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Thread: Henry 44/40 lead mixture/hardness

  1. #1
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    Henry 44/40 lead mixture/hardness

    Just getting into the world of shooting a Henry 44/40 and didn?t realize that they don?t like soft lead bullets and was wondering what my fellow Henry shooters are using for their lead mixtures for hardness?
    Thanks for your help
    Charlie

  2. #2
    J davidson is offline
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    My lead for 44-40 is whatever I dig out of the backstop at my local
    pistol range. I have a lot of cast bullet shooters there but it works
    for me

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by J davidson View Post
    My lead for 44-40 is whatever I dig out of the backstop at my local
    pistol range. I have a lot of cast bullet shooters there but it works
    for me
    Ok thanks for the advice

  4. #4
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    When I was casting my own bullets I was using straight wheel weights. I no longer shoot my Henry in competition so it?s been a few years. Wheel weights are different composition now so I have been told.
    Paul D. Stoneburner 08037-V
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frog View Post
    When I was casting my own bullets I was using straight wheel weights. I no longer shoot my Henry in competition so it?s been a few years. Wheel weights are different composition now so I have been told.
    Ok thanks I appreciate it

  6. #6
    bobanderson is offline
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    Years ago, Mr. Veral Smith of Lead Bullet Technologies (LBT) told me there were only 3 manufacturers of wheel weight metal in the US, and one of those was exclusive to Sears. This meant Sears customers tended to go back to Sears and their weights tended to stay there as well. Of course we are the customers of anyone in the world that sells anything, so who knows where weights come from now.

    With that said, back then you could depend on a consistent alloy to use casting hard bullets. I have a great supply of wheel weights and I smelt them down in 100 lb. lots so as to get them more consistent than smaller batches.

    For simplicity sake, my hard lead alloy was 3 parts pure lead to one part wheel weights. I used that in my Henry and all of my breech loading firearms.

    You can do more to reduce leading and improve accuracy with properly sized bullets and a good lube.
    Bob Anderson
    Ordnance Sergeant
    Company C, 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry
    Small Arms Committee

    "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on.
    I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by bobanderson View Post
    Years ago, Mr. Veral Smith of Lead Bullet Technologies (LBT) told me there were only 3 manufacturers of wheel weight metal in the US, and one of those was exclusive to Sears. This meant Sears customers tended to go back to Sears and their weights tended to stay there as well. Of course we are the customers of anyone in the world that sells anything, so who knows where weights come from now.

    With that said, back then you could depend on a consistent alloy to use casting hard bullets. I have a great supply of wheel weights and I smelt them down in 100 lb. lots so as to get them more consistent than smaller batches.

    For simplicity sake, my hard lead alloy was 3 parts pure lead to one part wheel weights. I used that in my Henry and all of my breech loading firearms.

    You can do more to reduce leading and improve accuracy with properly sized bullets and a good lube.
    I thank you for your information I will try this and see what happens
    Charlie

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