Lever gun tips?

[walter62]

I just picked up a Henry lever rifle. Any tips or known preferred brands or shapes
of projo (or ones to avoid)? Any other tips?

 

[yogi]

calber would gelp

 

[Marty McFly]

I just picked up a Henry lever rifle. Any tips or known preferred brands or shapes
of projo (or ones to avoid)? Any other tips?

Congrats. As asked before, what caliber?

 

[DW357]

calber would gelp

This
But if 357 or 44 mag, Zero brand bullets. Done.

 

[76Too]

 

[76Too]

calber would gelp

Did you have an aneurysm while you were typing this? Just a friendly wellness check, bro.

 

[Marty McFly]

Did you have an aneurysm while you were typing this? Just a friendly wellness check, bro.

It's just a minor stronk

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

If it’s a real lever gun it’s chambered in a cartridge meant to be cast lead without the new fangled metal patch.

Seriously though unless you picked up on of those weird 223 or 308 versions stick to loading lead.
All the pistol calibers and traditional 30-30, 45-70, 38-55 etc all work very well with cast.
Stay away from pointy bullets that might poke the primer of the cartridge in front of it in the tube.

Lever Gun Performance Studies

Reloading Data for cast bullets, result of lever gun accuracy studies on cartridges: 357 Magnum, 41 Rem Mag, 44 S&W, 44 Russian, 44 Magnum, 444 Marlin, 45-70 Goverment, Pistol Powders, Large Capacity Rifle Cases

www.gmdr.com

 

[peterk123]

I own, 357/38, 45-70, and 22lr. Feed it whatever you want. They eat them all.

 

[walter62]

After my seizure, I blurted out '44Mag'.

lame to omit the caliber

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

After my seizure, I blurted out '44Mag'.

lame to omit the caliber

Ah then anything goes. Stick to lead and you can shoot twice as much.
Get a bullet mould and the sky is the limit.

I have some 250 grain SWC if you want to try them.
Also a couple of .433” round balls stacked in the case makes for a fun plinking cartridge.

 

[walter62]

Thanks, I have a bunch of 240 FPs from Berry/Xtreme and some XTPs.

Currently low on simpler 240 LSWC almost-Keith

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

Thanks, I have a bunch of 240 FPs from Berry/Xtreme and some XTPs.

Currently low on simpler 240 LSWC almost-Keith

Try some of the 429303 if you can find them. The Carl Hudson pointy 44 magnum for shooting through 3/16” steel plates.

 

[DW357]

If you don’t end up casting your own, TB Bullets has coated 240 gr SWCs for 13 cents shipped. I use his gas checked coated rifle bullets for reduced 30-30 30-06 and 7.5x55 loads. After that I would use the Zero 240 gr JSPs (18 cents shipped).

Can’t be too picky nowadays for 44 cal bullets. When I first started loading 44 mag I could get various Speer, Sierra, Montana gold bullets for cheap. Now it’s basically pricy XTPs and cheaper Zero bullets - for jacketed anyway
Here’s my 44 mag lineup

 

[meh]

If it's a new one, the barrel twist is 1:20. If it's old, the twist is 1:38. Mine is the latter, and there have been some ammo choices that would keyhole with it.

 

[DW357]

If it's a new one, the barrel twist is 1:20. If it's old, the twist is 1:38. Mine is the latter, and there have been some ammo choices that would keyhole with it.

My all weather Henry 44 mag is 1:20 I believe. Seems to shoot 180-300gr fine.

 

[meh]

My all weather Henry 44 mag is 1:20 I believe. Seems to shoot 180-300gr fine.

With the 1:38, it just isn't very forgiving of driving heavier bullets slow. 300 grain XTPs shot mostly OK. Every now and again I'd get some keyholing. The worst keyholing, though, was with these, maybe because the bullets were undersized. Nowadays I just shoot 240 grain jacketed bullets, Zeros or XTPs. But with these I only get about 4-5 moa performance, pretty evenly distributed in a 2 to 2.5" group at 55 yards. With 225 grain LeverEvolution I get a cloverleaf at 55 yards, but always with a flier 2" away. I most recently did this with a 2 MOA red dot sight, so that could be a factor, but I was centering the dot on a larger circular target, so I think it's the rifle. Haven't managed to do better with a scope on that gun.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

If you don’t end up casting your own, TB Bullets has coated 240 gr SWCs for 13 cents shipped. I use his gas checked coated rifle bullets for reduced 30-30 30-06 and 7.5x55 loads. After that I would use the Zero 240 gr JSPs (18 cents shipped).

Can’t be too picky nowadays for 44 cal bullets. When I first started loading 44 mag I could get various Speer, Sierra, Montana gold bullets for cheap. Now it’s basically pricy XTPs and cheaper Zero bullets - for jacketed anyway
Here’s my 44 mag lineup View attachment 692725

So what Andrew is saying is if you choose not to cast you’re stuck with limited bullet design and high cost.
Don’t be like Andrew.

 

[walter62]

Ah then anything goes. Stick to lead and you can shoot twice as much.
Get a bullet mould and the sky is the limit.

I have some 250 grain SWC if you want to try them.
Also a couple of .433” round balls stacked in the case makes for a fun plinking cartridge.

I found the XTremes for 0.16CPR so I'm pretty good w/ that.

Yea, I've used the TBBs before in 44. I just ran out so gotta get on ordering more

 

[DW357]

I use Xtreme bullets in my desert eagle (H110 powder) but haven’t tried them in my Henry as I wasn’t sure they can handle the velocities and the twist rate/rifling.
Same with the TB bullets. I think they’re 15-16 BHN so maybe they can handle the velocities in a rifle? I’ll spend the extra 5 cents and use a Zero JSP instead
The polygonal rifling on the desert eagle is very forgiving on plated bullets. Not sure about through a rifle. One of these days I’ll have to try some.

 

[Rick O'Shea]

These 240 grain bullets load easy, run reliably, and are very accurate out of my Big Boy.

Missouri Bullet Company

Missouri Bullet Company offers premium lead bullets at affordable prices. We make hardness optimized bullets for the velocity of the loads you shoot.

missouribullet.com

 

[DW357]

These 240 grain bullets load easy, run reliably, and are very accurate out of my Big Boy.

What you running for powder?

 

[Rick O'Shea]

I'll post my load later tonight when I'm home. Hitting 2 liter soda bottles at 50 yards is quite the hoot!

Edit: 23gr of 296 under the 240 gr bullet. I found them accurate enough but must admit that I haven't spent the time to fine tune and chase tight groups,.. only soda bottles.

 

[Klal]

I've been loading a lot for my 45 Colt lever gun I use for deer.

"Slippery Bullets" makes good cast lead on the cheap and they ship for free from Hooksett, NH so you could also pick up and swing by the Hooksett gun shops on the way.

For throwing lead at animals, I like to use the XTP with enough H110 to border irresponsible.

 

[walter62]

Thanks. I've not heard of SlipperyB. Will have to check them out.

Yea, not interested at all in throwing lead at animals, just watermelons and jugs (thats WATER you pigs)

 

[whacko]

This
But if 357 or 44 mag, Zero brand bullets. Done.

I second this. Zero brand jacketed bullets run great in my 357 Henry and also 44mag put of my ruger carbine. The price is not terrible for jacketed projos either.

 

[bfm]

I'll post my load later tonight when I'm home. Hitting 2 liter soda bottles at 50 yards is quite the hoot!

Phrasing!

 

[dhuze]

So what Andrew is saying is if you choose not to cast you’re stuck with limited bullet design and high cost.
Don’t be like Andrew.

He'll blow up his gun and turn this thing around if you don't stop right now.

 

[38ExtraSpecial]

He'll blow up his gun and turn this thing around if you don't stop right now.

He ain’t crazy. He won’t do it.

 

[dhuze]

He ain’t crazy. He won’t do it.

Is that a dare?