one of the guys I hunted with for 5 decades in florida just bought a 8 3/8" S&W model 57, revolver in 41 mag and since I have recently moved to texas he wanted to know what I prefered to load as many of the guys I had loaded ammo for decades don't handload or cast bullets. (you want max accuracy and deep penetration in a hunting handgun)
(and everyone he knows said the ammo I loaded worked great.) I stated Id cast and used a 240 grain, 41 caliber hard cast bullet over h110 powder)
btw, in my testing a 41 mag using jacketed hollow point bullets penetrate FAR less consistently than a decent hard cast 220-245 grain, bullet!
(that would be great for personal defense but NOT FOR HUNTING!. where the hard cast 41 mag revolvers have proven much more consistent for deep penetration, and a better killer)THE 41 mag is one of the least common cartridge choices, but in my experience it's far better than either the 10mm 45 acp ,45 colt, 9mm,or 357 mag when properly loaded .
for many people the 41 mag is about the max power level, recoil and muzzle blast level easily mastered with some practice, although the 44 mag is only a little more powerful it seems to be over the tolerable limit for many people that don't regularly practice, the 41 mag seems to pack a very health punch without the marginally increased and seemingly objectionable limit that most people will not easily tolerate without extensive practice.
I've seen enough deer and hogs shot with both the properly loaded 44 and 41 mag to assure you the difference in results on those game is marginal if any.
I'm not a master handgunner or an exceptionally great shot but I do have over 5 decades of experience hunting successfully with handguns . (mostly for deer and hogs in mid fla. and deer & elk in colorado.) successful handgun hunters need extensive practice and ranges for successful shots made in my experience rarely exceed 70-80 yards, in florida its probably closer to 30-35 yards on hogs and 40-50 yards on deer.
its a real P.I.T.A. that places like NEI and NOE no longer sell as many bullet designs
411-253-WFN-AV4 2 Cavity 1GC/1PB | NOE Bullet Moulds
noebulletmolds.com
41 Magnum Titanium Carbide Die Set
41 Magnum Titanium Carbide Die Set by REDDING RELOADING PRODUCTS Titanium carbide differs considerably from other carbides, and is the ideal material for resizing cartridge cases. Titanium carbide has the highest hardness of any readily available carbide. The difference is in the...
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
.41 Lyman Caliber Gator Gas Checks
Gator brand gas checks for .41 pistol cast bullets shipped fast via USPS. Starting at $9.75 for 250!
the 41 mag revolver if chambered in a revolver with at least a 4" barrel and ideally a 6"-8" barrel and when properly loaded with a hard cast gas check bullet's,( the ruger and S&W revolvers prefered)
ARE in my experience significantly better or more potentially powerful than a 10mm semi auto ,
having cast these bullets and hand loaded for several of the local guys, its a big improvement over the 357 mag, in lethality, and only a bit less powerful than the common 44 mag but noticeably better than a 357 mag for hunting deer & hogs etc.
the problem is that you are forced to or almost must handload and cast your own ammo to get quality ammo as the 41 mag is much less common and ammos harder to locate.
several of the guys I hunted with for decades prefered the 41 mag revolver over almost anything else in a handgun.
H110 powder was prefered as was the 210-220 grain bullet weight with a few guys liking the 245 grain better/
remember that with most handguns your unlikely to get results that differ a great deal from what you see with archery, IE, game tends to run after its hit and shot placements very critical
Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds
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now personally I think the 300 grain 44 mag S&W 10" barrel revolver is a much better hunting handgun choice, but many of my friends prefer the lighter weight and lower recoil in the 357-41 mag revolvers, keep in mind most of us hunt thicker brush where shots, are usually WELL under 60 yards and use of open iron sights are very common
Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds
www.accuratemolds.com
.44 mag
grumpy whats the difference between .44 magnum & .44 special also I was looking at a .357 kit for my glock model 27 to have 2 guns in one but understand it is a different round than my S&W .357 mag?
garage.grumpysperformance.com
.41 Remington Magnum - Wikipedia
Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds
www.accuratemolds.com
Bullet Design Details | Accurate Molds
www.accuratemolds.com
Saeco 4-Cavity Bullet Mold #415 41 Remington Mag (411 Diameter) 220
Saeco bullet molds are all machined from specially developed cast iron blocks one cavity at a time for precision. Each cavity is cut with the same...
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Shooter's Reference Load Data for .41 Remington Magnum
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