41 magnum

[trader steve]

I have a ruger 4 5/8 41 magnum I'm looking to get load ideas have H110 and 296 and cast 215gr swc Steve

 

[cem]

H110 and 296 are exactly the same powder. The powder works best in full power loads and starting loads should not be reduced very much. I like the Lyman book for cast bullet data. For my own purposes I prefer jacketed bullets for full power 296 loads. I prefer Unique or 2400 for full power cast bullet loads and of course many others such as Red Dot for lighter loads with cast bullets. I notice the Hodgdon website suggests a 210 grain jacketed bullet for 296/H110 and for the 215 grain cast bullet suggests powders that Hodgdon apparently thinks are better than H110/296 with cast bullet loads. I'm not here to argue with Hodgdon. LoadData from Wolfe offers easily searched data on line. - a very small proportion of cast bullet H110/296 loads but there are enough.
Warning! Notes: Ruger Blackhawk has a barrel length of 6 1/2 inches. Starline brass used in all loads. Temperature during range tests was 28 degrees Fahrenheit. (Handloader Issue #221)

220	Lyman 410459	Hodgdon	H-110	21.0	1,320
Remarks: primer: Federal 155

 

[robert8904]

I'm looking at my Lyman cast bullet guide. It shows a 210 swc with 19.3-21.5 H110. It then shows a 220 swc at 18.4-20.5 H110. I would average that data and load 'em up. Your upper limit will be sticky extraction which may not happen unless you go past the upper averaged data limits. I hope you have some good grips on that Blackhawk!

 

[trader steve]

Yes I changed the grips on it and my 45Lc I learn fast.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

I'm shooting 20.0 grs H-110, with a cast 215 bullet. You can also use 7.5 of trail boss for a lighter practice load with a 215 cast bullet

 

[jepp2]

cast 215gr swc

What is the brinell on your cast bullets? Makes a difference on how fast you need to shoot them.

 

[trader steve]

Around 20 I believe there very hard

 

[mac86951]

Around 20 I believe there very hard

That may be an issue; or may not. Too high in brinell may mean the base doesn't obfuscate to make a gas seal; or they may hold together.

I'd recommend starting with Unique; there's a lot of secondary effects with cast bullets and Unique or even 2400 would provide you a wide usable range.

With h110/296; a gas check is highly recommended. Welcome to full-power magnums.

Personally, use jacketed for h110/296, and save those cast for 44 specials.

-Mac

 

[JSH]

Shooting cast the first thing ya need to do is make sure they are the right size. Luckily it seems most .41 mag cb’s are sized about .410 or .411. Oddly I have found the 41 mag more consistent in cylinder, forcing cone and barrels than any other revolver

Unique is your friend. Longshot is another one.

Do as you may but I am old school and don’t mix jacketed and cast without a serious cleaning, I have zero issues.
Those hard bullets driven fast as mentioned may not obturate and skid in the rifling before grabbing.

 

[Mike Casselton]

I'm looking at my Lyman cast bullet guide. It shows a 210 swc with 19.3-21.5 H110. It then shows a 220 swc at 18.4-20.5 H110. I would average that data and load 'em up. Your upper limit will be sticky extraction which may not happen unless you go past the upper averaged data limits. I hope you have some good grips on that Blackhawk!

Agree on the grip thing.
Mine was bought looking like it had been run through hell and back.
The Blackhawk grip was a bit sporty.

Sent it to Reeder for an action job, refinish and Bisley Gunfighter conversion.
It's much, much better now and looks beautiful.

I'd post pics, but the file is too large and I can't figure out how to resize it on this old phone.

 

[mike mccormick]

That may be an issue; or may not. Too high in brinell may mean the base doesn't obfuscate to make a gas seal; or they may hold together.

I'd recommend starting with Unique; there's a lot of secondary effects with cast bullets and Unique or even 2400 would provide you a wide usable range.

With h110/296; a gas check is highly recommended. Welcome to full-power magnums.

Personally, use jacketed for h110/296, and save those cast for 44 specials.

-Mac

not obfuscate. It is obturate

 

[farmerjohn]

That may be an issue; or may not. Too high in brinell may mean the base doesn't obfuscate to make a gas seal; or they may hold together.

I'd recommend starting with Unique; there's a lot of secondary effects with cast bullets and Unique or even 2400 would provide you a wide usable range.

With h110/296; a gas check is highly recommended. Welcome to full-power magnums.

Personally, use jacketed for h110/296, and save those cast for 44 specials.

-Mac

Best pay attention to what this feller and @JSH are telling you or pre order you a Lewis lead remover. Been shooting a 41 mag since the 70s and they're not wrong. If you want to use those cast bullets try a 12 brinell and about 7gr of Unique. Those hard bullets probably won't seal and your accuracy will suffer even if they don't lead your barrel, good shooting John

 

[mac86951]

not obfuscate. It is obturate

Haha,oops thank you!

 

[mac86951]

Best pay attention to what this feller and @JSH are telling you or pre order you a Lewis lead remover. Been shooting a 41 mag since the 70s and they're not wrong. If you want to use those cast bullets try a 12 brinell and about 7gr of Unique. Those hard bullets probably won't seal and your accuracy will suffer even if they don't lead your barrel, good shooting John

Just to follow up, thanks for clarifying obturate! I'm a cast shooter 38, 357, and 44s and 44M. The 44M is worthy of capitalization in a 329pd without x-frame grips (wowza that woke me up).

I'm casting around brinell 12, far too soft for no gas-checks above 1100fps. Shoots great at 800-1100 and hard enough that they almost look reusable after hitting steel at 50y.

I'm sure OP has specific use in mind, so brinell 20 may be just fine. As they say, gotta try it to see.

I've heard it said that too slow can lead a barrel too; I've not observed that personally, so i can't say; and I've not worked past 1100fps as my cast book says don't, so i stopped there.

I can flag issues all day; but that doesn't mean it won't work, just that a brinell 20 full power load is out of the norm, so don't load 500 before you try 5 to see?

-Mac

 

[mike mccormick]

I agree....20 brinnell is HARD. In all reality, too hard for hunting use unless it has a very wide meplat. It will not expand at all. A better solution is a bullet in the 12-14 range with a gas check. A 50/50 alox/beeswax lube will handle about anything up to about 2500 fps.
Also, if you are going to cast your own, accuracy is most affected by the base of the bullet. The base should be sharp and square for best results. If using gas checks, make sure the bullet is seated clear to the bottom of the cup before running it through the sizer, so the end result is a squarely seated/ crimped gas check. The results definitely show on the target.