Spring has sprung. Get out and shoot your Henry
Coote from New Zealand
Coote from New Zealand
Hi. I live at the northern end of New Zealand's South Island. I've been hunter for a very long time. I became aware of Henry rifles when looking for a single shot rifle with decent steel sights instead of either no sights or plastic fiber-optics.
As I was growing up we seemed to have three main categories for firearms: .22s, .303s and shotguns. The .303s were mostly ex-military Lee-Enfields of various types... sometimes used in a near-original condition.... or maybe 'cut down' or 'sporterized'. I knew there were other calibers around, and some people did have telescopic sights... but I thought of them as being in the minority. Many deer, pigs and goats were shot with full-jacketed military .303 British ammunition. One rifle my father let me use a lot had a date stamp of 1897 on it. I remember thinking that during my hunting lifetime this rifle will become 100 years old, but my dad either sold it or gave it away before then. The foresight was on a bit of a cant, and I had the occasional misfire, but I also had a lot of success with it out to some fairly long ranges.
A few years back I thought I needed a big caliber with a scope and a moderator. So I ended up getting a couple of .308's. I devoted one to shooting subsonic cast bullets, and the other I reserved for full-power jacketed projectiles. They were OK, but they just didn't look and handle like the sleek, simple rifles I grew up with... and I have never liked having to 'baby' a scope. I sold them both and bought a Rossi '92 stainless lever gun in .357 magnum. This little rifle is great for hunting pigs and goats in the scrub, but it isn't ideal for long shots. So I got a Howa .223 bolt-action repeater with a scope which I haven't used much yet.
I've had a lot of fun and shot a few large animals with the lever gun, but I have found that I can't group too well with it using lead projectiles and subsonic loads. It is fine for up to fifty yards on larger targets, but I consider it a bit risky to stretch beyond that. Most of my hunting nowadays is done on and near 'lifestyle' blocks so I like to keep the noise and power levels down in my cartridges. At the ranges I mostly shoot at, the 158 grain lead bullets travelling around 900 feet per second are more than adequate for the job. The projectiles pass right through large goats. It is a lot more powerful than the subsonic .22 LR bullets that I've used successfully for a very long time when hunting on private land near livestock and homesteads.
While the Rossi '92 is a very tough, loveable gun, it flings the empty cases to where they can be hard to find (I reload), and it doesn't seem to group as well as I'd like so I feel I have to limit the distance in which I can use it. I'd like to be able to take a shot at a hare at 75 yards, but it would be risky. So I figured I should look around for a break-action single shot chambered for .357 magnum. That is when I discovered the Henry single shot. I was delighted to find it has a simple extractor instead of the rocket-launcher ejector. And the sights look great compared to the fluorescent plastic models on some other rifles (these no doubt have advantages, but I just prefer 'traditional').
I enquired at my local gun shop and found that the importer was bringing in one Henry Single Shot in .357 magnum. I ordered it immediately and expect to see it in around a month.
As I was growing up we seemed to have three main categories for firearms: .22s, .303s and shotguns. The .303s were mostly ex-military Lee-Enfields of various types... sometimes used in a near-original condition.... or maybe 'cut down' or 'sporterized'. I knew there were other calibers around, and some people did have telescopic sights... but I thought of them as being in the minority. Many deer, pigs and goats were shot with full-jacketed military .303 British ammunition. One rifle my father let me use a lot had a date stamp of 1897 on it. I remember thinking that during my hunting lifetime this rifle will become 100 years old, but my dad either sold it or gave it away before then. The foresight was on a bit of a cant, and I had the occasional misfire, but I also had a lot of success with it out to some fairly long ranges.
A few years back I thought I needed a big caliber with a scope and a moderator. So I ended up getting a couple of .308's. I devoted one to shooting subsonic cast bullets, and the other I reserved for full-power jacketed projectiles. They were OK, but they just didn't look and handle like the sleek, simple rifles I grew up with... and I have never liked having to 'baby' a scope. I sold them both and bought a Rossi '92 stainless lever gun in .357 magnum. This little rifle is great for hunting pigs and goats in the scrub, but it isn't ideal for long shots. So I got a Howa .223 bolt-action repeater with a scope which I haven't used much yet.
I've had a lot of fun and shot a few large animals with the lever gun, but I have found that I can't group too well with it using lead projectiles and subsonic loads. It is fine for up to fifty yards on larger targets, but I consider it a bit risky to stretch beyond that. Most of my hunting nowadays is done on and near 'lifestyle' blocks so I like to keep the noise and power levels down in my cartridges. At the ranges I mostly shoot at, the 158 grain lead bullets travelling around 900 feet per second are more than adequate for the job. The projectiles pass right through large goats. It is a lot more powerful than the subsonic .22 LR bullets that I've used successfully for a very long time when hunting on private land near livestock and homesteads.
While the Rossi '92 is a very tough, loveable gun, it flings the empty cases to where they can be hard to find (I reload), and it doesn't seem to group as well as I'd like so I feel I have to limit the distance in which I can use it. I'd like to be able to take a shot at a hare at 75 yards, but it would be risky. So I figured I should look around for a break-action single shot chambered for .357 magnum. That is when I discovered the Henry single shot. I was delighted to find it has a simple extractor instead of the rocket-launcher ejector. And the sights look great compared to the fluorescent plastic models on some other rifles (these no doubt have advantages, but I just prefer 'traditional').
I enquired at my local gun shop and found that the importer was bringing in one Henry Single Shot in .357 magnum. I ordered it immediately and expect to see it in around a month.
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Re: Coote from New Zealand
Ah Welcome to the forum from the land down under. We have a few others on here from New Zealand. I have a single shot 357 myself and like it alot. Im sure you will enjoy yours.
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Don't worry about getting older and still doing stupid stuff. You'll do the stupid stuff as always, only much slower. Hold my beer and watch this.......
H001T .22LR
H001T .22LR MONUMENT VALLEY
H003T PUMP .22LR
BBS .41 MAG
SS .357
SIDE GATE 38-55
H001T .22LR
H001T .22LR MONUMENT VALLEY
H003T PUMP .22LR
BBS .41 MAG
SS .357
SIDE GATE 38-55
- JEBar
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Re: Coote from New Zealand
WELCOME .... delighted to have you join our forum .... we have a growing number of single shot owners who have already contributed a great deal of info .... looking forward to following your range and use reports as you grow more and more familiar with your Henry .... please take a look at our How Many ? thread (link below) and add yours to our community's total
http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 590#p97590
http://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 590#p97590
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Re: Coote from New Zealand
Thanks for the comments. Yep, I intend adding my Henry to the list if/when I finally take possession of it.
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- CT_Shooter
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Re: Coote from New Zealand
Welcome to the forum from CT. Glad you joined us.
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H006M Big Boy Brass .357 - H001 Classic .22LR - Uberti / Taylors & Co. SmokeWagon .357 5.5" - Uberti / Taylors & Co. RanchHand .22LR 5.5"
Re: Coote from New Zealand
Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your background story. It's always interesting to hear how folks end up here and what their previous firearms experiences consist of.
Congrats in advance on your inbound SS 357. I believe you'll be pleased with it in every way and that it will serve you well for the kind of hunting you describe.
Look forward to hearing from you again and learning how you're doing with the new Henry.
Welcome again from Kansas City!
Congrats in advance on your inbound SS 357. I believe you'll be pleased with it in every way and that it will serve you well for the kind of hunting you describe.
Look forward to hearing from you again and learning how you're doing with the new Henry.
Welcome again from Kansas City!
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BB Steel .357 | SGC 22LR | LR .308 | CCH 30-30 | BB Brass .45 Colt (Carbine) | Single Shot 20 gauge | Single Shot .223 | Single Shot 357
- Rifletom
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Re: Coote from New Zealand
Coote, Welcome! That was an excellent way to introduce yourself here. Outstanding. You'll enjoy it here, pretty relaxed group. Fine choice on you're Henry. Let us know when you receive it. Welcome.
Evan, likin' that Western Auto pic!
Evan, likin' that Western Auto pic!
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Re: Coote from New Zealand
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Welcome from the TV, Oregon
Welcome from the TV, Oregon
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UPDATES: OR passes 114, "one of strictest gun control measures in U.S." https://henryrifleforums.com/viewtopic. ... 34#p213234
Re: Coote from New Zealand
Howdy from KY.
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A individual can't be a Army
A individual can't be a Navy.
A individual can't be a Air Force
A individual can't be a Coast Guard
A individual can be a MARINE! Semper Fi.
A individual can't be a Navy.
A individual can't be a Air Force
A individual can't be a Coast Guard
A individual can be a MARINE! Semper Fi.
Re: Coote from New Zealand
Welcome!
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Vietnam, Cambodia, DMZ
101st Airborne, Recon. ( Where in the heck are we?)
25th Inf. Div.2/22 Inf. Reg.(mech.)
Sgt., U.S. Army, Sniper
S&W Model 67
Uberti 1851 Navy Conv.
Uberti 1873 Bisley
Henry .357 Carbine CCH
Henry SGR .22
Taurus 856
101st Airborne, Recon. ( Where in the heck are we?)
25th Inf. Div.2/22 Inf. Reg.(mech.)
Sgt., U.S. Army, Sniper
S&W Model 67
Uberti 1851 Navy Conv.
Uberti 1873 Bisley
Henry .357 Carbine CCH
Henry SGR .22
Taurus 856