Henry Rifle Forums

Hoping to get me a new BBS Carbine. I'm having a hard time deciding on which caliber to get. I already have a scoped 44M BBS with the longer barrel that I hunt deer and plink with & love it. Now I want to get a 16.5" barrel carbine and use it with open sights. Does anyone own and use both of these calibers? Please share your thoughts and give me the pros and cons.

good luck on your choice and purchase, I went with the 41 BBS rifle, but only because I got one the first year, and they didn't offer a carbine.
I do have a 44 but it's the BBB rifle.
I wouldn't mind having a carbine to go with but I'm contemplating another cal. at the moment.

RP

we own both and we use both .... for a hunter, I'd prefer the 44 .... to punch holes in paper or ring gong a 357 is fine and cheaper to shoot .... if you reload, you already have the equipment to handle a 44 .... if you don't load your own ammo and ever decide to do so, your startup cost will be less with only 1 caliber .... the final factor is, what do you want .. .. and that's a big factor

Hey JEBar! ........Are you able to see a difference of the barrel thickness between the two? And is the 357 as accurate as the 44M?

Split the difference, get a .41.

PATOKARI wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 22, 2019 8:05 pm

Hey JEBar! ........Are you able to see a difference of the barrel thickness between the two? And is the 357 as accurate as the 44M?

both are locked in a safe in a location that would take me a while to get to so I can't quickly grab them and give them a look .... as I recall the 44 does look larger but not hugely so .... as to accuracy, with our loads, both are very accurate at 100 yards, wouldn't flip you a coin for the difference .... first picture below shows our 8 year old grand son back in 2016 ... 2 rounds fired from a rest at 100 yards .... he routinely breaks skeet laid down flat on top of a board at 100 yards .... the second picture shows 50 rounds I fired from a rest at 50 yards in late August of 2018 .... after first posting that target some folks here and others I shoot with wanted to see what would happen at 100 yards .... got around to doing firing 100 rounds from a rest at 100 yards in early December of 2018 .... shooting conditions on both days were about as good as it gets at our family range .... both rifles are capable of firing tighter groups than I can make them shoot

Nice shootin JEB

RP

thank you sir .... that's about as good as I can do now days

I'd not call that 'good' shooting JEBar, I'd call that fantastic. Congratulations to you sir. Those are beautiful targets IMHO.

For hunting deer I’d go with the 44 mag. For smaller game and fun at the range.357 mag.

TN Mark wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:57 pm

I'd not call that 'good' shooting JEBar, I'd call that fantastic. Congratulations to you sir. Those are beautiful targets IMHO.

kind words appreciated .... like everybody here, I enjoy shooting .... I don't exactly how to describe it but that is specially true when firing a rifle that simply feels right .... one that when you pick it up, it feels comfortable .... I'm very lucky to own several like that and our Henry BBS 44 Mag is one of them ....

.
The other forum Enablers aren't living up to our reputation. Just get both! [or all three (adding the .41)]

PATOKARI wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:37 pm

Hoping to get me a new BBS Carbine. I'm having a hard time deciding on which caliber to get. I already have a scoped 44M BBS with the longer barrel that I hunt deer and plink with & love it. Now I want to get a 16.5" barrel carbine and use it with open sights. Does anyone own and use both of these calibers? Please share your thoughts and give me the pros and cons.

I do have both, but I have both in revolver also, if your a hunter get the .44, if just plinkin, then .357. I have shot
6-8 deer with the .357, not one more than 40 yds, never a pass through, found all but one. .44 didn’t have that problem.

Mags wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:38 am

.
The other forum Enablers aren't living up to our reputation. Just get both! [or all three (adding the .41)]

PATOKARI wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:37 pm

Hoping to get me a new BBS Carbine. I'm having a hard time deciding on which caliber to get. I already have a scoped 44M BBS with the longer barrel that I hunt deer and plink with & love it. Now I want to get a 16.5" barrel carbine and use it with open sights. Does anyone own and use both of these calibers? Please share your thoughts and give me the pros and cons.

Mags, then there's the ah 45 colt.

And yes I have all four, not all Henrys though, and with Ruger revolvers though.

RP

4 even better.

Vaquero wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 24, 2019 7:57 pm

Mags wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:38 am

.
The other forum Enablers aren't living up to our reputation. Just get both! [or all three (adding the .41)]

PATOKARI wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:37 pm

Hoping to get me a new BBS Carbine. I'm having a hard time deciding on which caliber to get. I already have a scoped 44M BBS with the longer barrel that I hunt deer and plink with & love it. Now I want to get a 16.5" barrel carbine and use it with open sights. Does anyone own and use both of these calibers? Please share your thoughts and give me the pros and cons.

Mags, then there's the ah 45 colt.

And yes I have all four, not all Henrys though, and with Ruger revolvers though.

RP

Alright back to subject, if not hunting then the 357 would be my choice.
Plus cheaper to shoot.

RP

44 is the better deer rifle, 357 the better plinker and small game rifle but can handle deer in a pinch.

357 and the right load will drop a Whitetail. Shot placement is key. Less recoil and cheaper factory ammo if you don't re-load...I don't. I love my 357 and it will dispatch anything I care to within expected range, which also applies to the .44.

markiver54 wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:31 am

357 and the right load will drop a Whitetail. Shot placement is key. Less recoil and cheaper factory ammo if you don't re-load...I don't. I love my 357 and it will dispatch anything I care to within expected range, which also applies to the .44.

I took a nice 8 point with my 357 Rossi, the deer was around 90 yds., and only made a couple steps after being hit.
Was also the first deer that I ever killed with one of my reloads.

RP

I also saw on Marlin Owners where a guy has taken two bucks this year with a Marlin 1894 in 357.
Don't remember what ammo he is using.

RP