Any Uberti 45 Colt Henry shooters.............

I have one of the Uberti 45 Colt Henry 'Iron Frame' repro's and enjoy shooting it and would like to see how other ones are doing. Mine is ok in the accuracy department.

Steve........

I've an Uberti M1973 45 Colt I shoot. I developed several loads with 200 and 230 gr cast bullets that run 1100 - 1200 fps at 14,000 psi.

Your 73 has the same toggle action as my 1860 and I have tried to get it to shoot but it's been a labor for the last 26 years. I have tried 250 up to 270 gr boolits at .452 up to .454 diameter and the best I can get is 4 inches @50 yds. I have different alloys, nose shapes, hollow points, flat points, round nose flat points to no avail but when I used a 250 gr Nosler J word hp and Unique I get 2 inch groups @ 50 yds. which I am happy with but would like it to do that good with cast.
I have lost count of the different powders I have tried so far.


Steve...........

I am running promo through my 3 different Uberti 73 rifles, and the pistols are running about the same load but usually with a round nose , but not always , if going out with both I pack same bullets for both .

Sorry no henry , they have always sold for more then I was able to get the 73 for .

Steve

Suggest you try light weight bullets of 200-230 gr over fast burning powders.

I use the Lee 200 gr RF (sized and lubed at .454) over 7.3 gr of Bullseye with an OAL of 1.557 in WW cases with a WLP primer. It runs 1150 fps out my 20" barrel at a measured 13.400 psi. The H&G 68 (205 gr SWC 45 ACP bullet) does quite well also at close to the same psi. I mildly roll crimp in the front drive band.

I finding favor with the lee 45-230-TC sized and lubed in a .454 H&I die over 7 gr of Bullseye or 7.2 gr of 700X in the same WW case with WLP primers. I mildly roll crimp the case in the front drive band giving an OAL of 1.558". Both run 1135 - 1150 fps at just under 15,000 psi. Accuracy is excellent with 10 shots usually running less than 2" at 50 yards.

Another thing to consider is case sizing . Your rifle no doubt has the tapered SAAMI spec chamber. If you are FL sizing the cases with a carbide sizer you are sizing the cases too much. That creates a pretty sloppy cartridge to chamber fit which is not conducive to best accuracy with cast bullets. The solution is to find or get an old RCBS Steel sizing die which taper sizes the cases. Yes you have to lube them to size them but it is the best solution. Another option since you're not shooting higher pressure loads in your henry replica is to back out the carbide die to just NS the case to the depth of the seated bullet. Redding does make a very spend two diameter carbide sizer but I've no experience with it.

I've had an Colt Uberti Henry for over 20 years and do love it - it's a fun gun to take to the range and bang steel. I've never considered it a target rifle so have only done some cursory load development in regard to accuracy. Actually, my standard .45 Colt load of 8gr Unique and the Lee 200RNFP give me excellent results. Absolutely no problem keeping it 2" (or a bit less sometimes when my eyes are clear) and can bang the 12" plate at a 100 yds with boring regularity.

Larry
I have been using a steel 45 Colt size die and sizing the case right at the bullets length for years, I even tried full length sizing with a Hornady Nitride sizing die for a while and it didn't make any appreciable difference.

I will start looking for some 200 and 220 or so grains to try. 255 grain and larger boolits are the only 45's I have ever had.

Steve......

My RCBS steel 45 Colt die is from 1980, is that old enough? It even has the decapper in the expander die.

Steve........