Henry Rifle Forums

I am new here and as of yet do not own a Henry but will soon get a 44 carbine. I have read that often times the front site is to low I have a Ruger American that has a vortex venom and I will try the same on the big boy and let you all know how it works.

You shouldn't have any problem with the vortex venom on a Henry. But do give us a range report.

FYI to those of us older people if you have not tried a red dot nothing to it dot on target pull the trigger no front site to line up, young eyes or old it works.

Daughter and I used a holo red dot on my BB steel. It brought both our groups down significantly, and she has young eyes. We have since decided a scope is the way for us to go. We have a nice Nikon on our H001, and liked it. I am currently trying to decide which scope to purchase for the Big Boy, but the red dot worked very well as a non magnifying option for well over a year.

The only complaint I've ever heard about a red dot on a lever gun is that it's not traditional. Of course, the same folks think a scope on a lever gun is sacrilege, too. Me, I used red dots on my Marlins all the time and loved them. They are easily the fastest to acquire sight and, unlike a scope, they don't change the balance or handling. Go for it.

The days of iron sights on our firearms only....has come to an end. Could say....it's been a long time ago. But due to the internet and youtube....allot of the folks are still clinging to the old ways of doing things. Well, there is technology out there (scopes and red dot sights)....which will allow us to acquire or see our targets allot easier. It does not matter if your acquiring a target on the battle field or sighting in on one of God's awesome animals for a humane kill. The old and traditional ways of doing things....is just that....outdated....in my opinion. Scopes and red dot sights allow the young and old to see there target allot easier. It makes shooting allot funner. Plus at the end of the day at the range.....shooter are now bringing there paper targets home cause there proud of what they did or accomplished.

Don't get me wrong....I still love to shoot with iron sights. I still use them to this date. Had a shoot this past Sunday on my range at my house. Half way threw the day, I had an event that required the shooter to use there weapons iron sights only. No red dots or scopes were allowed to be used. I had two young guys ask me to sight in there rifles iron sights cause they didn't know how to do it. They both had red dot sights and the red dot sights had clear marking on how to adjust them like up and down adjustments. But, when it came down to adjusting there iron sights....they were lost. That iron sights only event....was the best time during the shoot that day.

I especially want to take advantage of the new technologies during archery and muzzle loading seasons

Good points. I grew up with irons and still love to shoot irons and will shoot irons till my dying day. In all the various categories of guns I shoot, I keep some guns set up with irons, but, by the same token, I also keep guns setup with red dots or scopes. Gives me the option of choosing the best tool for the job or whatever I'm in the mood to shoot on any given day. I have a great respect for tradition, but I'm just as apt to make my own traditions as I go along.

For me it's iron factory sights to the end, or until that griz gets me cuz my old eyes missed him. But either way I'm going out in an open-sight, lever-gun blind-as-a-bat traditional, stubborn blaze of glory!

Love your style. If you need any help getting pointed in the right direction when you shoot, I'm sure Sir Henry will volunteer. Give me a chance to take cover, first, though.

Big Old Boy wrote:FYI to those of us older people if you have not tried a red dot nothing to it dot on target pull the trigger no front site to line up, young eyes or old it works.

red dots not so "older friendly" those suffering with Astigmatism.

Henry88 wrote:I especially want to take advantage of the new technologies during archery and muzzle loading seasons

You and me both. I hate going hunting and coming home empty handed. Plus.....my eye sight isn't getting any better at my age. It seems like every time I go to the eye doctor, I see his wallet getting fatter. Instead of me making that happen for him. I just invest in a new optic's for my rifles. MidwayUSA had a black friday sale that even I couldn't pass up.

North Country Gal wrote:Good points. I grew up with irons and still love to shoot irons and will shoot irons till my dying day. In all the various categories of guns I shoot, I keep some guns set up with irons, but, by the same token, I also keep guns setup with red dots or scopes. Gives me the option of choosing the best tool for the job or whatever I'm in the mood to shoot on any given day. I have a great respect for tradition, but I'm just as apt to make my own traditions as I go along.

All of my rifles are set up with iron sights and some kind of optics. I only have one rifle that isn't set up for optics. But, it's not a hunting rifle and I using it only for plinking from ranges like 25 yards to 50 yards max. I do have an red dot optic for it, I just haven't got the need for it at the moment.

Tape wrote:

Big Old Boy wrote:FYI to those of us older people if you have not tried a red dot nothing to it dot on target pull the trigger no front site to line up, young eyes or old it works.

red dots not so "older friendly" those suffering with Astigmatism.

Surgery can correct that for you. But, they also have lens that correct astigmatism if surgery is not an option. But, if you don't do anything to correct the astigmatism, no form of optics is going to help the shooter.

Rugerfanboy wrote:

Tape wrote:

Big Old Boy wrote:FYI to those of us older people if you have not tried a red dot nothing to it dot on target pull the trigger no front site to line up, young eyes or old it works.

red dots not so "older friendly" those suffering with Astigmatism.

Surgery can correct that for you. But, they also have lens that correct astigmatism if surgery is not an option. But, if you don't do anything to correct the astigmatism, no form of optics is going to help the shooter.

Just a regular crosshair rifle scope will help the shooter, astigmatism only effect true red dot images.

Tape wrote:

Rugerfanboy wrote:

Tape wrote: red dots not so "older friendly" those suffering with Astigmatism.

Surgery can correct that for you. But, they also have lens that correct astigmatism if surgery is not an option. But, if you don't do anything to correct the astigmatism, no form of optics is going to help the shooter.

Just a regular crosshair rifle scope will help the shooter, astigmatism only effect true red dot images.

I have hyperopic astigmatism and I can use both...a scope or a red dot. My hyperopic astigmatism is correct with lens. Have you had your astigmatism correct with lens....??? By the way, there are three types of astigmatism and all three can be correct with surgery or by using the correct lens. If you have mixed astigmatism, I can understand why your having trouble if your eye doctor has not corrected it with lens. I have diabetes and I will not let an eye surgeon touch my eyes until I have no other choice.

Keeping in mind that red dots do require battery power....iron sights are ever lasting.

The red dot is a convenience but if your battery dies, it's probably prudent to still be able to use the reliable iron sights.

Bish1309 wrote:Keeping in mind that red dots do require battery power....iron sights are ever lasting.

The red dot is a convenience but if your battery dies, it's probably prudent to still be able to use the reliable iron sights.

True, but it only takes less than a minute to swap out a battery. With the red dot on my Henry, I always kept a spare handy when hunting or going to the range. When hunting, I would swap out to a new battery before starting a hunt. The only time I ever had a dead red dot was when I accidentally left it on after a range session.

For hunting, I prefer an optical scope. The magnification makes life a bit more accurate for me at distance.

I have a red laser on my S&W 38, being a snubby, it helps a lot.
But outside with any light at all to speak of, it's VERY hard to see
Green dots are supposed to be better, I have not tried one.