I finally got a chance to try out the Henry on Sunday afternoon up at my cousin's place. Good setup - 100 yards range with a shooting bench. But rather than strain the barrel we placed a large cardboard box at 35 yards with a "tin-hat" silhouette drawn at center.
I was plumb out of 240 gr. JHP boolits, but found a few I'd loaded for 44 Special (One lodged in the Ruger GP 100 barrel), and a few I'd loaded 28 years ago in 44 Mag (very light loads), so I pulled all I could find = 9. And then I loaded 9 rounds of 44 Magnum with the Nosler 240 gr jhps I'd pulled, on top of 20 grains of 2400 (New powder as in had to cut the tip off the plastic end, but old because it was Hercules 2400 rather than Alliant 2400), and Win Large Pistol Primers (Magnum). Cousin supplied some 240 grain Remington 44 Magnum store bought ammo, and some 180 gr. store bought 44 Magnum, and I also tried my 44 Special pet loads (240 gr. swaged Speer SWC's - 6.8 grains of Unique, and 44 Special cases).
I learned the following:
1. Even in the 8 pound 10 ounce Henry, 44 MAG loads will give you a sound thumping. I probably shot 15 rounds of full bore magnums, and though my shoulder is not bruised it is fairly sore this morning. Especially the store bought 180 gr. which were punishing. Prior to that my cousin had slid 3 rounds over to me to try, and said "Try these 180's"; I did and thought "My, these are mild". Then he told me he had given me 3 44 Specials. Bunch of difference indeed!
2. Due to the above, I am satisfied that I went in the right direction in getting the Henry, rather than waiting and getting a much lighter Rossi, or Win 92.
3. Due, I suppose to the twist, it really, really likes 240 grain Jhps better than 180 gr jhp's or my 44 Special Pet Loads with lead swaged 240 gr, SWC's.
a. All 180 grains loads shot about 7 - 8 inches high and 3 - 4 " right at 35 yards, in groups of about 4 - 5"s.
b. My pulled 240 grain Nosler JHP loads were about an inch low and 2 -3 inches right, in a very tight group of @ 1 1/2" - 2", the same as the regular old Remington 240 grain JHP store bought 44 Magnum rounds. All of those made a very tight group as indicated even considering the very hard to see buckhorn sight. (pondering getting a Skinner rear receiver peep sight to replace the buck horn)
4. Important note - to me anyhow: I had no trouble whatsoever running my pet 44 Special lead cast SWC's through the Henry.