Henry Rifle Forums

Hey, All -
Second post here - seems like a great group!
So, I’m pretty new to Henrys and levers in general, having mainly been a handgun gun guy up to now.
That being said, I don’t have a ton of scope experience in general and I’m looking for a reliable (yet INEXPENSIVE) scope to put on my BBS. Most likely going to be zeroing at 100yds (seems to be the standard, or so my friends say) and I’m not going to be going on any super-long range shooting expeditions (like my name, NE says, there aren’t a lot of wide open plains up here in the Northeast).
Anyway -
Keep in mind I’d like something without a super intricate, steep learning curve and again nothing “professional” - I’m strictly a plinker/target weekend-warrior kind of guy.....
Thanks in advance...

Welcome to our friendly forum, N.E.

As for the scope, itself, I'm a big fan of low power variables on a lever gun chambered for a revolver cartridge like the 44 mag. A 1-4 x 20, or 1.5-6 x 20 or even a 2-7 x 33 will get you down to those low powers, but you still have the option of cranking the magnification up for bench work or longer shots. Those low powers with those wide fields of view make a great scope to learn the basics. Scopes of this size also tend to be lighter and more compact and won't alter the balance and handling as much as larger scopes.

If you go inexpensive, my advice is to stay with a major name brand in case you have issues and, make no mistake, you run a higher risk of issues when you go the inexpensive route. For instance, if you want to stay under $200, I'd recommend going with Bushnell or Simmons (which is owned by Bushnell, now). Bushnell will take care of you if you have a problem.

being solidly old school, in considering scope power I go with the old 1 power per 10 yards you anticipate shooting .... for 100 yards, that means up to 10 power .... I consider my Henry BBS 44 Mag to be a 100 yard gun .... when I went looking a scope for it, I ended up with a 3X9 Nikon .... that has proven to be a good decision .... since new Nikons aren't readily available I'd go with a 3X9 power made by Bushnell as recommended by NCG .... or Leupold

One other option to consider is a red dot. A red dot won't have any magnification, but it will be even easier to use than a scope with magnification. Super fast to get on target. A red dot is also small and light and won't change the balance and handling of your gun. For that same $200, you can get a premium red dot dot like an Ultradot UD25 that will last a lifetime of heavy use.

Here's a UD25 on a Marlin 44 mag. I've shot some nice groups out to 100 yards with such a red dot, though, of course, on larger targets since no magnification.

Most fixed parallax centerfire scopes are set for 150 yards. If you are going to be shooting at 100 yards or less I would recommend an adjustable objective (AO) scope or make sure the fixed objective is at 100.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1362147019

That lil scope is bulletproof, a LOT of scope for the money.

I have the Leupold VX3i 1.5-5x20 on mine, also a bulletproof little scope, but it costs a good bit more for the variable.

I like having the variable, it helps with seeing horns (or not) when they're out there a ways, but on a budget, I'd get that 2.5x20 in a heartbeat.

I'm not really crazy about a lot of Leupold scopes, I like REALLY good glass, but I believe they have the best out there in this category.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1362198627

Actually the VX3i 1.5-5x20 is marked way down right now....$339.

I gave almost $500 for mine when I bought it, its worth every penny.

I am a big fan of 1x4 or 1x6 variables that are aluminated. When these scopes are set on 1x they are as fast as a red dot and and at 6x they work very well to 100yds and beyond. I am more traditional on my 336 with a 2x7.

Which ones do you use Leverjc

N.E., that reddot that NCG mentioned may be just the ticket you're looking for. BTW, welcome to the forum! Enjoy.