Best Boolit Weight For .41 Black Hawk

[Good Cheer]

Has anyone hunted with a .41 mag enough to have recommendations on bullet weight?
I have a gas check mold with minimized base to crimp groove distance that is going to be altered to my favored profile, to have the most lead outside the case and a big flat front.
This is the design to be altered.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/411-195-gc.jpg
So, wanted to ask if anyone has been using .41 enough to have a recommendation on bullet weight.
By the way, by way of explanation, the big flat front end is bore riding in my preferred geometry. Will probably have a slightly tapered can added to this mold but may just use a straight cylinder.

[Big Boomer]

Good Cheer:

While I no longer have a .41 Mag., I've had a few very nice ones: S&W 6" & 8 3/8ths" (M57s) plus a Ruger Redhawk. All three were very fine revolvers and I wish I had them all back because I still have a gaggle of .41 brass. However, I discovered the .45 Colt in Ruger Bisleys and that was the end of all other calibers except for .45 ACP.

A friend and I went together and purchased an LBT WLN (Wide Long Nose) gas checked at 290 grains. Shot like a dream though it gave extra recoil. Extremely accurate. Get as much boolit outside the case as you can, but be sure to keep an ogive to the wide flat nose. And make the nose ever-so-slightly convex instead of flat. Surprising how much more aerodynamic that slight convex on the flat nose makes a boolit. Read Veral Smith's book Jacketed Performance With Cast Bullets if you can get your hands on a copy.

Don't know about that bore-riding front end thing. My guess is you would be better off without it. A full length of boolit contact would provide greater stability with less liklihood of boolit tilt I would think. 'Tuck (as in Kentuck)

[Larry Gibson]

I've been using the 41 Magnum in M58s, M57s and BHs since "75. I've always done well with 175 - 215 gr SWCs of Lee and Lyman designs for hunting. My current and "keeper" .41 for hunting is a Ruger Bisley with 7 1/2" barrel and a Burris Fast Fire on it. I shoot the following out of it;

Lee TL410-175-SWC
Lee TL410-210-SWC
RCBS 41-210-SWC
Lyman 410610

I push the latter 2 to 1400+ fps.

If I want a heavier bullet I pull out my .44 magnum but find the 41 Magnum does as well on deer, pigs and varmints.

Larry Gibson

[sixshot]

No one should be without a 41 maggie if they like hunting handguns. Bought my first one in 1967, 4" model 57 & I pounded a lot of cast bullets down that barrel. I let that first one get away but I've never been without one since & I've taken lots of deer, some hogs, Javelina, bear & elk with them. Mostly I've used a 230gr Keith slug from an old Saeco mould, its been a wonderful bullet with 17 grs of 2400.
For the last 3 years I've used a 250 gr LBT that works just as well but doesn't seem to be any better than the old Keith slug. I've never found my 44's or 45's to kill better than the 41 maggie with correct hits. For everyday plinking I use the 230 Keith & 8 grs of Unique.

Dick

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Got my first 41 mag (DW) in 1982. The second was a RBH 6.5" followed by numerous other 41´s. Sold off the 44´s as I liked the 41 that much better and I shoot 45 Colt also.
Anyway I used to shoot lots of a 220 grain saeco GC. Still do for critters 100 pounds or so. But in the last 10 years I moved up to the 240 + grainers for bigger critters. East ILLinois deer are 200 pounds up to 300 pounders. I want an exit channel for a good leaking trail. A 220 (WW) hitting a large deer right in the should knuckle may not exit. Will shatter that joint but that deer will sure be able to do alot of movement and if there is no snow you better have a good beagle to track it down. The 240 + grainers (WW) have never failed me to exit. The Rugers have shorter cylinders than the DW so much more than 260 grainers start taking up alot of case room. Up Close (25 yards or less) not real critticle but beyond 50 yards they really start slowing down. Throw in a 4-5/8" barrel and you do not have alot of FPS at 80 + yards. I do not hunt with the short barrel models. Have a 265 mold I just never tried with the RBH. The DW will let me seat many boolits out in a grease groove so have lots of case capacity to use slower powders and with the 8" barrel get good velocity.
In my 414 Supermag (DW) I shoot 265 + grainers. Lots of room for long heavy boolits with that one.
I would not hunt with a roundnose or pointy boolit. I want my boolit to smack with all the energy transfer I can get.. especially if it is headed through the ribs or spine. I like using a gallon jug filled with very wet beach sand to test my boolits. It is repeatable and somewhat simulates a big critter. Add a 1/2" plywood front & back to simulates ribs. Two layers for a shoulder joint. Hide is very stretchy and will catch a boolit on the far side. Old truck tire innertube is close to that simulation. You only need to shoot this rig once to get an idea what your load will really do. But use the impact velocity not muzzle velocity for the test. I hunt river bottoms and thick brushy woods. My longest deer shot is a whole 35 yards. So I test at 35 yard velocity. May sound like a bit of work but it sure beats 5 hours of tracking a 3 legged deer across East Illinois on a cold windy December day.
Mike in Peru

[GARCIA]

Normal carry boolit and all around choice is a 223gr "Keith" SWC cast from an old Lyman mold.

The other is a 255gr LBT LFNGC.

My Ruger Bisley's and Redhawks love it.

Tom

[Good Cheer]

Thanks for the thoughts.
My plans for this design is to duplicate in .41 the mold Richard Hoch made for me in .357 mag in 1982. As much as possible that is. That one has a slightly tapered bore riding front with a somewhat flattened elliptical front end.
The design was tailored specifically to the five groove rifling Ruger used back then. It's wonderful in that style and won't hit a bull or barn in others.
The weight limits to set on this one is a parameter I'm working around, trying to avoid it being heavier than optimal.

[chuckbuster]

Good success with 245-250 gr. in "LBT" form.

[Dan Cash]

LBT made a plain base 250 grain mould taylored to the chambers of my M57. It so out performs any of the lighter commercial bullets that I have no interest in any other. The only thing I ever killed with it dropped in its tracks.

[RevGeo]

Before I let my Blackhawk get away from me I always loaded a 210gr Lee SWC over 10gr of Unique. Powerful, accurate, well balanced load.

[Larry Gibson]

Got to admit to not having shot any 300 lbs deer but I did shoot a spike elk and a couple cows with the 210 gr RCBS and the 215 gr Lymans through the heart lungs and they did the job quite well and I found penetration was not "lacking". I find the 41 mangnum to be an exellent and "balanced" handgun cartridge for most deer and pig hunting with a handgun.

Larry Gibson

[x101airborne]

I have been shooting the 41 mag with midrange loads and the 235 grain LBT design for years. Even gave my wife one for Christmas last year. I shoot mine out to 200 yards open sights and it performs like a rifle. I can make a gallon milk jug flat FLY out to that distance. Blue dot powder, standard primers and pretty much any boolit 210 grains and heavier will completely penetrate any deer or hog down here from side to side and then some. It doesn't have the sharp KRACK in my hand that a 357 does and does not punish me like my 44 does. Even my wife has an affection for it and has killed a couple varmints out to 30 yards or so.

[GLynn41]

Like some of the others I started on the .41 in late 70,s and now that is all i have-
Have killed deer with 170 JHC--220K Lyman .410459---210 devesator cast HP- Miha mold group buy
240 LBT LWNGC- and 255 LWNGC also a 275 # boar with this bullet- and finally a 295 SSK bullet
all have worked in general 230gr should be Ideal ( unless heavier game is in the offing) make sure of a good flat nose -for spalsh on impact- sometime go to Beartooth and under their ballistics section they have a permanent wound predictor and with LBT style boolits it has been pretty much right on
my 255 has a.331 meplat and always even on the boar makes 1" hole which is what was predicted
I agree with Missioanry 5155 test impact velocity not muz
My 255gr LWNGC will go throuhg 18" of wet newsprint in plastc sleeves at 50 yards with a good hole all the way-- I test at 50 -60 yds
I think you have been given good advice-- I hope that boolit you have gains some weight as it is a little light --maybe --so shoot well and it will not be a problem

[Blammer]

I'm kinda partial to this wt and design. :)

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/41%20Mag/DSCN8302.jpg

[felix]

Having pistols with enthusiasm years ago, it was discovered that the 41 mag out penetrated them all with a low margin of error using nominal weight boolits for the caliber. This means any custom boolit should carry a larger meplat than normal. Maybe 70 percent would be for long range, 80 percent short range applications. ... felix

[x101airborne]

Hey Blammer....
Obviously you have one mold design in 4 variations, so I have a question.....
Over the same powder charge, will all 4 variations shoot to the same POA / POI in your weapon? Just curious.

[skimmerhead]

I'm kinda partial to this wt and design. :)

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/41%20Mag/DSCN8302.jpg

Blammer, i was in that group buy, got an rg4 gc i think it's 230gr i'd have to look. never casted with it yet but i had it out the box a few weeks ago to log all the molds i have cause i was getting on some gb that i allready had. now after seeing the boolits you casted i'm gonna crank that baby tomorrow. those boolits look good. how'd they shoot ? yeah i forgot i hope you get some .41 checks soon, i been checking on d j's corner for whats in stock.

skimmerhead:cbpour:

[Blammer]

Mine is an RG 4 also.

I've found that in my TC contender barreled 41 mag with the same powder charge and just changing boolit wt, they shoot within an inch or so of each other at 50yds. Usually one above the other. I tried GC HP and GC solids.

I have also noticed that the plain base ones do the same thing.

with respect to the GC vs the PB ones, there is an inch or two left and right difference between them.

All in all, anyone I grab will be MOW (minute of Whitetail) out of my TC contender.

Here's a target I found.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/File0163.jpg

On this target there were two distinct different aiming points I used. So the distance between them is not indicative of the powder charge.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/File0161.jpg

[big dale]

I bought my first 41 blackhawk with a 4 5/8 inch barrel shortly after they started making them. A couple of weeks later I bought the stuff to begin bullet casting and 4 different bullet molds from Lyman. All the problems they caused make me quit casting bullets for about 7 years...then one day I was at a gun show and found a used lee single cavity mold for a 240 grain wadcutter and took it home. It cast easily and when I tried to size the bullets guess what...it did not break the handle of the sizing machine like the Lyman bullets had done. I found it made great bullets and was as easy as falling off a log. I never loaded anything else in that gun for about 8 years later when the gun was stolen. I would say to get a well make semi-wadcutter mold of about 240 grains and buy about a ton of wheelweights and have a ball for several years.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[GLynn41]

i have the Mehic version of what Blammer has-- solid gc226gr
penta point 214 gr
devestator style #2 208
devestator style #1 198
this has become my most used mold by far
I took a doe with the DEV# 2 went full length
and one of the Lee 240 swc is on EBay now -- if any one is interested

[Throwback]

I love the .41 and have fooled around with a number of the bullet weights from 170 to 258 grains. I really like a Group Buy Keith bullet at the latter weight that I run at about 1,200 fps (if memory serves) out of a 4 5/8 BH. I have also used the old Lyman 220 grain bullet and have killed quite a few critters with it. I agree with Felix on the penetration bit. Any decent slug with a flat point in the neighborhood of 210 grains ought to work well on deer. The heavier slugs offer no particular advantage except on heavier game.

[skimmerhead]

Mine is an RG 4 also.

I've found that in my TC contender barreled 41 mag with the same powder charge and just changing boolit wt, they shoot within an inch or so of each other at 50yds. Usually one above the other. I tried GC HP and GC solids.

I have also noticed that the plain base ones do the same thing.

with respect to the GC vs the PB ones, there is an inch or two left and right difference between them.

All in all, anyone I grab will be MOW (minute of Whitetail) out of my TC contender.

Here's a target I found.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/File0163.jpg

On this target there were two distinct different aiming points I used. So the distance between them is not indicative of the powder charge.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/File0161.jpg

thats pretty good shootin blammer, i have the gc only version as i was thinking of only pushing them balls out. wish i had got a plain base to shoot lighter loads with less recoil. i'm looking to get a 4 5/8" ruger .41 mag to shoot some .41 spl. rounds i'm working on with the help of Rocky Rabb i got sometime back. i had to order a case trimming die from lee to trim the cases down and i have an rcbs 210gr mold to load in those wildcats. i'm thinking it's gonna be a fun plinker.

skimmerhead:cbpour:

[GLynn41]

skimmer head i have been trimming brass back to 1.1 for my .41 Tracker -- I use a heavier load than Rocky but it is till very pleasant to use and very conisitant over the chrono

[skimmerhead]

skimmer head i have been trimming brass back to 1.1 for my .41 Tracker -- I use a heavier load than Rocky but it is till very pleasant to use and very conisitant over the chrono

sounds good, glad theres someone else trying these. i have a ruger bh with a 6 1/2" barrel, but want to get a 4 5/8 barrel so shoot the smaller. i don't remember offhand what i trimmed the cases too but that sounds close, maybe 1.15 ? i'd have to look in my log book. the best part is i have a good excuse for my wife that i need a new gun!!!

skimmerhead:drinks:

[Good Cheer]

Well, that four cavity mold was cut with two cherries. One is the design shown at the start of the thread and the other is NEI's 205 grain SWC GC design. It's a .41 version of the old Lyman 358156. With my favorite No.2 babbitt added very difficult to fill out alloy it weighs 235 grains! That pointy thing weighs 210 grains. I really need a single shot rifle in .41!

[Blammer]

the 416 cal GC's are what you want for this mould. I have some in stock. :) better get them fast!

[canyon-ghost]

When it comes to weights, I've done a little experimenting. The 220 grain and above bullets seem to shoot the most consistent. I have a 215 gc bullet that shoots good, it's just awfully light and fast. I'd say if you can get 220 or above, it should be easy to work with.

Ron

[fcvan]

Back in the 80s, I bought a Saeco 220 TC GC mold because I thought that design would feed better in my Marlin 1894. I have a RCBS 215 SWC GC and my dad's old Keith 230 PB. That boolit when crimped in the crimp groove was too long to chamber in the Marlin and almost flush with the cylinder face on my S&W M57. I like the way the heavier Keith boolit shoots but have to load it a tad deep to function in the lever gun. My favorite is the 220 TC because it feeds well and can be gas checked. Frank

[skimmerhead]

a few weeks ago i aquired a lyman 410610 2cav in a trade, i had to hone one half of the mold block because there was a ding at the bottom edge that stopped it from closing. it was no big deal, a couple of passes with my diamond hone and it was good. i washed it with acetone and a tooth brush heated it on the hot plate, put some bullplate on the pins, the sprue plate and the top of the mold blocks, put it back on the hotplate till it got to casting temp, then proceded to cast some of the nicest boolits i could ask for. it's a gas check 215gr swc and i really like the nose profile on this boolit compared to my rcbs 210gr swc pb. i was going to measure and weigh them today but i started to make a top punch for it and had an accident that put my left hand in the e. r. for x rays, stiches and a cast, so i don't know when i'll be able to do anything with this project. i was really wanting to test both those boolits with the noe .41 lfn gc but i'll have to wait.

skimmerhead:cbpour:

[x101airborne]

Skimmerhead.... I hope you are all right and wish you a speedy recovery.
Was it a shirtsleeve in machinery that got you?

[skimmerhead]

Skimmerhead.... I hope you are all right and wish you a speedy recovery.
Was it a shirtsleeve in machinery that got you?
no it was the nut behind the steering wheel. i knew better than to do what i did, but i did it anyway. there's an old chinese saying the cajuns use, quote [ if you gonna be stupid, you gotta be tough ] and i will never say what i did because pat marlin would never let me hear the end of it ! thanks for your concern.[smilie=l:

[azrednek]

No one should be without a 41 maggie
Dick

Well said and absolutely true!!

[skimmerhead]

about 18 months ago i was on the gunbroker site when something caught my eye, it was a lee 2 cav .41mag mold 240gr pb mold. i never seen that before so i went on lee's webb site, it was not offered. next day i called lee and was told that mold had been discontinued sometime ago. i looked at the mold again and it had 3 loob grooves and was listed as nos. so for 20 bucks i thought why not. 240gr swc might be interesteing to try. i casted some boolits with it last year and i have to say that is the best lee 2 cav mold i have ever used. iv'e never loaded any yet, but was planning to do so to do some testing with the other.41 boolits i have posted on my other post. i was wondering why did lee stop making that mold ? i'm sure there are folks on this forum that have a vast amount of knowledge on this caliber than i do. why don't we see molds offered in that weight by other mold makers ? is it the weight ? it looks like a boolit that would be a great boolit to load about 8 0r 9 hundred fps. it seems to me that would be a thumper with a manageble recoil. it just seems to me that the.41mag is a boolit that for whatever reason never caught on and sadly been overlooked as a great round. perhaps it's because it did not evolve from from another cartridge such as the .44 mag and the .357mag evolved from the .44spl and the .38spl . as i have read the history of the .41mag was desighed from the ground up as a mag and not an upgrade of an exsisting round as was the case with the 44 and 357. in any case i think the .41mag is an outstanding round, and it's a shame that it is overlooked by many shooters, for whatever reason.

skimmerhead:cbpour:

[azrednek]

The Lee 240gr 41 mag was the second non-black powder bullet mold I owned. My guess the biggest reason for its down fall was the lack of published loading data. At the time and it has been more years than I want to think about. I couldn't find data for the 41 for anything over 210grs. There was no internet back then and unless one was willing to engage in lengthy time consuming snail mail, we were on our own. The only data I found for a 41 mag 240 was an obvious mis-print. I can't recall the numbers I found in an older edition of Cartridges of the World but it listed a heavier load of 2400 than the same book showed for a 240gr in a 44 mag. A later edition the data for the 240gr was removed. I worked up a safe shootable load using reduced 250gr 45 Colt data but never pushed the 41 cal Lee 240 to its full potential. The only thing holding me back from using it today is my mold is an older patience testing super slow single cavity.

EDIT: If you really like it and can post some favorable details. A 240gr 41 cal might gather enough interest for a group buy.

[skimmerhead]

The Lee 240gr 41 mag was the second non-black powder bullet mold I owned. My guess the biggest reason for its down fall was the lack of published loading data. At the time and it has been more years than I want to think about. I couldn't find data for the 41 for anything over 210grs. There was no internet back then and unless one was willing to engage in lengthy time consuming snail mail, we were on our own. The only data I found for a 41 mag 240 was an obvious mis-print. I can't recall the numbers I found in an older edition of Cartridges of the World but it listed a heavier load of 2400 than the same book showed for a 240gr in a 44 mag. A later edition the data for the 240gr was removed. I worked up a safe shootable load using reduced 250gr 45 Colt data but never pushed the 41 cal Lee 240 to its full potential. The only thing holding me back from using it today is my mold is an older patience testing super slow single cavity.

EDIT: If you really like it and can post some favorable details. A 240gr 41 cal might gather enough interest for a group buy.

i'll search for some load data on that load, i'll give rocky a holler he might have something on it. if i can do some testing and like the boolit i'd like to get a mold from tom at accurate molds. been wanting one from him for awhile but been waiting for the right boolit, this might be it. i'will post some results whenever my hand gets healed and i can use it again and get some loaded.

skimmerhead:lovebooli

[Good Cheer]

Today was casting with the NEI four cavity with two SWC GC's and two pointy GC's. Looking at it and thinking about it. Maybe one of the pointy cavities could be fitted with an adjustable length plug.

[azrednek]

i'll search for some load data on that load, i'll give rocky a holler he might have something on it. if i can do some testing and like the boolit i'd like to get a mold from tom at accurate molds. been wanting one from him for awhile but been waiting for the right boolit, this might be it. i'will post some results whenever my hand gets healed and i can use it again and get some loaded.

skimmerhead:lovebooli

I haven't looked but there is likely some good data out there now for the 240gr 41 mag. Chances are good there are some board members that have worked with it as well.

The Lee 240 gr 41 as well as many other of the older discontinued Lee molds likely didn't sell very well due to a lack of published data. When I first started reloading in the mid-70's and casting around 1980. I didn't have a mentor and if I couldn't find it in a book I was on my own.

I had some bad experiences and mis-trusted loading data and reloading advice from gun rag articles. I put together a duplex load in 357 and a tri-plex load for 45 Colt. I found the data for both in gun rags. I pulled the 45's after backing out primers and having to use a short piece of a 2X4 to beat the 357's out of my S&W Model 19. Not knowing better after I found Elmer Keith's pet 44 Special load in a gun rag. I nearly destroyed a Charter Arms Bulldog. No telling what may have happened if I had touched off the 45 loads in my single-action Dakota revolver.

I was mentored on bullet casting by a hard core black powder shooter. Unfortunately he discouraged me from casting for and reloading center fire ammo. Most everything else I learned form the School of Hard Knox. Simple things as silly as it sounds. Like removing the lube from the bottom of pan lubed slugs. My casting mentor used to put lube into the base of his mini-ball's hollow cavity.

Today with the net and fine newsgroups as Cast Boolits. Anybody with access to the net runs into a problem or needs starting data it is no longer a guessing game. Chances are good somebody will jump on board with some data and experience with the 41 mag 240.

[41mag]

While I can't say I have been shooting many cast through my 41, I have been just getting started with it. As such the initial mold I purchased for it was the now discontinued Lee 6 cavity TL210gr SWC. I have poured up several hundred of them and the couple of dozen I have shot through my and my friends revolvers have been VERY accurate using AA-5.

This said your looking for heavy boolit data which I found on the Hodgdon site. They have several different loads listed for the Cast Performance boolits which I have used to load the Ranch Dog 250gr RF GC. I can say this it is pretty darned accurate, but my front sight isn't tall enough to bring it down to zero, just yet.

My latest is the MP 4 cavity #258 Keith solid, and soon to be new GB, the MP .258 Keith in Cramer HP version. I brought a hundred of the solids up tot he farm this week with me to try and work up a good load. Well between moving furniture around to get a dozen windows installed in the house, building fence, fertilizing pastures, shooting and butchering a few hogs, and numerous other things, I really didn't have the time I wanted to work on loads. What I did however was to look over a ton of data before simply pulling out a bottle of AA-9 and throwing 13.5grs in under some just to say I shot them.

Well the reloading gods smiled on me I guess, or took pity in the fact I was so covered up with other things to do, as this was the result of the initial 5 rounds, at 50yds,

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/28954f8a9aa26837b.jpg

As you can see the end of my thumb in the corner, I would have had them all in that one spot, but I had to hold over a tad to keep from blowing the side out of my 5gal boolit trap. Even with the hold over the group is less than 2" center to center on the widest two shots. These were poured from straight isotope core alloy air cooled and weigh in at 230grs. They were then simply lubed sized to .411" and lubed again using 45/45/10. Nothing fancy what so ever and to be honest, I think I will stick with the load. It runs an honest 1125fps, and I figured that should be good for anything I am going to point them at in our woods.

With more time, I might ease the powder charge up a bit just to see how they respond, but for all practical purposes I believe that when the HP's get done up, if they shoot this good, I will simply call it quits and use this load from now on.

[Good Cheer]

That Lee 240 SWC can be brutal in a Blackhawk if you seat it out as far you can to preserve powder space and load accordingly. Once upon a time in the search for a super hunting load I actually damaged a finger joint with the trigger guard. Was using wheel weights and 2400.

Lately I've been trying to get it to shoot in a fast twist .40 muzzle loader with lube cookie cards.

[big dale]

OK for you guys that are loading the 240 grain boolit for use in their Blackhawks with the 4 5/8 inch barrel I would suggest that you start with 2400 for a powder and and start low and work up till the accuracy starts to go away or you can't stand the recoil any more. Remember these things weigh about 9 oz less that a Super Blackhawk and you are shooting the same weight boolit so it just stands to reason that they will kick more. Mine was stolen way back in the early 80's and I am a lot older now so I can't remember how much 2400 I used most of the time. I will also mention that mine liked 4227 for a powder as well for hunting loads. If you are going to shoot a bunch of hot loads in a day at the range, I would suggest that you bring along the screwdriver that you use to adjust the sights as they will work loose due to recoil. Also, you should check the base pin from time to time as it will also work loose due to the recoil. I dearly loved that gun, but it would teach you some little things like that. I only fired about one full load for every 9 medium loads of Herco and the same boolit at about 1000 fps.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[canyon-ghost]

I'm trying out several, including the 215 swc gc Lyman. I like it but, it's usually because the lighter weight carries well to 100 yards.

The heavier bullets have a higher arcing trajectory and tend to kick more. I did load some 250 grain Keith bullets in a pb that shoot really good. I think I tried 14.2 grains of 2400 in the reduced load. They shoot better to distance, shoot way high at anything closer.

The 215 grain usually puts me on the paper at under 100, even as close as 15 yards!

[Good Cheer]

Hitting high was a problem encountered with the Blackhawk shooting the Lee 240 SWC. There wasn't enough sight adjustment to bring the point of impact down to the point of aim.

[jimone]

I run the Ranchdog TL 411255 plain base at about 1000fps with AA#2 from both a 6 1/2" Blackhawk and a Marlin 1894S with great results. I can get 1500+ fps with the Marlin, but accuracy suffers so I stopped loading them that way. May get the gc version, or check the plain base with a freechek tool someday.

[leadman]

I shot quite a few of the Lee 240gr boolits with Lil Gun powder. Was able to get over 1,400 fps in my SBH Hunter with 7 1/2" barrel. Cases still fell out of the cylinder on their own. Don't think I would want to do this with a BH and a fluted cylinder.
The Saeco 220gr TC GC shoots great out to 200 yards an beyond. The Lyman 215gr SWC GC shoots good but I would like more of the nose out of the case.
At one time many years ago I had an old model BH 4 5/8" and shot the Lyman full wadcutter. Worked great up to about 50 yards. Shot a a dirt cliff one time at about 500 yards and would guess the dispersal to be at least 50 yards wide.

[Combat Diver]

I got hooked on reloading for my uncle's Model 57 8 3/8" when I was 19 and went out and got myself a 57 6" a year later. Still have a Smith 58, Ruger Blackhawk 6.5", Contender 14" and a Marlin 1894S 20". Have two molds a Lee 195 SWC for plinking and RDs TL411-255-RF for hunting. Still looking for that black bear for field testing :)


CD

[skimmerhead]

I'm trying out several, including the 215 swc gc Lyman. I like it but, it's usually because the lighter weight carries well to 100 yards.

The heavier bullets have a higher arcing trajectory and tend to kick more. I did load some 250 grain Keith bullets in a pb that shoot really good. I think I tried 14.2 grains of 2400 in the reduced load. They shoot better to distance, shoot way high at anything closer.

The 215 grain usually puts me on the paper at under 100, even as close as 15 yards!

i have the lyman 215 swc gc mold also. i casted with it for the first time a couple weeks ago. i'm having trouble with getting gas checks on them. i don't know about your mold but mine has a very shallow gas check shoulder and is giving me fits trying to get gas checks on. when i try .014 aluminum checks going thru my lyman 45 the boolit comes out sized all to one side so much so that the crimp groove is barely visible on one side. when useing .010 copper checks its not so bad some come out a little cocked. i'm thinking .008 checks would probably solve the problem. i don't know if i can find .008 aluminum or copper material to make them. when i size the boolit without the gas check on it sizes perfectly. i tryed seating the checks before sizing, but no deal. tomorrow i'll try some soda or beer cans to see what they'll do. the only other thing i can think of is to send the mold to Eric and have him make the gc shoulder deeper to acomadate the gc material.

skimmerhead:confused:

[JOE MACK]

My usual walkin' around load is 7.5 to 8gr of Unique under either a RCBS 210grSWC KT or a LBT pattern 220grLFNGC. For serious animal killing, I use a LBT pattern 250grFLNGC ahead of a healthy dose of W296 or H110. My 7.5 inch Redhawk gets 1450+/- with this bullet. I've tried the super heavies but have found they don't really kill game any better than the 250gr. This bullet has killed ornery range cows, elk, and a moose here. In Africa, it's been the demise of kudu, gemsbok, red hartebeeste, black and blue wildebeest, waterbuck, and warthog on down to duiker and steenbuck size antelope. A .41Magnum will plain do the job when one hits the animal properly. I use the same bullet in my .414SM, .410GNR, .41GNR#2, .411JDJ, .41/.350Rem Mag., and to some extent a .400Jeffrey and a .411/416Rem Mag wildcat.

[skimmerhead]

My usual walkin' around load is 7.5 to 8gr of Unique under either a RCBS 210grSWC KT or a LBT pattern 220grLFNGC. For serious animal killing, I use a LBT pattern 250grFLNGC ahead of a healthy dose of W296 or H110. My 7.5 inch Redhawk gets 1450+/- with this bullet. I've tried the super heavies but have found they don't really kill game any better than the 250gr. This bullet has killed ornery range cows, elk, and a moose here. In Africa, it's been the demise of kudu, gemsbok, red hartebeeste, black and blue wildebeest, waterbuck, and warthog on down to duiker and steenbuck size antelope. A .41Magnum will plain do the job when one hits the animal properly. I use the same bullet in my .414SM, .410GNR, .41GNR#2, .411JDJ, .41/.350Rem Mag., and to some extent a .400Jeffrey and a .411/416Rem Mag wildcat.

it sure sounds like you been having fun!! [smilie=w:

skimmerhead

[9.3X62AL]

Hitting high was a problem encountered with the Blackhawk shooting the Lee 240 SWC. There wasn't enough sight adjustment to bring the point of impact down to the point of aim.

I saw this same tendency with my BH and the 240 Lee. I haven't yet tried the boolit in the S&W 657 x 6", but I'm so happy with the revolver's work using Lyman #410032 (212 grain PB SWC) that I won't be concerned if the Lee 240 doesn't behave. Due in part to the condor cuddlers, I had to take the 657 in a different direction.......180 grain all-copper Barnes bullets for deer hunting on the Kern Plateau. Blankety-blank tree-hugging &^*#$^@!!

[GLynn41]

Hay Joe mack like your .41s I have the 41 GNR in a heavy 9" TC- 5.5" .410 GNR- >41#2 in a 12"+brake--plus a Tracker -- DWA Blackhawk etc-- all are fun
I have been shooting mostly the 210 hp from my Mihia gb mold -- it does well -- but in the .410 and the #2 mostly it is a Mountain Mold 255LWNGC - the >41 GNR and that bullet took a 280# Euro boar and a each has taken deer and they are hard on deer- good shootin to ya

[JOE MACK]

it sure sounds like you been having fun!! [smilie=w:

skimmerhead

I probably have one more trip to Africa in me. When I go, a couple friends will get their choice of .41Magnum I've got left in the safe. I'm paring the bunch down to the chosen few.

[JOE MACK]

Hay Joe mack like your .41s I have the 41 GNR in a heavy 9" TC- 5.5" .410 GNR- >41#2 in a 12"+brake--plus a Tracker -- DWA Blackhawk etc-- all are fun
I have been shooting mostly the 210 hp from my Mihia gb mold -- it does well -- but in the .410 and the #2 mostly it is a Mountain Mold 255LWNGC - the >41 GNR and that bullet took a 280# Euro boar and a each has taken deer and they are hard on deer- good shootin to ya

The .41s will do the job on game put in the proper place. Got some molds in storage I've got to pull out and see what's what. Can't really cast in the new place as there is a HOA! The .410GNR and .41GNR#2 are pretty similar as to what they'll handle. The #2 just has less pressure doing it. Have fun with them. If there's no .41Magnums in heaven, I ain't goin'.

[GLynn41]

HOA??? and that is???

[skimmerhead]

I probably have one more trip to Africa in me. When I go, a couple friends will get their choice of .41Magnum I've got left in the safe. I'm paring the bunch down to the chosen few.

did i understand correctly or is my vision impaired? i'm going to Africa with you?[smilie=w:

skimmerhead:lovebooli

[JOE MACK]

HOA??? and that is???

one of those darn HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS:mad:

[JOE MACK]

did i understand correctly or is my vision impaired? i'm going to Africa with you?[smilie=w:

skimmerhead:lovebooli

Africa is on my bucket list. When my lotto numbers come in, then I'll be ready to go. Maybe I can hitch a ride when they send some gorillas back to Africa. 'Til then, I'll have to be satisfied with maybe a nilgai and pigs.:cry:

[skimmerhead]

I'm kinda partial to this wt and design. :)

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Cast%20boolits/41%20Mag/DSCN8302.jpg

Blammer, do you know if anyone has tried this boolit in a marlin lever gun ? the long nose on the boolit makes me wonder if it would cycle in a lever gun.

skimmerhead :popcorn: