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Heavy Duty ELK loads for .41 Magnum
- Thread starter CelticArmor
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CelticArmor
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Questions?
If you don't mind my asking Bob, what gun/barrel length are you using and what velocity are you getting out of the 23 grains? Any issues with it being too much? Thanks.
If you don't mind my asking Bob, what gun/barrel length are you using and what velocity are you getting out of the 23 grains? Any issues with it being too much? Thanks.
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CelticArmor
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Thanks!
Thanks for the loading data. By any chance did you get the opportunity to chrono your load in your Ruger? Hope to start my load work ups with my chronograph sometime this week.
Thanks for the loading data. By any chance did you get the opportunity to chrono your load in your Ruger? Hope to start my load work ups with my chronograph sometime this week.
Best chance I see is W296/H110, magnum large pistol pistol primer.
Notice their test data is from a 10" tube.
Weather and time permitting, I have a 4 5/8" Blackhawk that I may chronograph later today.
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CelticArmor
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Ended up with some Underwood factory ammo. 265g LFN (powder coated) @ 1300fps from my 6" and just over 1000 foot pounds of energy. Groups well at 50 yards and manageable in recoil and muzzle blast. Will duplicate some practice reloads in anticipation. Still using my old 220 gr LSWC for deer this season.
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That is an awesome load and what I carry in my Ruger® Blackhawk® for Bear defense!
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Friend of mine has used 41 Mag for years, even in Alaska. Killed a good sized black bear few years ago, 1 round from about 50 yards. Have no idea how many deer and other critters he taken with it. Local Academy Sports has quite a few boxes of Hornady " X" bullets, not sure which as didn't look that close.
The 41 and 44 hitting a target are like barn doors being pushed by a Kenworth, 277 and 308 hitting are like fence posts being driven by an Indy car. You want speed or momentum?
What you bought is gonna pack a wallop, but, the quicker the jobs done, the better for all involved.
What you bought is gonna pack a wallop, but, the quicker the jobs done, the better for all involved.
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CelticArmor
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And just for insurance I picked up 4 more boxes. Practice between now and THE HUNT!
As expensive and hard to come by as elk hunts are, I'd really consider a rifle, with your 41 for in case you get the right opportunity.
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CelticArmor
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Primary hunting weapon is my Ruger M77 in .300 Win Mag. The thread above gives a more thorough explanation as to they WHY of the proper loads for the handgun.
Doug M.
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I concur with your choice of a heavy solid flat nose. I have some 220 grain nasties I bought a few years ago for a specific reason. I never ended up needing them, so I never shot them. I am pretty sure they would bark.
I have some cast 245-250 gr WFNGC bullets I have loaded for many years. I only push them to about 1050-1100 FPS. I do know they will shoot through a moose front to back-end. Bears too. Any good bullet at 1050 to 1300 will work with proper placement
SuperMan
Member
A 265 cast will probably never be recovered...can't think of anything around here that will stop it...
The 265s+- I use are run with 21.0 grains of H110...not sure if I have chronographed them...
250 WFN from Cast Performance are driven with 20 grains of H110 and run 1309 from a 4.25" Freedom Arms 97...it is a handful...
Accurate Molds 41-250L with 22.0 H110 runs 1444 from a 6" FA 83...also have a 300 grain Mountain Mold that runs in the 1200s...
The 265s+- I use are run with 21.0 grains of H110...not sure if I have chronographed them...
250 WFN from Cast Performance are driven with 20 grains of H110 and run 1309 from a 4.25" Freedom Arms 97...it is a handful...
Accurate Molds 41-250L with 22.0 H110 runs 1444 from a 6" FA 83...also have a 300 grain Mountain Mold that runs in the 1200s...
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The moose I shot with the 250 WFNGC at about 1100 went into the front of the chest and out the left hindquarter at 40 yds 2 steps and down. The 41 at reasonable range will work on anything in the US. Shot an elk at 50 ft with a handgun DRT. Both were targets of opportunity and not in flight of course. The elk was shot while I was standing next to my truck just after unloading the 71 Winchester and putting it in it's case. Had been hunting hard in the black timber all morning. ...then came the hard work! At least my hunting partner showed up before all the hard work was done! I have shot 6 larger animals with handguns primarily the 57 I bought in Fairbanks in 1966 and all were mostly DRT. Good shot placement though on all. A key element in my opinion. With any caliber
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CelticArmor
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Thanks to those who have followed the thread and understand the entire reason for the initial questions (Legal and ethical). Pistol will be a back up but I will not turn down a reasonable ranged shot should the opportunity arise. I will be carrying the 265 gr Underwood (Please Wait... | Cloudflare) in the .41 Magnum S&W PC Magnum Hunter along with 2 speedloaders for grins and giggles. I already went through one box of 20 to test function, overall accuracy (my ability to group and control) and impact on the handgun. Off the bench I hit a 1' steel gong @ 200 yards 3 out of 6 shots. NO I WOULD NEVER TRY THAT IN THE FIELD, but... I intend to load up my duplicates for range time between now and save my factory loads for Colorado. I'll add some pictures of practice targets and (with luck) from Colorado as they come up.
rkrcpa
Member
What powders are you using with the 250gr WFNGC/ I recently acquired several hundred of these and need to work up a load. I'm not looking for barn burners, just something to get the job done, the 1100fps range is what I'm thinking.
SuperMan
Member
"What powders are you using with the 250gr WFNGC/ I recently acquired several hundred of these and need to work up a load. I'm not looking for barn burners, just something to get the job done, the 1100fps range is what I'm thinking."
Last year I made up some 250-300 grain rounds with my standard 8.0 grains of Unique and were in that velocity range...
Last year I made up some 250-300 grain rounds with my standard 8.0 grains of Unique and were in that velocity range...
I used Unique and was happy with the load. Have shot other powders from Herco to 4227 296/H110 2400 and others. Have finally settled on L'il Gun...at about 1100 FPS. Some do not like LG because it burns hot and supposedly erodes forcing comes...but I don't shoot them all that much...and they usually do not stress the gun with high high pressures. The 8 gr(approx) Unique load I used shot through an Alaskan moose. Front to back. DRT...it was not alerted to me though. Just bang/flop...side to side on a large cow elk. Again B/F
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