"Chasing The 300 Meter Pig"...with a Henry 1860

Dec 5, 2017,

When John Kort posted his My Black Powder Journey in early 2015...that got my attention.  I was impressed.  I have an 1860 Uberti Henry in 44-40 with a Marbles peep tang sight on it and after reading John's article, I emailed him and he replied with some really good advice.  I ordered an Accurate 215c mold and a good supply of Swiss II gunpowder.  After several months of blasting away at paper targets and silhouettes from 25 to 200 yards, I finally decided that the sights I was using just weren't up to the job and it was time to ship the calves so the rifle went back up on the wall.  Like most projects that get interrupted, there it stayed.  I was left with a nagging feeling that the Uberti wouldn't shoot alongside his Marlin due to the small bolt and lock up.  

Late last spring I purchased a Uberti 66 sporting rifle in 44-40 and not liking to leave a project unfinished, I ordered a set of sights from Lee Shaver, installed them on the 66 and went to work determining what was the best load.    

The wind blew ALL summer.  I started at 25 yards shooting off the porch (to stay out of the wind) with the wood pile as a back stop.  Then 50 yards and then 75 and then 100 until I finally decided that it was just too windy to shoot at 100 so back to 50.  There I stayed at 50 and 75 until the wind (sort of) laid in the middle of August.

I said, It is now or never, bought steel for the 300 meter pigs and went to nailing up 8 paper plates for a target at 300 meters.

The wind went back to blowing, so not to be whipped, I decided I needed a heavier bullet and ordered Accurate Molds 43-230E and the 43-245C.  These with a 1:30 alloy will throw 238 & 251 gr. bullets.  Of course I found in shooting them that my velocity was lower so I ordered Swiss III and Olde Enysford III.  

In my rifle, (which has a 1:24 twist), for some reason (and so far), the 230 E bullet is more accurate.  I have hopes of getting the heavier bullet in play.  

90% of all of my shooting has been done over a chronograph.  In kicking out the few loads that shot over a 10 SD, Swiss's SDs  averaged a 6.87 while O.E. averaged 9.3.  However, the Swiss II and III shot pig sized groups  (like 9 x 10 or so)  and I haven't managed to get five of them on a pig.  Although, it seems to be no problem to knock a steel pig over with the fouling shot.   

Olde Eynsford showed more promise, shooting as low as 2.5“ 6" verticals so late yesterday I had a slight 3 mph breeze and the sun at my back and shot the two groups in the picture with 36.5 gr. of O.E.  The velocity of # A was 1251.7 fps. with an SD of 11.7 which tells me that is a little too much powder.

It was too late in the day for the chronograph to capture "B" but it was the same load.  I just turned the rear sight down a notch. 

I was earlier shooting an older lot of O.E. in which 36 gr. was shooting about 1285 - 1290 fps. but ran out. 

In any case, I found out that wax paper over the primer (inside the case) lowered my SDs and Walters .030 vegetable wads dramatically tightened up groups. 

I am relatively a new comer to BP cartridge and when I started I had read about how clean Swiss shot and I also read of people stating how many shots they had made on a target without cleaning the barrel.   If you are one of those, count yourself very fortunate.  Our average daily afternoon humidity here is around 15 and I noticed my 50 yard strings after 5 shots going south.  I have an aversion to running a wet patch down the barrel (might as well be shooting a muzzle loader) and I've read that many don't think blow tubing makes a difference but it certainly did in my case.   So, after I finally saw the light, every shot was followed by 5 good puffs down the barrel.   Maybe that isn't enough but I'd just as soon not compete with the wind.  

Here is my recipe:

Uberti 66 44-40 with 24" barrel and 1:24 twist.  My bore measures .4305".  

Lee Shaver's best Soule rear sight with Winchester mount and his 17A front sight with level.

Stock springs, lightened trigger.  (I shimmed the spring)    

Starline weighed cases with primer pockets uniformed.  Only neck sized with Lyman 310 tool die in a Dillon 550.

• Inside neck sized to .429 (NOE)  

• Federal LMPM primer

• Wax paper in case over primer

• 36“ 36+ gr. of O.E. III tube dropped 34"

• Walters .030 veg. wad

• Compressed with BACO powder die

• Bullet seated with Redding Competition Die , No crimp.  The die will take out the bell. 

43-230 E Accurate Mold.

Bullets in 1:20 will weigh 235-236 gr and 1:30 run from 236.8-238.2 gr. I have shot several hundred in 1:25 and hardness didn't seem to matter.  1:20 would leave a few minute lead slivers on the patch.  1:30 weighs a little more.

Sized .430 - .431  Again, sizing didn't seem to matter 

Lubricated with SPG

The fouling shots land within reason within 100 yards but after that, they are off to parts unknown.   

And yes, these were shot off of my bench.