44 magnum Henry rifle for black bear.

[Pat73]

I would like to use my Henry Big Boy 20" barrel for black bear hunting. Less than 50 yards from the bait barrel and my hunting blind.

I have Starline brass.

Bullets, i have XTP in 200, 240 and 300 grains, Winchester 240 jhp and commercially hardcast bullets from two canadian company, Cactus Plain 200gr lrnfp 15 bhn and DRG 240 gran swc 19 bhn.

For powder, i have: W244, W572, W296, IMR 4227, Blue Dot, Enforcer, Vithavuori N-110

Primers i have CC1 300 and CCI 350, Winchester Large pistol and Sellier&Bellot Large pistol.

I also got 50 rounds of American Eagle 44 magnum.

Since i ive in Canada, i am limited to what i can buy because of the reloading components shortages.

I have Honady X edition manual, Lyman 4th edition cast bullet Lyman 51st manual, Hornady 2020 -2022 magazine and Lee 2nd edition 2019 powder edition.

What do you reccomand me and why?

Thank you very much.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Wish I knew a little more about your Canadian black bears. Best I can recommend is to use the most accurate cold-barrel load that will push a heavy, wide meplat bullet deep enough into the beast to pass completely through the chest cavity, and that feeds reliably in your rifle without a single hiccup.
Don’t worry about 5-shot groups - you probably won’t even get a second shot - instead worry about getting a load that hits where you’re looking from a clean, stone cold barrel. If a follow up shot is next to the first, Bonus!

 

[Pat73]

Thank you. Last year, i killed my 1st bear with a 30-06 semi-auto eith a 185 grain Remington commercial ammo.

 

[BW460]

Hopefully, the 300 gr XTP are the Mag version. Based on what you have, I would go with the CCI 350's, W296, and the 300 gr XTP (mag?). But, as GeoDude said, I would prefer a 300 gr cast with a wide meplat.

 

[Pat73]

I will try to find a 300 grain lead bullet. What BHN do you recommand?

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I will try to find a 300 grain lead bullet. What BHN do you recommand?

I like to hunt with 16BHN or softer. Hardest would be Alloy #2 and softest would be 16:1. 2-2-96 and 3-3-94 are good choices, too if you like wax lubed bullets.

 

[Buzznrose]

I’m pretty sure the XTP’s you have will definitely kill a black bear as long as you make a good hit, as would the hardcast. Plenty of bears are killed with lesser calibers.

But again, the shot placement is key, so figure out what load is most accurate at your max distance and go from there.

VV110 and the 300 XTP from my VV App (for handguns…should be faster from your rifle)

 

[Buzznrose]

Wish I knew a little more about your Canadian black bears.

Canadian black bears can get pretty big compared to Southern US bears but they ain’t bulletproof.

 

[Pat73]

I’m pretty sure the XTP’s you have will definitely kill a black bear as long as you make a good hit, as would the hardcast. Plenty of bears are killed with lesser calibers.

But again, the shot placement is key, so figure out what load is most accurate at your max distance and go from there.

VV110 and the 300 XTP from my VV App (for handguns…should be faster from your rifle)

View attachment 1155480

Thank you. Altough i would have love to use n-110 and 300 xtp is the COAL of 1.717 wich won't be cycling well in.my rifle.

 

[AJC1]

Your 240 swc hard cast with any of multiple powders you have that shoot good. N110, 296, enforcer aka accurate 4100 with a mag primer...

 

[buck460XVR]

Hopefully, the 300 gr XTP are the Mag version.

The "mag" versions only come in .45 caliber. Out of a carbine, the 240s or 300s will work just fine at 50 yards or !ess. Black bears are no more harder to kill than deer. W296/H110 or IMR4227 would be my choice of powders.

 

[GooseGestapo]

I’m pretty sure the XTP’s you have will definitely kill a black bear as long as you make a good hit, as would the hardcast. Plenty of bears are killed with lesser calibers.

But again, the shot placement is key, so figure out what load is most accurate at your max distance and go from there.

VV110 and the 300 XTP from my VV App (for handguns…should be faster from your rifle)

View attachment 1155480

Those velocities are from a 7” pistol barrel. 20” rifle barrel velocities are somewhat faster…

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center

 

[Buzznrose]

Those velocities are from a 7” pistol barrel. 20” rifle barrel velocities are somewhat faster…

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center

Yes…said that in my post

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Canadian black bears can get pretty big compared to Southern US bears but they ain’t bulletproof.

Good point. My way of thinking is, use enough gun and don’t miss. Because bears startle easily.

 

[mdi]

I worked up a load for the black bears in Oregon, although life interrupted my hunting. I used a Ranch Dog design 265 gr RNFP gas checked bullet of about 15 BHN. The load of 2400 gave me about 1,300 fps out of my 20" Puma. Very accurate hunting bullet. From my research talking to hunters in my area that load should prove very effective.

My Lyman Reloading Handbooks have a "44 Magnum Rifle" section that included 240 gr Speer JHP and a 265 gr Hornady JSP.

 

[mkl]

Maybe its just me, but I'd want a 405 grain JSP out of a 45-70 if I was hunting critters that wanted to eat me. Henry makes some very nice ones

 

[Buzznrose]

Thank you. Altough i would have love to use n-110 and 300 xtp is the COAL of 1.717 wich won't be cycling well in.my rifle.

If you go to the Vihtavouri web site, there is an email address you can email them at where you can give them your bullet options and tell them your COAL and whatever else pertinent info. They will email back to you a load if there is a safe one available. They have a very responsive email team there with knowledgeable technical support.

https://www.vihtavuori.com/resources/request-reloading-data/

 

[derek45]

I would like to use my Henry Big Boy 20" barrel for black bear hunting. Less than 50 yards from the bait barrel and my hunting blind.

I have Starline brass.

Bullets, i have XTP in 200, 240 and 300 grains, Winchester 240 jhp and commercially hardcast bullets from two canadian company, Cactus Plain 200gr lrnfp 15 bhn and DRG 240 gran swc 19 bhn.

For powder, i have: W244, W572, W296, IMR 4227, Blue Dot, Enforcer, Vithavuori N-110

Primers i have CC1 300 and CCI 350, Winchester Large pistol and Sellier&Bellot Large pistol.

I also got 50 rounds of American Eagle 44 magnum.

Since i ive in Canada, i am limited to what i can buy because of the reloading components shortages.

I have Honady X edition manual, Lyman 4th edition cast bullet Lyman 51st manual, Hornady 2020 -2022 magazine and Lee 2nd edition 2019 powder edition.

What do you reccomand me and why?

Thank you very much.

Does the Henry cycle the 240gr SWC ok ?

I have killed a ton of big midwestern white tail deer with 240gr XTP or Speer Gold dots and a max load of H110/w296 or 2400

I would use
W296
and
the 240gr SWC, or the XTP in 240 or even better, 300gr. XTP

w296 likes a MAGNUM primer, and FIRM crimp
BLUE DOT would be my second choice of what you have on hand

W296 will have really nice velocity out of a carbine barrel length

 

[Pat73]

Does the Henry cycle the 240gr SWC ok ?

I have killed a ton of big midwestern white tail deer with 240gr XTP or Speer Gold dots and a max load of H110/w296 or 2400

I would use
W296
and
the 240gr SWC, or the XTP in 240 or even better, 300gr. XTP

w296 likes a MAGNUM primer, and FIRM crimp
BLUE DOT would be my second choice of what you have on hand

W296 will have really nice velocity out of a carbine barrel length

Yes, it cycle SWC perfectly. Never had any issues with them.

 

[Pat73]

Maybe its just me, but I'd want a 405 grain JSP out of a 45-70 if I was hunting critters that wanted to eat me. Henry makes some very nice ones

I killed my first black bear last year with a 185 grains bullet grom a 30-06. I even recovered the lead projectile. It's tiny compared to an 240 grains 44 caliber projectile.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

I killed my first black bear last year with a 185 grains bullet grom a 30-06. I even recovered the lead projectile. It's tiny compared to an 240 grains 44 caliber projectile.

The power on target from a 44 magnum out of a rifle pales compared to a 30.06. You are comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Laphroaig]

Canadian black bears can get pretty big compared to Southern US bears but they ain’t bulletproof

Any bear can get big if it lives long enough. But I think the "southern" bears get bigger faster. Eleven of the top 20 B&C black bears are from Pennsylvania. North Carolina and Wisconsin bears are noted for their size as well. The #1 B&C bear was a skull found in Utah.

Their northern cousins hibernate longer and outfitters hunt them pretty hard over bait.