Vintage Hunting and NCOWS

[Big Goose]

BRS,
Thanks, and-
    Yep-- I had a dickens of a time trying to squeeze down the 44 Special brass, the bases were quite a bit tight no matter what-- - I suppose BA has some big hydraulic press to form them, but they are exactly .444 from base to mouth. Its a pretty straight forward loading process if you're used to heeled boolets( I have a cartridge conversion of a Rogers and Spencer revolver, use 44 Russian brass and heeled boolet-- shoots great! with a .454  230 grain heeled boolet}..
fun stuff!
BG

[nativeshootist]

Man those are some tiny bullets. Still cant believe people killed bears aqnd buffalo with those.

[Coal Creek Griff]

This is SO cool, Big Goose! THANK YOU for giving us the vicarious enjoyment! (Sorry for all of the exclamation points, but I can't help myself!  It's just too exciting!)

[Big Goose]

Thanks fellers,
I dont often get much computer time for posting stuff, so its nice to share when I can. I know that I surely do enjoy everybody's pics and posts...
  Yep, they are tiny cartridges, especially compared to most modern sporting rounds, and yet I know lots of avid handgun hunters that are totally successful with similar ballistics.
I saw the question about hand gunning for black bears on another forum and totally agree with this answer:

Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods. By that standard a good heavy-power . 44 Special or . 45 Colt handload in the right gun should work fine and has.
  So I figure the 210 grain boolet at 1100fps, is at least as effective....
As for buffalo... even though William F. Cody considered the Henry, as well as the "improved Winchester 44 CF(1873)" as "pop guns" for buffalo, compared to the Spencer and especially his 2nd Allin model Springfield 50-70, the diminutive Henry round can get the job done.  Not recommended for the novice ....  here's a pic of my son Colton about this time last year. The 44 HCF boolet penetrated the thick hide, broke a rib, and punched a finger size hole through the heart and both lungs and was wedged between the ribs on the off side.
Again, not a recommendation as a buffalo gun, but if'n its all you had-  just aim carefully...
BG 

[Coffinmaker]

  Big Goose   

How absolutely totally MARVELOUS!!  I posted to your thread on one of our other forums, but . . . . I am a huge fan of Brass Rifles.  I have more Reproduction Henry and 1866 rifles than I know what to do with and am just fine with that.

So few Central Fire 1866s came back into this country, I think you could count them and not run out of fingers.  So it is absolutely marvelous to see one and to see it in actual use.  I have been tempted in the past to do a Central Fire conversion on an original Henry, but the price of a donor is just too high. 

Fantastic you have been able to make ammunition for yours and make it work.  GOOD JOB!!  And many thanks for posting your 1866 here.

[Dave T]

The 44 HCF boolet penetrated the thick hide, broke a rib, and punched a finger size hole through the heart and both lungs and was wedged between the ribs on the off side.

Holy guacamole! That is amazing.

Dave

[nativeshootist]

That is amazing! I just love that image!

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Big Goose thanks for the awesome pictures . Turkey season is almost here . Who's planning on Hunting .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Got a nice Tom this morning . Was using a 1887 shotgun that I had Tubed last year . The short barreled gun worked great hope I can tag out with  it this Spring season .