Loading data .45LC+p for a Henry Big Boy

C

clegger

BANNED
BANNED
BANNED
EE Expired
Rating - 90.9%
10   1   0
Just picked up my new Henry Big Boy chambered in .45LC.

Please post your +p loads!!

I'm wanting to load it up as hot as she can go, but also want to be smart about it. I also must add I've never reloaded before and this will be my first loading adventure. I picked up all the gear and in the reloading manuals there are a few recepies for "Ruger only loads", I figured if a Ruger pistol can handle it then a Henry carbine surely can. I also want to safe so I emailed Henry Arms up and asked them about how much pressure can the Big Boy handle and if I could send some 300g threw it. They didn't answer my question exactly but they did send me this.



Thank you for owning a Henry rifle,

For Big Boys chambered for either .44 Magnum or .45LC, you can use any reputable brand of the standard or +P factory loads, with standard profile bullets (round-nose, flat-nose, and hollow-point), up to maximum projectile weight of 260-grains, and which conforms to SAAMI specs. The 255-gr. bullet should be fine, but do not attempt to use your 300-gr. slugs in our Big Boy rifles.

We officially do not recommend reloaded or hand-loaded ammunition, due to possible variations in quality or dimensions of the finished rounds, and the resulting safety issues. We only recommend factory-loaded standard and +P ammunition that conforms to SAAMI specs. If you choose to hand-load, make sure the resulting ammunition conforms to SAAMI specs for that type of ammunition.

Regards,

Jeffrey Post
Technical Customer Service

Henry Repeating Arms, Co.
 
They use the same action with a different barrel for 44mag so I would assume you can go to at least 36,000psi as that's the rating for standard 44mag.
The Hodgdon data site has 45lc loads that are specified as "Ruger, Freedom Arms, and T/C only" which go up to 30,000CUP.
"Standard" 45lc is only rated for 14,000psi because of it's black powder origins.
The standard 44mag loads on the Hodgdon site go up to 38,000CUP.

With the same bullet weight it could be possible to use 44mag data in a 45lc. I'm not recommending that but it could be worthwhile to research some more.

Personally I still stick by the safety-centric belief that if you want a more powerful rifle, buy a rifle that uses a more powerful cartridge. If standard 30,000CUP "Ruger only" 45lc aren't enough for you I would have bought a 454 Casull or something.
If you want a real thumper, than maybe a 45-70 would be more what you're after. Some of the lever loads meant for Marlin 1895's are up there. I've fired 300gr bullets at 2400fps and that isn't even the upper limit.
 
The "Ruger only" loads are more then enough for me and my needs. I really didn't want a 45-70 as it falls under the "ridiculous" size in my books. I'm just in need of any good and fast .45lc recepies that my Henry can handle.

I think this is the gun that pushes me into reloading because the standard/cowboy loads are IMHO not very fun and too expensive for what they are. A little research has shown me that I can make double the number and really hot .45lc rounds for the same price as standard.

I'm just looking for any experience and previously used hot .45lc carbine recepies.
 
I'd make a list of which powders work and hunt around for any one of them. Pistol and shotgun powders are still in short supply even though rifle powders are regularly back in stock again. Search everywhere you can, call every shop you can find and get to, and see if you can dig up a couple pounds of any suitable powder.

For the higher velocities:
H110
H4227
Hodgdon Lil'Gun
Alliant 2400
etc.

For the middle velocities (above normal 45lc but not max):
Hodgdon Longshot
Hodgdon Titegroup
Alliant Unique
Alliant Bluedot
etc.

Budget Shooter Supply has H110 listed as in stock.
Higginsons powder has Lil'gun showing in stock.
 
Last edited:
I would not go as high a pressure as 44Mag. The larger chamber of the .45Colt barrel leaves the walls a little thinner than for the .44Mag. So I'd want to respect that by not loading THAT hot.

Most loading books as well as the Hodgdon reloading center have recipes for "Ruger, Freedom Arms and TC only loads". I'd not go any hotter than those options. The pressures they list hit a max of around 30K CUP and give you up to 1400fps for muzzle velocity from a handgun. From your henry you'll be up around 1700fps with a 250gn round. And it'll hit your shoulder pretty hard.
 
So I just assembled and tested my first .45LC rounds, here is receipe

Starline brass
WLP
24g IMR 4227
250g hornady XTP JHP

these guys are very accurate and blew the heck out of a pumpkin, no signs of over pressure. I'm going to try and creep up the grains up to 25gr as the max load.
 
So just an update,

I'm still tinkering around with my GO TO load, so far we have taken the prementioned receipe and messed with it a bit. The reloading manual says that a the OAL should be no greater then 1.60", but after some chamber measureing I have found that a OAL of 1.608 gives me a JUMP of .005 and that's what this rifle seems to like. Here's the new receipe.

Starline brass
WLP
IMR 4227 - 25.5g
250g hornady XTP JHP
1.608 OAL

This gives great accuracy and the JHP expand to ruffly twice there original size. On the down side I'm finding a lot of unburnt powder in the barrel and even in the receiver/case, at 25.5g the load is very slightly compressed with this type of powder and I'm reading that most users of IMR 4227 are using the magnum pistol primers to overcome this situation.

I'm asking with this be a safe practice to switch over to magnum primers and I assume I'll have to back off the powder weight and start slow up to max again? Or should I just switch to a cleaner powder like H110?
 
Back off the powder by 10% and try the magnum primers.

I know that in a handgun 4227 leaves quite a bit behind even with them, however.

It's more about shot to shot consistency than in burning every bit of powder.
 
I've read just about every forum post on the Internet in regards to Henry's shooting 300g rounds and come to the conclusion that Henry does not recommend any ammo above the 260g mark because of the longer OAL that will result in a failure to feed.

So in a fairly confident mood that I could get them within the 1.60" maximum OAL I decided to give her a go with a 300g load, and this was my starting data;

300g hornady XTP JHP
IMR 4227 - 22.5g
CCI 350 magnum primers
Starline brass trimmed to 1.241"
Case OAL 1.60" on the dot


I took this load to the old gravel pit, said a prayer and... GTG no problems!! No over pressure signs, cycles fine, good accuracy, and not even that much powder left in the barrel. i have since then pushed the powder up to give me this new data.

300g hornady XTP JHP
IMR 4227 - 24.5g++ COMPRESSED LOAD
CCI 350 magnum primers
Starline brass trimmed to 1.241"
Case OAL 1.60" on the dot

This should be considered a all time maximum load for the .45lc and a absolute powerhouse round. I couldn't get more powder in there if I tried and she kicks pretty good. USE AT OWN RISK
 
I would have to double check my notes but I think I use 23gr of H110 with the XTP's and she hits pretty good! The XTP's seat down as far as my 250gr cast so OAL should be good with your XTP. My 300 and 340gr cast stick out a lot further so maybe no good for your Henry.
 
Not sure how this will apply to your situation but it may give you something to think about. I have a 45LC Ruger Blackhawk with a 7" barrel. I did some reloading for it, tried different loads. H110 was one of the powders I tried but there was always powder left in the barrel. One day I wanted a heavy bullet hunting load. I got a hold of some 330 grain cast bullets, checked Hogdons online reloading data, they suggested 20.5 grains of H110 as a starting load. Recoil was stiffish, all the powder was burned, pressures were low with the brass either falling out on its own or being picked out with a fingernail. I didn't go any further because the accuracy was so good, 5 shots under an inch at 25 yards. According to Hogdon's site, velocity should be around 1100 or 1200 fps with the 330 grain bullet.
 
Silver 55,

I think we're on to something here... It seems that with the heavier bullet (300g and up), cartridge efficiency seems to go up dramatically. Less unburnt powder, greater velocity (per g of bullet), and accuracy.

It seems that the .45lc is meant to fire the big bullets only, Ive been playing around with the 250"s but I'm liking what's going on with the 300"s. Also I have to note that when the case is trimmed shorter to fit the crimping groves on the XTP"s cartridge effeciency goes up as well.
 
My guess is the H110 was not getting enough chamber/barrel time to burn fully, the heavier bullet took a bit longer time to exit, burned all the powder. I don't know where to buy the heavier bullets. I cast mine from wheel weights in a 330 Gould designed for the 45/70. I swaged(?) the bullets from rifle diameter down to pistol diameter and lubed them. A bit of work but I didn't know where to buy them. Worked well enough anyway.

I have a couple of long barrel 44 magnums and shooting 240 grainers, the recoil is whippish, meaning the barrel wants to whip up. The recoil in the 45 I would describe as stiff, it seemed as though the recoil as wanting to go straight back into the hand, at least that is the way it seemed to me.
 
Is the frame on these Big Boys brass ??? or just plated??. If it is cast/machined brass I would seriously reconsider shooting stouter loads/heavier bullets than factory recommends, Headspace will change...guaranteed.
 
fingers284 said:
Is the frame on these Big Boys brass ??? or just plated??. If it is cast/machined brass I would seriously reconsider shooting stouter loads/heavier bullets than factory recommends, Headspace will change...guaranteed.
Click to expand...
On the Henry site they do refer to the big boy model (357/44/45) as having brass receivers. If that means plated, a brass-looking alloy, or actually solid brass I have no idea. One review I found said they contacted Henry and were told it's a solid proprietary brass alloy with the same tensile strength as steel. Of course they don't mention what kind of steel since it ranges from mild to armour plate.
The same receiver with a different barrel is used for the 44mag version and factory 44mag has a max pressure of 36,000psi where most "ruger/TC only" hot 45lc loads are around 30,000psi. There is also a brass 30-30 version which is a 42,000psi cartridge.

There are no reports I can find of these brass receivers failing.
 
Ruger revolver is probably stronger than the Henry. Something to keep in mind about exceeding the revolver dats.

I load my 45colt mdl94 with Ruger revolver data, works fine.
 
Last edited:
fingers284 said:
Is the frame on these Big Boys brass ??? or just plated??. If it is cast/machined brass I would seriously reconsider shooting stouter loads/heavier bullets than factory recommends, Headspace will change...guaranteed.
Click to expand...

Well I suppose I'll be the test monkey...

After 20 rounds loaded "max load 300g" and about 25min with a micrometer I have found zero movement of the chamber/ headspace/ bolt face/ or anything. Not saying I'm going to give it a steady diet of these things, just like to be able to shoot them once in awhile. My go to load is still the 250g over imr4227.

I'll keep updating as time goes on and I play around with different loads.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom