Doesn't really matter so much anyway as the load grouped acceptably. I probably can't shoot well enough to tell the difference in spreads under 50 fps and spreads over 80 fps.

nice nickled 57 there...

re: "I probably can't shoot well enough to tell the difference in spreads under 50 fps and spreads over 80 fps.""

that's me too

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

Good morning Anything the .43 mag (alias 44) will do the .41 mag will also do. I fire .265 grainers out of my .41´s and have never lost any critter plowed with one. The model 57 with a 240 grainer will push it just as fast as any model 29 can plus has the benefit of a few more ounces of stell in the cylinders.
Mike in Peru

Thanks to sargeny1 and to 336A for the follow up info. Sargeny1 - those bullets seem perfect for your application and the accuracy outstanding.

336A - may just try your recommendation. Appreciate the link.

The .41 Mag is a superb round. I remember longing for one in '64, while still in school. Took 'til the 90s to get my first, a Ruger RH 5.5", then a Ruger OMBH 4.625". Couple more after that. But never yet have found ideal cast for full power, so have used Sierra, Nosler, etc, 210gr JHP and JSP.

Regards,

Dyson

count me in the 41 mag.fan club...i have several and love em!

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KK4EMO