Henry Rifle Forums

I just received a box of 500 250 grain bullets from Missouri Bullet. These are coated, RNFP, and have a Brinell hardness of 12. They call these bullets their Cowboy #1.
So, for powders I have, Universal, 4227, 2400, and 231. I haven't seen any unique on the shelves around here, but I did see a can of Trail Boss at a shop the other day.
I am thinking of starting with Universal, (that is what I have the most of). Any thoughts or advice? I will be running them through a Big Boy and a Ruger Redhawk.

Grey hawk I tried some 2400 but never really sent a lot of time with it, I may have a pic. I will look.
I've had good results with Unique around 9.4, 9.5.
I did have a little surprise the other afternoon, I had loaded 5 rounds with 6.5 grs of Red dot and a 230 gr bullet I cast.
I do want to try some of that with these 250's.

RP

Here.


RP

Yes, that 9.5 Unique load looks like a keeper for sure!

Try some Universal Greyhawk. Its real close to the same burn rate of Unique.

7.0gr Universal under that 250 Missouri coated[great bullet!] should be mighty fine. Check some of RR's results in Range reports. My own load is 8.0gr Unique with same bullet. Very good load from my Henry. You'll find a good one soon enough.

2400 works better for the hotter loads...Ruger levels but at a 12 hardness don't run them too hot. Red Dot works good for easy plinking and Power Pistol will work good also with 8.0 - 8.5 gr. Unique is the all time favorite at 8.0-9.0 gr.

Hey, thanks everybody! I think since I have a bunch of Universal I will try that in the 7-7.5 range to start with and we will see how it goes.

After seeing these rounds I might have to git me a pair of boots and a cowboy hat!!!
On the left 7.0 grains of Universal... On the right 7.5.... Might even make it out tonight and see how they do.

My Marlin 94 likes 9.5 unique With the same bullet.

leverjc wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 31, 2020 5:55 pm

My Marlin 94 likes 9.5 unique With the same bullet.

Mine also, not much difference between 9.4, and 9.5.

RP

Ok, have a question for Randy and leverjc: Where you fella's finding that 9.5gr Unique load? And what's the MV? I may want to try sometime, I just can't find info on that load. Guessing it's ok for bare naked lead? I got plenty of ingredients and time right now, so......

Rifletom wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 31, 2020 6:38 pm

Ok, have a question for Randy and leverjc: Where you fella's finding that 9.5gr Unique load? And what's the MV? I may want to try sometime, I just can't find info on that load. Guessing it's ok for bare naked lead? I got plenty of ingredients and time right now, so......

Tom, I'm not sure what the exact published load is off the top of my head, but
I do believe it is 9.0 for the max.
In my case I worked up to my load, but the last outing I had better results with 9.4.
As a side note I have a buddy that shoots a Henry BBS, and swears by a 10.0 load.
That load was confirmed by an even closer friend from FLA., that agreed with him.
Jim owned a BBS carbine, God Rest his soul.
But there are members here that have had good results with similar bullets,
and lighter loads of Unique.
They are all a little different, and to me what makes it fun and sometimes a little frustrating search'n for the right combo.

RP

Like those big ol' 45 Colt rounds especially when you put a 9mm round next to one and wonder what all the 9mm excitement is about!

DITTO !!

RP

fortyshooter wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 31, 2020 8:38 pm

Like those big ol' 45 Colt rounds especially when you put a 9mm round next to one and wonder what all the 9mm excitement is about!

AMEN Bro!

Ok... I did make it to the range tonight... 10 shots each, 50 yards, open sights, Henry Big Boy, 40 degrees with a light breeze. As you can see the 7.5 grain load outperformed the 7 grain load hands down.. I think that I may even tweak up to the max of 7.8 as listed in my Lee Manual and see how that does.

I would like to pick your guy's brains about one thing that I noticed.. While loading these twenty rounds I wondered if I had double charged a round. (I didn't) But to try to find out I first weighed each completed round... The weights were all over the map. The only thing that I could conclude is that the bullet weights are all over the map.. So I just grabbed 20 random bullets out of the box of 500 and weighed each bullet. The lightest out of the 20 was 249.4 grains and the heaviest was 256.4. That is quite a bit more of a spread than I am used to. But, hey these are just plinking loads.
But, my thought is, if I am trying to develop a good load, I should grab 10 bullets of very close to the same weight for my test loads. What if that 7 grain load just had some bullet weights that were on the far ends of the spread? What do you guys think? Or maybe at 50 yards it just wouldn't make that much of a difference.

One way to find out is load that load again and weight the bullets. Ive never been that concerned about it. Look at the 7.5 grain load. You really dont know what the spread was there.

7 g variation in a 250 g bullet is just under 3% .... for plinking loads and ranges, I'd say my normal wobble would have more impact

Jim, that last statement says it all.


RP