45 Colt Henry accuracy

[sharps50/70]

I've been considering buying a Uberti Henry or 1866 rifle in 45 Colt.  For the matches I shoot in, I need 3" groups off the bench at 100 yards.  Has anyone had experiences with the Henry, the 1866 or 1873 in 45 Colt?  What has been your accuracy at 50 and 100 yards?

Thanks

Rich

[Long Johns Wolf]

A cowboy friend of mine is shooting a Uberti 73 rifle with 24" octagon barrel in .45 Colt successfully at distances up to 240 yards. While I am not able to do that I can hit targets the size of a beer wad with my Uberti 73 musket in .45 Colt at 50 yards, using light smokeless CAS loads behind a 200 gr bullet. So, the accuracy potential of the .45 Colt out of a rifle barrel is there if you have steady hands and eagle eyes (I don't have the latter any more: too much computer work).
Bootsie

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Although personnally I am no great shakes as a marksman, and can barely hit the side of a barn from inside the barn, many shooters feel that the Henries are perhaps capable of superior accuracy than the '66 or '73 models. Some have gone so far as to suggest that they think Uberti spends extra effort making the barrels of the Henry more accurate. Personally, I doubt that Uberti is expending any more manufacturing effort on the bores of the Henries than the other toggle link guns. They are all production line guns, afterall. But I have long suspected that the construction of the Henry barrel, with the barrel and magazine both milled from one large billet of steel, may be inherently stiffer than the other toggle link rifles, and may contribute to superior accuracy.

This of course will depend on the load one chooses to fire in his particular rifle. Not all loads will have the same inherent accuracy.

[Major 2]

I can't say 3" exactly.... but I can break 10 clay Pegions out of 10 at 100 yards... at least I did once.
I used Black Hills 250 grain I think... though I also use 200 grain and I,m just not sure which I used that day.

Oh ! Uberti Henry in 45 LC ...circa Christmas 1999 gift

[sharps50/70]

Thanks fellows for your replies.  Good information.

Rich

[USCG Flyer]

When I first bought my Henry in .45, I needed more cases so I bought a few boxes of Alabama Ammo's JHP. I figured they has Starline cases and the price was pretty cheap. Velocity was stated on the box at 1050, but I can't verify, seemed like a pretty mild load... Anyhow, it occurred to me that hunting with that Henry would be fun, so I fired a few at 100. The sights make it difficult, but from the bench, three five round groups were hanging between 1 3/4" - 2". I know there isn't a whole lot you can do with the trigger on the Henry, but I think with a little finer sight picture (perhaps the Smith Ladder Sight) would make this easy with the right load. I've been doing a lot of work on my .45 loads recently, and I'm having great success with jacketed bullets. The lead loads are coming along, but slowly. I'm finding a good crimp is key. I'm not a CAS shooter, I just enjoy period arms, so I don't know what you require, but in lead, I'm finding 200gr for smokeless, and 250 for black is giving good results. Ok, I'm running on here, but in short, it is indeed quite possible.

[sharps50/70]

USCG Flyer,

Great post, please run on as much as you like.  If I purchased the rifle I'm thinking about, I would be shooting mostly lead bullets, some with black powder but most with smokeless powder.  Please keep us posted on how you are doing.

Rich