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Henry Big Boy, .357, .44, .45 Which one?!?!
- Thread starter Redlinetoys
- Start date
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Very nice! I looked it up. I don't plan to add .45 Long Colt, so I could either get the exact same rifle in .357 mag or go to Cimarron, which is still Uberti and get a 20 inch full octagon barrel in .44 Special. They are pricey though. But they are beauties.
I have to disagree just a little bit. 44 mag if you don't reload, either works great if you do.
True, I only say that because it's hard to find factory loaded ammo for the 45 Colt that will bring it to it's potential. The 44 mag is a great cartridge for the reloader.
Redlinetoys
Marksman
Thanks to all that answered. Lots of great opinions.
As for me personally, I ended up going a completely different route. A Henry will still come along some day though!
Might as well buy one of each at the same time because, over time, lever action rifles, er carbines, have a way of growing on you and you end up buying them all anyway! It just happens and there is no known way of stopping it from happening. Ask anyone who has gotten hooked on these firearms. Best of Luck!
I did a lot of research before i bought mine and the .44 seemed to be the most recommended caliber of the three you mentioned. I bought a Henry in .44 and i love it.
I've never fired the other calibers but i can't see them being any better than the .44
I've never fired the other calibers but i can't see them being any better than the .44
I hunted with my BigBoy brass .44 and Skinner peep a few times. First time out I dropped this 8 ptr at 20 yards with a shot thru the heart. Load was a 240 gr xtp over a load of Lilgun.
Like a dummy I traded it off. But I did get a Savage 99 .308 to replace it. Wish I still had my BB.
Like a dummy I traded it off. But I did get a Savage 99 .308 to replace it. Wish I still had my BB.
Agree. 44.
Brass all the way for the range. As the gun heats up, steel casings expand.
He wasn't referring to ammo choice.
I have a H1010 in .45-70 and LOVE it! But, to my understanding, .357 Magnum and especially .44 Magnum are great for lever guns. Just don't count on .38 Specials and .44 Specials being reliable in them due to the tube feed nature.
.45 LC I hear is good, but isn't the most impressive round from a rifle.
That's my opinion, others are certainly entitled to their own!
.45 LC I hear is good, but isn't the most impressive round from a rifle.
That's my opinion, others are certainly entitled to their own!
They have some .410 Bore lever action shotguns now. There are also choices in .17, .30-30, and the three calibers mentioned in this topic. .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .45 LC. Those would be good starters...
I have a H1010 in .45-70 and LOVE it! But, to my understanding, .357 Magnum and especially .44 Magnum are great for lever guns. Just don't count on .38 Specials and .44 Specials being reliable in them due to the tube feed nature.
.45 LC I hear is good, but isn't the most impressive round from a rifle.
That's my opinion, others are certainly entitled to their own!
That's not been my experience.
I have a brass .357 Henry that actually prefers .38spl over full magnum .357's, at least for accuracy.
As far as feeding, I can't tell the difference between the two when working the lever.
I've heard that you can not cant the rifle to the right, or feed issues could occur.
My thought about this was, "Why would you want to cant the rifle in any direction?"
I also have a steel Henry .327fed/mag that feeds .327mag, .32H&Rmag, and .32S&W long equally well.
Smoother than any Marlin I've ever had my hands on, and I'm a Marlin fan.
I've heard the same feed issue stories that you speak about, but the two Henry's I have that feed multiple calibers both feed everything I've chosen to feed them.
One day I'll get my hands on a Henry lever in .45-70.
It might be an All Weather.
BTW- The idea that .45Colt is "not that impressive out of a rifle", likely came from someone who doesn't really know the round well.
I have VERY hot loaded .45Colt rounds that I had to swear to the loader that I would only run through a firearm chambered in .454Casull.
These are 300gr jacketed hollow points moving right at 1000fps.
They smack a deer as hard as a Mack truck.
On the other hand, and here is where a lot of people get turned away from the .45Colt, when loaded to, "Cowboy" loads, they are not much more than "bunny farts" and will bounce back from, or splatter on hard targets.
When I ran the first Cowboy loads I ran through my Raging Bull I thought something was wrong with the ammo.
I watched the bullet exit the barrel and all the way to the target!
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Originally Posted by Prowler28
I have a H1010 in .45-70 and LOVE it! But, to my understanding, .357 Magnum and especially .44 Magnum are great for lever guns. Just don't count on .38 Specials and .44 Specials being reliable in them due to the tube feed nature.
I have a H1010 in .45-70 and LOVE it! But, to my understanding, .357 Magnum and especially .44 Magnum are great for lever guns. Just don't count on .38 Specials and .44 Specials being reliable in them due to the tube feed nature.
