Henry Rifle Forums

Just wanting to know what everyone is finding to be your most accurate loads out of your BB - What is the bullet and powder combo. Thanks.

#1 .... 14.8 gr of W296 pushing a 158 gr Nosler JHP .... I haven't found that the brand of small pistol magnum primer or brand of shell casing makes any difference .... that said I usually use CCI primers and Starline brass

#2 ... if I can't get W296, 15.9 gr of H110 pushing the same 158gr Nosler JHP

Note: both are maximum loads .... info from Nosler Reloading Guide Vol 8

9.5 grains Hodgdon HS6 under a 158 grain Hornady XTP is my favourite. Accuracy 1.5 moa at 100 meters from the Big Boy Steel.
COL 1.580". CCI550 primers, CBC brass.

This is the maximum load according to the Hodgdon reloading website.

For ripsnortin' loads H110/W296 is your friend. Used to hunt groundhogs with an 1894C using 296 and 125gr hollow points. As Dirty Harry would say "Sift the remains to find the fingerprints!" For a plinking load Unique and a 158gr cast in a .38 Special case works well. Shot a lot of those in Cowboy matches.

I have my BBS .357 sighted in at 50 yds. I rarely shoot distances beyond 75 yds. I have settled on two loads that have same POI at 50yds and am happy with either one depending on available powder (2400 was impossible to find for a while in this area).

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.5 grains of Alliant 2400

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.2 grains of AA#9 (Accurate #9 - Western Powders)

I like the 240 grain XTP JHP and have considered trying the Nosler 240 grain JHP but some say the lead is soft and some reloading dies distort the lead so I have never tried it.

Steve51 wrote:I have my BBS .357 sighted in at 50 yds.

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.5 grains of Alliant 2400

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.2 grains of AA#9 (Accurate #9 - Western Powders).

240 gr in a 357

Thanks for the responses. I should have explained myself a bit more. My Henry is my 2nd .357 rifle (Winchester trapper was the first) and I am finding both seem to prefer higher end loads. Nothing crazy or beyond published data but I have found 16 grains of 296 with a 158 gr JFP as being the most accurate with the Henry as it was with the Winchester and as a couple of you have posted similar loading it appears .357 rifles seem to prefer higher end loads. In all fairness I have not shot mine enough to try any midrange .357s or even .38 Specials but I was just wanting a consensus from a few other .357 shooters! Thanks.

I load target rounds almost exclusively. My normal load is a 158 grain plated HP. These are xtremes with the heavier coating that is rated for 1500 fps. I load them in the middle to upper middle of the range for Universal. They are not quite as accurate as the 158 jacketed rounds I have loaded using the max 4227 load that will allow me to comfortably seat a bullet without compressing the load. Still well under the max data. Since the local range maxes out at 25 yds, and we shoot a fair number of rounds each week, I opt for the slightly less accurate, but much less expensive round to load.

For hunting I use American Eagle 158 gr SPs. This is factory ammo and runs 1800 fps over my buddy's chrony.

JEBar wrote:

Steve51 wrote:I have my BBS .357 sighted in at 50 yds.

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.5 grains of Alliant 2400

240 grain Hornady XTP JHP over 14.2 grains of AA#9 (Accurate #9 - Western Powders).

240 gr in a 357

Sorry about that - you are correct to call me on that. I meant to say Hornady 158 grain XTP JHP for both of those loads.

I also use both of those powders with the 240 grain XTP JHP for .44 magnum loads. Somebody needs to keep us old folks from being dangerous. Thank JEBar.

In most things, I'm a middle of the road kind of guy; and I want to use the same load for my SA revolver and my Henry, so early on I settled on 13.9 grains of H110, a WSPM primer, and a ZERO 158 JHP bullet.

Hornady's 9th says that that combination it will produce 1100 fps out of an 8" Colt Python revolver and 1550 fps out of a Rossi 16" rifle. It's the middle of the range for the revolver and at the low to middle end for the rifle, but it's a happy medium and I really like it in both of my guns.

Steve51 wrote:Sorry about that - you are correct to call me on that. I meant to say Hornady 158 grain XTP JHP for both of those loads.

I also use both of those powders with the 240 grain XTP JHP for .44 magnum loads. Somebody needs to keep us old folks from being dangerous. Thank JEBar.

not a problem ... what I really wanted to know is where I could fin some of those 240 grainers ....

Well my 357 isn't a Henry, but rather one of the 24" octagon barreled Rossi's.
A 180 gr cast and 9.4 grs. of Blue Dot will get me on bullseye at 100 yds. all day,
as long as I do MY part

RP

Not trying to hijack, but being it is about reloading for .357,I'm hoping someone can help me get started. I am ready to start reloading but am having doubts, I have a Henry steel boy carbine in .357mag 161/2'' bbl. What I bought to load is Hornady XTP 158 gr. using CCI 550 small pistol primers magnum and Hodgdon H110. Hodgdon's site and my Lee reloading book state that starting load is 15.0 gr, and not to exceed 16.7 gr. An experienced friend of mine (been reloading since 1970) thinks that is kinda high for a starting load and has a reloading program that suggests more in the 14 gr. category.


PLEASE anyone that is shooting the same Henry as me and using the same components..............what did you start with or are currently using for a dose? I'm as green as can be (for reloading) but have been shooting off and on for 30 years. I don't want to get a squib load nor damage myself or the gun.

Thanks

I use a ZERO 158 JHP, WSPM, and 13.9 grains of H110. According to Hornady's ninth edition, that is in the middle of the range and produces 1550 fps out of a 16" Rossi. It is a bit faster out of a 20" Henry. I've been using that load for two years and really like it. The bonus is I can also use it in my SAA revolver, where Hornady places it just above the starting load.

CT_Shooter wrote:I use a ZERO 158 JHP, WSPM, and 13.9 grains of H110. According to Hornady's ninth edition, that is in the middle of the range and produces 1550 fps out of a 16" Rossi. It is a bit faster out of a 20" Henry. I've been using that load for two years and really like it. The bonus is I can also use it in my SAA revolver, where Hornady places it just above the starting load.

DOH !! I never thought to check Hornady's site !! Thanks CT !

LeverBLASTER wrote: DOH !! I never thought to check Hornady's site !! Thanks CT !

I don't know about their website, but what I like about their published handbooks is that the load data is gathered from field testing actual firearms. In the case of .357 magnum, they use a Colt Python 8" and a Rossi 16" rifle as the testing hardware. I strongly recommend purchasing their reloading handbook. Keep us posted on how you make out -- and we love range reports and pictures. Glad you're in the conversation.

CT_Shooter wrote:

LeverBLASTER wrote: DOH !! I never thought to check Hornady's site !! Thanks CT !

I don't know about their website, but what I like about their published handbooks is that the load data is gathered from field testing actual firearms. In the case of .357 magnum, they use a Colt Python 8" and a Rossi 16" rifle as the testing hardware. I strongly recommend purchasing their reloading handbook. Keep us posted on how you make out -- and we love range reports and pictures. Glad you're in the conversation.

Thanks again ct! They don't have a site like Nosler or Speer. but I am going to get their book( I thought they would) What I don't get is Hodgdon states to start at 15.0 but not to exceed 16.7 Isn't that a big difference from what you used ? You were doing well w/ a lower load, their recipe seems awfully high.

LeverBLASTER wrote: Thanks again ct! They don't have a site like Nosler or Speer. but I am going to get their book( I thought they would) What I don't get is Hodgdon states to start at 15.0 but not to exceed 16.7 Isn't that a big difference from what you used ? You were doing well w/ a lower load, their recipe seems awfully high.

That's what I like about Hornady's handbook. They use real firearms and do their own research to compile their published load data. I trust it more than other sources (especially from powder manufacturers and associated websites) whose load data might not be their own. Other members may have a different opinion about whom to trust, but I come from an academic background and I'm a bit conservative, so I appreciate knowing the source of the information is reliable.

over time I've come to rely on reloading data from the manufacture of the bullet I'm using .... for the most part, we use Nosler bullets so our preference is for their reloading data ....

I know you said you were going to use H110 but dont overlook 2400 in the 357. It has produced some very accurate loads for me. Al