Congrats!
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She's a beaut, Clark!
I have a 4” .44 Taurus tracker pic below ....the .44 mag out of the rifle is impressive , looking forward to shooting this Henry .
Attachment 124580
.44 ain't exactly cheap. 45-70 is waaaaay pricey.
Cool as hell....not cheap.
OP, treat yourself right - you should buy rifles in both calibers!
As DucatiRon mentioned, if you do reload, there are a host of alternatives - and he is a great source for cast bullets too.
There are "plinker" loads that you or a 12 year old kid can shoot all day long and routinely hit quarter-sized groups at 50 yds in each caliber to "Hammer of Thor" loads that, while still safely within the pressure limits of your receiver, are accurate, will take down much if not all North American game, and will almost certainly wake up the rest of the folks on the firing line. The heavier loads may also make you wish you brought something to pad your shoulder.
If you already own the brass, it costs about $.18 - $.22 per round for the .44 MAG and $.28 - $.35 per round for the .45-70. Mostly dependent on your preference in bullet weight and applicable powder throw.
Still though, with 7,000 grains per pound of powder, that's still a lot of bang for your buck...
This pricing of course assumes you're using cast bullets. If you start using Hornady, Nosler, Remington, or Speer JHP's or FMJ's, you may have to double the cost - but it's still usually less than half the price of a box of .44 MAG at retail. And up to 1/3rd the price of .45-70's at retail.
However, I think you'd be surprised at what low cost per projectile (cast or notable manufacturer) is available these days at local auctions. It's not uncommon to find whatever projectile you prefer to reload in .44 MAG or .45-70 at 1/3rd - 1/2 of retail price. Some in lots of 100, many others in lot sizes approaching 500 - 1,000.
These projectiles may have sat unloved for years in a box or ammo can under the reloading bench, but are now getting offered at some estate auction. Just be sure you bring a micrometer or digital caliper to measure a good sampling of what's in the box (.429 or .430 for .44 MAG and .458 or .459 for .45-70). The larger diameter usually (but not always, depending on the caliber) refer to cast bullets.
They most certainly make great stocking stuffers this time of year... :o
No mention of 30-30?
My Henry has an octagon barrel and brass hardware. I could hunt deer with her... if I was a hunter.
New rifle looks GREAT!!!!! I was able to harvest a doe with mine this weekend. Very handy rifle. Enjoy it!!!!!!