Henry Rifle Forums

I got to the range today. I shot 100 rounds of handloads, 130 gr. FMJs using Win231 and WSPM primers. I held off going last week because my back was really sore, and today I was a bit better, but still hurting. I shot 50 rounds each in my Henry H006M and Uberti SmokeWagon. I used two six inch targets for each gun, 25 rounds each. I was not surprised that my first two targets were better than my last two. By the second box of ammo, I was starting to feel the burn of standing and it showed up in my accuracy. So, for this range report, I'm only showing the first targets from each gun.

I shoot both guns standing, offhand; the Henry at 75 feet, the SmokeWagon at 25 feet. I shot five rounds at a time out of each gun, alternating from one to the other. This allowed each gun to cool down a bit as I moved the targets up and down range and gathered the spent cases between firings.

I adjusted the windage of the Skinner Peep on the H006M just a fraction, enough to feel it and see it, but so very little. It did seem to help, so I'm considering giving the front sight a gentle tap and then re-centering the peep.

I was sore, but having a fun time shooting these two fine guns.

That's pretty tight groups for offhand and standing with a bad back (I've got one of those)
How hot were the .357s loaded? I noticed you were using magnum primers

isldtime wrote:That's pretty tight groups for offhand and standing with a bad back (I've got one of those)
How hot were the .357s loaded? I noticed you were using magnum primers

Thanks. I load at the lower end of the published spectrum, but they are still magnum loads. I use a 7cc Lee dipper, which equals 7.2 grains of Win231/HP38. I've been through more than 1k of these bullets using that same load and I like it. A lot.

Wow , I've never tried the dippers for powder charge. Low volume hunting loads are weighed on my Lee beam scale (I have a HF electronic scale that I don't trust). Pistol target loads are weighed at random because they are a bit lighter.

isldtime wrote:Wow , I've never tried the dippers for powder charge.

I think they are very consistent and use them for both Win231/HP38 and H110 powders (I made one for H110 from a 9mm cartridge to hold the volume of my preferred charge for 158 gr jacketed bullets). I regularly weigh ten scoops of powder before I begin a reloading session. In this case, it always averages 7.2.

This is the best stuff on this Forum for me -- a Range Report.

And it's not only to view such consistently good target results, as CT_Shooter usually posts --- and as do other Henry Folk, too. But for me, the very best Range Report is where a person says he is simply "having a fun time shooting these two fine guns." We see that fairly often.

Such statements remind me of a recent sports article I read titled: "Why Own A Gun?" There were two brief paragraphs (two of many reasons to own a gun) that highlighted the fun and enjoyment CT just wrote about. I can relate to these article points. And especially recently as the blazingly hot & humid summer weather has kept me away from the outdoor ranges! I miss the fun time on the range. (Check out the article paragraphs copied below).

Good shooting, CT. Glad you had a fun day!
[P.S. Sounds like a lot of reloading fun, too! ]

"Why Own A Gun?"
Target Shooting Only

Some folks just enjoy the challenge of punching paper with their guns. Shooting accurately is challenging, and many of us feel a sense of achievement from being able to put our shots exactly where we want them to go on a target. The pleasure one derives from this is relative, just like any activity or hobby - but I don't know of anyone who likes to shoot inaccurately.

Competitive shooting helps some shooters focus and gives them a sense of belonging, as well as a sense of achievement when they are able to shoot better than their fellow competitors.

For Social Reasons

Some gun owners may own guns simply so they can take part in social shooting activities, such as sporting clays, skeet, cowboy action shooting, and the like. For some folks this type of "social shooting" can become an enjoyable hobby in lieu of golf or something of that nature.

Glad you got out for some gunpowder therapy.

PT7 wrote:
[P.S. Sounds like a lot of reloading fun, too! ]

Thanks, PT7! I'm so very glad that I decided to begin reloading at the time I started shooting. It is a rewarding activity in and of itself, but it also amplifies the enjoyment I have at the range when shooting. Together, they make a complete hobby. The only thing missing for me is hunting. I've never done it and may never have the opportunity, given my age and ailments; but it would be the ultimate satisfaction.

Cool expression, RSb. Now I know what treatment I need whenever I can't get to the range and am missing that fun time.

RetiredSeabee wrote:Glad you got out for some gunpowder therapy.

I took the Big Boy and the SmokeWagon to the range again today. I planned to alternate between the revolver and rifle, starting with the revolver. I shot 5 rounds of 125 JSPs (H110 - WSPM), then 5 rounds from the rifle.

Next, I switched to five rounds of 130 FMJs (Win231 - WSPM) in the revolver, but the last round didn't go off. I took it out, looked it over, and thinking it looked OK (no partial dent in the primer), I loaded it again. It still didn't go off, so I emptied the gun and inspected the firing pin, which (I noticed for the first time) moved around in the hammer. I thought it was broken. I put the unfired round in my Henry along with five others and all six went off, no problems detected. Sadly, I put the SmokeWagon in it's bore stores case and shot the rest of the 100 rounds from my Henry, five at a time.

When I got home, I called Taylor's & Co. and talked with the gunsmith, who informed me that the firing pin is supposed to "free float" and the movement is by design and is called a "free floating firing pin". I learned something new -- again. He said if I shoot it again and it still has a problem to call him back, but he suspected the primer was likely the culprit. So, we'll see. It's still under their warranty.

Regardless, because of that, I have just two targets today instead of four. One with 45 rounds of JSPs and one with 46 rounds of FMJs. As usual, I shot off hand, standing at 75 feet. The Henry has a Skinner Peep and a stock front sight.

I had fewer flyers with the 130 grain FMJs, as you can see.

Nice shooting. Thanks for the report.

That Henry BBB shooting is "spot-on," as usual, CT. The 130 FMJ results are especially well-grouped. Good job, in spite of having to put the SmokeWagon in it's bore stores case way too early...'twould be a disappointment for sure.

But what's with the revolver? If it was the bullet primer, as the gunsmith noted, I wonder why then would it shoot out of the Henry okay?
Your revolver is fairly new, still under warranty. I'd really go after this issue until resolved, especially w/in the warranty time left.

Still glad you got to the range today. The Henry is working like it's at the champion level, as usual!

PT7 wrote: If it was the bullet primer, as the gunsmith noted, I wonder why then would it shoot out of the Henry okay?
Your revolver is fairly new, still under warranty. I'd really go after this issue until resolved, especially w/in the warranty time left.

It's not easy to contradict a gunsmith over the phone, especially with the limited experience that I have and the high level of certainty that he had. But, I told him the same story I reported here, so we'll see next time I get to the range. I've got plenty of time to test his diagnosis. And I will.

I was happy with the FMJs, too! Each time I brought the target back for a look, I smiled a little.

CT, get some youngin to help get you into a blind. Get a comfy seat and get that deer you want. Fine shooting my friend.

Cofisher wrote:...get that deer you want. Fine shooting my friend.

Thanks, Cofisher. The Big Boy isn't a legal firearm for hunting deer on state land; so to use it, it would have to be on private property. Sadly, the only people I know with enough land to hunt are less than enthusiastic about shooting sports. But, if I could, I would love it.

the revolver's failure would be eating at me to the point I'd get back to the range ASAP and go back ready to run bunches of rounds through it .... if it left no mark on the primer, that's an issue with the pistol .... if there was a mark that looked similar to the one on the rounds that fired, that's an issue with the shell .... I have seen some where the primer wasn't fully seated ... the first strike pushed it deeper into the primer pocket ... the second or a few times the third strike fired the round .... with it firing in the Henry, the primer was good

RetiredSeabee wrote:Glad you got out for some gunpowder therapy.

PT7 wrote: But what's with the revolver? If it was the bullet primer, as the gunsmith noted, I wonder why then would it shoot out of the Henry okay?

Well, the gunsmith was wrong. It was not the primer. But, it was not the revolver, either.

I took the SmokeWagon to the range today and fired fifty rounds through it without a hitch. So, the question is, "what happened on my last outing?" My opinion is user error, though it's a reality slap in the face to acknowledge it.

I think that when I thought the gun misfired, I had simply pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. I always load one, skip one, load four - pull back the hammer and let it down on an empty chamber. I don't know how, but I had to have rotated the cylinder to wind up with one unfired round in the gun. Then, when I tried that round for a second time, I had to have miscounted rotations because it was the only round in the gun. I fired and it didn't go off, but the primer was untouched. It was then that I noticed the "free floating" firing pin for the first time ever and thought the gun must have been broken. It wasn't.

So, this is a confession of having made mistakes.

The good news is that the SmokeWagon is in great operating condition. Now, if only the shooter was the same...

Glad you had a "glitch-free" 50 rounds today...I'm certain that was much fun.
Good news on your SmokeWagon, CT.

However, don't quite know what to think of the shooter....other than I bet he'll recover quickly!!

Whew! Glad I've never been wrong before...it sounds awful!
Glad all is well.