1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

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AJMD429
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1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by AJMD429 »

Five shots with 9 fps standard deviation, Buffalo Bore factory loads, from the 'carbine' version of the 327 Federal Henry Big Boy Steel version.
BA7CF953-A89C-4FE9-9704-01F8B268A47A.jpeg
Sorry for the non-horizontal photo, but evidently my fancy-schmancy iPhone SE can't "rotate" photos without me taking an on-line course or something, even though it can apply fifty-seven different 'enhancements' to the photo in terms of subtle lighting etc... :roll:

Then again, my Mac's "photos" program doesn't seem to want to allow cropping of photos, so I had to choose... :roll:

I know - someday I need to learn Apple-eze... :oops:

Anyway, I was pleased with the velocity, and for a gun I had to trade one and a half AR's for, I wanted to be pleased.

Accuracy, I can't say - I got a 2x3" group at 50 yards with the five shots, but was using the (really nice) 'buckhorn sights'. Problem is my eyes aren't young anymore, so I'll be spoiling the 'nice classic lines' of the levergun with an optic... :o

A few years back a friend was telling me I was stupid for liking leverguns, as they are "so inaccurate you can't hit anything". He had been shooting a 18" heavy barreled AR of mine, which with good handholds and some luck, could put five shots under a dime at 100 yards, and ten shots under a nickel most of the time. It has a 5-20x scope on it. I had just sighted in a Marlin XLR 30-30 with handholds that could shoot 5 shots into a 50 cent piece at 100 yards - it ALSO had a 5-20x scope on it at the time, just for load development. So - I challenged him that I thought the reason he was convinced leverguns were inaccurate was partly that some are sloppy and inaccurate, but that the bigger issue was likely the sights that were on the guns he was used to. I went back to the house and returned to the range bench with the Marlin.

His own bolt action was a 243 Win in a Remington 700, with a 4-16x scope, he described as 'prairie dog medicine'. I let him shoot my handholds in the Marlin XLR 30-30 off a rest and he actually shot a smaller 5-shot group than I did - about 3/4" to my 1-1/4". Of course he said the gun was 'an exception' (and perhaps it is - Marlin fancied them up and 'free-floated' the magazine tube a bit). Normally, I don't like to take off and remount scopes (my son used to drive me crazy swapping scopes on MY guns... :D ) but I got out a hex wrench and removed the AR's scope, flipping up the nice MagPul backup peeps, and said - now - shoot me a better group. Of course he couldn't - the best either of us (both over 50 at the time) could do was about 4-5 inches at 100 yards. For one thing, the front post is probably wider than the 8x11" paper our targets were printed on...for that reason, I've never figured out how the guys who use iron sights can shoot such small groups, when the 'group' is going to need to be an eighth of the width of the front sight to be decent... Anyhow, I think he realized that his 'life experience' with bolt action rifles was pretty much limited to bottle-neck cartridges (high velocity = flat shooting = less vertical error due to range), and exclusively with SCOPED firearms, whereas the few leverguns he'd shot were equipped with pretty crummy barrel-mounted 'drift-adjustable' notch sights. Even a good set of aperture sights with a fine gold bead up front (like my Marlins usually wind up with eventually) is better than what most people leave on their leverguns.

For younger people, perhaps a good-quality 'buckhorn' or whatever open sight is enough, but as they age, likely they'd do better with a good aperture like the Williams or Lyman, and a fine bead, or even a 'globe' front sight, but when we get to geezer-age, it is hard to beat a good optic, whether it is a glass one with appropriate magnification for the task-at-hand, or even a good quality (non-blurry) red-dot or holographic sight.

Anyhow, if the Henry weren't so pretty, it would already be my woods-walking gun, but that honor still falls to my dinged and scratched 357 Mag Rossi 'Trapper'.

Come to think of it, I suppose geezerism is not only the reason I will probably scope the Henry, or at least put a Williams FP on it, but it is ALSO the reason I can't do much right with the iPhone or Mac.... :lol: :oops:
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Ray
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by Ray »

Deleted.
Last edited by Ray on Wed May 18, 2022 9:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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4t5
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by 4t5 »

Why does Henry use 14" l.o.p. I also find it too long, it's my only complaint with them.
Would also get a 327 carbine if it were shorter, my single shot 357 is to long, but sure is nice.
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FLINT
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by FLINT »

I'm glad you are enjoying the 327 Henry. I've always been a fan of 32 cal and own two 32H&R mags and a 327, all revolvers.

I've read that Federal is coming out with a 130grain load as well, specifically for the Henry. I've also read that the 100 grain federal ammo pushes 2000fps in a 20" barrel.

and yes, the 14" stock is also in my mind the biggest detractor of a Henry, but cutting down a stock is an easy enough thing to do, and the 327 in a rifle shouldn't kick so much that a rubber pad is necessary. I would be temped to fit a crescent steel buttplate to one, that might be pretty sweet.
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by TraderVic »

I've been "studying" the 327 Federal for awhile. Also like the looks of the Henry BBS rifles. Do any of you guys also have a 327 revolver to go with your rifles ?
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by AJMD429 »

I have a Ruger Buckeye Conversion Blackhawk in 33 H&R Mag (& 32-20) to sort of ‘go with’ my Henry levergun, and a S&W 10 32-20 to go with my Marlin 1889 snd 1894cs Leverguns and Remington pump.

The thing about the 32-30’s is keeping hot loads out of the vintage guns (not that hard though, but I like to just have one reloading recipe and shoot lots of it). But unless I got the Buckeye reamed from H&R to Fed it is two different cartridges anyway.

Same for 454 Casull; I have a Rossi levergun but it’s “mate” would have to be a 45 Colt revolver because I have no 454 Casull handgun. Not sure I want one, as I don’t live in bear country, and find them unpleasant to shoot. Kind of the same with the 327 Fed - I think the 32 H&R is enough blast for me from a handgun anyway.

The OCD part of me (...’part’ heck more like 99%... :lol: ) wants ‘pairs’ in everything, but maybe the best way to sort things out is just to have my ‘pistol’ loads in the short brass and my hotter ‘rifle’ loads in the longer brass; I can still ‘plink’ with the pistol loads in the rifles.

I was sorting out my 32-20 loads by using cast for the older guns and jacketed for the 1894cs and Buckeye 32-20 cylinder, but I still have some jacketed factory loads that shoot better than cast in the pitted 1899 barrel. So I just resort to < sigh > labeling my ammo, and if I find ‘loose’ rounds they go in the modern guns.
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COSteve
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by COSteve »

Done
Last edited by COSteve on Thu Dec 17, 2020 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by TraderVic »

Aperture (peep) sights are quite effective and I have them on both of my leverguns, however - as I age the target must get closer (or vice versa) for me shoot accurately.
Now a 4x8' sheet of plywood, painted white with a dark paper plate in the center......that's a different story :lol:
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by COSteve »

Done
Last edited by COSteve on Thu Dec 17, 2020 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Steve
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by AJMD429 »

COSteve - that is a good point. I should just get a pair of woods-walking glasses have have that permanently on them. Might give it a try.

(....but I still like big ol' scopes...! :D )
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Re: 1654 fps with 130 grain 327 Federal in Henry Levergun

Post by piller »

PillHer has a Ruger SP101 with adjustable sights and a Henry Big Boy steel, both in .327 Federal Magnum.
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