Best type lead bullet for my new henry 44 mag

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Just picked up a 44 mag BBS012R carbine 1-38 twist barrel, looking for a lead bullet for it, have not shot it yet need all the HELP I can get. [type , powder , fps] Thank you jpg [ gun#2]

[RanchRoper]

Congrats on the new rifle! I'm not the guy to advise you on 44 mag bullets, but I'm sure others will chime in.

[CT_Shooter]

Congratulations, jpg. You'll get some good advice in short order. I'm looking forward to your range reports.

[JEBar]

over time we've used several different brands and bullet weights, all of them have been fine .... we still use them and it will take a good while to exhaust our supply .... when that happens we have settled on going with Missouri Bullet Company's .44 Magnum 240 gr - Hi-Tek http://missouribullet.com/details.php?p ... &keywords= or Oregon Trail Laser-240 gr Cast™ Bulk Pistol and Rifle Bullets http://www.cabelas.com/product/Oregon-T ... 740839.uts

[DAVIDF]

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I have not had best of luck with Lasercast bullets using Unique and H110. Rather abysmal accuracy. Decent accuracy, from what little I have tried, with a light charge, 6.5gr of Red Dot with their 240 SWC. I think the Lasercast is sized too small (at .431) for my barrel. I measured my barrel at a .431 groove diameter, so I probably need a .432 sized cast bullet to work best.

I am ordering some bullets from Penn Bullets. Bob Palermo, the owner, will size certain .44 bullets up to .432. I'll post how they work once they arrive.

In the meantime, I have been using plated bullets from Xtreme. I have had very good accuracy with their 200gr plated over 6.8 to 7.2gr of Red Dot. This is a very light recoiling, very quiet load. Only about 1150 fps or so. Somewhere around the original 44-40 loads.

[BigAl52]

How much Unique were you using under the 240 David?

[DAVIDF]

I know I tried 10.0 gr. I also had some loaded at 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, and 11.0 or 11.2, but can't remember which I tried out of the rifle. All were accurate out of my Super Blackhawk, but none were that I tried out of the Henry.

[BigAl52]

That 6.5 grain load of Red dot is also a good load in the 45 colt. I use that load there. I also use some hs6. I dont have a 44 mag in the Henry but was curious if you had tried the 10 grs of unique load. There is also a guy in St John,Ks that cast up a keith 250swc. His bullets are excellent and the 250 was a shooter in all of my 44 handguns. Al

[DAVIDF]

I have been liking the Red Dot. It has been readily available locally in the 1lb bottles at a reasonable price, and that pound goes a long way. I haven't been too interested in developing a higher velocity, near max pressure load. Partly, because I want to try to develop a very accurate load out to 100 yards that is low recoil, low report, that will work out of my revolvers and the rifle equally as well. And, not have to figure out two points of aim or adjusting sights for different loads. So far the 200gr plated from Xtreme over 6.8 to 7.2 gr seems to work quite well. Not sure yet, where in that range is best. On one good day when lighting was perfect for me, I was able to do five shots in about 1 1/16" or thereabouts as close as I could measure on my steel plate at 100 yards. That was with a 6.8gr charge and open sights on the Big Boy. I'll be trying the 7.2gr charge this Wednesday. The lighting has to be perfect for me to get a good sight picture and really see how accurate the load is.

I even think a low velocity load like this will work fine for what hunting of small to medium hogs that I might do with the Big Boy. I rarely hear of people hunting with plated bullets, but they have worked well in how they actually hold together thru hard barriers such as safety glass in terminal ballistics testing for law enforcement.

I'll be anxious to try the hard cast 200gr RNFP Penn Bullets when I receive them. I am hoping they are a bit more accurate than the 200gr plated or at least the same.

I am also experimenting with Speer's 200gr Gold Dot. It is meant for low .44 mag velocities or high .44 Special velocities, between about 900 to 1100 fps. 8.2 gr of Red Dot works good with my revolvers and will push it to about 1025 to 1050 fps. The bullet works great at that velocity. 6.8gr of Red Dot may work out of the rifle and keep the velocity close to the bullets threshold. I may get a chronograph to test those.

[johnsgwh]

I use 200 grain round nose flat point from Dardas Cast Bullets. These are great bullets for target shooting. You can get 500 bullets for $44.00. Never had a feeding issue with my Henry or Marlin. I use Starline brass, 8 grains of unique with CCI primers. Just a blast to shoot.

[JEBar]

over time we've used several different brands and bullet weights, all of them have been fine .... we still use them and it will take a good while to exhaust our supply .... when that happens we have settled on going with Missouri Bullet Company's .44 Magnum 240 gr - Hi-Tek http://missouribullet.com/details.php?p ... &keywords= or Oregon Trail Laser-240 gr Cast™ Bulk Pistol and Rifle Bullets http://www.cabelas.com/product/Oregon-T ... 740839.uts

picture one shows our Ruger Redhawk and Henry BBS

pictures two and three show our practice load .... 240 gr Oregon Trail pushed by 7.2 gr Bullseye (yep, we go through bunches of them )

pictures four and five below our hunting load .... 240 gr Nosler JHP pushed by 23.8 gr of H110 or W296

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All most make me stop looking for a lead bullets for my Henry BBS carbine .Had some Nosler JSP 240 gr ,Tried cci300 lp ,Starline brass,and 300MP powder with all tests . 10 shot groups , Started with 23gr av 1525 fps 21/2" group. 24gr av 1625 fps 2" group . last 25gr av 1721 fps [best I have ever done] 11/4 " . Shot at 100 yds from a good bench. don't know what I want to do? lead or no lead thanks jpg

[ssonb]

I have used a lot of the Ranier Ballistics 240 gr copper plated jhp. Even tho I cast a lot I use them when I do not have a lot of home brewed bullets ready to go. Almost like JS I load 9.0 Unique for 930fps thru a 5 3/4 in bbl pistol and close to 1200 thru a BBS rifle.

[DAVIDF]

Yesterday was my second time at the range with some RNFP 200gr hard cast bullets from Penn Bullets sized at .432. I am now sold on them for what I want anyways. First time out I tested them with 7.2gr of Red Dot in Starline brass and WLP primers. No leading after 82 rounds thru my Big Boy and 18 rounds thru my Super Black Hawk. I got about the same accuracy as my favorite plated load which is the same powder, brass, and primer with a 200 gr RNFP from X-treme.

Yesterday, I tried the 7.2 gr charge as well as 6.8, 7.7, & 8.2, along with the 7.2 gr plated load. The 7.2 gr hard cast bullet from Penn Bullets shot slightly better than the plated out of the rifle. I have gotten as good as 1 1/16" five shot group at 100 yards with the 200 gr plated from X-treme and 6.8 gr of Red Dot from my Big Boy with open sights. The 7.2 gr load seems to be the same accuracy in the rifle and a bit better in my revolvers. I couldn't duplicate that accuracy yesterday as I am not that consistent with my eyesight. Plus, there was big crosswinds. 10 shots were 2 1/2" at only 50 yards with the hard cast and just over that with the plated. I am blaming the bigger groups than I was hoping for on the cross winds

I have not cleaned the barrels yet, but I see no signs of leading at all. They look as clean as after I shoot the plated loads only. I am sold on these hard cast from Penn and I will be ordering more right away as he makes them to order and it can take a while.

[larry7293]

What diameter bullet did you use from Dardas?

[Squatch]

I've found that with Unique the group size goes out the window when you get up around 10 grns behind a 240gr bullet. 8-8.5 is nice.

Lately I've been using Trailboss powder behind MBC 240gr RNFP. Both the coated and lead in BHN18. Results have been nice. But I think the sweet load is going to come from the same powder and the Berry's target hp 240 gr copper plated. These are just a touch longer than their regular 240gr 44 mag bullet. seated to the same depth they seem just a bit more consistent. Bear in mind OP asked for lead bullet loads. These are low recoil loads suitable for lead bullets.