Favorite .41 mag loads

[Jellybean]

I'm afraid H110 isn't a good choice for reduced loads. There are some great powders that will do a much better job, if you can find them. Try reading over the posts above, make some notes and see which powders above will get you where you want.

My personal carry load for the .41 magnum is 8.0 grs. of Unigue under a 210-220 gr. lead SWC bullet, or under a Lee 208 gr. WC. I've never chronographed these loads, but they "feel" right and shoot great.

 

[Two_Gun]

Is that 8.0 gr Unique a starting load or is it a worked up to load? What gr weight did you start with? I know H-110 is only good for Hot loads not light ones. I like Unique, 2400 and Red Dot. Thanks for the information.

TG

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
I was looking for a load to take a class with.
I found 6 gr Trailboss with a 215grSWC most places.
Tried same- 25 shots at 21ft [ inside ,raining] 5 from each gun , 5 different revolvers , in a group smaller than a 1/2 dollar.....
Must be the sweet spot!!!!!!!

 

[DR505]

I use a 250 grain Cast Performance hard cast in front of 7.2 grains of Unique. Nice and accurate mild shooter...great out of my 3" 657, and a pussycat from my 6½" 657-2 CH.

 

[Jellybean]

Is that 8.0 gr Unique a starting load or is it a worked up to load? What gr weight did you start with? I know H-110 is only good for Hot loads not light ones. I like Unique, 2400 and Red Dot. Thanks for the information.

TG

I started at 7.0 and worked up from there. I had loaded up to 10.0 grs. but the accuracy at 8 grs. was exceptional, the recoil was controllable and it still packs a good punch.

When I work up loads I research them as best as I can with the data and resources I have on hand, but it's hard to find anyone any more that seems concerned with accuracy.

 

[Purple220]

Just acquired my 1st .41,, a 6" 57. Fixing to start loading for it as soon as brass and dies come in. Have a keg of 2400 so going that route with powder and WLP primers. Found some Sierra 170's that ought to be fun. Probably start out 16-17 gr and work up. Local bullet maker builds 215 SWC that I will give a try.

57 on top

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Favorite 41 load

For a fairly mild load I found 8.8gr/Power Pistol with Rim Rock's 240gr. LSWC-FB to be very accurate in my 657-5. I'm guessing it's around 1125fps. (Handloader #285 had the RR 230gr bullet & 8.0/P-P @ 1065fps from a 5-1/4" bbl.)

What's nice about the long barrel is that it feels like you're half way to the target already.

.

657-5 Hunter Classic 7-1/2" bbl.

.

.

 

[Doubless]

I bought my first Model 57 in 1979 and started handloading and casting in 1980. Needless to say, I read everything I could find about the middle magnum. I settled on Ken Waters' pet load of 21 grains of IMR 4227 behind the Lyman 410459, lit with a CCI LP primer. That load would stack them all into one hole at 50' if I did my part, and I could substitute the Remington 210-grain JSP for the Lyman and get the same result.

There were a few partially burned kernels of powder left in the barrel, but that never bothered me. It appeared to me that the recoil from that round was significantly softer than most of the other loads I tried, and velocity was mid-1400s with the Lyman out of the 6-1/2" barrel, if memory serves.

 

[SuperMan]

Since my last post on this thread, 2 years and a month ago, I've gotten back into casting....mostly for .41s. Tried 15.0 grains of 2400 and it was accurate and pleasant to shoot with bullets from 200-250 grains. I was mainly just buring up powder I don't use all that often saving the Unique for the accuracy work. It is also the powder I use in a lot of different calibers including cast bullets in rifles.

But the more I shoot the more I am just putting 8.0 grains of Unique anything .41 and it always works well. Not the fastest loads in the world but is accurate to the extreme and can be shot al day long.

Last September I made a trip to Idaho to meet up with friend old and new. Ended up in Elmer's old stomping grounds and what a place to shoot. This was shooting 2-550 yards across a dry lake bed... The spotter could easily see the hits so one could adjust ones sights for the next try...



The targets...



200 yard target...with holes...




950 fps from a 4" barrel....apparently that is all that is needed...

Bob

 

[M29since14]

But the more I shoot the more I am just putting 8.0 grains of Unique anything .41 and it always works well...

This was shooting 2-550 yards across a dry lake bed... The spotter could easily see the hits so one could adjust ones sights for the next try...

950 fps from a 4" barrel....apparently that is all that is needed...

Though not at the longer ranges you were shooting at, I have some experience from shooting IHMSA matches with similar Unique loads in my .41 and .44 Magnums. They did quite well. 1000 FPS with any .41-.44 cal. 220-250gr Keith bullet is nothing to take lightly. It was always fun to watch the reactions of others when they would see my "light loads" topple the rams. A good hit never failed. I did just as well with Unique as I did with 2400, all things considered.

I am not saying I would shoot at a game animal with such loads, especially at any distance, but as you say, it is surprising what they will do - and you can indeed shoot them "all day" without beating yourself senseless.

 

[SuperMan]

M29....there are a bunch of handgun hunters over on one of the boards I post on that kill all their big game...like elk...with nothing more than hardcast bullets at 1000 fps... The bullet just punches a hole all the way through...

Bob

 

[Purple220]

Finally have some loads worked up. Bullet Works 215gr SWC and 16.5 gr 2400. Good shooter, still need to chrono it. My other load is Sierra 170 HP with 17.0 2400-1360fps. Sweet load and shoots great. May bump it up to 18gr. Sierra manual has 20gr doing this velocity. Ought to be a whitetail stopper. Trying to find some 180 gr bullets to play with.

 

[HillbillyJim]

Has anyone used AA7 for 210g loads, I have plated extreme and Berry plated bullets. Gun is 657 71/2 inch. I have a lot of No.7.
Also need recommendation on carry holster.

 

[Frank V]

I'm late to the party, & I'm fond of the 900-1100fps loads.
I'm playing with 6-1/2grs of 700X & 7grs of Red Dot under a cast 210gr SWC & some old Speer 200gr 3/4 jacket HP. Both of these loads are very easy to shoot & I'm getting great accuracy some of which is probably due to the mild easy shooting recoil. It's easy to concentrate on sights & trigger when the loads are comfortable. I haven't chronographed them & when the weather cooperates I'll drag out the Chrony.

 

[gimmyguns]

Also late to the party, but for an accurate "powder puff" load I really like 5.2gr of bullseye and a 210gr LSWC. Really light load that shoots great out of my mountain gun

 

[Frank V]

Also late to the party, but for an accurate "powder puff" load I really like 5.2gr of bullseye and a 210gr LSWC. Really light load that shoots great out of my mountain gun

You know Bullseye is a way more useful powder than a lot of folks think. It can get up into the mid loads also as well as light loads.

Another I've used in the .44 Special for light almost cream puff loads with great results is Trailboss. It works fantastically in the .45 Colt too.

 

[Ductapeman]

I'm late to this party also-- I just got back from the Elmer Keith Shoot, where I ran some old PMC hollow-point loads from some years ago (box is marked "41A") which always treated me well and behaved well once again at the match, posting decently at 300 yards-- but now, after my third time to this match, I have been bitten hard and I'm looking to get the most accuracy out of my 5-1/2" 657 that I can. There is much good data in this thread and I will be trying some of these loads as soon as I can get my range dues re-upped so I can use the 300 yard rifle range for testing. My main question is, has anyone had good accuracy from the jacketed bullets, or is everyone just using the cast semi wads, which is what it sounds like? Seems like you could drive the jacketed slugs a bit hotter for flatter trajectories at the longer ranges, but if the cast slugs are doing as well as it seems, maybe I'm barking up a tree worrying about it . . . Anyway, thanks to everyone who has shared loads, and I'm going to try them all over the course of this summer and will be taking one to next year's Keith Shoot to try out on the 600 yard pipe.

 

[Frank V]

I'm late to this party also-- I just got back from the Elmer Keith Shoot, where I ran some old PMC hollow-point loads from some years ago (box is marked "41A") which always treated me well and behaved well once again at the match, posting decently at 300 yards-- but now, after my third time to this match, I have been bitten hard and I'm looking to get the most accuracy out of my 5-1/2" 657 that I can. There is much good data in this thread and I will be trying some of these loads as soon as I can get my range dues re-upped so I can use the 300 yard rifle range for testing. My main question is, has anyone had good accuracy from the jacketed bullets, or is everyone just using the cast semi wads, which is what it sounds like? Seems like you could drive the jacketed slugs a bit hotter for flatter trajectories at the longer ranges, but if the cast slugs are doing as well as it seems, maybe I'm barking up a tree worrying about it . . . Anyway, thanks to everyone who has shared loads, and I'm going to try them all over the course of this summer and will be taking one to next year's Keith Shoot to try out on the 600 yard pipe.

I've gotten fantastic accuracy as well as great preformance on Deer with the Sierra 170gr JHC over an almost max load of WW296. Under 2" @ 50yds with iron sights. This load averages just over 1500fps. Outside of some old Speer 200gr HP 3/4 jacket bullets I've played with that's about the only jacketed bullet I've really seriously used.
Heavier bullets might be better for long range. I picked the Sierra's specifically for deer at 75yds & under.
Hope this helps.

 

[gwpercle]

All you guys shooting Unique. 7-9 grains....how is that load as far as a woman shooting?

I never shot one with that load, but should do just fine!

 

[M29since14]

...My main question is, has anyone had good accuracy from the jacketed bullets, or is everyone just using the cast semi wads, which is what it sounds like? Seems like you could drive the jacketed slugs a bit hotter...

I don't think any of my Model 57s have ever fired a jacketed bullet while I owned them, except for maybe a couple handsful of Remington factory loads (which was very good ammunition, IMO anyway).

When I shot handgun silhouette in the '80s the Sierras were very popular and everyone claimed good results but buying them was always too rich for my blood. I thought the cast bullets I was using were at least as good as the shooter (probably better ), and since I was opposed to them "on moral grounds" anyway, I never was tempted to try them.