Opinions Needed on Two Henry Rifles

[Vaquero]

Sounds like you've already got the answer. Myself I'd like to try one of the shorter barreled bbs'.
I've got one of the Big Boy Bronze 44's and a bbs 41 both with the 20" barrels.
If the new 41's had of been offered in the carbine, I would have got that.
Now I have a Rossi m 92 in 357 with a 24" octagon barrel, so just maybe my next Henry will be a 357 carbine.

[adirondack]

I can only speak for my 22" BBS .44 mag. Love it! I know that the bang with out hearing protection ( hunting ) is quite loud. so I would imagine a carbine to be even louder. Also a longer barrel would give a longer sight plane, possible more accurate. What ever he chooses there is no wrong answer. I also like the recoil pad, my hunting hand loads are at 1,800fps and I can shoot them all day without any discomfort.

[Rugerfanboy]

Don't take anything on these forum too serous . It is all BS and just for fun between friends . I'm very opinionated and try not to give my real opinion on different things or no one would like me at all .... . .

You don't have to worry about me, I'm very thick skinned...!!!! My drill instructors in boot camp at Parris Island took care of that real fast.

[Rugerfanboy]

I also like the recoil pad, my hunting hand loads are at 1,800fps and I can shoot them all day without any discomfort.

Would you care to share your secret on your 1800 fps hunting loads...??? The fastest that I've been able to achieve is 1789fps. Hodogon's website calls for 24.0 grains of Winchester 296/H110 to be the max powder charge but the Hornady 9th edition calls for 25.0 grains to be the max powder charge. Velocity is one of the keys in accuracy. If bumping the powder charge up to 25.0 grains would get me my average velocity of 1800 fps, I might do that. But, 24.0 grains of Winchester 296/H110 powder is pretty stout. I've hand loaded 300 rounds for my father to play with. 200 rounds are for target shooting and 100 rounds are for hunting. For the 100 rounds, I used 240 grain Nosler JHP bullet (.429 bullet OD), Starline brass and CCI large pistol magnum primers. The COAL is 1.600". I've measured and weighed everything about this round, trimmed all 100 to the same length, uniformed the primer pockets depth and uniformed the flash holes and beveled the flash hole on the inside to the casing. I used a Redding bench rest seating die to control the bullet run out (concentricity), which I've been able to control to .001" for these 100 rounds. The cartridge over all length (C.O.A.L) and the O-give reading (used a bullet comparator to measure the O-give measurement) on all these 100 rounds. The neck tension on all these 100 rounds is .004". These 100 rounds were hand loaded on a Forster Co-Ax press. All powder charges were hand dropped and measured with a GemPro 250 precision powder scale that is accurate down to 100th of a grain. Bench rest these hand loaded rounds, they will produce a one inch group at 100 yards. I know they will do this cause I've work on it this past winter and early spring. I spent all last winter working and perfecting these rounds. If a Henry rifle shooter will hand load precision ammo for his/her rifle, the rifle will shine in the accuracy department. The key here is precision. I'll add a few pictures of some of my equipment that I use for hand loads.

[Rugerfanboy]

Last few pictures.

[JEBar]

For the 100 rounds, I used 240 grain Nosler JHP bullet (.429 bullet OD), Starline brass and CCI large pistol magnum primers.

our hunting rounds are the same components .... Nosler's latest manuals specifically state that their 240 grain JHP's are designed and built to handle the higher velocities common to firing them in a rifle .... like you, our preference taken from Nosler's manual has long been 23.8 grains of W296 .... I wouldn't hesitate to bump that up to 25 grains but the 23.8 really shoots well in both our Ruger Redhawk and Henry 44 .... in thinking about it, we may well load some with 25 grains just to see how they perform .... so far, no deer or hogs have managed to fight off what we've been using for decades

[Rugerfanboy]

Like Winchester says....W296 powder screams....NO wimp's.
I can only handle about 50 rounds in my Ruger Redhawk with a 5.5" barrel. It hurt's my hand and wrist. The muzzle flip is site to see with 24.0 grains of W296. I myself might try the 25.0 grains in my rifle, but no way in my Ruger Redhawk.

[JEBar]

Like Winchester says....W296 powder screams....NO wimp's.
I can only handle about 50 rounds in my Ruger Redhawk with a 5.5" barrel. It hurt's my hand and wrist. The muzzle flip is site to see with 24.0 grains of W296. I myself might try the 25.0 grains in my rifle, but no way in my Ruger Redhawk.

our Redhawk has a 7.5" barrel and has been Mag-na-ported, which made a very positive change in the way our Redhawk handles recoil .... I can't see any need for a max, hunting load to punch a hole in a paper target or to ring a metal target .... consequently, the vast majority of the 44 rounds we fire are light 44 special strength .... by doing so, I can physically and economically handle firing many more rounds .... the last times I've taken them to the range we have fired 100 - 150 rounds through our Redhawk and an equal number through the Henry .... with the light loads they are both really fun to shoot .... if/when we should take either or both of them hunting, its a simple matter to fine tune the Nikon on our Henry and Aimpoint on the Redhawk

[adirondack]

Rugerfanboy...Checked my logs and my .44 mag. Henry loads are 1,790 fps, average. I'm using Montana gold 240 ( .429) JSP bullets. Starline brass, WLP primers, and 24.5 gr. H110. Dies are standard Redding. I'm not getting the accuracy you are but they stay in 1.5" at 50 yds. Hornady JHP (.430)bullets seem to be more accurate in my rifle, but I have 500 of the Montana's to shoot up so I worked the load up slowly and they shot better with the higher powder charges. Sorry about the (10) fps mistake!

[Rugerfanboy]

our Redhawk has a 7.5" barrel and has been Mag-na-ported, which made a very positive change in the way our Redhawk handles recoil .... I can't see any need for a max, hunting load to punch a hole in a paper target or to ring a metal target .... consequently, the vast majority of the 44 rounds we fire are light 44 special strength .... by doing so, I can physically and economically handle firing many more rounds .... the last times I've taken them to the range we have fired 100 - 150 rounds through our Redhawk and an equal number through the Henry .... with the light loads they are both really fun to shoot .... if/when we should take either or both of them hunting, its a simple matter to fine tune the Nikon on our Henry and Aimpoint on the Redhawk

I think I'm gonna look into Magna-port this winter for my revolvers. I run muzzle brakes for all of my rifles except my Henry rifle and they make a world of difference in getting back on target.

[Rugerfanboy]

Rugerfanboy...Checked my logs and my .44 mag. Henry loads are 1,790 fps, average. I'm using Montana gold 240 ( .429) JSP bullets. Starline brass, WLP primers, and 24.5 gr. H110. Dies are standard Redding. I'm not getting the accuracy you are but they stay in 1.5" at 50 yds. Hornady JHP (.430)bullets seem to be more accurate in my rifle, but I have 500 of the Montana's to shoot up so I worked the load up slowly and they shot better with the higher powder charges. Sorry about the (10) fps mistake!

Rounding numbers up isn't a problem in my thinking. For what it's worth, the 44 Magnum is actually not 44, more like a 43.

I've never shot any bullets from Montana before, so I can't speak for there accuracy. But, I can for Hornady and there numbers are all over the place from one bullet to the next bullet. Nosler is the best I have been able to measure from one bullet to the next bullet. There not perfect, but, I'd rate them in the precision category.

[JEBar]

I think I'm gonna look into Magna-port this winter for my revolvers. I run muzzle brakes for all of my rifles except my Henry rifle and they make a world of difference in getting back on target.

Mag-na-porting will change the way your pistol responds to the recoil .... much less barrel jump and move straight back .... it took a few rounds to get used to the difference but now that I am, I wouldn't want to go back

[Rugerfanboy]

I think I'm gonna look into Magna-port this winter for my revolvers. I run muzzle brakes for all of my rifles except my Henry rifle and they make a world of difference in getting back on target.

Mag-na-porting will change the way your pistol responds to the recoil .... much less barrel jump and move straight back .... it took a few rounds to get used to the difference but now that I am, I wouldn't want to go back

I have three snub nose revolvers that I love to shoot and all three of them have a high muzzle flip that takes a bit to get back on target. My 44 Magnum Redhawk Kodiac Backpacker snub nose revolver is the worst of them. These three revolvers will be the first to go. I just need to research first of what is needed from me on shipping and taking them apart and what they will need to do the work.

But, then again, I might just have them work on all of them at the same time. I have a total of five revolvers that I want this done to them. I just need to call and see what there thoughts would be.

[JEBar]

you know what they say about opinions .. .. I think you are wise to contact them .... with the three of them being so similar, I believe I'd pick the one that jumps the most and start with it .... as noted, it will change the way the revolver reacts to recoil and it might be wise to make sure you are going to be happy with the difference