New rifle coming!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

UPDATE, UPDATE!  Installed the new front sight, (which I trimmed down about 1/10"+) and went back to the range.  Drifted the rear sight slightly left of center (about 1/32"), and dialed it in.  Dead nuts on!  POI is about 1.5" above POA at 25 yards.  I then took out clay pigeons on the 25 yard berm, and even a clay pigeon on the 100 yard berm.  Nice shooter. 

Shot my 7.0 grain Trail Boss hand loads (200 grain Bear Creek moly coated bullet), some Black Hills and HSM .44-40 factory.  Black Hills gave me 1 1/2" group at 25 yards, where HSM factory gave me slightly better at 1 1/4". 

My trail Boss loads gave me 1 3/4" groups, but that is expected, as the maximum charges of Trail Boss are not as accurate.  I did six shots rapid fire from a rest at a 2.5" group.

All in all, it was a great day.  I'm glad my wife insisted I pay for it now and keep it, and not wait until the 6 month trial is up.  It will alternate with my HRA 1860 Henry .44-40 as a main match rifle.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Henry Repeating Arms claims their brass alloy used in the New Original Henry has the same tensile strength as steel.  My manuals put 9.0 grains of Unique as being the max load for toggle link rifles.  I am inclined to load some up for my Henry and my 1866.  I have used it before in an original (post 1900) 1873, and it was incredibly accurate.

The CUP/PSI for it is well below the max for class one 44-40s (toggle link).  A charge of 8.0 grains Unique gives 1130 fps from a New Original Henry (which duplicates the original 44 Henry) per American Rifleman article, and MD Smith and several others list 9.0 as max, but safe, for toggle link.  Alliant, though says 8.6 is max, though their loads are always lighter than the manuals.

[nativeshootist]

Time for a questionable question, would that 8.0 grains of unique be fine for a revolver?

[Tuolumne Lawman]

John Taffin loads 8.0 of Unique.  One of his favorite loads...

[nativeshootist]

Seems like it'll be fun for carry

[Tuolumne Lawman]

When Cimarron first came out with their P frame Thunderer, a DA Investigator I knew carried a 44-40 Thunderer with a 3.5" barrel in a pancake holster.  Neat carry gun....  In the late 1970s, I also knew a Deputy in Washington state that carried a .455 top break Webley as a duty revolver.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I'll try the 1866 again at the local CAS match Saturday.  I will say, a 66 carbine is a lot handier than a Henry to tote around.  2 pounds less is a lot!  I can see why the 1866 carbines were so popular in the West.

[nativeshootist]

Now only if they made the open tops in. 44-40

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Now only if they made the open tops in. 44-40

Yep, I would have a pair!  You can get Uberti 58 Remington conversions in 44-40

[nativeshootist]

Remingtons are nice. But a open top would be better

[mtmarfield]

      Greetings, TL!

   Could You please give us some details about your Henry / 1866 handloads, specifically, your bullets: weight, diameter, lube, commercial or home-cast... All that stuff. As an alternative to GOEX FFFg, I've got Unique and Trail Boss to experiment with.
   Ages ago, I acquired a box of Laser-Cast .427"-200gr bullets for 75% off retail; they measure out to 20 BHN on my LBT Tester. I was planning to add a few to my Range Scrap when I cast bullets, but on a lark, decided to seat a couple of boxes over 7.0gr Unique. I will test them soon...

              Thanks Mucho!

                         MTM

[DeaconKC]

Just re-read this thread as I am picking up a 24" '66 Monday. Sure is a pretty one!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

      Greetings, TL!

   Could You please give us some details about your Henry / 1866 handloads, specifically, your bullets: weight, diameter, lube, commercial or home-cast... All that stuff. As an alternative to GOEX FFFg, I've got Unique and Trail Boss to experiment with.
   Ages ago, I acquired a box of Laser-Cast .427"-200gr bullets for 75% off retail; they measure out to 20 BHN on my LBT Tester. I was planning to add a few to my Range Scrap when I cast bullets, but on a lark, decided to seat a couple of boxes over 7.0gr Unique. I will test them soon...

              Thanks Mucho!

                         MTM

I use Bear Creek Moly coated 200 RNFP or Missouri Bullet Co, 200 grain RNFP interchangeably.  Both I use .428" diameter.  Primer are WLP Winchester Large Pistol.  The brass is mostly Starline or Black Hills.  Maybe a few Winchester or Remington range pick up hulls, too.

My rifle load is 7.0 grains of Trail Boss, for about 1140 fps from the 24" barreled Henry.  Not sure of velocity from the 1866. 6.0 grains is actually a little more accurate, but I wanted to duplicate the .44 Henry ballistics.  I have also used 7.0 grains of Unique, which runs about the same as the Trail Boss.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Update!  Local matches begin again next week.  Think I will use the 1866 and my 1851 Navy Kirst converted.  Need to warm up with the 1866, as I will use it as my rifle in Wild Bunch matches.

[Abilene]

I can't tell if that is spam or perhaps a language barrier?

Edit: the subject of this post , was in reference to a previous post which was deleted.

 

[Major 2]

I myself was puzzled ...I'm concerned about the  .com  he posted

I am Leary of posted unknown links  ( i have altered it so it will not function )

[Tuolumne Lawman]

I'm confused??

[cpt dan blodgett]

What I'm hearing is that you are using a 6 o'clock hold whereas I am using dead on aim. I will use the formula and see what I come up with. Thank you.

6 O'clock easier to maintain consistent point of aim than center hold unless eyes are good enough to see the X in center of bull.

[matt45]

Oh boy, is that the case with this child.  I've gotten to the point where I have a little gap between the front sight and the target just to keep the front sight in focus.  Reminds me of an old joke

[Baltimore Ed]

My wife's uncle Tommy who shot highpower matches at Camp Perry explained it to me [I was a newbe then]  as 'a pumpkin on a post' of course at 1000 yds that a very very small pumpkin. A pea on a post?