41 Magnum for IHMSA competition

[Grego13]

Hello Gents,

Great site. I'm thinking for getting a Freedom Arms revolver in 41 magnum for silhouette competition (max range 200 yards). The ballistics for this caliber are well suited of this competition. I eventually plan to reload, but for now is quality retail ammo readily available?
Thank'ee

 

[pirate ammo]

Not very many retail stores carry it,people see it on my shelve they have no idea what it is. You want good stuff get ready to start reloading.

 

[JFrank]

I personally have owned and shot a 41 magnum hand gun, the ammunition was not cheap at all.
The pistol though was freakin amazing!
Power and accuracy

 

[10XSHOOTER]

I carry a S&W model 58 in Bear country! 41 Mag.

 

[billbonser]

The 41 was a fine choice, but only a few guys shot it back in the day,
As with the 44, you may leave a hard set ram standing.

As for ammo, you have to reload. Now is the time to start. Used reloading gear is cheap and everywhere. Also any silhouette shooter
would love to have you over to their reloading room to help you get started. All you need is brass, primers, powder, bullets and dies. You can buy the rest later. The cost will be comparable as several boxes of loaded rounds.

Good Luck from a IHMSA Life member since 1978.

 

[pirate ammo]

He needs to be a lot closer and I'd help out.

 

[Grego13]

Thanks Gents. Are loading dies and brass readily available?

 

[billbonser]

Midway has Remington Brass for $33 a hundred.
EBay has a set of RCBS Carbide dies for about $42 shipped.
Carbide sizing die will get rid of the step of lubing the brass before sizing.
You do need a three die set, the exspander die is used just before seating the bullet.

 

[JEFFPPC]

The 41 was a fine choice, but only a few guys shot it back in the day,
As with the 44, you may leave a hard set ram standing.

As for ammo, you have to reload. Now is the time to start. Used reloading gear is cheap and everywhere. Also any silhouette shooter
would love to have you over to their reloading room to help you get started. All you need is brass, primers, powder, bullets and dies. You can buy the rest later. The cost will be comparable as several boxes of loaded rounds.

Good Luck from a IHMSA Life member since 1978.

I had the same problem with rams until I switched to 300 gr. bullets for them. End of problem.

 

[Grego13]

Who makes 300 gr bullets?

 

[JSH]

Probably a cast bullet. May or may not shoot in some guns. I am a 41 fan, biggest issue is selection of jacketed bullets.
I myself have never had an issue with a 210 jacketed or cast, and our targets are hand set. If you aim for a front shoulder I could see that being a possible problem. I go for above center and try to hang towards the rear. More times than not it will pivot the back leg off and go down.

 

[PAPA65]

I never had a problem with the 41 not tumbling rams with a solid hit.210 grain J S P loaded with 296 or VERY hard CASTING 200 grain Keith style SWC with 2400

 

[JSH]

Been a fair amount of discussion on “hard cast”. Thoughts are the tend to shatter rather than push. One fellow I shot with used Linotype. He rang pigs with a 180 style bullet out of a 30BR.

I cast all my own. I ran fairly hard alloy for a long time, that’s what I was told by many that had cast for years. Another wheel gun buddy and I aquired some alloy. It was softer than what we used but went ahead and tried it. Leading issues went away all together for the most part. Our thoughts were the hard cast skidded before it grabbed the rifleing. Where the softer alloy grabbed from the start.

 

[Turbulent Turtle]

Thanks Gents. Are loading dies and brass readily available?

I would look at Starline brass for the .41Mag. I've been using it for my .41 for years.

https://www.starlinebrass.com/41-mag-brass

 

[kneedtospeed]

Give Bob Palermo a call, @
Penn Bullets. (412)767-4670
Good Friend of mine. He'll be happy to talk details with you.
He makes quite a few, being a huge .41 fan himself, I believe up to a 295gn thunder head.
His casts shoot clean, in hot loads, through my S&W 460 .

 

[Grego13]

Thanks again Gents. Starline brass is recognized as the best for handguns calibers. I read some mention that their cases tend to be a bit thicker than the rest. Has anyone noticed this, and does it present some factors that need to be considered?