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New to lever actions, need advice (Page 2 of 2)
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Nice choice. Love my X. I think you made the right call. If you were going hunting larger game mainly then the 45-70 would be best but you can still hunt with a 357. 357 will take a deer no problem, just know the limits. But if you are going to the range or plinking cans, gotta have a decent pistol caliber. |
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Originally Posted By urbanredneck: Nice choice. Love my X. I think you made the right call. If you were going hunting larger game mainly then the 45-70 would be best but you can still hunt with a 357. 357 will take a deer no problem, just know the limits. But if you are going to the range or plinking cans, gotta have a decent pistol caliber. I rarely have time to hunt anymore, so the 45-70 is mainly just to have one. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love this rifle, not one person here has had anything negative to say about it. |
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
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Originally Posted By golfish: I'm a big fan of the .357 lever gun. We've had a lot of fun with them over the years. https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/469x626q90/r/922/LYlZFG.jpg https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/626x626q90/r/922/IGQv1b.jpg That's a whole lotta lever actions!! |
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
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I would love to hear what kind of accuracy you “Henry “ guys are getting at known distances like 50 yds and 100 yds. What optic… I struggled with a 44 m Henry X with Holosun 407C for about two years never getting a 100 yd group smaller than a paper plate. Meanwhile Marlin 1994. 44 m and three different 1895 45-70 SBL and one Marlin Dark 45-70 have never shot a group larger than two inches at 100 yds with a mix of red dots and 4-16x scopes, Vortex & Athalon and a Leupold 2.75x Scout scope Perhaps the Henry I had was not their best work, but it was loose enough of a group to discourage me from buying an All Weather model that I still really want. I have not had any chambered in .357 but have used Winchester 30-30 on Texas deer, with good success. I do like the design of the hammer and the tube of the Henry. I think one has to reload to enjoy these. |
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Originally Posted By kevhogAZ: Thanks!! The price was the same everywhere, but few places had it in stock. I got lucky and got the last one in the box. It was a cancelled online order. Now, where do I find one of those cool leather wraps for the lever?? Mernickel makes great stuff, I have many items from them and couldn't be happier with the products. |
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Well, I like it!! Wife and I went out this morning and I put about 100 rounds thru it, at least. This shot was with a .357 magnum, 158 JHP. Not sure on the distance, but probably 60 yards or so. Rifle was pretty accurate right out of the box. Absolutely zero complaints, way more fun than I thought it would be, and relatively cheap to shoot. Thanks to everyone for the advice, I really do appreciate it greatly. Attached File Attached File |
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
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Bought a Henry in .38-.357 2-3 years ago. It is the side loading, brass frame, octo-barrel rifle. Good heavens, it is smooth and fun. I don’t have many .357 cases so I simply load .38 cases to mid range .357 power. Regular .38 is just too light. Like shooting a .22. Only regret is that I bought the rifle and not the carbine. The rifle isn’t bad, but the carbine is less nose heavy and the length is handier. |
"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." - Winston Churchill
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Originally Posted By TontoGoldstein: Bought a Henry in .38-.357 2-3 years ago. It is the side loading, brass frame, octo-barrel rifle. Good heavens, it is smooth and fun. I don’t have many .357 cases so I simply load .38 cases to mid range .357 power. Regular .38 is just too light. Like shooting a .22. Only regret is that I bought the rifle and not the carbine. The rifle isn’t bad, but the carbine is less nose heavy and the length is handier. I am not up on the Henry line up but with the Winchesters the Rifles with the front forend nose cap barrel dovetail anchors tend to be more consistently accurate than their barrel banded saddle carbine cousins. My Ruger made Marlin 94 cowboy is a carbine with barrel band and shoots ok when my casting is up to par. It’s ridiculously fun with 125 grain bullets from a Lee RNFP mold in .38 cases. Like shooting a popgun. I have found with 158 grain weights they tend to need a good at least medium load, it won’t shoot heavier bullets at powder puff levels. Accuracy starts mid power. |
The only hyphenated names I like are cartridge names......30-06, 30-40, 38-55 etc.
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Even in the “ more affordable” calibers like 38/357 shooting these frequently will get expensive. Without a doubt reloading is the right answer !! As mentioned lever guns tend to be sensitive to overall cartridge length, with most chambered in 38/357 usually only reliable with one or the other. I prefer old original classics to current production and have run a bunch made anywhere from the 1890’s to the 1950’s, with a couple modern reproductions thrown in With handloading and the right data sources, you can make 45/70 very economical, and load everything from a load equal to 45 ACP up to Buffalo thumpers |
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Originally Posted By kevhogAZ: Thanks for advice on Henry's. I'll probably go over to Scheels and check some out this weekend. I'll probably grab a .22 at the same time!! |
"The answer to crime is always cows." -Cheesebeast
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Originally Posted By steve8140: You need to realize that 99% of the committees that make these laws are not gun people or even hunters. They are mostly politicians that were elected to that committee. There might be one or two people that have a role in a gun or hunting area but their opinion and voice gets largely overshadowed. Here in NH we have the southern part of the state that was essentially shotgun only in areas. Then they went to straight wall cartridge in 357 mag, 44 mag and 45 colt specifically listed. This past season was the first where it was changed to any straight wall cartridge with 357 mag being the smallest allowed. In theory, straight wall cartridges are big fat bullets and don’t travel as far as bottleneck rounds which is always the fear when hunting in more populated areas. Originally Posted By steve8140: Originally Posted By Cooper1: What's the reasoning for that? I would think the 30 30 is pretty well established at taking game. What's the significance of straight wall? Thanks You need to realize that 99% of the committees that make these laws are not gun people or even hunters. They are mostly politicians that were elected to that committee. There might be one or two people that have a role in a gun or hunting area but their opinion and voice gets largely overshadowed. Here in NH we have the southern part of the state that was essentially shotgun only in areas. Then they went to straight wall cartridge in 357 mag, 44 mag and 45 colt specifically listed. This past season was the first where it was changed to any straight wall cartridge with 357 mag being the smallest allowed. In theory, straight wall cartridges are big fat bullets and don’t travel as far as bottleneck rounds which is always the fear when hunting in more populated areas. If I was going to pick a cartridge to buck the system but play the game…….. .38-55 is a straight wall. The parent cartridge to the .30-30, which is nothing more than a .38-55 necked down to .30 cal, it’s not as flat a shooter but it packs a wallop. |
The only hyphenated names I like are cartridge names......30-06, 30-40, 38-55 etc.
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Originally Posted By JaxShooter: The only reason I haven't gone for a Henry is because I might try cowboy shooting and the consensus seems to be that they're too slow for that use. Otherwise they should be great. I bought a Henry, and have no intentions of shooting any cowboy matches, do for me, it's perfect!! It's probably one of the most fun rifles I have. I'd say the rifle can be manipulated a lot faster than I'm capable of!! |
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun
|
Originally Posted By JaxShooter: The only reason I haven't gone for a Henry is because I might try cowboy shooting and the consensus seems to be that they're too slow for that use. Otherwise they should be great. |
Rob
New to lever actions, need advice (Page 2 of 2)
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