Come On Christmas Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 l made an unbelievable, as new, Pawn Shop find of a 44-40 1860 Henry. I loaded some 200 grain flat nose Lazer Craft bullets with Unique and some with Trail Boss. I shot them at 50 yards. 8" high. 100 yards. 6" high. Windage was just fine. A bud o mine sez his shoots high too and he just aims at the bottom of the target when SASSing. So I am thinking this shooting high thang is a common occurance. FELLOW 1860 OWNERS what didja do to solve this? From the looks of it the schematic via VTI's webpage shows a metal blade that is removable. VTI is closed till Tuesday. Where would I find a taller one? The same bullet was spot on with my Uberti 1866. Please don't just guess what is wrong. Yes I will eventually shoot black powder through it. I have an indoor range what is close to the crib I wanna shoot at midweek. FELLOW 1860 Henry owners what do I do? Crayfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grizzly killer ,sass life 14516 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 mine shoots dead on out to about 100 yards with a 200 grn bullet and hp38 powder. i have seen some people use a nickle(5 cents) as the front site. my front site fell out and i got a new one and solidered it in.(take the site assembly off the rifle first). with a nickle you can make the site as tall as you want or need. another option would be to file the notch in the rear site. just remember, once you file the rear site the metal is gone and it is hard to replace. just some options to think about. grizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie Dawg, SASS #50329 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Hey Shameless: Two things Have your favorite smith afix a piece of brass rod to the top of your front sight. Paint the end white. This raises your front sight some and gives you a nice white bead to see. Manatee did mine years ago. Secondly, I have replaced all of my Henry rear sights (I have 3 Henry rifles) with this adjustable one from track of the wolf http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/882/1/RS-PM-1 I love my Henry rifles! Happy Holidays! --Dawg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Come On Christmas Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Eww Eww . . . I like the buffalo nickel idear. I think the neophyte that had the rifle before be got frustrated and sold the rifle or hocked it and lost it. I discovered the site is hard to see and mirages on me due to my eyesight or lack there of. I have some midrange readers that seem to work more betta. Crayfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrswanson1 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I have to ask, as I have the iron-framed version, but which version did you get, brass or iron-framed, 20" or 24"? Did you use the rear sight folded down or the spiffy pop up part? What does your sight picture look like? I have not noticed mine shooting high, but I haven't tried out to 100 yards or more yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Eww Eww . . . I like the buffalo nickel idear. I think the neophyte that had the rifle before be got frustrated and sold the rifle or hocked it and lost it. I discovered the site is hard to see and mirages on me due to my eyesight or lack there of. I have some midrange readers that seem to work more betta. Crayfish I've heard of people finding one minted the same year they were born and having the year show on the gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Come On Christmas Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 I have to ask, as I have the iron-framed version, but which version did you get, brass or iron-framed, 20" or 24"? Did you use the rear sight folded down or the spiffy pop up part? What does your sight picture look like? I have not noticed mine shooting high, but I haven't tried out to 100 yards or more yet. It's the brass reciever military 24" model my brother. I was not using the ladder, just the V. Crayfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I shot them at 50 yards. 8" high. 100 yards. 6" high. Windage was just fine. Howdy Try shooting it closer. The bullet may still be on its way 'up' at 50 yards. Mine is an "Iron Frame" (really steel), 44-40. Except for the proofing rounds in Italy, it has never been fired with anything other than Black Powder. I didn't like the stock ladder sight that came on it, very difficult to see that tiny notch with my terrible eyesight. The dovetail is so far back on the Henry that a typical rear sight from Marbles will not fit without reversing it. I removed the rear sight and replaced it with this buckhorn sight from Track of the Wolf. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/877/1/RS-PM-1 You can see I had to wedge a thin shim under the sight to get it tight in the dovetail. My eyesight is so poor I don't remember if I have ever even tried shooting my Henry at much more than 50 yards. Wouldn't be any point to trying at 100, I probably couldn't even see the target. Anyhoo, with this sight and full house Black Powder rounds it is pretty much right on the money at typical CAS distances. I do allow the front sight to float up a bit in the buckhorn, using it kind of like a ghost ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Come On Christmas Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Yep, I need to shoot some 777 through it and see what happens. I don't have any SPG bullets in that caliber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I doubt shooting Black Powder or a sub will really make a whole lot of difference regarding the point of impact. The velocity will be roughly the same. My point was I didn't like the stock rear sight and found something that worked much better for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrswanson1 Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Yep, I need to shoot some 777 through it and see what happens. I don't have any SPG bullets in that caliber. Don't use 777, use the real stuff. I switch between smokeless and Goex/Swiss, seems the BP works pretty good with the 165gr bullets I'm using. Now, one more question. Does it look like someone may have taken a file to the front sight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Come On Christmas Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Don't think the sight has been filed, but I don't have another rifle to compare it to. Crayfish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I've got one of these things, in .44-40, and I run 200 grain bullets over a minimum charge of Trail Boss. I have never tried shooting it at 50 yards, but when shooting it at SASS targets and normal SASS distances, it seems to be dead on to me. Of course, I'd guess that .44-40 is not a very flat trajectory, so that may have something to do with you experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackwater 53393 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I replaced the ladder sight with a blade mounted buckhorn unit. The sight rests on the front edge of the receiver and that worked out great for CAS purposes. My gunsmith notched the back side of the front sight, drilled into it horizontally from rear to front and mounted an ivory screw-in bead in the top rear of the blade. Really is effective and all you have to remember is, if you're shooting white targets, shoot when the bead disappears! I'm like Driftwood. I don't try to shoot long range targets, but I can usually hit a target of average S.A.S.S. size at 50 yds. with this set-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrswanson1 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 If I can get to a range tomorrow and if I can find some 200gr loads I'll test mine out and report back at the ranges you asked about. Mine is stock, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red coneston 60384 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 I also put the sight from track of the wolf on mine and like it, use same sight on 66 carbine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickel City Dude Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 To lower the point of impact you need to raise the front sight. Here is the number of an outfit that sells higher front sights for the Henry. North East Trade Co. 570-546-2061 Tell John that Terry Sent you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho Coyote' Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 Yeah Nickel City that was my thinking Lower the rear sight or raise the front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted November 29, 2014 Share Posted November 29, 2014 This is my favorite setup for the 1860. It can be made taller of shorter as needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Come On Christmas Posted November 29, 2014 Author Share Posted November 29, 2014 I would love to see pictures of the nickel front sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Come On Christmas Posted November 29, 2014 Author Share Posted November 29, 2014 How do ya's take oft the front site assembly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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