Author Topic: Sell Me on a .41 mag (Read 2653 times)

kmittleman · « **on:** April 21, 2011, 10:31:08 AM »

Hey Folks,

I've been thinking this may be the caliber to get for deer / hog hunting and woods carry. The Ruger BH in 6 1/2" looks pretty sweet and just right for Maryland Deer hunting laws. I'm drawn to this caliber because it seems to be just right in terms of power, recoil, and trajectory. Also, I reload and like the uniqueness of the caliber.

Any opinions welcomed.

-Kevin

Ranch13 · « **Reply #1 on:** April 21, 2011, 01:09:25 PM »

I like the 41, but for the life of me I have a hard time telling much difference between the recoil of the 41 loaded to max and a 44 magnum. I shoot the 41 mostly at "midrange" loads, loaded with 8 grs of unique and a 215 gr cast bullet for a little over a 1000fps from the 4 5/8 in barrel.

Axehandle · « **Reply #2 on:** April 21, 2011, 05:27:46 PM »

The 41 Mag may be best as a reloaders cartridge... I have heard that factory ammo can be hard to find and expensive.

BigMuddy · « **Reply #3 on:** April 21, 2011, 06:23:01 PM »

Quote from: kmittleman on April 21, 2011, 10:31:08 AM

. I'm drawn to this caliber because it seems to be just right in terms of power, recoil, and trajectory. Also, I reload and like the uniqueness of the caliber.

-Kevin

In my opinion, you have all of the reasons for one pretty well nailed. No need to sell you on it, you have done that already. You won't be disappointed.

Dan

crash87 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2011, 05:30:59 PM »

Power is relevent to the powder charge and bullet weight for one, there are more. Recoil, is what you make of it, to many variables to compare the 41 to any other. Trajectory, Is really only on paper as far as comparisons to any other. Any other? That would be the 44 mag and a Ruger loaded 45 Colt. all comparable and equal to the task you have outlined for your already made decision. Myself, after I spent, just a few years with the 44, I moved on to the 45 colt, only finding out it's true potential after John Linebaugh got it figured out for the rest of us. Right now 2-44's and 3-45's take care of my deer/hog needs, come to think of it, most of the rest too. Never felt the need for a 41, as I thought, and still think, I have it pretty much covered. Moving down however, I'll pick through a few 357's or a 44 special. Up? a 475 Linebaugh gets the nod.
Then again, what the heck do "needs" have to do with our caliber/cartridge selections anyway? A 6.5", ( I actually prefer 5 1/2", even going so far as paying a 'smith to cut them down) Blackhawk is the perfect platform for this unique, reloadable, powerful, recoil tolerant, ballistic anomaly known as the 41 Magnum.
Perfect for any deer/hog you may encounter, and I havn't found anything yet, that wasn't perfect for woods carrying. And Kevin,You did say opinions were welcome

CRASH87

hunt-m-up · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2011, 06:24:59 AM »

Had the exact model you're talking about and am looking to get another one. I very seldom regret selling something, but the BH in .41 is one of them. Can't completely explain it, but it was just a lot of fun to shoot.

1911crazy · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2011, 07:07:21 AM »

The song from the 70's goes "when i die the devil will poke me with his pitchfork and i'll shoot him with my 41".

I've read the 41mag with a 210gr bullet has a tad more power than a 44mag with a 210gr bullet. It has less recoil and is more of a flatter shooting round over the 44mag. I have carried and shot the 44mag for eons but i always wanted the 41mag too. I just purchased two new S&W's in 41mag a model 57 w/6 1/2'' barrel and a model 58 w/4'' barrel as my new ccw gun both are in nickel finish too. They were $699 each/list $1,161. The S&W revolvers do not like a steady diet of the hotter/stout loads. I need to get the ruger blackhawk in 41mag with the 6 1/2'' barrel too in 41mag so i can shoot the hotter loads. I wish i purchased the redhawk in 41mag before they discontinued them. The redhawk in 41mag with the 7 1/2'' barrel in 41mag would be perfect to play and hunt with. Just something different to shoot. I like the CCW magnum carry with 800ft/lbs of power too.

The 41mag was never popular for many years but i think its gaining in popularity today. When we post and ask about the 41mag the many owners of the 41mag come out of the woodwork to post and talk about there 41mag. This tells me there are a lot of 41mag owners and more than most think there is.

rawhidekid · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2011, 11:40:52 AM »

Owned and shot 41 Mag for years, it is the only cartridge I was able to find a load that was best in my Blackhawk . What I mean is powder charge increased to smallest group then expanded as went past ideal load. Every other cal just kept getting smaller till I reached max load. The other good thing is unlike the 45 Colt, (sized from 452 to 457), has always been 410 so used guns have always shot tight groups in my experiance.

Frank V · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2011, 02:33:19 PM »

Here is my take. The .41 mag. is powerful, ACCURATE, flat shooting ( a bit flatter shooting than the .44 Mag.), easy to reload. Good bullets & other components are available, now offered in easy packing six-guns! The only con I can find is as has been mentioned already, in heavy loads, I can't tell much difference in recoil, but I do think they are a bit noisier than the .44.
Get one, it is a great cartridge.
Frank

StevenK11 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2011, 06:54:24 AM »

Same here. I have the 6.5" blackhawk. The only change I made was fit it with a set of Altamont grips. http://www.altamontco.com/products/pistol/ruger/blackhawk.php. The new grips fill the hand out a bit more and it looks just awesome to boot.

Surprisingly, the 6.5" 41 mag blackhawk is lighter weight than my 5.5" 44 special blackhawk. The difference being the 41 mag has an aluminum gripframe and ejector. The 44 special is steel. Both are VERY accurate.

Now I only shoot cast in both of them. 240gr SWC in the 44, and 215 gr SWC in the 41. Unique powers them both.

Another advantage the 41 has is that with lighter cast loads built with Unique, you get excellent case fill. The 44 magnum leaves a lot more air space. Obviously with slower powders (H110) for full power loads, you would fill the case better with either.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #10 on:** April 28, 2011, 03:15:13 PM »

Try some Trail Boss, but note the loading data is for reduced loads and they state you can safely fill to the bullet base and be within pressure. Absolutely no position or load density issues, either.

hunterspistol · « **Reply #11 on:** May 03, 2011, 04:06:12 PM »

Mine is sitting in front of me as I type this. First day with reloads, 220 grain Keith at 15.7 grains of 2400, I knocked down a ram at 100 meters. A silhouette ram but, I hit the thing first try.
I love this caliber, had cylindersmith true the cylinder to 4105 too.
http://www.cylindersmith.com/

New set of grips, 4 different bullet molds, I'm not done yet!

Ron

mk454 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2011, 01:41:39 PM »

sell ya on a 41 mag? well it's almost as good as a .44 mag, almost as good as a 45 colt. so i guess you should almost buy one!?!?!?!?!?

hillbill · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2011, 03:30:03 PM »

a 41 aint no better or worse than a 44 or a 45.they can all be loaded to do about the same thing. if yu want it,get it.no need to justify, jus get it.

DunRanull · « **Reply #14 on:** May 22, 2011, 05:42:43 PM »

Sell you on a .41 mag? My personal experience with it was positive as far as the round goes. I reloaded for it and carried it (Blackhawk 6.5 inch) around the mine where I helped out with security. It was no fault of the round that caused me to dump the Blackhawk.. the bbl length was too long, it had funny non-Ruger grips, a vented rib down the barrel between the rcvr and front sight. I got more out of it selling it. It would have cost a bit to have that removed and the bbl cut to 5 inches and front sight remounted. OTOH I havent seen one for sale in the shops since...
The round itself was easy to load for and packed plenty of ka-banga down range, and could be downloaded for milder but still accurate shooting. Flat-shooting, more guts and less muzzle blast than the .357. Not as bulky and lighter framed .44 magnum or .45 LC. I'd take another in a heartbeat- in the right package. A .41 mag Blackhawk, Vaquero or a mid-framed S&W would be great! These days the .44 is superfluous, with the Linebaugh .45s and the S&W.50. There's plenty of use one could get out of a .41 before jumping to the real heavy hitters. But, it's definitely a handloader's round. This is MY experience. You may feel differently!

SM Bob · « **Reply #15 on:** May 23, 2011, 05:22:11 PM »

I have 2 Ruger Blackhawks in 41Mag. One with a 6.5" and one with a 4 5/8". I love them. It's a great caliber too.
I reload all my ammo for the 41's. I like a 215gr cast bullet with Unique. It can do anything I'd want to do with it.
I prefer the 4 5/8" barrel model. Easier to carry and I like the way it points and shoots. Get one. You will love it.

Robert

inthebeech · « **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2011, 03:01:25 AM »

Is there some sort of 41 caliber rifle round that would sweeten the deal for the OP so he can use the same diameter bullets? That's why I am strictly a 38 and 44 guy; plenty of 38 and 44 rifle callibers that I can use the same bullets for (with some frustrating exceptions like different diameters for 45 LC and 458 Mag

), and of course if the handgun cartridge itself is a popular chambering in rifles then the exact same loaded rounds can go in to both hand gun and long gun.
Just a thought and I don't know what is out there in the 41.

rawhidekid · « **Reply #17 on:** June 02, 2011, 12:33:32 AM »

Marlin made a few runs of 41mag lever actions. Had an octagnal barrel one at one time in my life.

45-70.gov · « **Reply #18 on:** June 02, 2011, 06:45:56 AM »

Quote from: mk454 on May 17, 2011, 01:41:39 PM

sell ya on a 41 mag? well it's almost as good as a .44 mag, almost as good as a 45 colt. so i guess you should almost buy one!?!?!?!?!?

Re: Sell Me on a .41 mag.............NO

i understand the uniqueness attraction.......6 months it will loose that
and when you decide having a CARBINE and revolver in the same caliber........
you will be un happy

44 mag will do everything the 41 will.......if you reload
if you don't reload....don't even consider the 41

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 02, 2011, 11:35:32 AM »

I've hunted deer with a 41 for nearly 30 years. Never had one make it further than 30 yards and most dropped in their tracks.
While it may shoot flatter, at pistol ranges the difference isn't even noticeable. some quibble about lack of bullet selection but most of us end up using only 1 or 2 anyway. That seems to be more an argument for personal taste than performance.

StevenK11 · « **Reply #20 on:** June 02, 2011, 12:33:58 PM »

Reminds me of the 270 vs 30-06 debate.....which NEVER ends...

They also say that the 270 doesn't have as much bullet selection as a 30-06, yet most just stick with the tried-n-true 130 grain bullet in the 270; the 30-06 folks stick with the 180 grain.

In the end, the 270 will do practically anything you could want in a rifle, with lighter recoil to boot.

Ditto for the 41 mag. Almost anything you could want done in 41 mag can be done with a 210 gr JHP. Simple, effective, done.

dan3 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 03, 2011, 05:53:12 AM »

Sounds like you have listed most of the benefits of using the .41 mag. It's a great cartridge - and that Blackhawk is a great choice for hunting.
I have a .41 mag that I bought used - its a S&W M58 that received the full custom treatment from Ron Powers - Heavy barrel, target rib, each chamber numbered, Matte (nickel??) finish, and the sweetest action job. It had been made to bowling pin/ plate matches...I use it for hog hunting.
Go ahead and try the .41mag - you'll like/love it !!

Ladobe · « **Reply #22 on:** June 10, 2011, 08:36:52 AM »

All trough the years I lived on the central CA coast (mid 60's to mid 70's), I killed more wild boar, mule and black-tailed deer with my Herter's 401 Power Mag than with all my other firearms combined (rifle and handgun). When I moved back to the Rockies it took its share of mule deer and coyotes as well. I also shot IMSHA with it for a few years until I let a gent talk me out of it about 7-8 years ago for about 5 times what I paid for it new in the mid 60's. The 401PM was always reliable, accurate and very pleasant to shoot. I also had an old model Ruger Blackhawk 41MAG as well some of those years, but just plain liked that 401PM revolver more even if most folks considered it ugly as sin. Wish I still had it - lots of good memories hunting and good eating thanks to that SA for almost 4 decades.

streak · « **Reply #23 on:** June 10, 2011, 09:07:10 AM »

I also have a Ruger BH41 Mag 6.5" and it is a nice piece
! What type of grips do most of you guys use??

rawhidekid · « **Reply #24 on:** June 11, 2011, 03:03:41 AM »

When I had my 41's, I always had fake Ivory grips or stag. Blue guns just look best dressed in white.

gcrank1 · « **Reply #25 on:** June 11, 2011, 05:23:28 AM »

And 'shiney' one's dressed in dark

......

rawhidekid · « **Reply #26 on:** June 11, 2011, 08:46:53 AM »

I agree!

Old Griz · « **Reply #27 on:** July 06, 2011, 10:01:56 AM »

The only .41 M I have is a S&W 57 (no dash). I love N frames, and this one is a fantastic shooter. Haven't deer hunted with it yet, but I will this season. (Gotta rotate the guns so no one feels left out!) It likes the 240-gr Winchester Platinum Tips the best.

Sorry to lavish praise on a DA in the SA section, but I want him to get the .41. You'll love it!

StevenK11 · « **Reply #28 on:** July 06, 2011, 10:11:19 AM »

Quote from: streak on June 10, 2011, 09:07:10 AM

I also have a Ruger BH41 Mag 6.5" and it is a nice piece
! What type of grips do most of you guys use??

Altamont grips on my 6.5" Ruger 41 mag:
http://www.altamontco.com/products/pistol/ruger/blackhawk.php