Author Topic: 41 Mag Questions (Read 3042 times)

Bearcat 74 · « **on:** February 11, 2008, 10:54:20 AM »

I was shooting some 250gr Federal Cast Core and they leaded the whizz'm out of my barrel which was fun getting out. I shot some 175gr Winchester Hollow Points and accuracy was great, I then shot some 210gr Federal Fusion loads that were fairly accurate but nothing like the Winchesters. Are the Winchesters ok to hunt with? I mainly carry the gun while hog hunting but I have deer hunted with it some also. I don't have dies yet, but I was thinking of using the 210gr XTP's when I get some. I have H110 and Herc2400 as powders. Got any pet loads for a 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk?

Also, I have a creepy trigger, I have done the poor boy trigger job on it, but it has some creep, any way to get rid of that?

Thanks

S.B. · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2008, 03:38:29 AM »

Both Lloyd Smale and I have found hard cast Lymans 41059 and Unique powder to be very accurate in guns we've shot it in at around 1100-1200 fps velocty? Excellent accuracy and no leading in my pistol.
You didn't mention what pistol you tried cast bullets in? Not a Redhawk is it, I've had problems with leading from them, in the past?

warrior1 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2008, 03:59:32 AM »

i gotten very good results with 210 xtp ,starline brass ,296 powder ,and winchester large pistol primers. i've had close to the same performance with 230gr cast. i'll kook up the exact loads,
but it seems to me they are both just below max iloads in one of my manuals. dan

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:43:20 AM »

Thanks guys. It is a Blackhawk 4 5/8" barrel

coop2564 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2008, 08:59:16 AM »

You might try the factory load using Rem 210gr SP I had very good luck with this load out of my raging bull. I'm handloading now using 20.5grs H110 using the rem 210 SP bullet, Rem cases, and CCI mag primers. You get pretty close to hard cast performance with this bullet without any leading. I've shot 5 hogs and 2 deer all pass throughs and good blood trails. The win platium tip shot very well from my gun also.

S.B. · « **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2008, 11:34:25 AM »

Quote from: coop2564 on February 14, 2008, 08:59:16 AM

You get pretty close to hard cast performance with this bullet without any leading.

Are you saying you get close to the same penetration with the 210 gr. soft point as with the hard cast bullets with a wide meplat? You've got to be kidding!

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2008, 04:53:12 PM »

Thanks guys, I have heard that the 210 Rem JSP and the 210 XTP are excellent. I have read in a couple of different places that the Blackhawks don't care for heavy bullets, but I have no idea about that.

Questions about cast, how do you guys keep from leading, how often do you clean, and how fast is too fast? To my knowledge I have fired 50 rounds of cast in my life, all through my Blackhawk so my experience is limited to Federal CastCore ammo.

Thanks

S.B. · « **Reply #7 on:** February 14, 2008, 05:20:57 PM »

Your missing at least half the fun in a .41 magnum?

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2008, 04:05:23 AM »

From what I have gathered the .41 Mag is a miinimum 50% fun to reload, 50% fun to shoot cast, and 50% fun to hunt with, I knew it had a 150% fun factor when I bought it, so actually I am only using 50% of the fun, I do hunt with it.

S.B. · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2008, 05:10:11 AM »

Good point, wasn't meaning to be down on you. Sorry if that's the way it sounded?

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2008, 11:50:03 AM »

Nope, no offense taken. I am just curious about cast as after 50 rounds I had lead streaks all through my barrel and accuracy sucked. I didn't know if I was doing something wrong or if that was normal.

Thanks

jhalcott · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2008, 12:23:41 PM »

with purchased ammo loaded with cast ,it is NOT unusual to get leading. The manufacturer has to load for EVERY GUN, not just yours. The bullet should be sized to YOUR gun. It does NOT have to be super hard to go thru a deer or hog either. A straight wheel weight (12/13 BHN) will do fine if it is sized and lubed correctly. I have put several 250 grain WW bullets from a .44 mag thru deer with out getting lead in the bore. I recently got a 10" 41 mag barrel for my Contender. I am still working on a good load for deer. I got several 100 XTP bullets with it and ~ 3/4 of a 500 bullet box of cast. H110 seems to be the powder so far.

Old Griz · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2008, 09:24:19 PM »

Bearcat;

The 175 gr. Winchesters shot great in my gun as well, but the most accurate I have found so far is the 240-gr. Winchester Platinum Tip HPs. I was so amazed at how small the groups were that I quit looking for other loads.

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2008, 05:03:28 PM »

Thanks guys.

Griz, I will have to try some platinum tips until I can assemble my loading supplies.

Ak.Hiker · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2008, 06:44:53 PM »

The Remington 210 grain JSP load is known for having good penetration. They are a good pick for hogs or black bear. They were always good shooters in my Blackhawk. Thru logs they would never penetrate as deep as a good hardcast Keith SWC in my testing but they should be plenty good enough for any hog.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2008, 08:10:06 PM »

I have had 7 Blackhawks, a Marlin1894 and a 14"TC Bull Barrell, all in 41Mag. The leading problems stopped when I started casting my own. Part of your leading problems probably are sizing and part of it could be alloy hardness/softness. They both have to be right for your application. That 14" Contender was a real thumper with SSK275's (282gr with my mix), which also shot very well in all the Blackhawks - ALL of them. Including both barrel lengths in Old Model and New Model, and a 5.5"SS Bisley. Not terribly hard, just straight WW, mostly air cooled, some water dropped. Today, I still have the Marlin, the Bisley, and a short New Model Blackhawk. Veral says his 220gr is all I need. Good enough for me. Saving the bucks to get a mold from him.
I see an Elk on the ridge in my future.

W296 is my favorite powder for the 41Mag. H110 is the same powder, I simply prefer the W296. Must be a Winchester thing. Closely followed by Alliant's Blue Dot.

Regards,
Sweetwater

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #16 on:** February 24, 2008, 12:21:41 AM »

ive got no clue what federal uses in there cast core bullets but id recomend you try some quality bullets from a company like mt. baldy or cast performance and see if they lead your gun. If they do you have a problem with your gun and it should be addressed to expect it to even give real good accuracy with jacketed bullets.

yorketransport · « **Reply #17 on:** February 24, 2008, 05:40:09 AM »

The cast bullets in the Federal load are the 250gr Cast Performance bullets. I desperately wanted them to shoot well in my Taurus Titanium Tracker, but they just aren't working for me. I tried handloading them as well as in the factory ammo with rather poor accuracy and excessive leading from both.

S.B. · « **Reply #18 on:** February 24, 2008, 07:27:14 AM »

Then, like Lloyd said, look for problems with your gun? Maybe a rough bore?

S.B. · « **Reply #19 on:** February 25, 2008, 04:37:40 PM »

Sweetwater, your a fortunate man with that many .41s.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #20 on:** February 25, 2008, 05:40:42 PM »

S.B.-
thanks for the commentary.
It's been a fun ride with the 41's. Back in the late 80's at IHMSA matches, most of the boys in our area were shooting the Field Pistol courses and Revolver Classes with SuperMags and 44mags and I was 'different' with my 41Blackhawk. I've had some of the 'others', but have always had at least one 41Mag since 1980. Frank Petrino wrote the first article about the 41Magnum that I ever read, and it is torn out of that old Shooting Times and stuck in my reloading journal. He called it the 'dependable magnum'. I totally concur. It brought home the trophys back then, and it has put some meat in the freezer. While living in Wyoming I shot more Antelope with the 41Blackhawk than I ever did with my 257Roberts!
I have recently embarked in a new directon with a 45Colt, also a Blackhawk, though in Bisley configuration. I shall maintain the 41 stable, but am finding the 45Colt a fun caliber. Yes, I have read Ross Seyfreid's escapades with the Bisley and though I believe it to be fully capable, I find that watching my wife cut dead limbs off tree trunks with the 45Colt and be excited about it more of a rush, to me, than taking African Game with the Bisley. I have her on film, and she NEVER got that excited shooting my 41's even with light loads.
Based on some of Brian Pierce's writings, I would guess we are running the 45Colt at a loaf, just a tad above standard loadings being our self-imposed "max" loadings. I intend to keep the wife excited about shooting it, and she won't be if it bites back.

Regards,
Sweetwater

S.B. · « **Reply #21 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:03:09 PM »

Thanks for the reply, and I now have but one a S&W model 57 with a four inch barrel. Wanted one like this since about 1964?

Sweetwater · « **Reply #22 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:24:45 PM »

S.B.-

That S&W is a good one. I wanted one, also, but at the time they were about twice as much as a new Blackhawk, and I had the young family coming along and, and,.....you get the picture. Since then, I've acquired a real fancy for the single action grip frame and the double action grip frame just doesn't work for me anymore. I do, however, certainly appreciate a fine handgun, and your S&W for sure qualifies.

Regards,
Sweetwater

S.B. · « **Reply #23 on:** February 26, 2008, 01:48:09 PM »

When it comes to .41s, grip frames don't seem to matter that much, to me anyway. I recently traded a OM Ruger that I had, to another shooter that offered me more than I considered it worth. Now I regret trading it.

warrior1 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 26, 2008, 03:27:40 PM »

sweetwater, 296 is my blackhawk's preferred powder. she loves it with 210 gr xtp,and
a 230 grain lswc.

Sweetwater · « **Reply #25 on:** February 26, 2008, 08:14:36 PM »

S.B.- Seems like we all have parted with a weapon that we wish we had back. Used to be able to pick up a used OM Blackhawk on any street corner for $150 or less. Now, they have become 'collectors' or so they would have us believe and prices, like on everything else, have sky-rocketed. I keep seeing stuff I'd like to have, and watch the prices climb while I try to put away the bucks to make it happen. Then it don't happen as the prices break the budget barrier - LOL!

Warrior1- Everyone likes group sizes at some point in their shooting life. Your note sparked a memory and I went to my reloading journal for the entry.
Found it: December 10, 1982, New Model Ruger Blackhawk, 23.5gr W296, CCI 350, 170gr Sierra JHP, 3rounds, 5/8"@ 50 yards.

I don't even see like that anymore, but it's rewarding to be able to read the entry and relive the day - knowing there was a time when I could......

Regards,
Sweetwater

Dand · « **Reply #26 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:27:58 PM »

Bear - I have 4 41 mags - 2 S&W, 1 Ruger Bisley and 1 redhawk. I shoot Fed Cast Cores and Corbon 250 to 265's out of these guns and get very little leading in any of them. In my Marlin - yes I get enough leading to affect accuracy. I've shot a little Buffalo bore 265's too.

But in the hand guns I don't run a lot of that ammo through at any one time - too expensive. If you are shooting in rapid succession, I'd slow it down, let it cool a bit and see if that helped.

I shoot home loads using Cast Performance, Laser Cast, home cast, and some other commercial brand of 215 g swc. Leading problems only show up with my range scrap bullets and some of the "other brand 215" - can't remember brand just now. I use unique for lighter loads and 2400 and h110 for heavy loads.

With reloading you and fiddle around with load levels and such to find a nonleading load that works well for you. And if you cast you can fiddle with alloy and lubes to find what works.

kennisondan · « **Reply #27 on:** March 28, 2008, 01:28:15 PM »

I am just wondering if yu shoot jacketed and then cast and back and forth ? could be a leading problem from that alone.. consider a little bore paste and a cleaning polishing ritual of about 300 to 400 passes and I would bet that would stop happening, but I am a novice.
dk

gl411 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 29, 2008, 06:48:05 AM »

I am surprised about the Cast core as I thought they were gc'd-- the 170 JHC does well very on west Tn deer- better than one might think as does the xtp, and 210sp although they do not expand- as to the trigger problem on the b hawk try this if you want take off the grips and take one side of the trigger spring off--not both but one --trigger is much lighter and works at least for me in any weather and temp with no problems and it is cheap if you no like just put it back-- I have that 275 NEI mold also and no real problems with in any of my 5 .41's and two are wildcats-- it kills right well again on west tn deer -- I also have verals 220 mold and it cast a good looking bullets and it shoots well -- well try to find out what happens on a deer this fall btw I am not new just had to re register

Bearcat 74 · « **Reply #29 on:** April 11, 2008, 10:47:23 PM »

The CC's leaded up my barrel enough that accuracy fell some and then I made the mistake of running some jacket bullets through, not clean and then run some lead back through. That was a mistake.

Thanks again guys.