Missionary wrote:I just wish Rossi would wake up and do a run of 41 Mags.
dpe.ahoy wrote:Mike, I second your motion that Rossi NEEDS to make a run of 41 mags!!! I would be the first in line (pushing and shoving
) to get one! I just can not pay the price the Marlins in 41 are bringing. Sure wish I had discovered this cartridge many years ago instead of last year.
I would be pushing and shoving as well. I participate in or observed the demise of near 100 game animals every year; whitetails, mule deer, pronghorn, and feral hog. These observations have given me some perspective on killing authority of different classes of cartridges but it would be hard to figure out a way to present it in charts like I have posted here. I think this is a factor involved in the transfer of terminal energies, of any measure, that I call "hang time". I have come to believe that there is an optimum "hang time", through any given mass, for a projectile to transfer it's energy and the result is observed as "killing authority. I believe a bullet can pass through a body too fast or too slow for, optimum results, and of course this is very dynamic as the projectile is changing velocities and energies over distance. I've seen, on numerous occasions cartridges like the 300 Win Mag take whitetails and desert mule deer. I've seen these critters shot at 50 yards through the vitals and the deer just walk off. Some of these take a heck of a long time to find in the brush. I've seen the same cartridge, time after time, kill deer on the spot out at 250 to 300 yards... DRT. Just dump them in their tracks. Over the course of a decade and a half of observing so much game taken, I have certain expectations about any given class of cartridge.
Within the short rifle cartridges I've gained enough experience that I have formed the same opinions. In the area of 70 to 100 yards, I see the 357 Mag as needing a little more "hang time". Every critter I have shot with it, the shot being immediately behind the shoulder through the junction of the heart'/lung overlap. The response has always been the same, they walk off with their tail high. The walk is like a gut shot, may be a little quicker, but the tail is high rather than down. The usual distance covered is about 30 yards. I have been able to observe many of these "walks or trots" and after the distance is covered their feet just come out from under them and they are down dead. They were actually dead at the shot but the body did not receive the jolt that knocks them off of their feet.
The 44 Mag and 45 Colt, as I shoot it, is more of the classic vital hit. They take off like a bolt, tail high. The seem to be on their feet the same amount of time as the 357 Mag's "walk/trot" but in that they are moving full out, they cover about twice the distance.
The 480 Ruger is quite different. If it doesn't knock them off their feet, it upsets their balance so bad that the trail is quite erratic. Game that has wobbled off doesn't do it in a straight line. They never regain their balance and sense of direction. It seems to be a very good transfer of terminal energies. The critter's behavior is so upset that a branch or tree often knocks them off their feet.
I don't have enough experience with the Casull yet. All three critters that I have shot with it have all presented me with one shot; the junction of the neck/shoulder so the hit has been quite immobilizing. I'm quite interested in seeing the behavior of only vitals hit.
All this brings me to the 41 Mag. My Marlin FG and my TLC411-255-RF has taken a mix of about 50 to 60 whitetails and feral hogs. The game has been taken by myself and visiting hunters all at distances of 70 to 100 yards. All the kills have one thing in common despite the variety of shooters. The cartridge/bullet cartridge dumps them. I have never had a critter remain on it's feet or take a step. There seems to be an balance of impact energy, speed at which the cartridge travels through the vitals giving it time to transfer it's energies, and punch on the exit. I have never had a bullet remain in the animal. I really don't know what it is and it has become legend on the ranch. At night with a large hog in the "shooting gallery" bets are placed if the hog will remain on it's feet. I NEVER bet against it as I know the cartridge will dump it where it is standing. I used to have four 30-30s that I used for guest hunting but sold them as the only rifle I let someone use now is a 1894FG. I know I will not have to track the animal and the guest will see it hit the dirt. Quite a confidence builder.
I went back and added the 41 Mag to the same charts I ran for this post and you can see that it is only a slight improvement over the 357 Mag. In that the 44 Mag and 45 Colt overlapped, I only ran the 44 Mag as the comparison feature of the software only allows five choices. I really don't know what measurement of energy could be used to visualize what my experience has taught me but I do know through that experience that the 41 Mag is a consistent killer of whitetails and hogs. If offered, I would buy one immediately and the others would probably see little use.
The bullet as used in order represented in the charts:
R92_41Mag_FPS.jpg
R92_41Mag_FPE.jpg
R92_41Mag_Thornily.jpg
R92_41Mag_Penetration.jpg
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