Loading for .41 mag

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redhawk41

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I've got a few loads i will be working on for my redhawk .41 mag, 5.5":

Bullets:
210 gr speer gold dot
215 gr cast SWC
265 gr gas check LBT

Powders:
AA#9
W231
W296

Usage:
210 gr GD and AA#9 for accurate hunting load
215 gr SWC and W231 for target load
265 gr LBT and W296 for backup bear medicine

Does anyone out there give a hoot?
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
231 is good for light to moderate loads with primarily lead bullets. I burn a lot of it in my Model 58.

AA 9 and 296 are pretty similar, and will give you the full-bore butt thumping power loads that the .41 Mag. does so well. Lead bullets with these powders really isn't recommended unless they're extremely hard, or have gas checks.

I've found that AA 7 is also an excellent powder for .41 Mag., as well as 10mm. It's only drawback is that it is extremely fine, and can leak through many powder measures.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
tested in my 5.5" ss Redhawk

I found AA9 to give the best accuracy at higher velocities, but it's not for the fastest.
W296 worked well.
H110 worked a bit better, with highest velocities still balancing with decent accuracy.
For medium loads I found (once again) HS6 to be extremely accurate with very low deviations.
I use Universal Clays for my mediums; little less speed, very clean, economical, easy-metering.

And don't discount Alliant Power Pistol in the medium range.
 
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Jbar4Ranch

New member
I started with, and stuck with, Elmer's load of 20.0 grains of 2400 and a cast 220 grain SWC. Like WESHOOT2 said, HS6 is a fantastic mid to upper mid-range powder, and I've had great luck with it in a wide range of calibers.
 
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redhawk41

New member
hey, thanks guys. good thing i got small containers of the various powders, it sounds like i may have a few more to try out!

the W231 and the 215 gr cast sounds like it should be a pretty good medium target load. i got the W231 to load .45 acp, with the additional benefit of lower velocity .41 mag loads.

Lead bullets with these powders really isn't recommended unless they're extremely hard, or have gas checks.
Click to expand...
if this because of bore leading? i noticed that my bore was a little harder to clean after using the AA#9 with 215 gr cast.

WESHOOT2, so you had better results with the H110 compared to the W296? i will definitely give the H110 a try for the full house loads.

It's only drawback is that it is extremely fine, and can leak through many powder measures.
Click to expand...
i have the same problem with the AA#9 in my lee perfect powder measure. i gave up on it and just drop it by hand onto the scale. powder was going EVERYWHERE.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
H110, W296

These two powders are very interesting, and I use them both when working up hotties in the +.400" bores.

Very careful testing required; one will always do better than the other, whether it be lower deviations, better accuracy, or higher speed.

In the 41 I found through my gun that H110 was 'the one'; your results may vary.


(And don't forget to throw Vihta's N110 into the mix.....)
 
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MADISON

New member
loading for the .41 magnum

I have had a .41 Magnum around almost from it's begenning.
The lowwing are for my 657 S&W's:
I have 3 loads that are used for Jacketed, Plated and Cast bullets.
17.5 grains of 2400 in either 210 or 220 grain.
8.0 grains of Unique [Duplicates the "old police load"].
5.0 grains of Unique [My PPC load].
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
"H110, W296 These two powders are very interesting, and I use them both when working up hotties in the +.400" bores."

Uh, Westshoot?

I hate to tell you this, but they're the exact same powder. Made in the same facility on the same production line. The labels reflect who bought the batch.

I always thought that they were slightly different, different deterrent coatings and the such, but apparently not.

Any differences in performance are probably just cannister/lot variations.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
W295

Yes, I 'know', but I blend my powders to aid elimination of lot-to-lot variations, and over my chrono through my guns there is measurable significant difference between the two.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
Kilroy ain't here?

I decided not to continue (much), because I am not on the 'net to disrupt belief systems; know what I mean?

But I have a few ideas.........peak pressure, time to pressure, maximum pressure, mean pressure, dwell, blah blah blah.

Did it blow up my (or your) gun?
Did it hit where I aimed?
Did it go fast enough?
Did the bullet accomplish the work I wanted?

Is that the debate of which you speak?
 
S

Sturm

Moderator
I found it to be entertaining myself, since there seems to be an abundance of "experts" that really have little more to do than flex their imagined prowess of knowledge. Disruption is a drag, but sometimes necessary to halt the continued spread of misconception.

Dislodging the bullet from its case requires 10,000 PSI and that is science from H.P. White labarotories, by Physicists rather than engineers. The point is, while some may see it as blahblahblah, others may find it useful in altering loads to a specific barrel length for optimum performance. Accurate #9 has proven to be an excellent powder for the .41 Magnum and I wouldn't argue with the use of H-110, or W-296, but understanding the blahblahblah, might shed some light on the fact that the burn geometery of #9 is about perfect for the .41 Magnum with barrel lengths of 6-7.5". Accurate's 4100 could also be a great choice. However, with barrels shorter than 6", I would move up in speed a little bit with a very slightly faster burner than #9 and VV N105 is a good place to start. Blue Dot and #7 are very solid choices as well. ;)
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
So, Wes...

Did you learn anything from Kilroy, or not?

OK, I just learned something...

From Kilroy...

"the underdesign of the fire sprinkler system in the Twin Towers, unfortunately exposed on 911."

I've learned that he's a bung hole. The only sprinkler system that could have dealt with that is God taking a whiz.
 
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WESHOOT2

New member
barrel of laughs

I learnt that I spell purty good.

I also learnt that AA9 is slower than AA7, so that means if I invert the multiplier I get an extra 700fps.

:eek:
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
"I learnt that I spell purty good."

Yeah, but yer grammer sux.

Everyone knows that the past predicate popscicle of leerned is lurnt.
 
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Jbar4Ranch

New member
Dislodging the bullet from its case requires 10,000 PSI and that is science from H.P. White labarotories

That didn't sound right, so I resized a .45acp case, seated and taper crimped a bullet in it, inserted it in a 1911 barrel, cranked my 2 stage air pump up to 175 psi, applied a blow gun nozzle to the primer pocket, and easily unseated the bullet with a mere 175 psi. It stopped when it hit the rifling, of course, but that is science from Jbar's shop. A primer alone can dislodge a bullet, and it certainly doesn't generate anywhere near 10,000 psi, and probably not more than one or two hundred psi, tops.
 
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