I've had this exact Henry for over a month but waited for all my "space cowboy" upgrades to be complete before I took it to the range and sighted it in. I went with the Ranger Point Precision hand guard, their 6-round M-Lok quiver, as well as the Midwest Industries ghost ring rail with the Sig Sauer Romeo 3 reflex sight. It's an unbelievable setup and can't wait to shoot it again. So fun.
What kind of accuracy are you getting? My groups can't seem to stay under 2" without a flyer or two in seven shots. At 50yds! With a scope! The same problem I had with my Henry in 327 Fed Mag. My 45-70 carbine shoots lights out. I'm wondering if it's a pistol caliber thing...
This is my first time watching your video. I am impressed with your philosophy concerning the .45 Colt. I believe this video will encourage quite a few people to go the direction of the .45 in the Henry. Your narrative is spot on and concise. As of my viewing of this video, it is 10 months old. I will be looking for your follow up videos concerning this rifle and what you have found as far as the best loads for specific applications. Keep up the good work and God bless you too.
Last year I decided I wanted a Lever Action rifle, never had one, but I really wanted one. I decided to go with the Henry Big Boy Classic because it is a gorgeous piece. Three choice for me were .357 .44 and the .45 Colt, I was leaning towards the .44 magnum because of it's power. The sales person was very well informed and convinced me to go with the .45 Colt because it was more versatile than the other two. You can shoot anything from the cowboy loads to 300 grain hard cast +P rounds. Buffalo Bore, Underwood and a few others make ammo for this gun that turns it into a poor mans 45-70, damn near .454 casull power range. My only downside with this rifle is, when loading some of those +P underwood ammo, it kicks pretty hard with a brass butt plate.
Honestly you can do all that with the .44 Magnum model Henry for less cost in ammo with more availability. I originally went looking for a 45 Blackhawk and 45 Colt Henry rifle combination but ended up with a Super Blackhawk and Henry X Model in 44. Mild 44 special is as easy as 45 Colt ammo to find and 44 mag is available everywhere for your high power needs. Buffalo Bore also makes some absolutely rude .44 Mag +P+ Heavy 340 grain rounds that are almost 454 Casull power levels. Bonus is they are safe to shoot out of the Henry provided you breach load them one by one due to the huge bullets not being able to feed.
@@331Grabber I have since I posted this over a year ago added more to my collection. Added a Henry .357, a Henry .44 magnum and a Rossi R92 454 casull, a few more and my collection will be complete. The 44 magnum is a power house for sure and sure is cheaper than 45 colt, but the colt ammo is fairly easy to get now. Now as for the Rossi 454 casull, okay that is just stupid, I had no idea a pistol round can kick that hard, it's worse than a 12 gauge.
Have hand loaded for and shot a 45 Colt rifle and revolver for many years, My knocking around load is a cast 250 gr RNFP over 9.0 gr of Unique. My old ( and I mean old ) 1973 Lyman reloading manual says it's a factory duplication load. I think today's Unique is a little hotter than it was then as my FPS is faster than the book says. I shoot these in my Henry rifle and my Vaquero. I had a Thompson Center Encore with a 20 inch MGM barrel in 45 Colt. My load for it was a Hornady 240 gr XTP magnum bullet over 26.0 gr of Lilgun. Many an Alabama whitetail fell to this load. The 240 was running 1950 fps from this setup. 225 gr FTX's over 27.0 Lilgun shot well too.
I think you are right on target and I'm looking forward to future videos. I am a big fan of the colt 45; there's a reason it's been around for so long !
All of what you said is absolutely valid, and is why I bought mine (and LOVE it!). But one thing that you missed over is that .45 Colt makes for a damn fine revolver round (say, S&W's Model 25 classic revolver). Not so much for a .45-70. And you can fit more rounds in the .45 Colt carbine than a similarly sized .45-70, which makes it more applicable for defensive use.
Great “preview” your philosophy makes a lot of sense to me. I’ve been trying to get my hands on the 38/357 version for a while. Looking forward to more videos!
when back and viewed some of your first video before commenting. Good to see a young man doing it the right way. That is thinking first before juct makeing gun vids. I have a very large collection and am a retired army guy. You are right the 45 colt has been around a long time and can be very good for the reasons you stated. Good luck and great video.
Great breakdown! Been loving the thought up picking up a modern lever recently. Had my eyes on the more traditional walnut Henry Big Boy in 357 but I think you just changed my mind to go with the X version! Nice channel!
@@redtra236 Your right the US goverment couldn't use the then 45 Colt folded baloon head casing. The rims were too small and flimsey for extraction of the fired cases, hence the use of 44-40 or 44 Henry rim fire instead in repeating rifles. Now with the solid rimmed brass cases it became possible to chamber 45 Colt in repeating lever action rifles.
@@denisdegamon8224 .44-40 also has a slightly tapered case which reduces the amount of fouling that gets back in to the action since it expands out when fired. They were using black powder then so that was a big bonus.
The Henry big boy are great lever action rifles right now I live in Clarksville Tennessee and they selling them in Royal king better get them before it’s too late you have two options .45 colt or .44 magnum
I don't handload so I got a .44 mag. Could use .44 special as a subsonic. Just put on a Tourbon ammo holder on the stock and put on a black AK sling since it needed to be short. Have a Ruger Redhawk I could carry if I wanted the same ammo for both guns. I like the 45-70 but when you don't handload they are about $3.00 and up per shot and I already have plenty of .44 mag ammo
@ModernMountainMan and others on the site: I have been talked in to going deer hunting this year and while I have several rifles already, I am looking at the X to take out. Any reason to buy a new gun and I have been a fan of Henry and lever actions since my first John Wayne western. I stopped hunting in the mid 80s, just as I entered the Army and I am currently at odds with which caliber is best for deer. You can take a deer with literally any sized ammo but I am looking at the 45-70 rather than the 45 colt, or 3030. I am 6'6" tall and about 280 lbs I lean toward the 45-70. The 3030 and the 45 colt Henry X are a little cheaper as well. I probably won't burn through more than a couple boxes a year so maybe I am just over thinking this. My nephew said his only complaint with deer hunting with a 45-70 was that if you hit the deer from the wrong angle, the bullet will destroy a lot of the meat and he suggested going with a more common/standard 3030. The 3030 ammo is cheaper than the 45-70, kicks less, and will still take down most deer or elk. I do like the 45-70 rifle and ammo. Maybe a compromise would be the 45 colt.
Yeah a 45-70 on deer is great if you have a clean broadside hit, otherwise you can really waste some meat. The 45 colt can be hot loaded up to the lower range of 45-70. I also don’t mind recoil, but part of this project is to have a kids gun.
Okay!!! I just ordered a Henry big boy .44mag The reason I choose .44 mag is because I have the Taurus 2 inch barrel .44 mag that means I have plenty of ammo already…
45 Colt is tricky as far as reloading. I have been playing around with the Lee 230 grain Truncated Cone mold working up a load. My research showed me that 8.5 grains of Unique is a pretty common load. I did some more research and found that most published loads are meant to work with old style revolvers that have weaker frames and therefore can't handle a lot of modern loads. After I found this out, I started pumping up the load. I went higher and higher with no signs of pressure. I finally stopped when I started to feel uncomfortable, but I think it could have gone higher. On top of it all, because data is meant for revolvers, the velocity is also tested with revolver length barrels. Out of a lever gun, the velocity I tested was way higher then published loads. After all said and done, the bottom load of published data to the highest tested loads I did ended up having hundreds of FPS difference. Definitely a round with possibilities, especially for reloaders.
@@ModernMountainMan Very much so. That common Unique load tested in the 800 fps range for a revolver, but in my 16" lever gun was hovering around the border, around 1060. So very close. But my goal was that 1000 ft.lbs of energy that people try to get for the minimum of medium size game. I was able to push it without issue to 1400 fps, just at 1000 ft.lbs. That is a crazy versatile range. Funny thing was, recoil was minor throughout the whole spectrum. So fun to shoot.
A amazing 45 colt load from the days of skeeter Skelton was 9 grains of unique behind a 255 grain swc. By the way I love using lee TL-452-230 tc bullets for my s&w model 25-15. I load them over 7 grains of green dot for practice loads and 9 grains of unique for trail use in Pennsylvania’s woods. Glad to see others appreciating a awesome round like 45 colt.
@@lucasstoelting5975 If it's a blackpowder frame colt(pre 1896 or so) you should not be using ANY smokeless powder. Black powder .45 colt only in those. The ones after that are usually ok for standard pressure smokeless powder loads, but even modern production SAAs aren't strong enough for +P loads.
I have about 12 years of hunting & shooting experience with the 454 casull in a Rossi R92 . Basically same same just more . I found the 454 full power loads unnecessary & a bit much on screws & mag tube pins on the little carbine. Using trailboss I got hard cast 250gr rnfp right on 1100 fps , that load trucks on through anything for complete pass throughs . Game bleeds out fast with a big blood loss . Same load has basically zero recoil . I now have a 3 cavity mold of 2 x 270 gr rnfp & 3rd is same bullet just hollow pointed @ 255 gr . I have cast them much softer & intend on loading them to 1100 fps also . My full power loads are a 318 gr Lee 454 wheel weight alloy @ 1910 fps using h110 . My next batch I’ll load back to about 1700 fps & soften the alloy . My mate is getting 1390 fps with the same Lee 454 straight wheel weight alloy boolit , stiff but not maximum loads from his Rossi 45 colt . I think a 300 ish grain rnfp at 1500 ish fps is all anyone would ever need IMO from a 45 colt . Also the Lee 300gr 452 musket mini ball rnfp hollow base is useful. I use that in a Rossi circuit judge carbine @ 1000 fps . That could be loaded backwards also for a huge hollow point, but most likely won’t feed from a tube . Cheers mate , I subbed too . .
@@ModernMountainMan btw those 454 numbers are from my magnetospeed crony 318gr / 31gr ar 2205(h110) 20” barrel. The magtech factory 260 gr jsfp is a dam hot load @ 2100 fps . As I said my experience shows it’s just not necessary for all of that power . I just feel sorry for the little carbine, wide blunt nosed lead boolits must deliver a big shockwave through the animal, because many times they just stand stunned or fall over wide eyed & literally stiff legged. Very anticlimactic.
Does the Rossi R92 Lever in 454 Casull reliably cycle 45 colt? I was looking at the actions made by a company. I can’t remember the name, that made 460 Smith & Wesson Magnum, 454, and 45 long models, but stated that each one would not cycle the next smaller caliber because of Partridge links. I don’t know if that was just so they could sell more rifles,or what?
@@kindercannon2280 big horn armory i believe. 45 colt feeds fine . I found it seems to be the shape of the nose. I don't have trouble with rnfp . However round noses & roundish hp seem to hang up a bit. I found slamming them home seems to overcome the hang up. Just stick with the rnfp is my advice.
@@concernedaussie1330yes, Big Horn is the one. I’m getting a 460v pistol tomorrow and wish more companies made a 460 lever action, because I can’t afford $5k for a big horn rn.
04:25 you don't even need to handload. buffalo bore, garrett, grizzly, corbon, underwood, double-tap, HSM, all make .45 colt that will eat the .44 mag for lunch. * in the appropriate firearms. lever action rifles, ruger redhawk, super redhawk, old style blackhawk etc
Great post. One thing I watched was the way that you unloaded the rifle. You don't have to run the action through. Just pull the tube and dump out the rounds. Just saying 😌
I wish it would run .410 as well it would then be the most versatile Henry for sure. Idk why they haven’t done this yet they have a .410 leaver and it is chamber same as 45 colt
I am not an engineer, but I would imagine there might be dimensional difficulties with lifters. I know with the 38/357’s that the 38’s have be a certain size to cycle correctly.
My first hog hunting rifle was the Uberti brass reciever in 45 Colt. 250 gr loads certainly get their point across. The only downside of the Uberti was it not being able to go as hot as the 45 Colt can reach achieve. The lack of recoil from the rifle made my Dad's other half fall in love with it.
@@mkshffr4936 It's when you get into the 300+ pounders that you start to run into issues with the expanding options for the 45 Colt. If you go with hard cast bullets punching all the way through isn't a problem.
Can we get a follow up, i just started the same journey with a .45lc for a lot of the same reasons. Im very interested in your findings. Thanks for the video!
New to all this, and I understand the advantages of supressability, but wondering if, for self defense, doesn't a Henry side loader with 10 round capacity make more sense?
The 44 caliber bullet has a little better ballistic coefficient than the 45 caliber bullet, so if hand loading is the topic, you can hand load a 44 mag to outperform the 45LC up to a certain bullet size, when the 45's size just takes over in power, but not in range.
@@Agislife1960 Neither are very long range guns though, I think bullet drag of a .429 bullet vs a .452 bullet is not going to be significant at the ranges these guns tend to be used.
@@redtra236 windage and elevation my friend l use to lob a 405 grain 45/70 out to 325 yards with a Marlin 1895 back in the day and holes it made we’re just like close range
@@Agislife1960 Well yeah the adjustment on my 1873 springfield goes to 2800 yards(presumably with 500 grain black powder loads). .45-70 with smokeless powder at 325 is gonna do the job if you can account for the drop. But remember .44-40, .44 mag, .45 colt etc tend to be a lot slower and with much lighter bullets. It could probably be effective at those ranges but probably not for the average person.
What kind of accuracy are you getting? My groups can't seem to stay under 2" without a flyer or two in seven shots. At 50yds! With a scope! The same problem I had with my Henry in 327 Fed Mag. My 45-70 carbine shoots lights out. I'm wondering if it's a pistol caliber thing...
Thanks for the quick reply. So what are you getting off the bench at 50, 100, whatever? Groups I mean. Not "ringing steel". Are you shooting cast? I must have put 20 different loads through mine in the past week. Same results I mentioned. I even put a red dot on it to eliminate the scope. Then took the rail off and remounted everything from the ground up. It's driving me nuts. I even changed bullet weights and diameters, going up to a .454. Annealed the brass... I never see anyone posting their bench groups. With just about any 45 Colt rifle.@@ModernMountainMan
@@pacanis I don't have exact group measurements off the top of my head, but that might be a good idea for a video soon. The loads I have used are two different supersonic loads with Lil' Gun using cast lead as well as Hornady FTX. I am also shoot a subsonic loading with cast lead and Tight Group
Maybe I'm not pushing mine fast enough. The groups seem to get worse over 1050fps. Maybe I need to make a jump into unpublished data territory... Or move into a FTX. Thanks again brother.@@ModernMountainMan
Heyyyyy Triple M , have you done anything else with this Henry X 45 Colt ? I bought an X in Colt and it just shoots good with anything. Hot or mild its accurate and a ball to choot. 26 H110 behind 265 Cast Performance hardcast boolit it went end to end on a big white tail doehead. Its probably still flying around the woods killing stuff ! Then with 250gr Berry boolits and Titegroup its accurate and nuthin but fun to shoot water bottles with. Let's see what you've done to er. Thanks
I have not shot any game with it yet. Last hunting season was cut short by an injury and a surgery. I have played with some loads and I have a hot load and sub load that I really like. My suppressor plans are a bit delayed as well, but I am still working on it.
45 colt is an animal like no other. It was designed to take a charging horse from underneath a man in battle and has done so through out history. I run a model x and a Ruger Blackhawk 45 colt I run 325+p cool thing about the Henry you get about 300 fps more than the handgun loads
You are heading down same path as me Mountain Man, have my 45LC, have cowboy loads, have Hornady Leverevolution and FTX loads - and a supressor on the way - but like you I am curious as to how quiet the gun will be with those rounds I have. Haven't been successful in finding muzzle velocity for those rounds in the 16" Henry Big Boy X Model 45LC, but if I'm not mistaken you have to stay under 1150 FPS to be subsonic - looking to see what loads you find that will do that. While it would be ideal if I could get the whisper quiet I've seen in the .38 Sp Henry's with a supressor, I'll be happy just not waking up the neighbors if I shoot a hog at 2am...looking forward to seeing your video once you get your suppressor...
Err...44Mag, 44 Spl??? I reload also, but for folks that don't, good luck finding 44Mag energy in 45 colt in stores. Getting over 2K fps with 180 grn soft points.
Hey brother 🙏 have hard from you in awhile? Awsome rifle. Check with reloading Master cwlongshot. Or join on Friday on GA shooting connection live chat lot reloading guys in their easy answers that question. As new reloader got some Lil gun here try 300blk. Also work some 243 win stayball. Have toss many videos up on my channel yet thoe work progress. Do lot other videos from hunting and cook different things to auto show to mail call from some reloading friends.
Just look at how Buffalo Bore and Underwood are getting their high end +P+ loads touching low end 45-70 numbers, and the Henry can shoot those loads with no issues. That's a lot of power in a compact rifle
I think your philosophy will be accurate. After looking at the differences between 44 and 45lc, 45lc is on another level if it's loaded properly. Most standard 44 will out shoot most standard factory 45lc. But 45lc has much more versatility and can hit harder and throw faster than 44. For hand loading, 45lc trumps the other levergun calibers every day of the week. And when you get those hot 45lc loads crack over long ranges you know you've sent something heavy down range.
45lc is quite versatile, but your not throwing a piece of lead faster then 44mag to get the same speed out of 45LC you need 65% overpressure and if you want to be fair most guns can handle about 10-15% overpressure for 44 mag. both are great calibers id stress you look into reloading data as you can be surprised about what you can do with most calibers with the right firearms.
@@Canes-kh5bq its fairly comparable to 30-30, 44 mag runs out of gas around 150 yards and really want to stay with in 100. Out side of that bigger hole more expansion.
Everyone is forgetting the 45-70!! .45 long colt is fine, but for real defensive and hunting power with distance the 45-70 government round cannot be beat!! The Hornady 325 grain FTX 45-70 round hollow point has a range of up to one mile!! Do get me wrong I love the .45 LC round but as far as lever guns go the 2016 Remington made Marlin 1895 CB 45-70 is the cream of the crop!!
Thanks for this very informative video! A cool feature of the Henry's with the side loading gate is that they still have the ability to open the mag tube. When unloading, you only have to eject the chambered cartridge, leave the chamber and lever open, open the mag tube, and dump the remaining rounds through the front of the tube.
Thanks! Yeah, I believe it has a ton of versatility. 44, probably has better ammo selection, but 45 is no slouch, especially with the cowboy action shooters.
Awesome video sir. I’m a long time 45 colt addict. I use it in 1860 open top conversions, and a s&w model 25-15. I’m a new subscriber. Found you on a post from Alaskan ballistics. I really like your channel so far.
@@ModernMountainMan according to Brian pierce who writes for handloader magazine my s&w model 25-15 is ok with 23,000 psi for moderate use. I load 45 colt to 15,000 psi for target shooting and I load it like a 45 super 5” for deer and black bears. My warmer 45 colt loads shoot a 240 grain round nose flat point at 1075 FPS. The practice loads get 900 FPS.
Got one in 44 mag about 2 months ago. It’s friggin great 👍 AND...... I’m going to pick up the 20” round Barreled blued, walnut, large loop in 45 colt tomorrow!! Very excited, like a kid on Christmas Morning.
Colt45 has come a LONG LONG way with smokless powder and modern gun steels, they are 44 mag County and more. Very cool round and i have a titanium 45colt for my side arm for the woods. Hell back when it was Black powder it was 357 range power but more weight and diameter, its no slouch. Love the video man me too new lever guns are just amazing
Ive been contemplating my first leveraction for blueberry hunting. Don't know why i wanted 45lc, but was originally set on it. ammo is a bit pricier than 357 and ive heard countless bias between the two cartridges. And those trying to measure manhood by adding a comment of .44 My main defence is black bear, im certain sub 50yds both will do fine. I have yet to hear non bias pros cons of 357/45lc Would like to hear how 45lc works out as beeing versitile. Got my eyes on a Henry as well with larger hand lever for winter.
Okay okay. I made a big deal about the optic and rail. I have to say this about that. I took the optic and rail off and went with Henry's design. The fiber optic iron sights are very useful and make sighting and firing this weapon fun. Even with my old eyes they work well. The rail and optic are still an option. I think for awhile I am sticking with the fiber optic irons. with the picatinny rail I still have the light /laser combo choice ad well . I do really like this rifle though it combines old style with new and it works well.
More than likely, the tube loading/unloading option will not be possible with most type suppressors and blast cans installed. I have a blast can for shooting black powder 45 Colt in my Henry X, just to shove that smoke further forward and away quickly, and the tube sliding out is blocked by the can. You'll need some type of small diameter quick release mount on the suppressors or can. It is nice to reload for both my Henry X and 1873 Colt SAA revolver in BP though.
Looking forward to your review once you receive your suppressor - I actually cancelled the one I ordered because all I could find out about suppressors on a 45 LC (you're also correct, I have never seen a video with a suppressor on this caliber lever rifle) is it only takes the decibels down from around 162 to around 130db - which is still quite loud and requires hearing protection (have to get down to around 90db to not require hearing protection). Good luck Modern Mountain Man, looking forward to seeing your video showing it suppressed.
Check out Buffalo Outdoor's video on quiet .44 magnum/spc loads out of a rifle. You should be able to use a similar technique for the .45. he got down to pellet gun noise levels without a tax can so should be able to come up with something that would work with one. Should be easy to get subsonic with something like trail boss.
@@ModernMountainMan Hornady makes the 395 Jacketed. Right now I am resizing 405 grain .458 Cast bullets to 452 and using the 395 grain load data on the Hodgdon website. 16-17 grains of 5744 (Buffalo Tifle) works for me. Enjoy!
Feel called out with that communist state comment near the end, lol. You're dead on tho, sir. WA banned AR's, so I've been eyeballing this exact rifle for months now. Gonna make the leap thanks to your informative video.
Hello I have had a Rossi in this caliber for a while now just got the Henry I like theHenry a lot. have you tried some hot 300 Greiners yet? They short chambered to Henry for 45 I don’t care for that I might have to get a reamed out and the elevator comes up to slow for longer 300 Griner bullet don’t care for that I have a mold ordered to see if I can get around that I hope so otherwise I’ll have to modify the lever which I’d rather not do. John Linebaugh has some loads that sneak up on a 4570 I have run them without extraction problems at all so far they are a bit bucky though
Love Henry Lever Action rifles; have the x Model in 30-30, which is Awesome as f-ck to shoot; thinking of getting a .357 mag or 44 Colt which is what brought me to ur video. Great explanation about this rifle & caliber choice!!
Brass model, octagon barrel, non side loading gate, would have preferred it but this was a total surprise gift. Wife found it at a local gun shop and didn’t know about side loading gate. I’m happy and it’s a beautiful weapon.
Don't forget about the screw compensator/suppressor installation on the barrel. It is a very good feature. Be aware if you mount a suppressor you will need to get a optic picatinny rail and red dot/scope. The suppressor is to tall. The compensator is a very good fit and allows you to use the fiber optic sights. I chose the rail mount and red circle/ laser sight. That's very useful. The iron sights are no longer useful unless you're ready to remove the optic and rail. That's easily done but at what cost. Useful iron sights or red circle dot/laser using a single triple A battery.
@@ModernMountainMan You can get close. You're not going to get 454-like loads because 454 loads at almost double the pressure of the hottest 45lc. But the hottest 45lc (which will work in your Big Boy X) will out shoot anything in 357mag or 44.
@@AlexHaislip The 1892 Rossi will handle 60k loads but I wouldn't shot a lot threw it but 50k it will eat them all day. The 336 design I wouldn't go over 35k psi. Look up Paco Kelly he tested all this he took the Rossi to 65k psi. I have a Rossi 92 in 454 I will never give that rifle up.
Great video and great points made. I’ve been considering an X model for a while but have been leaning either towards the .357 or the .44. Reason being, the 357/38 would be best/easiest for suppression, and a hot 357 load would handle any animal I need it to handle down here in South Carolina & North Carolina. But .44 is even hotter and more powerful that .357, so possibly thinking of going that way just for the firepower. The .357 will probably win out due to how easy it would be to suppress with .38’s. I never really considered the 45 colt until this video honestly. I always just thought of the 45 colt as a cowboy action round and not as good/modern/powerful as the 44 mag or 357 mag. Your video is giving me something to think about though. I have a 30 cal suppressor though, so of the 3, I could only suppress a 357/38 model. P.S. I’d use that half cock feature when loaded with one in the chamber 😅
@@ModernMountainMan maybe I misspoke. It’s the SilencerCo 36m. So I guess it’s actually a 36 cal can? I’m not certain lol, it’s my first and only suppressor. It will work with 357/38 though. Says so right on the website.
@@ModernMountainMan I was pretty much only considering either a 44 mag or 357 X model, but after watching your video and thinking about it, you inspired me to get the 45 colt version instead lol! Thanks for bringing up all those good points. But first thing ima do is replace that god awful black plastic furniture, with a set of Henry wooden furniture. They sell em in their website for $130. Well worth it imo. Black plastic furniture on a lever gun makes me a little nauseous 🤢
One thing to note when you discussed "supersonic energy" while talking about caliber choices. Supersonic with pistol rounds is NOT the same as supersonic with rifle rounds. The amount of damage a supersonic rifle round does is very substantial, but when you switch to supersonic pistol rounds that extra damage is simply not as pronounced. FBI statistics of stopping power of .45 rounds compared to 9mm, for example, shows the actual result of shooting an actual human being with both rounds. I'll save you the time looking it up, if you even have access, the .45 round is hands down a better "man stopper" for a one shot stop. The modern .45 Colt round, especially if you go with Buffalo Bore (or similar high end ammo company) can produce .45 Colt rounds that exceed .44 Magnum performance. So in essence you can push the .45 Colt to near supersonic speeds, hold more in your tube than the .44 Mag, and hit harder than any other lever action, short of 45-70. I'm updating my Henry with Ranger Precision handguard and buttstock, which reduces weight and adds more mounting locations (and simply makes it look sweet). My primary use is for traveling/camping since these are legal pretty much everywhere. Mounting a red dot and light on it because it'll be for self-defense. Secondary use is ... they are simply a ton of fun to shoot!
Waiting on a can. I have some great loads developed and it seems promising. My hunting season didn’t go as planned (injury and surgery) so I have not tested it on a deer yet.
I just got my x model big boy in .44 mag/.44special two weeks ago. I ordered new furniture for it, don’t really like the plastic, and I wanted the tactical sexy look with walnut stock and hand guard!! and boooyyy I shot it today, about 230-250 rounds, and man it’s so much fun!!! super accurate!!! I highly recommend to get you a trigger sear from ranger point precision for yours sir!
I've had this exact Henry for over a month but waited for all my "space cowboy" upgrades to be complete before I took it to the range and sighted it in. I went with the Ranger Point Precision hand guard, their 6-round M-Lok quiver, as well as the Midwest Industries ghost ring rail with the Sig Sauer Romeo 3 reflex sight. It's an unbelievable setup and can't wait to shoot it again. So fun.
Awesome! That’s sounds like a sweet set up
What kind of accuracy are you getting?
My groups can't seem to stay under 2" without a flyer or two in seven shots. At 50yds! With a scope!
The same problem I had with my Henry in 327 Fed Mag. My 45-70 carbine shoots lights out.
I'm wondering if it's a pistol caliber thing...
This is my first time watching your video. I am impressed with your philosophy concerning the .45 Colt. I believe this video will encourage quite a few people to go the direction of the .45 in the Henry. Your narrative is spot on and concise. As of my viewing of this video, it is 10 months old. I will be looking for your follow up videos concerning this rifle and what you have found as far as the best loads for specific applications. Keep up the good work and God bless you too.
Thanks. I am still working on getting a .45 suppressor but my hot loads are great!
Last year I decided I wanted a Lever Action rifle, never had one, but I really wanted one.
I decided to go with the Henry Big Boy Classic because it is a gorgeous piece.
Three choice for me were .357 .44 and the .45 Colt, I was leaning towards the .44 magnum because of it's power.
The sales person was very well informed and convinced me to go with the .45 Colt because it was more versatile than the other two.
You can shoot anything from the cowboy loads to 300 grain hard cast +P rounds.
Buffalo Bore, Underwood and a few others make ammo for this gun that turns it into a poor mans 45-70, damn near .454 casull power range.
My only downside with this rifle is, when loading some of those +P underwood ammo, it kicks pretty hard with a brass butt plate.
That’s great! Do you shoot often
@@ModernMountainMan I sure do, I don't hunt but I love target shooting.
Awesome!
Honestly you can do all that with the .44 Magnum model Henry for less cost in ammo with more availability. I originally went looking for a 45 Blackhawk and 45 Colt Henry rifle combination but ended up with a Super Blackhawk and Henry X Model in 44.
Mild 44 special is as easy as 45 Colt ammo to find and 44 mag is available everywhere for your high power needs. Buffalo Bore also makes some absolutely rude .44 Mag +P+ Heavy 340 grain rounds that are almost 454 Casull power levels. Bonus is they are safe to shoot out of the Henry provided you breach load them one by one due to the huge bullets not being able to feed.
@@331Grabber
I have since I posted this over a year ago added more to my collection.
Added a Henry .357, a Henry .44 magnum and a Rossi R92 454 casull, a few more and my collection will be complete.
The 44 magnum is a power house for sure and sure is cheaper than 45 colt, but the colt ammo is fairly easy to get now.
Now as for the Rossi 454 casull, okay that is just stupid, I had no idea a pistol round can kick that hard, it's worse than a 12 gauge.
Have hand loaded for and shot a 45 Colt rifle and revolver for many years, My knocking around load is a cast 250 gr RNFP over 9.0 gr of Unique. My old ( and I mean old ) 1973 Lyman reloading manual says it's a factory duplication load. I think today's Unique is a little hotter than it was then as my FPS is faster than the book says. I shoot these in my Henry rifle and my Vaquero. I had a Thompson Center Encore with a 20 inch MGM barrel in 45 Colt. My load for it was a Hornady 240 gr XTP magnum bullet over 26.0 gr of Lilgun. Many an Alabama whitetail fell to this load. The 240 was running 1950 fps from this setup. 225 gr FTX's over 27.0 Lilgun shot well too.
Have my Henry X 45lc about a year now. Great shooting gun been putting accessories on here and there.
Awesome! I am loving mine.
You're right 45 Colt is very versatile I hand load for it and now with Star Line making that 45 Cowboy special brass making subsonic stuff is amazing
I have wondered about the 45 Cowboy Special and if it’s overall length would cycle in my lever action. What are you running yours in?
Just wanted to share what I have learned along the way. Thank you for the opportunity to butt in and share my experiences.
Thanks for sharing
I think you are right on target and I'm looking forward to future videos. I am a big fan of the colt 45; there's a reason it's been around for so long !
I don’t have a can yet, but I am having fun with shooting everything from super hot loads down to cowboy loads.
This helped me a lot thank you for the post. I've been going back and forth with the 44 or the 45.
All of what you said is absolutely valid, and is why I bought mine (and LOVE it!). But one thing that you missed over is that .45 Colt makes for a damn fine revolver round (say, S&W's Model 25 classic revolver). Not so much for a .45-70. And you can fit more rounds in the .45 Colt carbine than a similarly sized .45-70, which makes it more applicable for defensive use.
Great “preview” your philosophy makes a lot of sense to me. I’ve been trying to get my hands on the 38/357 version for a while. Looking forward to more videos!
Thanks. I have hit a snag with acquiring a can, but for not I can still play with load data and such.
Pfft. Join the club
when back and viewed some of your first video before commenting. Good to see a young man doing it the right way. That is thinking first before juct makeing gun vids. I have a very large collection and am a retired army guy. You are right the 45 colt has been around a long time and can be very good for the reasons you stated. Good luck and great video.
Thanks so much for the encouragement!
Great breakdown! Been loving the thought up picking up a modern lever recently. Had my eyes on the more traditional walnut Henry Big Boy in 357 but I think you just changed my mind to go with the X version! Nice channel!
Lights are also useful for hogs or finding out what is in your chicken coop.
And the .45 Colt is a proven combat round, both from hand gun and rifle.
Great points!
Not sure about the rifle part, I don't think the US military ever used a .45 colt rifle.
@@redtra236
Your right the US goverment couldn't use the then 45 Colt folded baloon head casing. The rims were too small and flimsey for extraction of the fired cases, hence the use of 44-40 or 44 Henry rim fire instead in repeating rifles.
Now with the solid rimmed brass cases it became possible to chamber 45 Colt in repeating lever action rifles.
@@denisdegamon8224 .44-40 also has a slightly tapered case which reduces the amount of fouling that gets back in to the action since it expands out when fired. They were using black powder then so that was a big bonus.
The Henry big boy are great lever action rifles right now I live in Clarksville Tennessee and they selling them in Royal king better get them before it’s too late you have two options .45 colt or .44 magnum
Get some!
Been looking for a Henry. Wasn't sure what caliber. You having me thinking about the .45 colt again.
I am loving mine 😊
I don't handload so I got a .44 mag. Could use .44 special as a subsonic. Just put on a Tourbon ammo holder on the stock and put on a black AK sling since it needed to be short. Have a Ruger Redhawk I could carry if I wanted the same ammo for both guns. I like the 45-70 but when you don't handload they are about $3.00 and up per shot and I already have plenty of .44 mag ammo
@ModernMountainMan and others on the site: I have been talked in to going deer hunting this year and while I have several rifles already, I am looking at the X to take out. Any reason to buy a new gun and I have been a fan of Henry and lever actions since my first John Wayne western. I stopped hunting in the mid 80s, just as I entered the Army and I am currently at odds with which caliber is best for deer. You can take a deer with literally any sized ammo but I am looking at the 45-70 rather than the 45 colt, or 3030. I am 6'6" tall and about 280 lbs I lean toward the 45-70. The 3030 and the 45 colt Henry X are a little cheaper as well. I probably won't burn through more than a couple boxes a year so maybe I am just over thinking this. My nephew said his only complaint with deer hunting with a 45-70 was that if you hit the deer from the wrong angle, the bullet will destroy a lot of the meat and he suggested going with a more common/standard 3030. The 3030 ammo is cheaper than the 45-70, kicks less, and will still take down most deer or elk. I do like the 45-70 rifle and ammo. Maybe a compromise would be the 45 colt.
Yeah a 45-70 on deer is great if you have a clean broadside hit, otherwise you can really waste some meat.
The 45 colt can be hot loaded up to the lower range of 45-70.
I also don’t mind recoil, but part of this project is to have a kids gun.
Okay!!! I just ordered a Henry big boy .44mag The reason I choose .44 mag is because I have the Taurus 2 inch barrel .44 mag that means I have plenty of ammo already…
45 Colt is tricky as far as reloading. I have been playing around with the Lee 230 grain Truncated Cone mold working up a load. My research showed me that 8.5 grains of Unique is a pretty common load. I did some more research and found that most published loads are meant to work with old style revolvers that have weaker frames and therefore can't handle a lot of modern loads. After I found this out, I started pumping up the load. I went higher and higher with no signs of pressure. I finally stopped when I started to feel uncomfortable, but I think it could have gone higher. On top of it all, because data is meant for revolvers, the velocity is also tested with revolver length barrels. Out of a lever gun, the velocity I tested was way higher then published loads. After all said and done, the bottom load of published data to the highest tested loads I did ended up having hundreds of FPS difference. Definitely a round with possibilities, especially for reloaders.
Yeah, pistol data shifting in a rifle is where I am most curious. Some of the stuff that is subsonic in a revolver might not be in a rifle.. etc
@@ModernMountainMan Very much so. That common Unique load tested in the 800 fps range for a revolver, but in my 16" lever gun was hovering around the border, around 1060. So very close. But my goal was that 1000 ft.lbs of energy that people try to get for the minimum of medium size game. I was able to push it without issue to 1400 fps, just at 1000 ft.lbs. That is a crazy versatile range. Funny thing was, recoil was minor throughout the whole spectrum. So fun to shoot.
Good to know!
A amazing 45 colt load from the days of skeeter Skelton was 9 grains of unique behind a 255 grain swc. By the way I love using lee TL-452-230 tc bullets for my s&w model 25-15. I load them over 7 grains of green dot for practice loads and 9 grains of unique for trail use in Pennsylvania’s woods. Glad to see others appreciating a awesome round like 45 colt.
@@lucasstoelting5975 If it's a blackpowder frame colt(pre 1896 or so) you should not be using ANY smokeless powder. Black powder .45 colt only in those. The ones after that are usually ok for standard pressure smokeless powder loads, but even modern production SAAs aren't strong enough for +P loads.
I have about 12 years of hunting & shooting experience with the 454 casull in a Rossi R92 . Basically same same just more .
I found the 454 full power loads unnecessary & a bit much on screws & mag tube pins on the little carbine.
Using trailboss I got hard cast 250gr rnfp right on 1100 fps , that load trucks on through anything for complete pass throughs .
Game bleeds out fast with a big blood loss .
Same load has basically zero recoil .
I now have a 3 cavity mold of 2 x 270 gr rnfp & 3rd is same bullet just hollow pointed @ 255 gr .
I have cast them much softer & intend on loading them to 1100 fps also .
My full power loads are a 318 gr Lee 454 wheel weight alloy @ 1910 fps using h110 .
My next batch I’ll load back to about 1700 fps & soften the alloy .
My mate is getting 1390 fps with the same Lee 454 straight wheel weight alloy boolit , stiff but not maximum loads from his Rossi 45 colt .
I think a 300 ish grain rnfp at 1500 ish fps is all anyone would ever need IMO from a 45 colt .
Also the Lee 300gr 452 musket mini ball rnfp hollow base is useful. I use that in a Rossi circuit judge carbine @ 1000 fps .
That could be loaded backwards also for a huge hollow point, but most likely won’t feed from a tube . Cheers mate , I subbed too .
.
Those are some awesome numbers! What kind of game are you hunting with these loads?
@@ModernMountainMan btw those 454 numbers are from my magnetospeed crony 318gr / 31gr ar 2205(h110) 20” barrel.
The magtech factory 260 gr jsfp is a dam hot load @ 2100 fps .
As I said my experience shows it’s just not necessary for all of that power . I just feel sorry for the little carbine, wide blunt nosed lead boolits must deliver a big shockwave through the animal, because many times they just stand stunned or fall over wide eyed & literally stiff legged. Very anticlimactic.
Does the Rossi R92 Lever in 454 Casull reliably cycle 45 colt? I was looking at the actions made by a company. I can’t remember the name, that made 460 Smith & Wesson Magnum, 454, and 45 long models, but stated that each one would not cycle the next smaller caliber because of Partridge links. I don’t know if that was just so they could sell more rifles,or what?
@@kindercannon2280 big horn armory i believe.
45 colt feeds fine .
I found it seems to be the shape of the nose.
I don't have trouble with rnfp .
However round noses & roundish hp seem to hang up a bit.
I found slamming them home seems to overcome the hang up.
Just stick with the rnfp is my advice.
@@concernedaussie1330yes, Big Horn is the one. I’m getting a 460v pistol tomorrow and wish more companies made a 460 lever action, because I can’t afford $5k for a big horn rn.
04:25
you don't even need to handload.
buffalo bore, garrett, grizzly, corbon, underwood, double-tap, HSM,
all make .45 colt that will eat the .44 mag for lunch.
* in the appropriate firearms. lever action rifles, ruger redhawk, super redhawk, old style blackhawk etc
Would you think the Federal American Eagle 225gr soft points be very good for deer?
@@casejasnoch2533
if you are close enough, and hit the appropriate spot, of course it will.
Good video. a Henery is on my bucket list. No experiance with the 45 Colt but I'm watching!
Thanks
Great post. One thing I watched was the way that you unloaded the rifle. You don't have to run the action through. Just pull the tube and dump out the rounds. Just saying 😌
I wish it would run .410 as well it would then be the most versatile Henry for sure. Idk why they haven’t done this yet they have a .410 leaver and it is chamber same as 45 colt
I am not an engineer, but I would imagine there might be dimensional difficulties with lifters. I know with the 38/357’s that the 38’s have be a certain size to cycle correctly.
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing. I have the 357 and 445 colt models. Have the 45/70 on order.
What differences do you notice between the two?
Good video! Cans are fun!
I just bought this gun and it was the cheapest out there among the Henry X lever action rifles.
the 325 hardcast subsonic might be useful suppressed.
My first hog hunting rifle was the Uberti brass reciever in 45 Colt. 250 gr loads certainly get their point across.
The only downside of the Uberti was it not being able to go as hot as the 45 Colt can reach achieve.
The lack of recoil from the rifle made my Dad's other half fall in love with it.
Nice!
I guess if the load is getting the point across you don't really need a louder high pressure one. 😇
@@mkshffr4936 It's when you get into the 300+ pounders that you start to run into issues with the expanding options for the 45 Colt.
If you go with hard cast bullets punching all the way through isn't a problem.
Can we get a follow up, i just started the same journey with a .45lc for a lot of the same reasons. Im very interested in your findings. Thanks for the video!
My hold up is the can. I have developed a couple of loadings that I love for it though
New to all this, and I understand the advantages of supressability, but wondering if, for self defense, doesn't a Henry side loader with 10 round capacity make more sense?
In some ways yes, more rounds = more better, but it also equals more length and in a lot of self defense situations short and handy is best.
Got my Hybrid 46M out of jail, looking for published reloading data for some 300 or maybe 400 grain bullets. Does anybody know where to look?
Thanks
Let me know how that goes
Maybe but i still want one in 44 mag
Yeah, if you already have caliber commonality, that makes sense
I just picked up a new model C in 45 LCD and a limited to factory ammo. What are my limitations in ammo size and weight. Thanks for the help
Do you mean an X Model in 45 Colt?
I like your concept. Good all around option and may be a little more practical option for personal defense over 45-70…cent for bears.
Thanks
I looked at the .45LC, but ended up with the .44 mag. At the end of the day, best to have them all, yes?
true!
The 44 caliber bullet has a little better ballistic coefficient than the 45 caliber bullet, so if hand loading is the topic, you can hand load a 44 mag to outperform the 45LC up to a certain bullet size, when the 45's size just takes over in power, but not in range.
That’s a good point. I wonder with their bullet shape, how much of a difference does the their BC’s make.
@@ModernMountainMan 44 is a smaller diameter, yet pretty close to the same weight, it flys thru the air better, is the bottom line.
@@Agislife1960 Neither are very long range guns though, I think bullet drag of a .429 bullet vs a .452 bullet is not going to be significant at the ranges these guns tend to be used.
@@redtra236 windage and elevation my friend l use to lob a 405 grain 45/70 out to 325 yards with a Marlin 1895 back in the day and holes it made we’re just like close range
@@Agislife1960 Well yeah the adjustment on my 1873 springfield goes to 2800 yards(presumably with 500 grain black powder loads). .45-70 with smokeless powder at 325 is gonna do the job if you can account for the drop. But remember .44-40, .44 mag, .45 colt etc tend to be a lot slower and with much lighter bullets. It could probably be effective at those ranges but probably not for the average person.
What kind of accuracy are you getting?
My groups can't seem to stay under 2" without a flyer or two in seven shots. At 50yds! With a scope!
The same problem I had with my Henry in 327 Fed Mag. My 45-70 carbine shoots lights out.
I'm wondering if it's a pistol caliber thing...
I have only shot hand loads through it, so it has been very consistent for me. Even out to 200 yards with a red dot.
Thanks for the quick reply.
So what are you getting off the bench at 50, 100, whatever? Groups I mean. Not "ringing steel".
Are you shooting cast? I must have put 20 different loads through mine in the past week. Same results I mentioned. I even put a red dot on it to eliminate the scope. Then took the rail off and remounted everything from the ground up. It's driving me nuts. I even changed bullet weights and diameters, going up to a .454. Annealed the brass...
I never see anyone posting their bench groups. With just about any 45 Colt rifle.@@ModernMountainMan
@@pacanis I don't have exact group measurements off the top of my head, but that might be a good idea for a video soon. The loads I have used are two different supersonic loads with Lil' Gun using cast lead as well as Hornady FTX. I am also shoot a subsonic loading with cast lead and Tight Group
Maybe I'm not pushing mine fast enough. The groups seem to get worse over 1050fps. Maybe I need to make a jump into unpublished data territory... Or move into a FTX.
Thanks again brother.@@ModernMountainMan
any update on shooting it suppressed?
Waiting on my suppressor
yes.
next question.
Sweet rifle!
Thanks! I am going to go full space cowboy with it, if it tests out the way I think it will.
Heyyyyy Triple M , have you done anything else with this Henry X 45 Colt ? I bought an X in Colt and it just shoots good with anything. Hot or mild its accurate and a ball to choot. 26 H110 behind 265 Cast Performance hardcast boolit it went end to end on a big white tail doehead. Its probably still flying around the woods killing stuff ! Then with 250gr Berry boolits and Titegroup its accurate and nuthin but fun to shoot water bottles with. Let's see what you've done to er. Thanks
I have not shot any game with it yet. Last hunting season was cut short by an injury and a surgery. I have played with some loads and I have a hot load and sub load that I really like. My suppressor plans are a bit delayed as well, but I am still working on it.
Thx for the Video.
Didn't I just see u putting 8 ammo inside the tube, & then you put one in the chamber after racking it?
That's 8+1
45 colt is an animal like no other. It was designed to take a charging horse from underneath a man in battle and has done so through out history. I run a model x and a Ruger Blackhawk 45 colt I run 325+p cool thing about the Henry you get about 300 fps more than the handgun loads
Sounds great!
@@ModernMountainMan during hunting season I only put 1 or 2 in there and I use the tube to unload its easier than racking them thru the gun
Load .451 round balls and black powder
Try 8.5 of unique with a 250 xtp bullet for a subsonic load in 45 colt.
Nice! Thanks for the tip
Just bought one myself.
Enjoy!!
Just got one of these. It's prompted me to learn reloading.
Thats great! Stick up on reloading components and have a blast learning.
@@ModernMountainMan I'm not sure if I will be getting a suppressor.
Maybe just a muzzle break.
Where can I get a quality suppressor for the.45?
After doing a bunch of research, I am going to get the Dead Air Primal
You are heading down same path as me Mountain Man, have my 45LC, have cowboy loads, have Hornady Leverevolution and FTX loads - and a supressor on the way - but like you I am curious as to how quiet the gun will be with those rounds I have. Haven't been successful in finding muzzle velocity for those rounds in the 16" Henry Big Boy X Model 45LC, but if I'm not mistaken you have to stay under 1150 FPS to be subsonic - looking to see what loads you find that will do that. While it would be ideal if I could get the whisper quiet I've seen in the .38 Sp Henry's with a supressor, I'll be happy just not waking up the neighbors if I shoot a hog at 2am...looking forward to seeing your video once you get your suppressor...
If you figure out a good load before you see me upload any videos about it, feel free to share any information with me 😉
@@ModernMountainMan Haven't received my suppressor yet, keeping an eye out for your video once you receive yours...
Awesome!
you got lucky if you dry fired it a lot, i dry fired mine after the first range visit and the firing pin broke >:|
Did they replace it for you?
@@ModernMountainMan Yep, didn't cost me anything other than the time it took to drive to UPS
Anyone know if this gun is rated for “Ruger only” 45 colt +p loads?
Err...44Mag, 44 Spl??? I reload also, but for folks that don't, good luck finding 44Mag energy in 45 colt in stores. Getting over 2K fps with 180 grn soft points.
Need an 1851 army revolver
I sure do
Which is better 45 colt or 44 mag ? Lever gun
My opinion is 45!
250gr lswc drops a deer like nuttin out to 50 yards,that's sll the farther I've had to shoot so far
Bi-pod ?
I went with 357 38 I don't care about sub sonic
38’s do sub well though
No... It isn't.
If not, which caliber and why?
Are we talking long colt?
Depends on who you ask 😉
Hey brother 🙏 have hard from you in awhile? Awsome rifle. Check with reloading Master cwlongshot. Or join on Friday on GA shooting connection live chat lot reloading guys in their easy answers that question. As new reloader got some Lil gun here try 300blk. Also work some 243 win stayball. Have toss many videos up on my channel yet thoe work progress. Do lot other videos from hunting and cook different things to auto show to mail call from some reloading friends.
Nice! I will check it out
@@ModernMountainMan thanks modern Mt man. I got small channel 116 viewer . Just work from their . Few small videos here in their when I got time.
@@ModernMountainMan as live chat with ga shooting connection usly at 8pm till 10pm
No.
Whatcha got?
Just look at how Buffalo Bore and Underwood are getting their high end +P+ loads touching low end 45-70 numbers, and the Henry can shoot those loads with no issues. That's a lot of power in a compact rifle
Yeah, I have heard people call it the poor man’s 45-70
Underwood has 45 +p+?
Yep
Any confirmation from Henry on 45 colt +P+ rating with this gun?
I think your philosophy will be accurate. After looking at the differences between 44 and 45lc, 45lc is on another level if it's loaded properly. Most standard 44 will out shoot most standard factory 45lc. But 45lc has much more versatility and can hit harder and throw faster than 44. For hand loading, 45lc trumps the other levergun calibers every day of the week. And when you get those hot 45lc loads crack over long ranges you know you've sent something heavy down range.
45lc is quite versatile, but your not throwing a piece of lead faster then 44mag to get the same speed out of 45LC you need 65% overpressure and if you want to be fair most guns can handle about 10-15% overpressure for 44 mag. both are great calibers id stress you look into reloading data as you can be surprised about what you can do with most calibers with the right firearms.
I'm going to head this off at the pass I push a 225 grain hornady ftx going 1930 fps out of my 20 inch henry all weather in 44mag.
You think better than 30-30 ?
@@Canes-kh5bq its fairly comparable to 30-30, 44 mag runs out of gas around 150 yards and really want to stay with in 100. Out side of that bigger hole more expansion.
Everyone is forgetting the 45-70!! .45 long colt is fine, but for real defensive and hunting power with distance the 45-70 government round cannot be beat!! The Hornady 325 grain FTX 45-70 round hollow point has a range of up to one mile!! Do get me wrong I love the .45 LC round but as far as lever guns go the 2016 Remington made Marlin 1895 CB 45-70 is the cream of the crop!!
I also like how the side gate lets you still load with the silencer blocking removing the tube.
Thanks for this very informative video! A cool feature of the Henry's with the side loading gate is that they still have the ability to open the mag tube. When unloading, you only have to eject the chambered cartridge, leave the chamber and lever open, open the mag tube, and dump the remaining rounds through the front of the tube.
Very nice gun! I’ve been wanting a Henry for a while. I was looking at a 44 but maybe I’ll go 45 colt. Great video!
Thanks! Yeah, I believe it has a ton of versatility. 44, probably has better ammo selection, but 45 is no slouch, especially with the cowboy action shooters.
You can use buffalo bore 45LC+P in these, just not the monometal ones.
Yeah, Buffalo Bore makes some great rounds for 45 Colt!
Awesome video sir. I’m a long time 45 colt addict. I use it in 1860 open top conversions, and a s&w model 25-15. I’m a new subscriber. Found you on a post from Alaskan ballistics. I really like your channel so far.
Awesome! Welcome aboard. Does your S&W 25-15 handle hot “Ruger only” loads?
@@ModernMountainMan according to Brian pierce who writes for handloader magazine my s&w model 25-15 is ok with 23,000 psi for moderate use. I load 45 colt to 15,000 psi for target shooting and I load it like a 45 super 5” for deer and black bears. My warmer 45 colt loads shoot a 240 grain round nose flat point at 1075 FPS. The practice loads get 900 FPS.
@@ModernMountainMan I also load a .452 200 grain FTX to 1100 FPS. I featured this FTX load in a few videos on my channel
I will check them out
Got one in 44 mag about 2 months ago.
It’s friggin great 👍
AND...... I’m going to pick up the 20” round Barreled blued, walnut, large loop in 45 colt tomorrow!!
Very excited, like a kid on Christmas Morning.
Awesome! I would love to hear your thoughts on how they compare.
Colt45 has come a LONG LONG way with smokless powder and modern gun steels, they are 44 mag County and more. Very cool round and i have a titanium 45colt for my side arm for the woods. Hell back when it was Black powder it was 357 range power but more weight and diameter, its no slouch. Love the video man me too new lever guns are just amazing
Ive been contemplating my first leveraction for blueberry hunting. Don't know why i wanted 45lc, but was originally set on it. ammo is a bit pricier than 357 and ive heard countless bias between the two cartridges. And those trying to measure manhood by adding a comment of .44
My main defence is black bear, im certain sub 50yds both will do fine. I have yet to hear non bias pros cons of 357/45lc
Would like to hear how 45lc works out as beeing versitile.
Got my eyes on a Henry as well with larger hand lever for winter.
I just got one today, I’ll update you after I get it out to the range. I’m sure it’s going to be Great. I’m a big fan of the 45lC
Enjoy
Spicy loads??? 365 gr HC over 20grs of W296, 300gr hard cast over 22gr of W296...I'm not saying to use this, but it's what I use in a Ruger Vaquero.
Excited to see this project.
Thanks! I am excited to see what I can make it do.
Okay okay. I made a big deal about the optic and rail. I have to say this about that. I took the optic and rail off and went with Henry's design. The fiber optic iron sights are very useful and make sighting and firing this weapon fun. Even with my old eyes they work well. The rail and optic are still an option. I think for awhile I am sticking with the fiber optic irons. with the picatinny rail I still have the light /laser combo choice ad well . I do really like this rifle though it combines old style with new and it works well.
More than likely, the tube loading/unloading option will not be possible with most type suppressors and blast cans installed. I have a blast can for shooting black powder 45 Colt in my Henry X, just to shove that smoke further forward and away quickly, and the tube sliding out is blocked by the can. You'll need some type of small diameter quick release mount on the suppressors or can.
It is nice to reload for both my Henry X and 1873 Colt SAA revolver in BP though.
I think that very issue was why Henry finally gave us a side loading gate.
@@ModernMountainMan , yep, to stay up with relative and modern market, they gotta make room or make a way to fit all the fancy add ons! Lol
Looking forward to your review once you receive your suppressor - I actually cancelled the one I ordered because all I could find out about suppressors on a 45 LC (you're also correct, I have never seen a video with a suppressor on this caliber lever rifle) is it only takes the decibels down from around 162 to around 130db - which is still quite loud and requires hearing protection (have to get down to around 90db to not require hearing protection). Good luck Modern Mountain Man, looking forward to seeing your video showing it suppressed.
Check out Buffalo Outdoor's video on quiet .44 magnum/spc loads out of a rifle. You should be able to use a similar technique for the .45. he got down to pellet gun noise levels without a tax can so should be able to come up with something that would work with one.
Should be easy to get subsonic with something like trail boss.
395 grain subs running 1100 FPS is awesome
Nice! Do you recommend any particular projectile?
@@ModernMountainMan Hornady makes the 395 Jacketed. Right now I am resizing 405 grain .458 Cast bullets to 452 and using the 395 grain load data on the Hodgdon website. 16-17 grains of 5744 (Buffalo Tifle) works for me. Enjoy!
Try the Winchester .356 please
I spoke with someone recently that was running those in an AR-10 platform
I put a light on my picatinny rail. Very useful in low light situations.
Fair and amazing review! I like your passion.
Thanks 😊
Feel called out with that communist state comment near the end, lol.
You're dead on tho, sir. WA banned AR's, so I've been eyeballing this exact rifle for months now. Gonna make the leap thanks to your informative video.
I am sorry that has happened to your state. I am glad this video can be helpful in finding a home defense alternative.
Hello
I have had a Rossi in this caliber for a while now just got the Henry I like theHenry a lot. have you tried some hot 300 Greiners yet?
They short chambered to Henry for 45 I don’t care for that I might have to get a reamed out and the elevator comes up to slow for longer 300 Griner bullet don’t care for that I have a mold ordered to see if I can get around that I hope so otherwise I’ll have to modify the lever which I’d rather not do.
John Linebaugh has some loads that sneak up on a 4570
I have run them without extraction problems at all so far they are a bit bucky though
Sounds awesome. I have not run any 300’s yet. I hope to though.
Love Henry Lever Action rifles; have the x Model in 30-30, which is Awesome as f-ck to shoot; thinking of getting a .357 mag or 44 Colt which is what brought me to ur video. Great explanation about this rifle & caliber choice!!
Thanks!
@@ModernMountainMan you're welcome!
Can’t wait to see this project progress. My wife just gifted me a Henry 45-70. I was like a kid on Christmas.
Nice! Which model?
Brass model, octagon barrel, non side loading gate, would have preferred it but this was a total surprise gift. Wife found it at a local gun shop and didn’t know about side loading gate. I’m happy and it’s a beautiful weapon.
Those are beautiful!
Don't forget about the screw compensator/suppressor installation on the barrel. It is a very good feature. Be aware if you mount a suppressor you will need to get a optic picatinny rail and red dot/scope. The suppressor is to tall. The compensator is a very good fit and allows you to use the fiber optic sights. I chose the rail mount and red circle/ laser sight. That's very useful. The iron sights are no longer useful unless you're ready to remove the optic and rail. That's easily done but at what cost. Useful iron sights or red circle dot/laser using a single triple A battery.
You need to upgrade to aperture sights anyway. Skinner and Williams sights clear a 1.7” diameter suppressor.
Depending on the pressure it will take will determine how versatile it is. If you can nearly duplicate 454 casull loads then it has real potential
I hope I can get 454 like loads
@@ModernMountainMan You can get close. You're not going to get 454-like loads because 454 loads at almost double the pressure of the hottest 45lc. But the hottest 45lc (which will work in your Big Boy X) will out shoot anything in 357mag or 44.
@@AlexHaislip The 1892 Rossi will handle 60k loads but I wouldn't shot a lot threw it but 50k it will eat them all day. The 336 design I wouldn't go over 35k psi. Look up Paco Kelly he tested all this he took the Rossi to 65k psi. I have a Rossi 92 in 454 I will never give that rifle up.
I'm a .45 Colt guy but .45 Colt ammo is very hard to find. .38 and .357 are easy to find. I hand load .45 Colt.
Handloading is definitely the way to go!
Great video and great points made. I’ve been considering an X model for a while but have been leaning either towards the .357 or the .44. Reason being, the 357/38 would be best/easiest for suppression, and a hot 357 load would handle any animal I need it to handle down here in South Carolina & North Carolina. But .44 is even hotter and more powerful that .357, so possibly thinking of going that way just for the firepower. The .357 will probably win out due to how easy it would be to suppress with .38’s. I never really considered the 45 colt until this video honestly. I always just thought of the 45 colt as a cowboy action round and not as good/modern/powerful as the 44 mag or 357 mag. Your video is giving me something to think about though. I have a 30 cal suppressor though, so of the 3, I could only suppress a 357/38 model.
P.S.
I’d use that half cock feature when loaded with one in the chamber 😅
Thanks!
Your 30 cal suppressor is not going to likely be able to fit a bullet that is between .355 and .358.
@@ModernMountainMan maybe I misspoke. It’s the SilencerCo 36m. So I guess it’s actually a 36 cal can? I’m not certain lol, it’s my first and only suppressor. It will work with 357/38 though. Says so right on the website.
@@SC93-85 yep, that’ll work.
@@ModernMountainMan I was pretty much only considering either a 44 mag or 357 X model, but after watching your video and thinking about it, you inspired me to get the 45 colt version instead lol! Thanks for bringing up all those good points. But first thing ima do is replace that god awful black plastic furniture, with a set of Henry wooden furniture. They sell em in their website for $130. Well worth it imo. Black plastic furniture on a lever gun makes me a little nauseous 🤢
I am hoping Boyd starts making some furniture for it too
Great content…. Would love to see a follow-up video….very interested in the results….
Thanks. I have loads developed. I just need the suppressor
One thing to note when you discussed "supersonic energy" while talking about caliber choices. Supersonic with pistol rounds is NOT the same as supersonic with rifle rounds. The amount of damage a supersonic rifle round does is very substantial, but when you switch to supersonic pistol rounds that extra damage is simply not as pronounced. FBI statistics of stopping power of .45 rounds compared to 9mm, for example, shows the actual result of shooting an actual human being with both rounds. I'll save you the time looking it up, if you even have access, the .45 round is hands down a better "man stopper" for a one shot stop.
The modern .45 Colt round, especially if you go with Buffalo Bore (or similar high end ammo company) can produce .45 Colt rounds that exceed .44 Magnum performance. So in essence you can push the .45 Colt to near supersonic speeds, hold more in your tube than the .44 Mag, and hit harder than any other lever action, short of 45-70.
I'm updating my Henry with Ranger Precision handguard and buttstock, which reduces weight and adds more mounting locations (and simply makes it look sweet). My primary use is for traveling/camping since these are legal pretty much everywhere. Mounting a red dot and light on it because it'll be for self-defense. Secondary use is ... they are simply a ton of fun to shoot!
I am starting to call the 45 colt, the poor man’s 45-70
@@ModernMountainMan LoL, yes the round does cost vastly less.....so spot on sir!!
@@8654ZuluFoxtrotThe higher reaches of the 45 colt does match the lower 45/70, but it a smaller, handier rifler with more rounds.
What up .45 big boy fam!
Hey hey! Are you running an x-model or one of the others?
@@ModernMountainMan hey brother, I have the blued steel with the walnut furniture
Those are beautiful!
@@ModernMountainMan & a single shot 45-70 same finish luv em both
Are you also a reloader?
Does the gun handle +P ammo such as the underwood ammo?
Yeah, it can handle hot stuff for sure
@@ModernMountainMan
Thanks.... 👍
We need updates!
Waiting on a can. I have some great loads developed and it seems promising. My hunting season didn’t go as planned (injury and surgery) so I have not tested it on a deer yet.
357 MAGNUM IS
Oh yeah?
I just got my x model big boy in .44 mag/.44special two weeks ago. I ordered new furniture for it, don’t really like the plastic, and I wanted the tactical sexy look with walnut stock and hand guard!! and boooyyy I shot it today, about 230-250 rounds, and man it’s so much fun!!! super accurate!!! I highly recommend to get you a trigger sear from ranger point precision for yours sir!
Thats a great heads up. I didn't know that made a trigger sear. Do you have one already installed?
@@ro-dana thanks!