Henry Rifle Forums

Lots have talked about "you will enjoy customizing your own loads" as I venture in to reloading.
I intend to stick to the manual like glue for the foreseeable future but how much actual difference to the shooter does a grain or two more or less make? As a novice reloader will I even know the difference? Obviously I get the part where too much or too little powder is bad. But how much leeway are you folks doing to see a difference at the range?

RR, most of what I've read about custom loads is that they are most relevant to rifle cartridges where a rifle's head space measurements can be adjusted along with the other variables. In pistol calibers, it's more of a preference for varying amounts of powder, types of powder, varying weights of bullets, and types of bullets. Since you will be using only lead 250 grain Round Nose bullets and Universal Powder, you will likely only be comparing differences in powder weights.

In Hornady's Ninth, which I like because they develop their loads from actual test firings in real firearms, they break it down into ranges for pistols and rifles, using a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk with a 7 1/2" barrel and a 1:16 twist and a Rossie 92 SRC rifle with a 20" barrel and a 1:16 twist.

Revolver using Universal Powder, WLP, and Hornady 255 gr. FP Cowboy bullet:

Start: 5.6 gr., 650 fps
6.1 gr., 700 fps
6.6 gr., 750 fps
7.0 gr., 800 fps
7.4 gr., 850 fps
Max 7.9 gr., 900 fps

Rifle using Universal Powder, WLP, and Hornady 255 gr. FP Cowboy bullet:

Start: 6.1 gr., 800 fps
6.5 gr., 850 fps
6.8 gr., 900 fps
7.2 gr., 950 fps
7.6 gr., 1000 fps
Max 8.8 gr., 1050 fps

I would start in the middle at 7.0 grains and decide if you're hitting your targets as expected, then make adjustments depending on the results.

Others may give you other suggestions, but you should do well to use reliable data and judge the results for yourself.

Good luck, Cowboy. I know you're going to like it, regardless.

RanchRoper wrote:Lots have talked about "you will enjoy customizing your own loads" as I venture in to reloading.
I intend to stick to the manual like glue for the foreseeable future but how much actual difference to the shooter does a grain or two more or less make? As a novice reloader will I even know the difference? Obviously I get the part where too much or too little powder is bad. But how much leeway are you folks doing to see a difference at the range?

Agree with CT here. Using only Universal for now, you'll not see a big difference if you only do a .5gr increment. But, you'd likely notice it if you go from say 6.5gr Universal, then jump up to 7.6gr Universal. Gradual changes in powder charges are safe. Just go by the manual. When you do your ordering this weekend, maybe add a digital scale to help verify what the Lee scale reads. They're not expensive, say $35 for a Hornady or others. You've chosen a good powder to work with. Certainly going in the right direction. Now, time for me to head out to the shop and load my own .45C loads. Think I'll try 8.3gr Unique with those Missouri 250gr LRNFP's.

Well my "custom" .44 Mag loads are just a click below or right at starting level at 9-9.5 Unique with a 240 gr. SWC bullet.
Makes for nice shooting whether in a revolver or my Henry steel carbine.

Yes I will follow the manual closely. I want to replicate Winchester 250 gr LFN Super X cowboy load. I will know when I shoot it if it feels right. I know my rifle very well. Thanks.

RanchRoper wrote:Lots have talked about "you will enjoy customizing your own loads" as I venture in to reloading.
I intend to stick to the manual like glue for the foreseeable future but how much actual difference to the shooter does a grain or two more or less make? As a novice reloader will I even know the difference? Obviously I get the part where too much or too little powder is bad. But how much leeway are you folks doing to see a difference at the range?

Novice reloader but not a novice shooter by any means.
You may or may not feel a difference in recoil, but you will see a difference at the target.
I think you will notice a difference on you first outing.
Tim

RanchRoper wrote:Yes I will follow the manual closely. I want to replicate Winchester 250 gr LFN Super X cowboy load. I will know when I shoot it if it feels right. I know my rifle very well. Thanks.

do you have access to a chronograph .. .. the best way I know if to duplicate a factory round is to run it through a chrony .... once you know its muzzle velocity, using the same weight/type of bullet, you simply vary the powder charge until it matches the factory speed

Nope I don't have access to one. So will do it the cowboy way.

Which is basically load and shoot...load and shoot...repeat until you get it.

One thing that needs to be mentioned here RR. If you are going to build loads you need to shoot them the same way every time you test. Whether its in a rest or in RR shoulder. Like others have said I start with a load and build some at .5 grain increments until I get one that the gun likes. Staying within the guidelines of the book

You bet. I will shoot all from 1 knee so I can feel the rifle. I can feel the difference in some factory loads between different ammo. Sounds weird but I can. Couldn't name them or anything dumb like that but I can tell Winchester from a reload. So I look forward to some reloads and how they shoot.

RanchRoper wrote:Nope I don't have access to one. So will do it the cowboy way.

Which is basically load and shoot...load and shoot...repeat until you get it.

that'll work ..

Ok RR. With that said, and you get into handloading, you will most certainly "feel, know" the difference. Especially when and if you try another powder. As said, you are on your way to a whole new way of shooting. I doubt you'll be unsettled by this.
Once you get going, oh boy! You'll see.

Sounds good.

A member pointed out that duplicating a factory load may be tough and distract from developing my own. That is a valid point.
I may not have expressed my intention very well. I love the Winchester and BH ammo and want my reloads to perform as well. They would be my benchmark to start with.

Two things: Duplicating factory loads isn't that difficult. Look at your manual[s]. Eventually, you'll see what we're talking about. Second, purchasing that digital scale to go along with the Lee, paramount! You'll see the benefits of that as you go.
RR, cannot wait till you start all this. A whole bunch of us here are cheering you on and will help when ever we can.

You guys are a rabid bunch of enablers. Like the old man in the school yard, "Hey kid, wanna buy some reloading dies?"...

RanchRoper wrote:You guys are a rabid bunch of enablers. Like the old man in the school yard, "Hey kid, wanna buy some reloading dies?"...

Sure, we really feel encouraged and put in trust !
guys here know their reloads case ....

Rifletom wrote: When you do your ordering this weekend, maybe add a digital scale to help verify what the Lee scale reads. They're not expensive, say $35 for a Hornady or others.

I use my Frankford Arsenal Digital scale to weigh each and every powder charge, adding or removing a few flakes of powder to get a consistent reading for each one. It was reviewed for Chuck Hawks' website here: https://www.chuckhawks.com/frankford_DS750_scale.htm

I bought it from Amazon in 2015 for $30; today they sell it for near $40, but it's worth every penny.

I will be doing the same. Weigh, measure, weigh again.

RanchRoper wrote:I will be doing the same. Weigh, measure, weigh again.

After about a year and you've learned the routine, the system and the rewards ....

Get 1 of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSBJCU5/?c ... _lig_dp_it

Or its big brother:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00139UC6O/?c ... _lig_dp_it


It will save hundreds of hours, your sight and probably your sanity.

Thanks but sanity is long gone...