Shorter vs Longer

[Bake]

OP's My screw-up ! ! !

[RanchRoper]

Longer.

[Bake]

I'm looking for a Big Boy in 357, and I'm wondering which barrel I should be looking for. I do most of my shooting nowadays from a chair. Has anyone compare the 16.5" barrel to the 20" barrel. I shoot mostly paper, and once in a while steel.

The indoor range is 27.5 Yds (25 meters) and paper only. The range where I could shot steel has 50 yds, 75 yds, & 100 yds but unimproved, and getting my chair stuck in the mud really sucks.

In either case, I'll be putting a Reciever sight on it after I have completed my gallery load development . . .

Anybody ever tried Wadcutters 148 grs over 3.5 grs of Bullseye (Assuming that the bullet can make it to the muzzle? ? ? ?

[BigAl52]

You arent going to see much difference between the 2. The longer gives you more sight radius but Ive shot both and cant tell much difference. Get the one YOU like better. I would think in your case of being in a chair the shorter barrel length would be easier for you to handle. Cant answer you about wadcutters it would depend on how they cycle through the action.

[Cofisher]

After a few years of shooting the shorter barrel, I agree with Al. Pick the one that feels better. Anything over 100yards is a crap shoot. I am very comfortable with my BBS Under 100 yards.

[Hatchdog]

I have 20” BBS’s in 327 and 357 and a 16” in 41. I have not noticed any difference between them but I do have them all scoped so the barrel length sight radius does not apply to me. Just from an aesthetic point of view I wish I had bought the 20” in the 41 because my anal mind is bothered with the difference when they are lined up in the safe. Pretty stupid reason to whine isn’t it?

All three shoot great and are sighted in at 50 yards.

[Headhog]

Feeding wadcutters is the biggest problem. Some rifles will and some won't. Some won't even stay in the magazine tube because they are too short and wind up with double feeds. I've experimented with some 148 gr WC's loaded with 2.8 gr. of Bullseye. They fire just fine if you can get them to function. All I can say is you got to try them in your rifle.

Paul

[Rifletom]

I prefer the 20" barrel in my two Henry's. One is a BB brass in .357, other is a BBS in .45 Colt. My mod 94 Win in 30-30 is also 20". I just like the way they look and handle for me. All scoped.

[Vaquero]

Well I guess I can't make up my mine
Most of mine are 20" models, but that is a standard rifle length.
But...there are also 4 that have a 24" octagon tube here someplace. .
Then there is the a pair of Marlins, one's a factory ported 18.5",
and the other is a 35 Rem. that I had chopped to 16.5".
If I had known Henry was gonna do the 41 in a 16" barrel I would've waited.

I like them all, but carrying through the woods, that 35 is hard to beat.
Not much help right?

RP

[Bake]

I've made the rounds to all the gun shops in the area, and I found the question is not 16.5" or 20", but can I find a Henry period. The shops I talked with have waiting lists, and no ETAs.

I don't believe I want a 45-70 to shoot paper at 25 yds , but maybe steel at 125 to 150 yds . Then I would have to start looking for a new range . . .