Hunting whitetails with cast in a .41

[blindbernie]

I recently picked up a .41 magnum with plans on using it to hunt whitetails. I worked up a load with 210 gr. XTP's that should work great. However, I started casting some bullets to shoot out of it for practice. While I have loaded ammo for years, casting is new to me, and I have really enjoyed it tremendously. This fact has gotten me to thinking about casting hunting bullets for the .41. While I would assume a .44 or .45 would work, do any of you hunt whitetail with cast bullets out of a .41, or maybe even a 10mm? What bullet did you use and what were your results?

[megasupermagnum]

I have not hunted with a 41, not because I don't like it. I do have a S&W model 57. Just not enough time to try them all. I have loaded an H&G #258 designed by Elmer Keith for years for my dad. Last time I bought them from GT bullets, although I believe they use the NOE 412-224-SWC mold. 13 grains of Bluedot has been the go to load. Performance is identical to a 44 magnum, they both have the same size flat nose (meplat). I'm not a big fan of solid bullets, but they do the job.

In mine, I use the Arsenal molds 41-220 RF and cast it from 20/1 alloy.

[rking22]

Welcome to the forum!!!

I hunt with a 41 special, last years deer http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-41-makes-meat!

Others on here have lots of experience and will be along, I’m sure. More reading here,,
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ad-Data-Center

You have made a good choice!

[Wheelguns 1961]

I usually hunt with my .45c blackhawk, but this year I am going to give my .41mag a try. I cast the 41-220 rf from arsenal, and I recently got the mp-molds .411 hammer. I am still testing, and will use the one that is most accurate. I like the hammer with the small hp pin. I cast these 70/30 and I have had the best luck with 16.5gns of 2400. Where I hunt it is woods and a long shot would be 50yds. My practice load is the same bullets over 8.0gns of unique. I think any of these would be plenty for whitetail.

[quilbilly]

Any 41 SWC still going 850 fps at the longest distance you intend to shoot will do the job nicely.

[6gunz]

Welcome to the forum. The 41 is all I use. Veral, of LBT, made me a 230gr. wide flatnose back in the 1980's. I've killed a couple of truck loads of deer and antelope with them. They work well. I've shot them from 1450fps down to 900fps, if you have the accuracy they work well. My son shot a big doe last fall, she was quartering away, it went in between the last 2 ribs and exited through the off shoulder. His load averages 947fps. Can't ask for anything better than that. I too just got a Mihec 411 hammer and am still working up loads with it. That's what we will be shooting this fall.
Find you a good cast load for that 41 and get out there!

[DougGuy]

I usually hunt with my .45c blackhawk, but this year I am going to give my .41mag a try. I cast the 41-220 rf from arsenal, and I recently got the mp-molds .411 hammer. I am still testing, and will use the one that is most accurate. I like the hammer with the small hp pin. I cast these 70/30 and I have had the best luck with 16.5gns of 2400. Where I hunt it is woods and a long shot would be 50yds. My practice load is the same bullets over 8.0gns of unique. I think any of these would be plenty for whitetail.

The wide meplat WFN on the left in your photo would be my choice, cast soft enough to scratch with a thumbnail, soft lube. Velocity 1180-1200fps at the muzzle.

If you have a soft lead fishing sinker, push one through the bore and then see if it will go into the cylinder throats from the front. If it does so with ease, you are golden. If it is tight or won't go, might want to have the cylinder throats addressed. Lots of the ones I get in are .409" ish in size which is a little tight for getting cast to seal in the bore good.

[Larry Gibson]

Blacktails and mulies with my .41 magnum. For hunting with cast I use the RCBS 44-210, a Keith type SWC, at 1400 fps out of my Ruger Bisley with 7 1/2" barrel. It's always worked and wasn't broke so I never went to a heavier or WFN bullet.....

Attachment 246835

[hc18flyer]

DougGuy - I am curious how soft? 9- 9.5 bhn? Like 25 to 1? I am looking for a similar load for my 45 Colt BH. Thanks, hc18flyer

[Texas by God]

I hope to get a deer with cast in my .41 this season. I killed a buck about 5 years ago with the 210 hp XTP at around 50 yards and it worked perfectly. I’ve got testing to do.

[Wheelguns 1961]

The wide meplat WFN on the left in your photo would be my choice, cast soft enough to scratch with a thumbnail, soft lube. Velocity 1180-1200fps at the muzzle.

If you have a soft lead fishing sinker, push one through the bore and then see if it will go into the cylinder throats from the front. If it does so with ease, you are golden. If it is tight or won't go, might want to have the cylinder throats addressed. Lots of the ones I get in are .409" ish in size which is a little tight for getting cast to seal in the bore good.

I used pin gauges to measure my throats and they were all a very consistent .410. This gun has nice tight chambers, and the barrel has always been perfectly clean after shooting with good accuracy from the beginning. The b/c gap was a tight .003. Probably the best new ruger I ever bought. I pc all my bullets.

[chuckbuster]

See my Avatar.....

KDK

[osteodoc08]

Lots of 41 Maggie fans here. I shot one with a 230gr WFN that was an NOE design several years ago. Pass through with good blood trail once I found it. It did its job for sure. Any good design at moderate velocity should work fine on whitetails.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...hlight=deer+41

A caution on bluedot. Alliant has released a "do not use" with the 41. My personal belief is that blue dot is really "peaky" and gets squirrely at low temps. Many used the keith bullet as a reference 210-220gr bullet and the commercial Saeco style SWC seats much deeper and results in higher pressures causing issues. This has been covered here. If is working for you, I say keep at it, but for the newer folks with less experience with BD, caution advised.

[DougGuy]

DougGuy - I am curious how soft? 9- 9.5 bhn? Like 25 to 1? I am looking for a similar load for my 45 Colt BH. Thanks, hc18flyer

50/50+2% with soft lube is the total ticket for Ruger rifling. It just works. It's all I use for hunting. I can scratch or shine with a thumbnail. Not really sure what bhn number.

It leaves a "black bore" with a lube star at the muzzle. If I run a patch through it, it comes out near black with no lead just residue. This is a seasoned bore, it lubes the front of the following shots and I never clean it.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I shot my .41 mag today. I lost my front sight. I didn’t notice until I got home because of the red dot. The pin is still in the sight, so it must have broken. Anyone know of a good sturdy replacement blade?

[osteodoc08]

If it’s the screw on type, just call Ruger. Bet they’ll just send you one.

[sixshot]

The 41 magnum is one of all time favorite calibers, been shooting one since 1967 & taken a lot of game with several of them. Many muleys, white tails, 2 elk, a bear & an antelope. Mostly I've used a 230 gr keith from an old Saeco mold but I've also used a 250 gr WFN from LBT. I've never recovered a bullet in over 50 years & lots of animals.
Shot this group yesterday with an old model shorty 41 magnum a 65 yds from the sitting position with the gun between my knees using a 210 gr cast HP that shoots amazing & I'll use it real soon. The doe is one I took last year at 42 yds with the 230 gr Keith & 17 grs of 2400.







Oops, showed the wrong target, that one was with my OM 44 flat top. Here's the one with the OM 41 shorty.


Dick

[osteodoc08]

Nice looking 3 screw. Can you tell me more about the frame and grips?

[sixshot]

Bobby Tyler color cased the frame, he does great work. He also installed one of 2 dogs excellent front sights (Fermin Garza) the best front sight out there. And I make a lot of hand gun stocks. I was about to throw this set away because there was a big crack right down the middle of the left panel but I decided to repair them & they came out really nice, glad I saved them. I did make one small error.

Dick

[Lloyd Smale]

ive killed a few deer and one bear with the 41. couple of the deer with cast. Don't know if I gave it a fair enough chance to prove itself but it just didn't seem to put down animals like the 44 and 45 colt. So early on I went to either xtps or my favorite the speer half jacket hp. Deer don't take much to penetrate and the expansion stepped up the wound channels to 44 and 45 sizes. I haven't taken a 41 out of the safe even to shoot in probably 10 years. Its just one of those rounds that didn't do a lot for me. Whatever it did the 44 and 45 did better. Some claim less recoil but ill argue that saying a 44 or 45 with a 250 cast bullet at a 1000 fps will do all the killing any 41 mag load will and do it with less recoil then full tilt 41 loads. Less muzzle blast to boot. I had clements build me a 3 screw 4 5/8s two toned 41 years ago and its faded purple sitting in the safe. It probably hasn't seen 500 rounds in its life. Had alan harton build me a single six 41 spec on one of the old drift rear sight single sixes at the same time boge quinn had his built. Owned the gun for two days and gave it to my buddys daughter. only 2 41s I ever had that id like to have back. First was my old 58 smith and the other was a 4 5/8s Blackhawk I put a bisley grip frame on. that gun flat drove nails.