Author Topic: .41 LTD? (Read 1183 times)

Old Griz · « **on:** April 28, 2005, 06:30:08 PM »

:cb2: I'm new to .41 mags. Got a used 4 in. M57 and I really like it. It's gonna be my travel gun. Figger it'll handle most critters that might wish to do me harmeither in the woods, or the nasty 2-legged critters in the motel room, or parking lot.

My question is: Since I kinda like this caliber, and I was gonna save up for a FA anyway, what is the size limit on game I could go after with a .41 mag.?

Mikey · « **Reply #1 on:** April 29, 2005, 05:55:04 AM »

Old Griz - the 41 is a bit understated, especially by those who haven't ever used it. It lends itself to as much reloading potential as the 44 magnum does and is a hard hitter. If you are carrying a M57 for a woods gun I wouldn't worry too much about running into anything the 41 couldn't handle. If you were thinking about a longer barrelled, and heavier FA in that caliber, you may wish to consider heavy reloads (heavy bullets that is). I have found the heavier bullets seem to work better on game with the shorter barrels. HTH. Mikey.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 29, 2005, 02:26:08 PM »

Hello Griz.

The 41mag will do anything that the 44mag will do without the extra recoil. I think the 41 is overlooked with all the hype about the 44mag. As far as a handgun for an all purpose hunting gun in the lower 48 the 41mag will do just fine.........Joe..........

crawfish · « **Reply #3 on:** April 29, 2005, 04:34:03 PM »

Just in the last few years the number of companies that load quality .41RemMag ammunition for hunting and defense has increased five fold.
You can now purchase hunting ammo from Federal, Cor-Bon, Buffalo Bore, Winchester and Remington.
I have been shooting the .41 almost exclusively since 1990 (got my first .41 in 1989 but couldnt shoot until 1990 because of injury). I have .41 Taurus, Ruger, S/W, FA, and Contender and have hunted with all of them.
I currently shoot 250g cast bullets from CBPT and BearTooth and have killed beasts over 2200 pounds cleanly with one shot. The load I use is a ballistic twin to the Federal 250g load. Depending on which gun I use that load will go from a low of 1153fps all the way up to 1587fps in the Contenders.
If all I had was a short-barreled 57 like yours Id stay with any of the excellent 210g jacketed bullets. Im partial to the Sierra myself because it was my first hunting bullet and is still used by Sons #1 and 2 and my granddaughter as their only hunting bullet in .41. It has killed a ton of deer for us, also some big piggies and a bunch of exotics.
The .41RemMag will take on any task you ask of it. You can easily turn it into a real thumper that will cleanly kill any beast. The one thing it always remains is a real sweetheart to shoot.

S.B. · « **Reply #4 on:** April 30, 2005, 02:29:21 AM »

oso45-70, the word "hype" makes me think of yellow journalism(falsehoods mixed with truths). I don't think the .41 or .44 magnums needs anyone to falsely build up what they can do? Both are excellent rounds for hunting and or self protection. Both of these rounds has a proven track record.
crawfish, I be interested to know what 2200 pound animals you've taken with you .41 magnum? Any pictures of the hunt and kill?
I just got through closing a deal for my third .41 magnum of my life time. Not many of them around here. The other two were both 6" nickel Smith 57's (long gone in trades)the new will be a 4" blued Smith 57. Can wait to get it and getting back into the .41 shooting world. Hopefully, this next week?

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #5 on:** April 30, 2005, 09:32:17 AM »

Crawfish, I too would like more information on that "2200 pound" critter you slew with your .41 mag. Did you inadvertently add an extra zero to that figure?

crawfish · « **Reply #6 on:** April 30, 2005, 02:41:09 PM »

Nope it was a feral steer (didn't find that out until after it was on the ground thought it was a bull) killed in S. TX, on some married into family land, between Laredo and Zapata. I have killed with one shot a 600lbs cow bison at 67 yards, an 1800-pound Black Angus bull that was injured and running amuck, and three feral cattle in S. TX. Two bulls at 1400+lbs and that monster steer. All the shots were within 20 yards except the bison, all the shots were shoulder hits except the steer which was a head on hit centered on the nose pad that ranged through the head and out the skull at the back of the head just behind the horns. The steer didn't have testicles but still had horns, which leads me to believe he was de-hed later in life in an accident or predator attack. Either way he/it was pissed off at the world and came within three feet of cashing in my chips. No pics just remembrances written in my hunt journals. I posted the bison kill and the steer hunt in full on AR and here I think, somewhere I loose track of threads and sites.
I need to add a disclaimer on the steer and the bison. They were killed with a 250g CPBT hard cast bullet loaded to 1250fps BUT with 2 different Reeder .41 caliber wildcats but since I load all my .41s with that bullet or one from BearTooth and load all to the same power level I though they could be added. The two 1400lbs bulls and the Angus bull were killed with a .41RemMag S/W 657, the bison was killed with a .41GNR Reeder Ruger SBH, and the steer was killed with a Reeder .41GNR#2 Contender.

De41mag · « **Reply #7 on:** April 30, 2005, 03:49:14 PM »

Old Griz;

Tommy Mace from Leadheads Bullets makes a 270gr Gas Check that he has been telling me about. As a matter of fact I've got 500 of those bullets at home right now. He told me that that bullet has killed all kinds of African game animals. The guy who uses it shoots it in a FA Mod. 83. He swears by it. Although I can't use the bullet since I just bought the Mod. 97 in 41 Magnum. The cylinder is to short. But I knew that when I ordered the gun. I figured that out of that smaller frame 210 to 215gr. bullets should be plenty, especially w/ a 5-1/2 inch barrel. But then again, I won't be hunting anything more than a hog w/ it.
Listen to crawfish and JOE MACK, they both know those 41's. And I've been shooting one since 1982, and I think you can't beat a 41.
The FA 41Mag. has a 1 in 14 inch twist and the 44's have a 1 in 20 inch twist. So the 41 can handle very heavy bullets.

Dennis

Old Griz · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2005, 06:21:54 PM »

:cb2: GBO is definately the place to learn.

De41mag, please explain to an ignorant old man what the differences in twist rates between the .41 and .44 means .

crawfish · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2005, 06:46:59 PM »

Twist Rate: How many inches of barrel it will take the bullet to rotate from any point (i.e. top) in the bore to that point (i.e. top) again. So 1 in 14 means one complete revolution of the bullet in 14 inches of barrel. Twist rates are calculated according to the generally accepted weight range of bullets usually used in a caliber. That is why you will see posted comments about such and such bullet might not shoot in your gun because it is light or heavy for caliber. BTY Ruger BH .41s are 1 in 16 at least all those I have are. Hope this explains it for you.
No I'm not De41mag but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express. :grin:

S.B. · « **Reply #10 on:** May 01, 2005, 02:44:46 AM »

The Greenhill theory is the only way for me to figure the rate of twist in a barrel. This theory bacame popular talk during the time when the AR15/M16 was changing from a 1:12 to a 1:7 twist rate. I'm sure that most manufacturers use this or simalar equations to figure their twist rate. To just say one rate of twist is better than any other is not a completely true statement. This equation is used to determine what bullet weight will best stablize in what rate of twist, hence accuracy. I did a search on the net to try and find the Greenhill theory again and came up empty handed. I used to be able to simply type in Greenhill and could find the equation. If memory serves, the weight of the bullet the ballistic coeficiantcy and speed of the bullet amoung other parts of ballistics were used in the calculations? Wish I could find it I would post a link here.

Old Griz · « **Reply #11 on:** May 01, 2005, 07:04:07 AM »

:cb2: Boy, this conversation sure got over my head in a hurry!

S.B. · « **Reply #12 on:** May 01, 2005, 11:36:50 AM »

Old Griz, Sorry, I guess I let my mouth overload my behind. Didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Old Griz · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2005, 06:16:30 PM »

:cb2: Hey, please don't stop. I never know when something is gonna seep into my thick head. If threads were limited to what I know, they'd all be mighty short!

I was just wondering, since the .41 and .44 bullets are so close, why one would have a 1:14 twist and the other a 1:20 twist?

S.B. · « **Reply #14 on:** May 03, 2005, 01:08:51 PM »

Check out this link for the Greenhill formula.
http://www.z-hat.com/twistrate.htm

S.B. · « **Reply #15 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:41:00 PM »

Old Griz, that model 57 I mentioned earlier finally showed up. It's been a long dry spell.

Old Griz · « **Reply #16 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:48:26 PM »

:cb2: Looks just like the one I couldn't resist! I went ahead and put night sights on mine. Just in case I need something in the dark!

sawebbshooter · « **Reply #17 on:** July 08, 2005, 09:14:36 AM »

Veral Smith says in his catalogue that the great bears can be taken with his and if Ross Seyfried thinks Veral knows his stuff, I will believe it. In cast at least, the meplat size (flatnose dia.) is more a determinate factor than the bore size. A 41 @ 250grs. is not going to perform much differently than a 44 with similar weight, configuration and velocity. Anyone who sets a caliber limit for certain levels of big game without addressing bullet style,
weight or construction is missing alot. We're dogged by old dogma-do.
By the way, I got a Marlin 41 LTD in lamo/ss to go with the 657 mounain gun and couldn't be happier with the combo. Want to put A/O G.R. sites on, but other than that it floats my boat. My SBH Hunter in 41 is being cut to 5 1/2" and the rib cut down. If Ruger would of made it that way I would havesaved alot, but 41 fans have to make do with what they are offered. It will still be load cheaper than a F.A. which is the only other ss S.A. option. Much as I like my Mod 97 32, If Ruger made an adj. sight 32 in ss, I would have bought it instead, been happy and saved a grand. Ahh! The trials of loving the orphans and odd-balls.

oso45-70 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 08, 2005, 07:36:40 PM »

Old Griz

I'm Happy you picked up a mod 57 S&W. Don't think you can go wrong with it. For years the New Mexico State Police carried the mod, 57 S&W.
I have had a few 57s and thought they were great carry guns. I have some 41s in Ruger and love them. Mickey told you about using heavy bullets,,, Thats a fact, there is not much you can't do with them with the heavy bullets. My next rig will be a FA in 41 cal. Take care Griz......Joe...

Old Griz · « **Reply #19 on:** July 11, 2005, 05:57:44 PM »

:cb2: I found a load it really likes. Winchester 240-gr. Platium Tip HP. The Winchester 175-gr. Silvertips were a close second. One of these days I'm gonna have to take up reloading. Sure can't afford too much factory .41 ammo! Whew! Anyway, I'm sure that 240-gr. load will handle any hostile critters I'm gonna find here in the tri-state area 4 legged, or 2.[/i]