Just wondering if any one out there has come up with what they might consider the perfect load for the 41. So far I have been happy with a 210gr. XTP in front of 22.0gr of 296 out of my 8 3/8" smith at 1450 fps, and close to 1900fps out of my lever gun . These are my hunting loads. How about 25 acp,(yes, I reload 25acp ) Finger crunching little #*&!#*&# that they are . I have 35gr. XTP and Gold dots of the same weight at an average of 1090 fps out of a Barreta with 1.2gr. of 700X. The 25 is actually my carry gun.
.41 I'll chime in as a .41 lover. I use 296 for all my magnum strength loads. You should not use reduced loads with 296. I do not remember the load but I use what Winchester recommends. I get 1600 fps with a 170 gr Sierra JHC out of a 4" Smith and a bit more out of the 6". For my cast load I use 231. Not the best powder but I buy it in the 8 lb keg and load nearly every handgun with it. With the 296 loading I can hit a pepper popper target easily at 100+ yards every time.
bobkreeger Another good powder for .41 mag is Lil'Gun. Same velocitys as 296 &H110 with less pressure.
I love the .41 mag too. I use 18.5 grs of 2400 over a jacketed 210 gr bullet. I have a Smith 657 classic which shoots great with this load. I'm still experimenting with cast lead target loads, have been using 231 but am thinking of switching to Unique. CD
I used to load for .41 mag. I was using Blue Dot, Powr pistol, and (now I dont remember the 3rd powder). I can tell you 13.7 gr of Blue Dot, under a Ranier 210 gr JHP, will break your gun. My Lee manual stated 13.5 gr max. But Alliants web site stated 14.0 gr max. So I started at 13.3 and worked up to 13.7, loading 10 of each. All loads were fine untill the 13.7 loads. They were super accurate, but after the second shot, the cylinder would not cycle anymore. I pulled the base pin, did a quick inspection, then replaced it. And shot one more round. I started to think after I shot that 3rd round that I should go back home and throroughly inspect the gun. the second round had cracked the cylinder at the pawl recess. I had to beat the case out of the cylinder, the starline headstamp was nearly flattened and could hardly be read. It actually recoiled so hard, of the remaining three rounds, all of the bullets had been unseated. This was in a 6" Ruger Blackhawk. Thank god I had not bought the Dan Wesson, as it would not have fared so well. i contacted Alliant, ultimately speaking to Ben Ammonette(cust relations) They told me of a new problem with Blue Dot and reloading of .357 and 41 mag., not any other calibers, and the .357 only had a problem with 125gr and lighter bullets. Told there was now a warning on their site.(the recipe i had viewed on their site was gone the next day). They hemhawwed around for 11 months via email with me, and finally asked for my remaining loads, to be tested in their pressure gun. My loads tested out at 57000 psi, when they should have been 35000. They admitted fault, and offered to buy the gun back. To which I informed them I had sold it 2 months before, as I felt they were not going to do anything for me, and I needed to try and get a return for what I could. I offered to buy it back and hip it to them, they refused, as they could not be sure of what had been done to the gun after I sold it. I got loud with Ben, telling him he could not be sure of what I had done with it, so whats the difference? They ended up sending me 9 lbs of powder for my "trouble", after I asked if they would like to come to Kansas for a small claims suit. There are no longer warnings on thier site, and none of the Blue Dot containers I see in the market, have any warnings on them referring to this. DO NOT use BLue Dot for .41 mag. Do NOT use Blue Dot for .357. If you have had any problems with what I have described, Alliant will buy your broken guns.
