Henry Rifle Forums

You're welcome Alan. Form matters alot, for me it has improved my work with a carbine to a great degree, both speed and precision.

Im not sure what that recoil pad is on my 870 but that thing is jist about the most effective one Ive ever used. I can empty 7 tounds of 12gauge in a mattet of seconds over and over and be no worse for wear at the end of the day, and Im 54. Its a factory pad but its probably available separately from somewhere. Ill look to see if it has a brand name on it this evening. Im going to guess Limbsaver. Limbsaver is what I have on my BenelliM4 and both of our Beretta 1301's but the one on the 870 just feels better for whatever reason.

Vaquero wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 22, 2022 8:30 am

Had a friend years and years ago who had an 1894 in 44 mag.
Like you the light weight of it seemed to recoil quite a bit.

Now my Henry BBB 44 mag. with the extra weight of the octagon barrel, I Love octagon barrels.
Doesn't seem to be bad a all no matter what I shoot through it.
I have a 41 mag. in the steel version, and even shooting it with some Heavy 270 gr. cast it's a pleasure to shoot.

Hope that helps a little.

RP

+1 to the octagon barrel! Might have to get another 45-70 to compare them.
+1 to the Limbsaver buttstock pad too, came with my pistol grip mod for my 870 tactical 12 gauge. Love it!

I have a .44 BBS carbine. I always find the meanest loads for it for reasons unknown to me. The guys out at the range will say, "dang, those are hot" and I smile because that's what .44s are all about. I tried shooting the same loads with a new Cimarron Bad Boy (stupid name) 6" revolver and found them to be punishing with a ton of blast and recoil. They were pure punishment and zero fun.
When I bought the rifle I was about 62 and it was a lot of fun. Now I'm 67 and it is starting to move me when I shoot it off the bench. Offhand it's not a problem. Seated, it has become a little uncomfortable, so I have been shooting more offhand.
I demoted the Cimarron to a .44 special and it's like a Cadillac. Smooth and sweet.
Getting older changes everything, and not for the better. I know why the seniors out there shoot a lot of .22s and .38s now.
The BBS .44 came with a nice recoil pad, thank goodness. And Henry.

Conax, when youre at the bench are you getting down real low and shooting it? If so, terribkebidea. Try bagging up and raising yourself along with it.
When you get down low, like mose people do shooting off a bench, they (you( are still presenting to the buttstick a part of your anatomy that has the bone and nerves very, very close to the surface, as in no padding there. This is the reason putting that recoil pad over onto the pectoralis is such a huge benefit, more pad there. Im not talking right next to your sternum but you know that "pocket" people always say to put the buttstock in and shoot? Move it over another 2" or so and just see how much nicer it is there. Just get it off the shoulder joint and onto some muscle. Sitting more upright at the bench and moving the buttstock over a bit is actually very natural, hunching down and squinting is not.
All of this because youre right, firing those "mean and angry" rounds in a 44magnum is what its all about, I agree and do the same thing.

You're right, Bill. I don't sit up as vertical as possible because my rest is just a shooting bag with an ammo box on top sometimes.
I'm just out there to trigger off some rounds and make a big noise. I especially like shooting jugs, clay birds, fruit and melons.
The .44 puts on a show on action targets. One guy donated a 6 pack of soda and we all got to bust one, to the cheers of the crowd. I do fun style shooting. Paper just ain't the same. We make every round count.
The rifle doesn't really hurt me, it just has the ability to rock me back a little, a new thing. I really need to keep on with the offhand shooting, it's important to keep in practice anyway. By the time I'm 75, I won't be shooting those hot loads anymore.

Bill.68, that was a damn good post regarding shooting positions. That may just help alank2 out.

I have a Henry Big Boy Brass .44 magnum rifle with the brass butt plate & octagon barrel and also have a Henry Big Boy Steel .44 magnum carbine with round barrel & cushioned butt plate. I only shoot magnum hunting loads out of both of these firearms. I really don't feel like the recoil from either firearm is objectionable. I have never fired any other .44 magnum rifles, so I really can't make a comparison.

I have grown very attached to the Big Boy Steel .44 carbine with side gate. It is a great woods gun.

If any of you reload .44 Mag try some lighter loads for target and plinking fun. I find that a 200 gr bullet loaded with 9 gr. of Unique is a great and pleasant shooter for rifle or pistol. It still hits the steel plates with a good slam and would work as well as a 10 mm round!

Since you said you reload, I suggest trying IMR 4227. This powder is just a bit slower than H 110 but the recoil is nowhere near the violent recoil of H 110 or comercial loadings. I want to say that the recoil is a good push on your shoulder and not the violent snap recoil felt with other well known powders used in magnum pistol loads.

I have 2 44mag lever actions. One is a Rossi 92 with a 20 inch barrel and I have a Henry X chambered in 44mag with a 17.4 inch barrel and neither have punishing recoil even though I load at near maximum powder load under either a 240gn or 300gn Hornady XTP's.

Good luck with your journey.

Warlock wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 04, 2022 4:17 pm

I have a Henry X chambered in 44mag with a 17.4 inch barrel

I agree with your recoil assessment .... be sure to follow the link below to where you can add your Henry and your son's as well to our community's total

http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 68#p205368