Henry H012GM - AKA .357 Mag w/ Side Gate
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 9:31 pm
So, some months back I commented in another thread that I had acquired one of the Big Boy Steel rifles in .357Mag/.38Spl, with the side gate. At that point I commented on the rubber butt pad, but that was really about all.
Well, here's a bit more of an expanded second impression.
Fit and finish were really well done. The first magazine full was the only one fired using the factory buckhorn sights. Without adjusting, it hit a bit right and low on a steel plate with the factory rounds at 50 yards. No matter, it was getting a scope. I ordered the one-piece Talley mount, and bought a basic 3x9 from the local Cabela's. I ran out of scope adjustment, and needed to shim the back of the mount .014", but now it shoots POA=POI out to 100 yards just fine.
I found a load it liked with some 145gr cast hollow-point projectiles I'd been given in .357 brass, but those were the only ones I had. Still, 130 rounds should last a while. Several years ago I bought three Lyman lubrisizers from one of our club members, along with a couple hundred pounds of lead and a bunch of already cast projectiles for .38/.357 and .45. The .38/.357 ones were a 162gr wadcutter design, that leaves about 3/16" of the bullet outside the case. They feed fine in the Henry, and I found a .357 load with Accurate #5 that shot to the sights at 50 yards, so loaded up a couple hundred. Every year I sponsor a fun shoot for my office, where I provide the guns, ammo and targets, and they come have fun in a supervised format. This year we had the teenaged daughter of one of the partners who had never shot a gun in her life. I didn't get a chance to watch many of the shooters (that's what my range masters were for), but I did see her go 5 for 5 on a bowling pin and steel plate at 50 and 40 yards respectively with the Henry. So, out to 50 yards at least, that's an accurate round.
Next time I fire the pot up I'm going to cast up a bunch of 173gr Keith semi-wadcutters. They're too long to load in .357 brass crimping in the crimp groove and get them to feed in the Henry, but loaded to +P pressures in .38 brass should work fine. And, for any reloaders, yes, I know I can crimp over the front driving band of that bullet in .357 brass. However, I'm leery of that practice when using a tubular magazine. Nothing to prevent setback. Also, crimping over the front driving band puts enough more bullet in the shell, that you're actually only gaining .040-.050" of additional powder capacity vs just loading .38s to +P loads.
As I mentioned in the other thread, the only negative, and it's merely my preference really, is that the rubber buttpad makes the stock a bit long, and on this particular rifle, is unnecessary. .357Mag doesn't kick that hard.
Well, here's a bit more of an expanded second impression.
Fit and finish were really well done. The first magazine full was the only one fired using the factory buckhorn sights. Without adjusting, it hit a bit right and low on a steel plate with the factory rounds at 50 yards. No matter, it was getting a scope. I ordered the one-piece Talley mount, and bought a basic 3x9 from the local Cabela's. I ran out of scope adjustment, and needed to shim the back of the mount .014", but now it shoots POA=POI out to 100 yards just fine.
I found a load it liked with some 145gr cast hollow-point projectiles I'd been given in .357 brass, but those were the only ones I had. Still, 130 rounds should last a while. Several years ago I bought three Lyman lubrisizers from one of our club members, along with a couple hundred pounds of lead and a bunch of already cast projectiles for .38/.357 and .45. The .38/.357 ones were a 162gr wadcutter design, that leaves about 3/16" of the bullet outside the case. They feed fine in the Henry, and I found a .357 load with Accurate #5 that shot to the sights at 50 yards, so loaded up a couple hundred. Every year I sponsor a fun shoot for my office, where I provide the guns, ammo and targets, and they come have fun in a supervised format. This year we had the teenaged daughter of one of the partners who had never shot a gun in her life. I didn't get a chance to watch many of the shooters (that's what my range masters were for), but I did see her go 5 for 5 on a bowling pin and steel plate at 50 and 40 yards respectively with the Henry. So, out to 50 yards at least, that's an accurate round.
Next time I fire the pot up I'm going to cast up a bunch of 173gr Keith semi-wadcutters. They're too long to load in .357 brass crimping in the crimp groove and get them to feed in the Henry, but loaded to +P pressures in .38 brass should work fine. And, for any reloaders, yes, I know I can crimp over the front driving band of that bullet in .357 brass. However, I'm leery of that practice when using a tubular magazine. Nothing to prevent setback. Also, crimping over the front driving band puts enough more bullet in the shell, that you're actually only gaining .040-.050" of additional powder capacity vs just loading .38s to +P loads.
As I mentioned in the other thread, the only negative, and it's merely my preference really, is that the rubber buttpad makes the stock a bit long, and on this particular rifle, is unnecessary. .357Mag doesn't kick that hard.
