The 41 Remington Magnum is a centerfire handgun cartridge standardised by SAAMI in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3. SAAMI sets its maximum average pressure at 36,000 psi, and publishes its reference velocities for both a vented barrel and the standard test barrel. This guide sets out SAAMI’s published reference velocity for each bullet weight, computes the muzzle energy each one carries, and compares the 41 Remington Magnum with the 44 Remington Magnum on the same basis.
41 Magnum ballistics chart: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI publishes nominal mean instrumental velocities for each reference bullet weight, measured at 15 feet from a vented barrel and from the standard test barrel, and marks a figure it has not established. It does not publish energy, so the ft-lb figures are computed. Where SAAMI lists more than one velocity for a weight, both ends of the span are shown.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Bullet weight | Vented-barrel velocity / computed energy | Test-barrel velocity / computed energy |
|---|---|---|
| 170 gr | 1,400 fps / 740 ft-lb | 1,800 fps / 1,223 ft-lb |
| 175 gr | 1,250 fps / 607 ft-lb | 1,490 fps / 863 ft-lb |
| 180 gr | Not established | 1,550–1,615 fps / 960–1,042 ft-lb |
| 190 gr | Not established | 1,610 fps / 1,093 ft-lb |
| 210 gr | 955–1,280 fps / 425–764 ft-lb | 1,125–1,585 fps / 590–1,171 ft-lb |
What the numbers mean for a shot
SAAMI lists 5 reference bullet weights for the 41 Remington Magnum, from 170 to 210 grains. The lightest, 170 grains, is listed at 1,400 fps in a vented barrel (740 ft-lb computed) and 1,800 fps in the test barrel (1,223 ft-lb computed). The heaviest, 210 grains, is listed at 955–1,280 fps in a vented barrel (425–764 ft-lb computed) and 1,125–1,585 fps in the test barrel (590–1,171 ft-lb computed).
SAAMI lists more than one reference velocity for 180 and 210 grains. Its own note says this is because a weight can carry several introductions meeting different market needs, such as reduced-recoil loads, or because propellant and loading advances allowed higher velocities after the original load appeared.
None of this is a downrange figure. SAAMI measures at 15 feet, so retained velocity, energy and drop depend on the bullet’s ballistic coefficient, which SAAMI does not publish. Each product in our 41 Magnum ammo range lists whatever its maker publishes for that item.
Barrel, chamber and pressure
A revolver loses some gas, and with it velocity, at the gap between cylinder and barrel, which is why SAAMI publishes a vented-barrel velocity for revolver cartridges beside the test-barrel one. SAAMI notes that the vented-barrel figures “are provided for information only” and that vented test barrels are used for the establishment of catalog velocity values for cartridges normally chambered in revolvers. Your own revolver’s barrel length will move the numbers again. The maximum average pressure is 36,000 psi. Fire 41 Remington Magnum ammunition only in a firearm chambered for it. Several unrelated cartridges share a number, so match the full designation on the box to the marking on your barrel.
41 Magnum vs 44 Magnum: the SAAMI comparison
A figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a figure from another’s: each picks its own test barrel, zero and bullet, and many publish no test barrel at all. SAAMI is the shared basis, because it fixes one standard test barrel and one way of measuring velocity for every cartridge it lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 41 Remington Magnum | 44 Remington Magnum |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum average pressure | 36,000 psi | 36,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | Revolver test barrel (see SAAMI drawing) | Revolver test barrel (see SAAMI drawing) |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 18.75 in | 1 turn in 20.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .409 in | .429 in |
| Lightest reference load | 170 gr — 1,800 fps / 1,223 ft-lb | 180 gr — 1,800 fps / 1,295 ft-lb |
| A weight both list | 210 gr — 1,125–1,585 fps / 590–1,171 ft-lb | 210 gr — 1,525 fps / 1,084 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 210 gr — 1,125–1,585 fps / 590–1,171 ft-lb | 300 gr — 1,200 fps / 959 ft-lb |
The 41 Remington Magnum and the 44 Remington Magnum share the same maximum average pressure, 36,000 psi. At 210 grains, a weight both list, SAAMI’s 41 Remington Magnum reference velocity is up to 1,585 fps (1,171 ft-lb computed), against 1,525 fps (1,084 ft-lb) for the 44 Remington Magnum. On that row the 41 Remington Magnum carries the more energy.
What SAAMI cannot settle is anything past the muzzle. It publishes no ballistic coefficients and no downrange data, so it cannot say which cartridge shoots flatter at distance; that depends on the bullet. We stock the other side of this comparison too: 44 Magnum ammo.
41 Magnum ballistics questions
What is the maximum pressure of the 41 Remington Magnum?
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.3 sets the maximum average pressure for the 41 Remington Magnum at 36,000 psi.
What twist rate does SAAMI use for the 41 Remington Magnum?
SAAMI’s test barrel drawing for the 41 Remington Magnum shows rifling of 1 turn in 18.75 in. Revolver barrel lengths vary widely, so your own revolver may differ.
What bullet weights does SAAMI list for the 41 Remington Magnum?
SAAMI lists 5 reference weights, from 170 to 210 grains: 170, 175, 180, 190 and 210.
Is the 41 Remington Magnum more powerful than the 44 Remington Magnum?
Power is not a SAAMI measure, but reference muzzle energy is a fair proxy. At 210 grains, a weight both list, SAAMI’s 41 Remington Magnum reference velocity is up to 1,585 fps (1,171 ft-lb computed), against 1,525 fps (1,084 ft-lb) for the 44 Remington Magnum.
What is the effective range of the 41 Remington Magnum?
Effective range is not a SAAMI specification and it is not a measured figure. SAAMI measures velocity at 15 feet, so it says nothing about performance at distance; that depends on the bullet and the shooter.
How much does the 41 Remington Magnum drop at 100 yards?
SAAMI publishes muzzle velocity only, so it cannot give a drop figure. Drop depends on the bullet’s ballistic coefficient and on the zero range. A drop figure is unusable without its zero, so use the figure a maker prints for the specific load.
Where to buy these loads
Hilltop Armory carries 41 Magnum ammunition from Buffalo Bore, Copper Only Projectiles (C.O.P.), Remington, Barnes and Hornady. Browse the full 41 Magnum ammo range.
