Henry 41 mag bear hunt

Hey yall.

I have decided that I am going to put forth the effort to hunt me down a black bear this fall with my 41 mag Henry (I've got a RBH in the same that I will have on my hip).

My mind has been all over the place with what to feed it though. When I first got it I bought the NOE 412-238-WFN, but now I am thinking why not shoot something even heavier? I have been eyeballing the LBT WLNGC 265gr (purchasing a 100 pre-made just to see if I like them), or maybe even trying to get the NOE 411-253-WFN.

I know it all comes down to what shoots well in my gun, but I am a lover of heavy boolits and cannot get my mind off the heavier ones even though I already have a mold.

So hypothetically speaking, if I am dead nuts accurate with my 240gr boolits, am I really going to gain anything from a heavier one with a wider meplate?

You also need to consider whether your gun will feed the longer rounds.

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Originally Posted by Wheelguns 1961

You also need to consider whether your gun will feed the longer rounds.

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True. It feeds the 238gr WFN, and the 253gr WFN has the same dimension to the crimp groove. So I assume it should feed since the OAL will be the same, just a fatter nose is all.

The reviews on the 265gr specifically mention use of it in the Henry rifle, and some research has turned up loaded rounds with it being around the same as my loaded rounds with the NOE mold I have.

I was just asking because my marlin 1894 45 colt will feed my noe 280 wfn, but won’t feed my mp 45- ruger only at 300 grains. The COL on the ruger only is much longer.

I have an mp 410-265 and the COL is 1.725”. Nice score on a 41 mag lever gun.

LBT/Veral's shop burned down and he isn't rebuilding. Sad.

You will slow your bullet down going heavier, if that's what you want. If you cast soft enough for expansion, don't sweat the 20 grains nor the slightly wider nose.

I have a couple Ranchdog molds, 411-255-RF
one is plain base, the other is GC style.
Both drop boolits around 260gr if the alloy is fairly soft.
They drop a little lighter using tin enriched COWW, about 255gr.
They shoot well from the marlin and Henry.

I have a Mehi true shot clone 413-267 drops a 263gr cupped or 270 gr solid GC-WFN measuring 1.715" when crimped in the top groove . Labradared at 1350 fps with 19.6 gr H110 out of my Henry Big Boy. No feeding issues either. Reloading notes just say WOW so it has some pop, but never bloodied. It also fits the cylinders of my RBH 4-5/8".

You aren't going to gain anything for black bear, but there is nothing wrong with 300 grain bullets in a 41 magnum. I wouldn't bother with anything 250-275 grains when you already have a 240gr mold that you know shoots good. Penn bullets used to sell the SSK bullet, which I think was around 300 grains.

Are you staying local or travelling? Glassing rock slides and avalanches in the west or tree standing? Expecting a 150 yard to 300 yard stalk and shoot or waiting in a tree stand over bait. You could be even trying to keep up with the dogs running them. That is far more dependent than 40-50 gr of bullet weight.

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Originally Posted by MT Gianni

Are you staying local or travelling? Glassing rock slides and avalanches in the west or tree standing? Expecting a 150 yard to 300 yard stalk and shoot or waiting in a tree stand over bait. You could be even trying to keep up with the dogs running them. That is far more dependent than 40-50 gr of bullet weight.

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So I'm going to be 'woods stocking' here in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Public ground. Shots won't be over 100 yards. I had originally thought this would be a good reason to buy myself a 45/70, but since the yardage is so short I figure the good ole 41 will work.

Honestly, it's not so much the weight of the boolits I am questioning as it is the meplate of them. Where I am going to be hunting the bears is in some rough and steep country. Using cast boolits I want as much terminal damage as possible with this rifle to hopefully keep the bear from going to far after the shot(s).

I probably will just stick with the mold I have and just practice a lot in order to make that first shot count. The idea of having a heavier boolit with a larger meplate just was one of those thoughts I had in the back of my mind.

I have a 16.5" Henry and use it lot-- nothing so far this year. I am using and NOE 252 cup point, with 19 gr of H110 glad you Labed it, I will try to clock mine -- anyway I used a 255LWNGC on a 250 lb boar. Large holes and good blood. I shot up at the boar and damaged his heart but his hair soaked up the blood... an in the ribs shot made a .70+ entrance hole the bullet went from the last ribs across into the offside shoulder and stopped. It was a Mountain mold with a .400 length nose and .33 meplat. Mz velocity was 1330 from a 5.5" Redhawk. shots were at 40- 50 yards. the second shot ended things. Not sure how this compares to a bear, but would 10 more grains have made difference? I doubt that. I have shot deer with a 300 gr SSK bullet. And it made a hole = to the meplat and sailed on through the deer. as does a 226 gain Keith HP. and a 255 LWN. On bear? Use what you are comfortable with. look forward to your report. :)

Any excuse to pick up another mold is a good one:p