Ask a Question
Our customer service team has published this Q&A information as a free service to the shooting community.
Please note that LuckyGunner.com expressly disclaims any and all liability with regard to how the shooting community
might use this Q&A information. See Terms of Use for more details.
Posted On: 10/11/2022
By: James Woods
A: Thanks for reaching out James! I'll jump right into it. Recoil energy is determined by four factors: bullet weight, muzzle velocity, propellant weight and firearm weight. I'll assume you have a Henry Big Boy Classic, which weighs 8.68 lbs unloaded. I'll also make the reasonable assumption that all of the 44 Mag cartridges we have in stock have 15 grains of propellant apiece.
https://www.luckygunner.com/44-mag-240-gr-tcsp-pmc-25
Recoil energy: 6.89 ft lbs
https://www.luckygunner.com/sellier-bellot-44-mag-ammo-for-sale-44mag240spsb-50
Recoil energy: 4.69 ft lbs
https://www.luckygunner.com/magtech-44-mag-ammo-for-sale-44mag240sjspmt-50
Recoil energy: 4.69 ft lbs
https://www.luckygunner.com/federal-44-mag-ammo-for-sale-44mag240jhpfederal-50
Recoil energy: 5.01 ft lbs
https://www.luckygunner.com/44-magnum-240-grain-jhp-ammo-inc-20-rounds
Recoil energy: 7.61 ft lbs
https://www.luckygunner.com/hornady-44-mag-ammo-for-sale-44mag200jhpxtphonady-20
Recoil energy: 5.14 ft lbs
https://www.luckygunner.com/hornady-44-mag-ammo-for-sale-44mag225jhpftxhonady-20
Recoil energy: 5.62 ft lbs
A few notes about my results. First off, the amount of recoil you’ll actually perceive is subjective. I cannot measure the weight of your skeleton or how receptive your nervous system is to pain, so you should only treat objective recoil energy as a rough guideline. Second, the muzzle velocity data I have were recorded with handgun-length barrels. Your Henry’s longer barrel will produce a faster muzzle velocity because it gives propellant gasses more time to exert their energy against the bullet. In short, you can expect greater objective recoil energy than my estimations predict. Third, as a general rule recoil energy is not considered uncomfortable until it exceeds 15 ft lbs. This varies by shooter, but it’s a rough threshold to bear in mind. I don’t imagine you would find that any 44 Mag cartridge produces unbearable recoil in a Henry. Finally, all of the 44 Mag ammo we currently have in stock is safe for lever-action rifle use. They’re all loaded to spec, and they all have flat bullet profiles which don’t risk accidental ignition in a rifle’s tubular magazine. (The Hornady bullet is pointed, but its supple polymer tip is too soft to ignite the primer it touches in a magazine.) Hope this all helps!
