Stabilizing In The .41BH

[Good Cheer]

Have you experienced tipping on heavies? What's the heaviest you have gotten to stabilize in the .41 Black Hawk?

[paul h]

Haven't shot a 41 blackhawk, but the issue of instability at range is a function of both bullet length and nose profile. I'm sure you've read the comment that the wfn shape needs to be shot fast to stabalize and doesn't do well at extended ranges. All good in fine within context. I've shot a 460 gr wfn out of a 480 @ 1050 fps and I could put 5 into 1" at 50 yds. I gave them to somebody who tested them from his 480. He drove them 1100 fps and said they'd start to fly wild around 175 yds. That is well beyond the typical heavy weight of what people shoot in .475" yet it still shot fine. I think it was on the edge of what is possible due to taking up so much powder space in the case and the nose profile was probably less than ideal.

So you need to be aware of bullet shape when asking how heavy the 41 can stabalize. If you go with an LFN shape for the same weight as a swc the LFN will be shorter, and will allow more powder capacity in the case. Hence you can within reason go to a heavier bullet with an LFN shape and still get stability vs. a swc shape.

I'd think 275 gr should be feasible on the heavy end in the 41 mag. There is some data for 300gr bullets, but I think that might be just on the verge of too much of a good thing.

[Groo]

Groohere
How Fast can you drive the bullet , how long is the bullet.
What is the twist of your barrel??????
The speed of the bullet will directly relate to the RPM's of the bullet and the
stablity there of..
The longer the bullet the more the RPM's required.
That is why problems show up when someone tries to slow down a heavy[long]
bullet, As most heavy bullets are intended for hunting- they are driven fast and hard..
To slow one down is a mistake.
There is math that will show about how fast a given length bullet needs to be driven
with a given barrel twist.
I think that Ruger used a faster twist than S&W and should be able to shoot
the heaver bullets better..
SSK designed a 295gr bullet that was for the Contender and has found used
in 41 rugers just remember that they will need to be driven hard to spin them up.
They can be ordered from Penn Bullets.

[Good Cheer]

The reason I asked is because some people experienced difficulties with the .41, getting tipping with 240 grainers. Some folks have trouble above regular 220 grains or so. Some folks have good fortune with heavier.

[crazy mark]

I have shot 270 Gr with-out any problem in my RBH. They were going around 750 FPS.

[UT Phoneguy]

I shoot 240's and 250's all the time and haven't had a problem. I haven't tried past 100 yards, but up to and including; they work fine in my Ruger. I have seen data for heavier and was curious how well they work too...

[Good Cheer]

I shoot 240's and 250's all the time and haven't had a problem. I haven't tried past 100 yards, but up to and including; they work fine in my Ruger. I have seen data for heavier and was curious how well they work too...

Sir, could you perchance connect me up with that data on heavies?

[Iron Mike Golf]

Sir, could you perchance connect me up with that data on heavies?

Hodgdon and Accurate both have heavy boolit load data on their web sites.

[UT Phoneguy]

Hodgdon and Accurate both have heavy boolit load data on their web sites.

Beat me to it! I have used data from both sites. The Lee book also shows data up to the 260ish boolits too.

[Good Cheer]

Thank you gentlemen.

[Good Cheer]

Apparently mine is not going to be difficult.
Here's what I started working with yesterday,second cavity from the left. Chose that one for modification as the flat point would be precisely at the front end of the cylinder and from the crimp groove to the gas check is a middling short distance for a heavy revolver design (saving that powder space!). Would have preferred a greater volume on the lube grooves but oh well.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=1745826&postcount=12

[Combat Diver]

I started casting a RD TL411-255-RF 6 cavity mold intended for the Marlin 1894S in the last year. They are falling at 262 grs for me. I started using them in my new 2012 New Model Blackhawk 6.5" last month. So far at 35 yds (max rg in backyard) they are stablized under a heavy dose of W296. Only bad news is that I need to cast some more.


CD

[rbuck351]

I'm shooting a 270gr from my BH at 1200fps. It works fine for me to the 75yds or so that is max for my old eyes and the stock sights. It makes nice round holes and I can keep them on a paper plate from kneeling. I suspect sand bags and a scope would tighten groups a bunch. I also shoot the Lyman 410610 (220gr) at 1480fps and it works just fine as well.

[GLynn41]

anyone shoudl have no trouble from a 220-230 boolit- I have .41's that will shoot the ssk boolit from ww weighing 290+ My S&W shot then very well-- personall even with my wildcats 260-270 is my limit and I rarely shoot over 255-- usually I use my Mihia mold and shoot 210 big HP--or the 225 cast solid-
I have killed deer and boar with Lyman 410459- the SSK bullet,my cast 255 LWngc Mountain mold and a 208 gr big HP from my Mihia mold - and a 240 gr LBT WLNGC - all work all shot well

[Good Cheer]

Getting close to max with AA9. The recoil is slow enough with the heavy Rivet that it's not bad even though it's big.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/th_Rivetwith145AA9.jpg (http://s791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/?action=view&current=Rivetwith145AA9.mp4)

[canyon-ghost]

I haven't shot many heavyweights with the 41 magnum, just the 220 grain Keith and the 215 grain Lyman gas checked molds.

I have pushed the 220 Keith with 15.7 grains of 2400 and got real good results at 100 meters. They chronoed out at 1315 fps.

Then, I switched down to the 215 grain Lyman. It shoots very accurately at 14.2 grains of 2400. I find that 2400 is a great powder with lots of stability.
Love the video, yep, that sound is unmistakably the 41 handcannon!

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/contenders/bhjga006.jpg

Ron

[Good Cheer]

This rivet is the exact length to have to business end flush with the front of the cylinder. And getting the boolit to not be set forward by inertia under recoil is proving to be a problem. 15 grains of AA9 is very good. Accurate. Penetrates great. But it still wants to set forward. Gonna try harder alloy (WW+No.2 babbitt / no added lead) and heavier crimp. And continue my quest of making this Black Hawk shoot like a Winchester.

By the way, no leading with AA9 using stinky lube (beeswax, peanut oil, DAX, brown moly lube from the Great Wal and soap shavings) in the one groove and at the gas check. Don't know how slow the load is going. The front half of the boolit is between groove and bore diameter when loaded and fills the groove when exiting the barrel. The back half is .001 over chamber throat diameter and the chamber throats are .001 over groove diameter.