I'm pretty well caught up with stuff from Comrade Publisher so it was time to experiment with new loads for my S&W 41 mag. I'd already ordered Starline brass and Acme bullets (if Acme works for Wile E, I'll go with it, too
)
These are the Lyman 215 grain gas check bullet with no gas check but coated. Looked in 3 manuals to find 18.0 grains of 2400 was under max & loaded 50 of those. Which are full house magnum. Took several rounds to get over the flinch!
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A long time ago, a friend cast me a pile of 41 caliber wadcutters that weigh right at 200 grains lubed. No data is available for that design, so I went with loads for the next heaviest bullet I could find. 8.0 grains Unique was well under max and hardly any flinching with that one.
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Our state run range is closed to at least July 1, but no worries - I went out on a deserted county road to put a rock in my target box & fell back 25 paces. No surprise, the 1st shot of both types went wild - groups of the remaining 4 are shown.
Top 4 are the wadcutter loads - hot ones below that. I think the wadcutter load is a keeper. Since there was no traffic, I set up the chronograph.
The 200 grain wadcutters with 8.0 Unique went:
1081
1029
Error
1030
1070
215 grain coated SWCs over 18.0 2400 went:
1375
1345
1382
1373
1368
Dug out my IHMSA (silhouette association) accuracy book to find 41 mag groups consistently begin opening up at velocities over 1350 fps. So I'll drop down to 17.0 grains/ 2400 after I shoot up all the 18 grainers.
My hand still tingles, but it was a fun afternoon!
SW