41 mag powder?

[Sweetpea]

I am going to start testing my home-brewed boolits in my nmbh, 6.5 inch, at least if it cools down enough in my reloading area.

I will be loading 210 and 240 grain boolits.

I have 296 on hand, and it seems like a good powder, but should I try 2400? Other suggestions?

[canyon-ghost]

Alliant calls 2400, "2400 Magnum Powder"! It's good stuff, adds up velocity and pressure slowly, is finely granulated to meter great through a powder measure and trickler, and fits the 41 magnum well. ~14.2 grains works for a basic load in my NMBH, 6&1/2" barrel, bocote grips.

296 might be a great powder, Winchester, isn't it? I've even seen load data for Unique in the 41 magnum. It almost amazes me when I pull the trigger on home loads and get that kind of performance ( big, breaks the sound barrier and carries 100 meters).

Good Luck,
Ron

[mstarling]

Over the last 40 yeara I've fed my 6" M57 Smith loads based on Unique for midrange power, 2400 for lower high power, and H110 (now same as WW296) for max power.

(Yeah, its one of those old recess jug with pinned barrel pistols)

2400 is not quite as clean for me as H110, but is an excellent powder for not quite max but more than adequate velocity for hunting loads.

[x101airborne]

My 6.5 inch blackhawk is extremely accurate with most any powder. Recently, I tried the Accurate RF mold in 240 grains plain based over 2400. Lemme tell ya, that is not some place you want to be when Jesus comes back. It is STIFF! I would like to go back to a 200 - 210 grain boolit over a charge of unique. Blue dot was my best powder with Laser Cast (meaning a lot harder than they needed to be) 210 grainers. Killed many a verment with that load.

[GARCIA]

HS-6 for target/light loads with boolits from 215-225gr.
2400 for the midrange stuff with most any weight.
296/H110 for the heavy hunting loads.

Tom

[Art in Colorado]

I have had very good performance with Blue Dot . Took Paco Kelly's advice on that one. Also, Unique is a very good for mid level loads. Used 296 with 265 Gr Cast Performance boolits with good results. I am shooting a F/A Model 83. Maybe why I get great results with any powder I try.

[big dale]

Yes try 2400 for heavy loads. Also pick up a can of Blue Dot and 4227 to see which your gun prefers for your heavy loads with the 240 grain boolit. I found Blue Dot and 2400 better than 4227 in the heat of the summer in Texas. I had a Blackhawk with the shorter barrel for about a decade and a half. It just loved the 240 grain Lee boolit. The recoil with that boolit and hot loads was substantial. Check your base pin on occasion or it will work loose due to the recoil. I also discovered the need to use locktite on the sight screws for the same reason. This is not rocket science...it just stands to reason that if you shoot the 240 grain boolit to the same velocities as a 44 magnum and the gun weighs several ounces less then it will kick more than the 44.

Also try picking up a can of Herco for midrange loads with the heavier boolit. Something about 1000 fps was my standard working load for that gun. Then just fill an ammo can with that load to take to the range whenever you take that gun. No point messing with the little boxes of shells. Just fill the ammo box and grin while you shoot them up.

Have fun with this stuff.

Big Dale

[mhblaw]

7 grs. W-231 is also good plinking load with 210 gr. cast bullets. Burns very clean. 7 grs. Green Dot another.

[GLynn41]

AA#9 is also very good - as are the others-- i use 2400, AA#9 ( when I can get)-- and 296/h110

[27judge]

i have the S&W hunter model ,it shoots the lyman 220 gr plain base into 1 inch or less at 25 yards with 2400. i have just finished working up a load with blue dot in the med vel range that is just as good and easier on the hand. I have the 357, 41 and 44 mag in S&W and ruger, all with scopes. The 41 is my most accurate handgun . tks ken

[45Driver]

Hodgdon's Lil' Gun is my choice for .41 Magnum.

It is a shotgun powder that was developed for the .410 bore.

Seems like a good fit in the Magnum pistol, too.

All of the above suggestions are good, seems like you can't go wrong with a .41!

[Kraschenbirn]

When I was shooting IHMSA silly-whets with a DW .41 Mag, I shot a gas-checked 238 gr. NEI over a compressed charge of IMR4227 (don't recall the exact wt. of powder). Load would easily print inside 2" @ 50M and took down cleanly hit rams "with authority".

Shot the same gun for NRA Hunter Pistol using the same boolit with Blue Dot at around 1000 fps with equally good results.

Bill

[**oneshot**]

I've had great results with AA#9. 2400 and herco being runners up.

[bearcove]

HS-6 for target/light loads with boolits from 215-225gr.
2400 for the midrange stuff with most any weight.
296/H110 for the heavy hunting loads.

Tom

Well said

[No_1]

I use a magma 220 Gr. RNFP over Salute (Unique) for light loads or AA7 for 1250 FPS loads. Either gives great accuracy for me out of my Redhawk. YMMV

[27judge]

Heres my S&W hunter full lug barrel with a unfluted cyl.Shown are some groups shot with this gun it likes 18 gr 2400 with a 220 plain base lymand. I finished working up some loads in the med range as you can see it likes blue dot and 2400 with the same lymand bullet. This is my most accurate handgun altho my 686 and ruger super blackhawk hunter are close. I have shot this bullet and load in serveral 41 mags it shoots as good or better then the jacket loads.tks ken

[runfiverun]

i was just gonna say if it works in the 44 it'll work in the 41.
but every post ahead of me allready showed that.

[Combat Diver]

I shoot .41 mags in bbl lengths from 4" to 20". Unique is my Police loading (8 grs for 1000 fps) and H110/W296 for Magum loads.


CD

[41mag]

Cannot really add a lot to what has already been throw in here. I can however say, it might be worth it to give a look at the Accurate powders 5,7, and 9.

I am finding out that they are pretty versatile with some of the cast I am shooting, and not only that, they meter like water, and burn pretty darned clean.

For the lighter stuff #5 fits fairly well, then bumping up to mid ranged and even close to top end with some loads the #7 has shown promise. An for the upper end #9 can bring it on home with some respectable numbers. All of the loads myself and a good friend have used were lit off with standard LP primers.

Just throwing it out there if you have them locally it might not hurt to give one of them a try.

[218bee]

My 657 liked (I sold it) H110 and 210 Hornady XTP's.