45 Colt "Pet loads" for Henry/'66

[USCG Flyer]

Both BP and smokeless, I'm game for anything. I have 200gr and 255 gr on hand for bullets. Powder wise, Titegroup, Bullseye, 2400 and one or two others. I just picked up some APP in the hopes that it may foul less than the beloved 3F, but I have plenty of 3F just incase. So let's get some good gouge on what you guys are shooting! Maybe something in a deer/ pig load would be nice also.

[James Hunt]

Black powder and, what was that other stuff? Never heard of it, probably not good for your gun. As for real gunpowder its. simple. If using goex pour enough of the stuff in the case so that seating a soft bullet will give some compression, for me in WW cases that is about 33 gr. of 2f Goex. I use no wad, just load like you would for pistol. Is accurate shooting at 100 yds. For this type of shooting you can be pretty sloppy, no need for critical measure or drop tube, just feel some compression and you're all set. For those using their Henry or 66 beyond 100 yds, you need some couch time to figure out a problem.

[Papa Bear]

My .44wcf CAS loads.

Winchester brass

Winchester LP primer

30 grains Goex 2fg

200 grain Mav Dutchman bullet (30 to 1 lead)

OAL 1.555

no fillers or wads

This gives me a good solid hit on any CAS distance targets.  For any distance beyond 100 yards I would increase the load to 35 grains

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[Tommy tornado]

.45 LC

28 grains of 3fffg Goex
Wonder wad or homemade hard felt wad with a little 50/50 Crisco/Beeswax
250 grain RNFP bullet with SPG or 50/50 lube

shot out of my browned henry

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I fill the case with 34-37 gr of 2F or 3F BP and crunch it down with a 250 gr RNFP.

What little smokey-less I shoot is 5.1 gr Clays behind the same bullet.

They both seal reasonably well and keep fouling to a bearable level.

[Sam Perfye]

Try 30 grains of APP 3f under a 250grain bullet. Works great in my '58 Remmies, the '60 Henry is 44WCF.

[Dakota Widowmaker]

For smokeless indoor rounds, 200gr bullet and 6.3gr of Trail Boss works nice.

Otherwise, 37gr of Pyrodex RS.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

When I had a 45 Colt Henry, I used 45 Schofields in it.  I duplicated the original 44 Henry flat by using a 200 grain bullet, 28 grains FFG and a Schofield case.  Shot well, but did have more blow back than a 44-40.

That's one reason I traded off my 45 Henry for a 44-40 again.  I got the 45 from Cimarron to do a pending Cowboy Chronicle article on (wanted 44-40, but none in stock).  After the article I sold it and got another 44-40 Henry like I had ten years ago.  The main reason I traded back to the 44-40 was that I prefer the 44-40 for long range lever/Pistol too.

[Lars]

For information about the field performance of some premium factory BP loads that very closely reproduce the originals in 45 Colt and 44-40 read the articles on the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of NCOWS journal The Shootist. They are in "The Peddler's Pack" on page 9, one by George Warnick and one by Lars Olson.

http://www.ncows.org/NovDec2005.pdf

Lars, decendent of Ol

[Dakota Widowmaker]

For information about the field performance of some premium factory BP loads that very closely reproduce the originals in 45 Colt and 44-40 read the articles on the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of NCOWS journal The Shootist. They are in "The Peddler's Pack" on page 9, one by George Warnick and one by Lars Olson.

http://www.ncows.org/NovDec2005.pdf

Lars, decendent of Ol

Lars, you wouldn't be tootin your own horn now, would ya?

Good article. A fair amount of compression with Pyrodex or BP, but, no compression with 777 or APP.

Have not tried GOEX pinnacle, as its $25 a pound where I live. (too rich for my blood...thats more than 2x what Pyrodex is)

[Lars]

Dakota,

Glad you liked the article.

APP is now available in my area, at Bass Pro, for about 19 dollars per pound. IF that is the new, improved APP Gold, I will one day buy a pound to try in revolver loads to see how it compares to the 777 FFg and Pyrodex-P and Swiss FFg loads I am accoustomed to.

I really like 777 FFg for situations where I don't really need the small group sizes of the Republic Metallic Cartridge 44-40 ammo. With 777 FFg I use Meister bullets -- good bullets but not so good as the Lyman 427098.

Lars