41 mag......good all around revolver round?

[MrInox]

Thinking semi-seriously about a "4.2 redhawk in this caliber for woods/trail/camp/fishing and maybe even occasional cold weather carry....

A round that punches above 357mag but handles better than a .44 holds some appeal for me.



So what say ye?

[LtDave]

So long as you can handload for it, it is an excellent choice. If you have to rely on factory ammo alone, or need to pick up ammo at the local Wal Mart or out of the way shops you are probably better off with a 44 magnum.

In my experience full power .41 mag loads are just as unpleasant to shoot as full power .44s. I’ve had .41s since the mid ‘70s.

[Jeep]

So long as you can handload for it, it is an excellent choice. If you have to rely on factory ammo alone, or need to pick up ammo at the local Wal Mart, you are probably better off with a 44 magnum.

Very much agree. Wonderful round but when you have to take out a mortgage to buy a box of ammo--if you can find that box--you are probably better off with something else. And you can always load the .44 with Specials, which have a number of excellent protection-from-humans loads.

[Wheeler]

It's sort of a boutique cartridge these days with a strong cult following. Handloading is going to be the way to go if you plan to shoot it more than once every couple of months. With that being said, I'm a rather big fan of .32 Mags and have managed to justify keeping those around, so you'll find a ready participant in your enabling experience here.

[BillSWPA]

I suggest looking in the semiauto sub forum for GJM’s thread about field pistols. His conclusion was that an HP .45 ACP pistol that is rated for .45 super, loaded with Underwood penetrator ammo, is the best option.

He also found that any service pistol caliber loaded with the Underwood penetrator ammo would be adequate for most field purposes. So, unless you are going where grizzly or Kodiak bears live, you may be well served by different ammo for something you already own.



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[ACP230]

The .41 is my favorite revolver round.

I reload for it and have for years. Used it in Bowling Pin, steel plate matches,
and for general plinking, and woods wandering. Have also carried various .41s while
trout fishing. There are bears here and I like to have a revolver along while on the
streams. A 210 to 230 grain lead SWC over enough Unique to drive it at 1,000 fps
works well on pins and plates.

Have not managed to hunt deer with a 41. The DNR pulled an early doe season
that I thought would have been perfect for my long-barreled 657.

Georgia Ammo makes .41 ammo, and I think Buffalo Bore might as well.
Winchester does make .41 rounds but they are pricey. I put up some Silvertips
when they were a bit less expensive. Federal made (and may still make) some
heavy bullet .41s.

Get a .41. You can always buy a .44 later, but after the .41 you may not
want to.

[Jeep]

I suggest looking in the semiauto sub forum for GJM’s thread about field pistols. His conclusion was that an HP .45 ACP pistol that is rated for .45 super, loaded with Underwood penetrator ammo, is the best option.


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And that was a very reasonable conclusion--but it isn't the only one. A 210 grain hard-cast .41 magnum load (particularly if you can find hard-cast wadcutters) can do everything a hopped-up .45 auto round can do and then some. So like usual it depends on your most likely tactical situation--and with the .42, whether you reload or not.

[41magfan]

Only if you reload, otherwise just skip it and get a .44 Magnum.

[FPS]

I think people forget that there is a very large power range in .44 magnum from very pleasant shooting on the low end to "I'm going to pass on shooting that again" on the high end. Whatever your pleasure, you can load for it with .44 magnum (or .45 Colt for that matter) and supplies are easy to find. Additionally, if you want to resell the gun at a later date, it will probably be easier to move a .44 magnum than a .41 magnum.

[Alpha Sierra]

I suggest looking in the semiauto sub forum for GJM’s thread about field pistols. His conclusion was that an HP .45 ACP pistol that is rated for .45 super, loaded with Underwood penetrator ammo, is the best option.

That so?

Let me clarify what he meant:

His conclusion was that an HP .45 ACP pistol that is rated for .45 super, loaded with Underwood penetrator ammo, is the best option FOR HIM