Henry Rifle Forums

With the demise of the cheap H&R/NEF "Handi" rifles that had a cult-like following, that left a big hole for folks wanting to get into the .45-70 cartridge without breaking their piggy bank. Yep, there are currently a few .45-70 break open rifles offered, but none sport iron sights, and irons are typically required for long range BPCR/TR matches. Waaay back in the day, the H&R Buffalo Classic .45-70 rifle was a great way to catch a taste for loading the the venerable cartridge with either white or black powders.

Enter the Henry single shot.

To make sighting easier more viably accurate at 200 yards and lots further out, I've replaced the Henry front blade sight for a Lyman 17A globe peep sight and added a Skinner rear peep sight. It won't compete with Sharps and rollers, but it's a great way to learn loading for the .45-70 cartridge, starting with white powders (such as AA5744) and long range lubed bullets, then give a try for black powder powered lubed bullets ... and even black powder paper patched bullets.

You should try some "duplex loads" I use four grains of 4198 against the primer and then drop tube about 62 grains of ffg and then seat the bullet. I have shot forty shots of this load and still had a clean barrel i get tighter groups then smokeless loads. This in a Rolling Block with heavy 30 inch octagon barrel that I made up on a number one military action and stocked with fiddle back /maple.

Travlin wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2025 9:51 pm

You should try some "duplex loads" I use four grains of 4198 against the primer and then drop tube about 62 grains of ffg and then seat the bullet. I have shot forty shots of this load and still had a clean barrel i get tighter groups then smokeless loads. This in a Rolling Block with heavy 30 inch octagon barrel that I made up on a number one military action and stocked with fiddle back /maple.

HERESY!!! There is absolutely no need for duplex BP loads.

At least for me and the last 60 years of lighting up the holy black in guns that range from flintlocks, Colt revolvers, Sharps, Rem rollers, and now Henry lever rifles in .45-70 and .44 magnum.

The point of using a Henry single shot is to acknowledge this firearm as a viable vehicle for those interested in messing with black powder cartridges and achieving good accuracy to at least 200 yards ... on the "cheap", without the need to spend a few thousand on a replica 19th century rifle.

In straight wall cases I didnt duplex loads although I dont see anything wrong with it. In bottleneck cases duplexing helped me out a bunch especially with blackpowder.

BigAl52 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 28, 2025 10:41 am

In straight wall cases I didnt duplex loads although I dont see anything wrong with it. In bottleneck cases duplexing helped me out a bunch especially with blackpowder.

Yep, agree 100%! Though I'll only have straight wall cartridge guns for black powder endeavours.