The 41 Magnum is one of those cartridges that has faded somewhat into obscurity for absolutely no reason at all. And in all reality, it never really ever caught on due to a couple of reasons, like its timing to the market.
It was released several years after the 357 and 44 magnums, and their popularity for both self-defense and hunting was already cemented.
Because of this many modern shooters have never even heard of it, which is a shame when you consider how good it is in so many different situations.
The 41 Remington Magnum is one of the brain children of famed cartridge designer Elmer Keith (of 357 mag and 44 mag fame).
This 41 caliber cartridge is a true dual purpose round that is comfortably capable of taking animals in size up to white tail deer.
The dual purpose shines through once you realize that there are also defensive jacketed hollow point (JHP) loads manufactured by the ammo makers, as well.
The 41 Remington Magnum, to those who know, is a bridge. It offers more power downrange, utilizing a bigger projectile, than the 357 Magnum.
At the same time, it offers less recoil than full power 44 Magnum rounds. With the right setup, 41 Magnum bullets can reach blazing speeds over 1,600 feet per second at the muzzle with a 10 inch barrel, along with 1107 pounds of energy.
41 Magnum Guns:
There are actually several different firearms still being manufactured today for this bridge cartridge. For example, is the 6-shot Ruger Redhawk.
Another one is the Model 57 Smith & Wesson revolver, which is the model that the 41 Mag was first chambered in.
And of course, bringing the dual purpose back into things is the Henry Big Boy Classic chambered in 41 Remington Magnum to really help the hunter stretch out its capabilities.
41 Magnum Ballistics Charts:
This 41 Remington Magnum ballistic chart shows 190 Grain Hornady FTX LEVERevolution fired from a 10 inch barrel:
| Muzzle | 50 YDS | 100 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1620 | 1432 | 1272 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1107 | 865 | 682 |
| Drop (Inch) | / | +1.4 | 0 |
This 41 Remington Mag ballistics chart shows 210 grain Federal Premium Swift A-Frame rounds fired from a 6 inch barrel:
| Muzzle | 50 YDS | 100 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 1360 | 1224 | 1118 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 862 | 698 | 582 |
| Drop (Inch) | / | -.4 | -5.7 |
Conclusion:
While the 41 Remington Magnum doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, it would be nice if it saw a surge in popularity.
It deserves more shooters than it currently has. Next, check out our big handgun ballistics chart page that has this, and dozens more calibers.
