Henry 44 MAG

[Tyrusvirus1]

Just a few quick notes on the Henry .44 Big Boy. For starters, it is a great looking rifle. The fit and finish is really second to none... that said, it may be a little too shiny for deer hunting. I found the action to be extremely smooth and the trigger clean and crisp. The rifle is pretty hefty, and with no sling attachments it would be a chore to carry it through the woods. I prefer peep sights to the buck horn style that come with the rifle so I attached Skinner peep sights on mine. The first generation Henry's are drilled and tapped on the barrel under the factory rear sight. The second gen are drilled and tapped on the receiver. I am able to hit 6" plates at 60 yards with ease, although the weight of the rifle can make those shots a challenge firing unsupported. The ammo is fed via the tube magazine, there is no loading gate on the receiver. This seems to be the biggest complaint among other lever gun enthusiasts, however I do not find this to be a negative. I like the nostalgia of loading through the mag tube, and not getting my fingers pinched by a loading gate. While a reloading through a loading gate is faster, these are not typically the type of firearm you need to reload quickly. Especially since the Big Boy holds 10 rounds of 44 mag. Due to the weight of the rifle, recoil is negligible when shooting .44 mag, and non-existent when shooting .44 special. All in all a beautiful made in USA lever gun. While there are better options for hunting rifles, these are hard to beat at the range!

 

[Igotgills2]

Agreed. They are nice in hand but as my main deer hunting weapon, i was concerned about the brass finish. I opted for a carbine but would like to grab one of those second hand for Cowboy shooting.

 

[M67]

They are pretty shiney, has anyone forced a patina on the receiver yet? Tone down the reflectivness and give it that "old" rifle look?

 

[hrearden]

To tell you the truth, it probably doesnt make much difference with deer. You have to wear something orange anyway that is bigger in size than the receiver. By the time the reflectiveness comes into play, you will be raising your gun to shoot. If the deer moves, its cause he saw you move. I would just take it out there and not worry about it.

 

[Igotgills2]

I must hunt deer with a propensity to look up.... I wouldn't be surprised if they could see the shiny finish on that receiver at 200 yds, at least if i were holding it.

 

[x10]

I think you've asnwered your own question, if you want an ugly killing machine the Ruger 77/44 is second to none

If you want to look good doing it, then take the risk that you will occasionally spook a deer,

You can use some horse fetlock wrap and cover some of the rifle but the reciever is going to stick out like a sore thumb.

buy both.

 

[Hookeye]

A bit of camo tape on the receiver should be an effective and cheap fix.

 

[Hookeye]

As for the brass receiver.............seen 2 or 3 that have had to go back. Dunno if they were 1st or 2nd gen. Bolts would just lock up.

 

[Mordred]

The brass eventually tarnishes if you let it and it looks very cool and old western style and doesnt reflect. Just let nature take its course with the rifle and you'll grow to love it even more. BTW the .44 Henry is my all time fav. gun. Ive seen guys make rope or leather slings for it. Im sure you can find one if you look around on this here new fangled internet.

 

[forkliftdave]

They are nice and the action is awesome. Just a little heavy .

 

[INcountryboy]

I have an H&R Handi Rifle in 44 mag that I use for deer hunting but I've been wanting one of these Henrys for a while because my H&R is a single shot. I hate having to try and put another round in the chamber while the deer is running away.