Henry Rifle Forums

I bought an X-model in .44 magnum just before Wisconsins deer season with hopes of using it for the hunt. I've handloaded the .44 for a half a century and was confident that something already loaded would probably be just fine. Didn't happen. 50 yard groups were in the in the 3" to 5" range. Often two or three shots close together and then a flyer or two several inches away. I got my whitetail with a Big Boy steel .45 Colt but also hunted with a SS Henry H015 in .44 mag that shoots very well.

Since then I've slugged the barrel and it measures a little over .431". No wonder the lot of Nosler 240 gr. HP's did so badly on paper. They measure at just under .428". Hornady XTP's mic at .429" and were slightly better but still not good. A buddy and I took a little tour of the innards with a
his bore scope and we found no obvious flaws. I tried two different optics with similar results. I even sent in an UltraDot II with 2 minute dot and they sent it back with a sort of indignant note that there was nothing wrong with it. They were right...

Then I got to thinking ....I'm a bullet caster so since it's got a fat bore so I'll feed it some fat bullets. I powder coated several different styles of bullets and then ran them through a .432" Star sizing die. Some were loaded over proven loads in magnum cases and since this gun will NOT funtion at over the 1.600" SAMMI spec OAL some were loaded in .44 Spl brass. This collection of shotgun patterns was the result....will be phoning Henry tomorrow. After having all I could stand with the .44 I pulled out my X-Model .357. I was running out of daylight but had a box of ammo with 9 rounds left in it. It was the Lyman cast bullet #358665 which drop with my alloy at 166 gr. They were loaded over Blue Dot powder with the Garmin chrono reading at 1408 fps average. This was at 50 yards with a Leupold 2.5X scope. There's nine bullets in there but I think a couple of them used an already existing bullet hole. So....I own 10 Henry's and nine of them are really good. Stay tuned.

I've been in your situation, and eventually sent mine back. Mine was a .357, but very similar results with groups.
Henry changed the barrel, bolt, and some other parts, and returned the rifle to me. I called and asked what they found to be the issue, but it seems that info isn't available to the public. The rifle will now shoot about an inch at 50 yards, and about 3 inches at 100 with ammo it likes, and that is all I really expected from it originally. I really haven't made a very deep dive working a load up for it yet, so better groups could still be possible, but for woods deer hunting, it'll do just fine.

Hope they get yours sorted out the way you want it.

Im sure they will make it right 5shot but this seems to be a repetitive issue with 44 mag and Henry. I have a 41 that shoots as well as your 357 so no need for a 44 at my house

rickhem wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 7:08 am

I've been in your situation, and eventually sent mine back. Mine was a .357, but very similar results with groups.
Henry changed the barrel, bolt, and some other parts, and returned the rifle to me. I called and asked what they found to be the issue, but it seems that info isn't available to the public. The rifle will now shoot about an inch at 50 yards, and about 3 inches at 100 with ammo it likes, and that is all I really expected from it originally. I really haven't made a very deep dive working a load up for it yet, so better groups could still be possible, but for woods deer hunting, it'll do just fine.

Hope they get yours sorted out the way you want it.

Give 2400 somewhere around 14.5 to 15 gr a try with a 158 gr bullet. You might be surprised

Yeah, it begins and ends with the barrel. For sure, you can tweak all sorts of things to make a gun shoot better, but you can only do so much with a mediocre barrel.

Does Henry make their own barrels?

North Country Gal wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:33 am

Yeah, it begins and ends with the barrel. For sure, you can tweak all sorts of things to make a gun shoot better, but you can only do so much with a mediocre barrel.

Does Henry make their own barrels?

According to what I read they do make there own barrels.

North Country Gal wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:33 am

Yeah, it begins and ends with the barrel. For sure, you can tweak all sorts of things to make a gun shoot better, but you can only do so much with a mediocre barrel.

Does Henry make their own barrels?

Henry does make its own barrels. Jump to 2:58 in this YouTube video Titled "HOW ARE HENRY RIFLES MADE? EXCLUSIVE PLANT TOUR"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMNLa5wAsXM

CT_Shooter wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:49 am

North Country Gal wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 11:33 am

Yeah, it begins and ends with the barrel. For sure, you can tweak all sorts of things to make a gun shoot better, but you can only do so much with a mediocre barrel.

Does Henry make their own barrels?

Henry does make its own barrels. Jump to 2:58 in this YouTube video Titled "HOW ARE HENRY RIFLES MADE? EXCLUSIVE PLANT TOUR"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMNLa5wAsXM

The video shows them boring the rods for barrels. It doesn't show them forging or otherwise forming the raw rods.

Mags wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 12:26 pm

It doesn't show them forging or otherwise forming the raw rods.

It doesn't show them mining the iron ore or processing it into steel, either. Thanks for the correction.

CT_Shooter wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 1:39 pm

Mags wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 12:26 pm

It doesn't show them forging or otherwise forming the raw rods.

It doesn't show them mining the iron ore or processing it into steel, either. Thanks for the correction.

Part of 'making their own barrels', includes whether or not they roll the steel stock they get from someone else, not the mining and processing ore.

I bought a 44 mag Big Boy steel a while back. It has been back to the company 3 times over accuracy issues. Twice they replaced the barrel; the third time they sent me a new rifle. They enclosed a test target with the replacement which looked pretty decent, until I saw that is was fired at 25 yards.

At 50 yards I still have a 3" gun, using factory ammo, which Henry recommended.

One of the times that I sent it back I enclosed targets, along with targets from my 35 rem, shot at the same range session, just to show them that I am a fair marksman.

I know that they guarantee satisfaction with their firearms but, frankly, I didn't buy this rifle to keep sending it in for "repairs"!

I truly hate to take a loss on a fairly new gun but, my frustration limit is on overload with this.

I told the gentleman that I talked with that, in my opinion, a lever gun should be able to give 2 1/2" - 3" groups at 100 yards. He fully agreed with my assessment. By the way- everyone that I have spoken with there has been very friendly and understanding, but I STILL have a rifle with unacceptable accuracy!

I trust that you have much better success with yours

Mags wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:03 pm

Part of 'making their own barrels', includes whether or not they roll the steel stock they get from someone else, not the mining and processing ore.

Thanks again for helping me understand what "making their own barrels" means. So -- to be clear -- Henry does NOT make its own barrels.

How would you describe what it is that they do do?

CT_Shooter wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:55 pm

Mags wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:03 pm

Part of 'making their own barrels', includes whether or not they roll the steel stock they get from someone else, not the mining and processing ore.

Thanks again for helping me understand what "making their own barrels" means. So -- to be clear -- Henry does NOT make its own barrels.

How would you describe what it is that they do do?

In the video Henry does the machining of the final barrel. They don't show how the barrel blank rod was made/forged or share where they get their blanks from.
We can't say that the video encompasses everything they might do start to finish. What the video shows is the final machining of prefabricated parts to final dimension, cosmetics and assembly into the finished product. Do they do their own prefabrication foundry forging, castings, CNC, etc of parts prior to what they show in the video?

Mags wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 4:19 pm

Do they do their own prefabrication foundry forging, castings, CNC, etc of parts prior to what they show in the video?

Good question.

Considering that you identify some very important steps in the process of barrel making that, if they do those things, they could have simply described it prior to the video segment about the barrel. Why didn't they?

Regardless, I'm confident Henry will make 5shot's rifle right.

I wouldn't settle for a 3" at 50 yds 44 mag even in one of my revolvers. My Ruger SA and DA 44 mag revolvers with scope or red dot from a rest have usually done better than that at 50 yds with premium grade Hornady or Barnes 44 mag factory ammo. My Encore 44 mag pistol with 12" barrel will do an inch or less at 50.

I've had several Marlin 44 mag carbines and when scoped, I've still been able to keep them under 3" at twice that distance, as in 100 yards. Hope Henry can take care of you guys.

parson 48. You have more patience than I do. I did, however, send my single shot .44 back three times. Twice for the atrocious trigger pull and the last time for the factory recall. It came back with a clean 4lb. pull and is one of my favorite rifles. Accuracy is great in the 1" to 1 1/2" range at 50 yds.

North Country Gal. I agree with your accuracy standards. Most of my deer hunting is in the woods where shots are relatively close but I wouldn't be comfortable taking a 100 yard shot with this rifle as it is now. I really wanted to like this X-model. It's compact and handles nicely, the action is smooth and trigger pull is very good. I have several Henry's with really outstanding wood and am a little OCD about banging them up in a ladder stand. The X is a working gun.

I hate having to ship a gun and even if it had been a "One trick pony" and only shot one hunting load well I probably wouldn't be doing this. Completed the online form tonight and waiting on a shipping label. Henry insures the gun for full value so that takes some of the stress out of it.

I know what you mean about having to ship guns back for repair. It's a real pain. I try everything I can, first, before giving up on a gun and shipping it back. In your case, I'd send the back for sure and if that doesn't solve the problem, I'd sell the gun, but I'd be up front about the accuracy. Some folks would be fine with that kind of accuracy and, of course, some wouldn't. Yeah, you'd take a hit dollar-wise, but in my experience, when I'm not happy with the way a gun shoots, it just gets set aside and not shot. I just don't have room in the safe to keep dust collectors. Best of luck with Henry, though. It would be great if they could do what you want with the gun.

parson48 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 22, 2024 2:22 pm

I bought a 44 mag Big Boy steel a while back. It has been back to the company 3 times over accuracy issues. Twice they replaced the barrel; the third time they sent me a new rifle. They enclosed a test target with the replacement which looked pretty decent, until I saw that is was fired at 25 yards.

At 50 yards I still have a 3" gun, using factory ammo, which Henry recommended.

One of the times that I sent it back I enclosed targets, along with targets from my 35 rem, shot at the same range session, just to show them that I am a fair marksman.

I know that they guarantee satisfaction with their firearms but, frankly, I didn't buy this rifle to keep sending it in for "repairs"!

I truly hate to take a loss on a fairly new gun but, my frustration limit is on overload with this.

I told the gentleman that I talked with that, in my opinion, a lever gun should be able to give 2 1/2" - 3" groups at 100 yards. He fully agreed with my assessment. By the way- everyone that I have spoken with there has been very friendly and understanding, but I STILL have a rifle with unacceptable accuracy!

I trust that you have much better success with yours

Another vote for more patience than me. Id ask for my money back and would buy another brand in 44 mag. If Im not mistaken Forty sold his 44 Henry and bought another brand that shoots alot better. Just my .02 worth

I wouldn't be loosing any money on the deal. If they can't make it right, I'd be demanding a new rifle or a full refund.
The 44 has got to be one one of their top sellers and most highly produced, maybe just maybe the tooling is wearing down.
Maybe they should think about a replacement. I' seems to be the one that has been the most problematic in the year or two.
If I were looking for a 44 mag rifle now, I would look somewhere else.
5shot I do hope you get some satisfaction before to much longer one way or another.

RP

Thanks folks! Still waiting for warranty claim to be approved. If memory serves me correctly, a couple years ago it was simply a matter of talking to the nice lady in Rice Lake and shortly thereafter a shipping label appeared in the e-mail. Now it's filling out a form and reading..."Warranty claims are processed in the order they are received." Maybe Monday.

I have a buddy that does gun shows frequently and I'll be sharing a table with him next month but there's no way I could peddle this without full disclosure. I'm all too familiar with the roller coaster ride of going from "New gun buzz" to "Major league letdown."

parson 48. If they send this rifle back shooting the way it left I'll probably jump ship as a Henry fanboy (geriatric version ) and look at a Ruger/ Marlin or the new Smith. I much prefer Henry's safety setup to a crossbolt though.