howdy and quick question

[Mistered]

Welcome to the forum from Central Oregon!

im going to have to figure the 44mag back in.

Good idea - I was going to suggest something along this idea but you beat me to it.
I do NOT have anything in .45 Colt but if I wanted something with a '4' in the caliber it would be a .44 Mag.
Easier to find brass, a lot more versatility and bullets a bit cheaper also.

[North Country Gal]

In a rifle with a 20" barrel, I'd rate the 45 Colt with standard 45 Colt loads to be closer in that general recoil ballpark to a 357 with standard 158 grain loads than a 44 mag. Have shot them all, side by side. The recoil impulse between the 357 and the 45 Colt is different, with the 357 being a bit snappier, but I can go all afternoon shooting either the 357 or standard 45 Colt. I actually enjoy the more "stable" (for lack of a better word) recoil of the 45 Colt. I find it very easy to keep the sights on the target for repeated shots. Nice round to shoot. Notice the same thing when shooting the 45 colt in a six gun. Has a mystique and charm all its own.

I also think the standard 45 Colt load is perfectly adequate for 50 to 75 yard hunting. Have also had great accuracy with standard 45 Colt loads in a Marlin. Never have been too thrilled about turning the 45 Colt into a fire breathing monster with 45 Colt +P loads or Ruger only loads, though - some of those are very nasty to shoot. Whole different animal than a standard 45 Colt hunting load.

As for the 44 mag, it's in a different class of recoil for me. I wouldn't rate 44 mag in a rifle as nasty, unless you're shooting it in a light 6 pound carbine, but I do notice the difference. The added recoil is there. The 44 mag gets an especially nice velocity/energy boost in a 20" barrel. In a rifle, the 44 mag actually gives the 30-30 a run for the money out to 100 yards without the need to resort to +P loads. If hunting and or performance is your primary concern, I'd rate the 44 mag rifle as a top choice.

[bmsma]

In a rifle with a 20" barrel, I'd rate the 45 Colt with standard 45 Colt loads to be closer in that general recoil ballpark to a 357 with standard 158 grain loads than a 44 mag. Have shot them all, side by side. The recoil impulse between the 357 and the 45 Colt is different, with the 357 being a bit snappier, but I can go all afternoon shooting either the 357 or standard 45 Colt. I actually enjoy the more "stable" (for lack of a better word) recoil of the 45 Colt. I find it very easy to keep the sights on the target for repeated shots. Nice round to shoot. Notice the same thing when shooting the 45 colt in a six gun. Has a mystique and charm all its own.

I also think the standard 45 Colt load is perfectly adequate for 50 to 75 yard hunting. Have also had great accuracy with standard 45 Colt loads in a Marlin. Never have been too thrilled about turning the 45 Colt into a fire breathing monster with 45 Colt +P loads or Ruger only loads, though - some of those are very nasty to shoot. Whole different animal than a standard 45 Colt hunting load.

As for the 44 mag, it's in a different class of recoil for me. I wouldn't rate 44 mag in a rifle as nasty, unless you're shooting it in a light 6 pound carbine, but I do notice the difference. The added recoil is there. The 44 mag gets an especially nice velocity/energy boost in a 20" barrel. In a rifle, the 44 mag actually gives the 30-30 a run for the money out to 100 yards without the need to resort to +P loads. If hunting and or performance is your primary concern, I'd rate the 44 mag rifle as a top choice.

Maam:
your post was exactly what i was looking for: my instrest in the 45 colt is that its a 45 colt, maybe its not historical correct, the 44-40 would be more so, but it does bring a mental image of simpler times. for the next 3-4 years this is going to be more a range rifle and god forbid a backup hd situation. i spent a cpl hours on the phone with a friend today and we decided the best answer is aquire all 3 but the practicality of the 357 for a range rifle is kinda making more sense currently.

and once i can retire fully and we relocate that is when ill get to start hunting more and a different rifle & cal will make more sense.

and ill change my mind at least 9 times in the 24 hours

[BigAl52]

Welcome to the forum Troy. Im gonna throw you another curve. I have a 357 in the 20 inch barrel and I have a 45 colt in the carbine model 16.5 inch barrel. That carbine model is just pretty nice when doing range work and its a heck of alot lighter to be plinking with. For me I would give up the 10 rounds thought and go with carbine models in all of the calibers you have mentioned. I just like the way they handle better. Al

[PT7]

NCG, as any number of Henry folk have said before, your posts are both enjoyable and informative. Although Troy's queries do not relate to anything I'm doing right now with my firearms, I read it through just to keep up or learn new things.

Troy, appreciated the results and info that came about through your thread.

...the 45 Colt has a mystique about the caliber...its iconic.

….. The recoil impulse between the 357 and the 45 Colt is different, with the 357 being a bit snappier, but I can go all afternoon shooting either the 357 or standard 45 Colt. I actually enjoy the more "stable" (for lack of a better word) recoil of the 45 Colt...... Nice round to shoot. Notice the same thing when shooting the 45 colt in a six gun. Has a mystique and charm all its own. ….I also think the standard 45 Colt load is perfectly adequate for 50 to 75 yard hunting.

Both of your comments caught me by surprise. You two got me thinking briefly about my experience shooting .45 Colt ammo using my Bond Arms Snake Slayer IV derringer. A far cry from a Henry .45 Colt rifle!!

I think some Henry folk may have thought me to be a little "off-center" when I had written I've shot a lot of .357 magnum with the derringer, and also really enjoyed shooting .45 Colt with that 4-1/2" stainless steel hand gun. But your comments started me thinking. My favorite ammo to shoot is the .45 Colt with the derringer. I used only HSM .45 Colt 200 gr. RNFP Cowboy Action ammo. There was something about the way it sounded and handled that was unique. Can't really describe it. Although it had solid recoil, it "felt like a quiet bullet caliber." That statement doesn't make much sense, does it?!?

So I apologize, Troy, for briefly side-tracking your thread here. Just had to make that brief comment. .45 Colt is a very good caliber, and must be a real blast to shoot out of a Henry rifle! I'd like to try that someday. Thanks again.
PT7

[bmsma]

pt7 no apologies needed, was just a another point of view , i have a buddy with a bond arm snake slayer.

Big Al my bb i traded was a 16.5 357 that handled beautifully, but im sticking to the 20 because of round count. SASS requires a 10 per stage count, and if i want to backup my rossi the short barrel wont work since it hold 7. but i agree my carbine was a very nice handling rifle,

and i look at this forum like some of the ones i also follow, as long as we can share experience and information, have some laughs, and respect both our commonality and our differences then we all are better off.

[MuddyWaters62]

Hello Troy
I have both a Henry BB in 45 Colt and a Ruger Blackhawk with a 4 5/8 inch barrel. Recoil with a standard 255gr lead bullet @ 850fps is more of a gentle shove. No sharp crack like a 357 0r 44 mag. I have shot Tx hogs and deer and they usually fall DRT or only go a few yards. Gotta hand a slow fat bullet for getting the job done. Go for it, you will not regret.

Easy decision.
Muddy Waters

[JEBar]

the 44 mag could do anything ill ever need it to, ill need dies to reload but that not a big deal. my reason for discounting it is recoil, and by that im talking 100-150 round range day. but some of the charts im reading and opinion im hearing is with mild loads she is int much different than the 45 colt loaded up.

I can't speak from first hand experience with a Henry 45 but have extensive experience with their 44 Mag .... as a bit of background info, thankfully I've recently been taken off of blood thinning meds .... I was on them for years, so felt recoil has been a long time concern .... during the time I was on thsoe meds, I often fired a couple of hundred 44 Mag rounds at a single session with zero bruising .... as has been noted by others, the 44 offers considerable flexibility in bullet selection .... load it with 44 specials in 44 Mag cases and recoil concerns off the table .... the only negative with with those rounds is bullet drop at longer ranges .... for hunting within its range, the 44 Mag truly excels .... I have no bias against a 45 .... I own both a Henry 357 Mag and 44 Mag, wouldn't want to part with either of them .... my preference is the 44

[bmsma]

thanks again all, very valuable input. and as usual im way over thinking this. the 357 is probably a more practical for what i will be using it for currently, the 44 mag has alot of positives and i can see a use for it as well. im going to hold off on the 45 colt simple becasue if i keep getting into shooting Sass ill be upgrading my 38's to 45's for that hobby.

i will more than likely make my mind up between the front door and the counter at my local shop and still change it twice.

[PT7]

Aside from your rifle chats, still rounding up info on location.

Yes, you do "kinda know" where I live here in the KCMO Northland, particularly when you mentioned Gower and Plattsburg. I have spent a lot of time in Plattsburg shooting at a friend's property on his outdoor range. Plattsburg is about 23-24 almost due north of where I live.

Your look at either AR or MO for a retirement location --- from my perspective, either are both pretty good states to live in. My daughter attended college in northwest AR (John Brown University), and we spent quite a number of visits there during her four years until she graduated. During her college years, we lived in KS about 30 miles outside of KC. Travel to AR took us south through KS, then in NE OK, finally west into AR. Always enjoyed seeing buffalo at a couple of OK ranches on the way. Beautiful countryside in OK, AR, and MO as those three states border each other. Especially enjoyed the southern MO and northern AR areas as far as woodlands, rivers, and lakes. Still have friends in a couple of northern AR cities. Always a pleasure to visit them down there. You'll enjoy your look at both states when you approach retirement days.
PT7

thanks all:

and PT i know where you at kinda, when i got out of the service i went to work for the cable company and took care of plattsburg, gower, and maysville, i was just leaving when the flood hit in 92/93 ?? when elwood and wathena wound up in the river in norht kc

Troy

bmsma wrote...From "Howdy from OK" thread.

...thats one of the reasons we are looking at ark and mo when i retire, the glowing casino lights are getting way to plentiful around, and dont get me wrong we enjoy them as well but from where we live in perry " its on i35 north of okc by stillwater, there are 9 within a 45 min drive and 2 more under construction.

i hit boots at whiteman afb in 85, spent 7 years there 100 foot underground working on the minute man system.