The Fabulous .41 Remains A Preferred Caliber For The Discerning And Serious Shooter

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 9/4/2016 | Dave Workman

[w1n1]

Despite hitting harder than the .357 Magnum (with a bigger bore), and shooting flatter (to a slight degree) with less recoil than the .44 Magnum, the .41 Remington Magnum has been unfairly overshadowed since hitting the American landscape back in 1964. But the truth is, it just might be the best of a pretty good bunch.

Let’s be honest. The .44 Magnum is a fraud, being a .429 in true caliber, while the .41 Magnum is the real McCoy. With comparable loads, the .41 Magnum can do anything the .44 Magnum can do, and it is a real survivor.

The popularity of the .41-caliber Magnum seems to ebb and flow, but those who have stuck with it make it as versatile a choice as its siblings. I’ve carried the .41 Magnum for personal protection, killed a couple of deer with it, shot long-range targets (it’s a favorite among silhouette shooters) and had it in the backcountry as a utility gun. Read the rest of the story here.

[Lurker]

Got a Unique load worked up for the same projectile, just too lazy to look it up right now.

L

[RandallFlagg]

When this thread started, and I saw it, that seems to have been a myth.

"Dirty Harry's gun is supposedly a Smith & Wesson Model 29 revolver, chambered for a .44 Magnum cartridge. In the film, the gun is shown as being capable of sending assailants flying through the air, even when shot from a distance, however, in reality the gun does not produce such dramatic results. Additionally, the .44 Magnum round is not considered to be a practical caliber for urban police force use due to recoil (which makes target re-acquisition difficult) and over-penetration issues, which greatly increases the likelihood of the bullet going through its target and injuring bystanders. The actual gun used on set by Clint Eastwood was in fact a Smith & Wesson Model 29. It is a common misconception that a Model 29 could not be located and a Model 57, chambered in .41 Magnum, was used instead. Clint Eastwood contacted Bob Sauer, representative for Smith and Wesson, to acquire the pistol. The Model 29 had been in production up until the late nineties, but a number of pistols were assembled from parts at the factory and provided to the crew. Eastwood took one to a firing range to familiarize himself with the Model 29."

Dirty Harry IMDB Trivia

[MarkL]

I load a 210 grain JHP over about 8.5 grains of Bullseye. Hits hard and is very civilized to shoot.

For really hard hitting loads, it seems that the slower burning powders like 2400 or even WW296/H110 are preferred, but it's the lighter loads of fast burning powders that make for very pleasant shooting loads.

I don't recall the exact load, but when I was competing in "pin-shooting," a typical load was about 7.5 gr of WW231 and a hard-cast 240gr LSWC. IIRC, it sent the bullet lumbering down range at about 750-800fps, a great speed to cleanly take the pin off the table and embed the bullet in the pin, so it won't ricochet back at you.

Mark

[doorgunner69]

I had a Super Blackhwk that I did a trigger jopb on for decades, then got a Super Redhawk 9.5" barrel just because I wanted to try a scoped .44.

Never did take a liking to that huge beast, the Sup Blackhawk was much more fun to shoot. The DA on the Sup Redhawk sucked, so it was a single action for my shooting.

One memorable day, I out shot my buddy with a 30-30 rifle with the Super Blackhawk, standing. Yes, the .44 Sup Blackhawk takes some intense mental discipline to shoot well, but by God, it does shoot more accurately than I could ever explain for a revolver.

[MarkL]

Thanks for setting me straight on that!

Mark

[MarkL]

I used to call those heavy rounds, especially if I was using either 180gr jhp or Speer 300gr jsp, "Excitement loads."

Not a lot of fun to shoot, but quite entertaining for those watching!

At the time I had a 629 Power Grand Master (for pin shooting,) and I would NEVER use it for those rounds. Strictly Redhawk rounds, as far as I was concerned!

Mark

[tumblindice]

In the film I remember ‘Harry’ saying he used light custom loads in his hand cannon.

[niteowl77]

They both beat the .357 but a hot .357 (and most modern .357 loads are not) is more powerful than most people realize.

The old heavy loadings from the early days of the .357 will wake a guy up. I got used to "box store" factory .357 ammunition when used in medium-to-heavy revolvers, but genuinely stout .357 loads launched from - just for example - a 6" GP-100 are not particularly enjoyable for me these days, though I will still politely shoot about any handgun if someone insists that I try their latest cannon (if it is really unpleasant, I just play the old codger card after the first round by handing it back and doing the "aw, shucks... that really kicks" thing).

Mr. niteowl77

[MileHi]

I once loaded 50 rounds of .44 mag using a 240 gr. jacketed soft point, probably Speer. It was 23 grains of 296.

My "standard" load is 240 gr. JHP/JSP over 24 gr. of H110. Accurate and powerful (killed a ~300 lb black bear with it).

That load shows pressure signs in my buddies Super Blackhawk. Works fine in two DA wheelguns I've used it in.

[Big Red Badger]

Sad tale Sargent,
How about a New love?

Ruger Match Champion??

I’m loving It,
Just Saying.

[JimRed]

The 44 guys claim a much higher muzzle energy and more energy at 100 meters.

In practical reality, aren't most defensive uses of a handgun at much closer quarters than 100 meters?