Description
.41 Remington Magnum 265 Grain WFN Hi-Tek Coated “Choice Bear Defense”- The .41 Remington Magnum is a center fire firearms cartridge primarily developed for use in large-frame revolvers, introduced in 1964 by the Remington Arms Company, intended for hunting and law enforcement purposes.
In 1963, Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan, with some help from Skeeter Skelton, petitioned Smith & Wesson, Remington, and Norma to produce a pistol and ammunition in .41 caliber which would fall between the extant .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum cartridges in ballistic performance, and at the same time address perceived shortcomings with those loads. While Keith had suggested a softer .41 Special cartridge as early as 1955, this idea was passed over in favor of the Magnum option, and the Special survives only as a custom wildcat cartridge.
The .357 Magnum suffered from restricted terminal ballistic effectiveness in the early 1960s, as jacketed hollow point bullets were not yet commonly available, and the manufacturer’s standard loadings consisted of simple lead bullets. The powerful .44 Magnum, primarily a heavy hunting round, was considered overkill for police use, generating too much recoil for control under rapid fire. In addition, the revolvers chambered for the .44 were considered too large, bulky, and heavy for police carry. Keith’s original vision called for dual power levels in the .41, a heavy magnum load pushing a 210-grain JHP at a muzzle velocity of 1300–1400 feet per second, and a milder police loading which was to send a 200-grain semi wadcutter downrange at around 900 ft.
These plans went awry due to an ongoing fascination in the firearms community with high-powered cartridges; Remington was swayed by this community’s influence and instead of following Keith’s blueprint chose to emphasize the performance of the new cartridge. As a result, the .41 “Magnum” load was released at an advertised 1500 ft/s, and even the “light” police loading was introduced with a 210 grain lead semi wadcutter “warmed up” to about 1,150 ft/s. Unfortunately, the police load as delivered was regarded as overpowered by most law enforcement agencies, many of whom were still using .38 Special revolvers.
Additionally, Smith & Wesson simply adapted their large N-frame revolvers for the new cartridge, which did not address size and weight concerns. The Model 58, targeted for the law enforcement market, was introduced on July 10, 1964. Weighing in at 41 ounces, the Model 58 compared unfavorably with other popular revolvers available at the time, such as Smith’s own 34 ounce Model 10 in .38 Special
Choice Ammunition loads our .41 Remington Magnum Bear Defense loads with the same 100% hand-loading techniques as our other calibers. Our loading techniques and extremely tight tolerances are only matched by passionate hand-loaders in their own loading rooms. Our consistencies box to box and lot to lot, are created by continuous testing at the range- adjusting varied powder and brass lot formulas to match exact velocities and points of impact as the last time we loaded this caliber. Exact seating depths and our proprietary load formulas produce a round of ammunition you can count on for accuracy and dependability each and every time- and at that critical moment in the field when it all comes down to this shot!
The Bullet:
Our hard cast (22 BHN) Wide Nose Flat Point bullet is specifically designed for Bear Defense situations. Transferring maximum energy and with deep penetration and bone crushing stopping power.
- Velocity: 1,415 fps.
- Energy: 1,178 ft. pounds
- 100% Hand-Loaded