New Henry Range report

[Ziggidy]

I sent to the range today, inside 25 yard. I will not lie to y'all, I love the Henry BB 357. Although I cannot compare it to anything I own, it is smooth and totally FUN. I brought different brands of 357. Perfecta 158gr, Remington 180gr, Golden Saber 125gr, PMC Brass 158gr and some Sig Sauer 38's. I did the best with the Golden Saber.

I starter at 50 feet and then 75 feet.....no bench. My only problem involved my eyes. I wear progressive lenses and it was very difficult for me to focus clearly....not difficult, impossible.

I need to practice my aiming with this beauty but I feel I am off to a great start.

I did try shooting 38's. Sig Sauer 38 125gr. Filled the tube with 11 and when I tried to load the chamber, it got stuck, appeared to try to load 2. Could not close the lever so I unloaded the tube and shook out the stuck round.

What kind of 38's should I be using or what should I be doing differently?

I am very glad I purchased this rifle.
Golden Saber 50 feet

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Remington 180gr 75 feet

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Not too bad for me, first time...FUN FUN FUN

[CT_Shooter]

Thanks for the range report, Ziggidy.

Some .38s don't cycle very well, but I think it's a condition that is limited to an individual rifle. I've heard others say .38s can be a problem. I haven't shot them in a long while, but when I did, I used Winchester 130 grain FMJs (in the white box) and they were flawless.

By the way, your eyesight is pretty good -- or you're very able to compensate. Great shooting.

[Ziggidy]

I am compensating. I see the target fairly well but when I try to line up the front sight, it is very very difficult. If I try to line up the buckhorn with the brass front sight on the target....forget it. I live my head up and down to see through the lens progression to get a pretty good idea. It takes me a moment to sight it, I surely would not be able to do a fast fire with any kind of accuracy.

Thanks for the 38 info...I have a variety I will try. I have only been to this range twice before and I do not know anyone. I was here for the first time with my new henry and did not want to look like I was struggling so I just unloaded it and went back to 357's. As I learn more about it, I will try more 38's.

Thanks!

[steelersfan97]

The instructions for my Big Boy .357 recommend shooting only 158 grain 38 special loads only. It is noted that 110, 125 and 130 grain 38 specials will not feed reliably.

I shoot Federal America Eagle 158 grain lead round nose 38 special rounds with no problem. I don't shoot them often, but there are no feed issues when I do.

[BigAl52]

I load my own and shoot 158 gr round nose bullets. They function and shoot great. A 357 levergun is one of the most fun leveguns a guy can have without a doubt. Al

[ditto1958]

I'll put in a vote for 158 grain lead round nose bullets. They will normally cycle best. Also, factory ammo in both .38 special and .357 magnum is expensive, so I highly recommend that if you don't already do so, you should consider loading your own ammo. If you do that, you can skip .38 special all together. You can load your .357 rounds down to .38 special velocities.

[tractortad]

Hey Ziggidy - Welcome to the forum.

Your problems with trying to see the rear buckhorn sight while focusing on the front sight and target is the exact reason why many of us "old eye" guys have installed rear peep sights on our Henrys. A good peep sight (i.e. Skinner) really makes it easier to sight the rifle...

[RanchRoper]

Fun is the operative word! Enjoy your new Henry!!

[clovishound]

Yeah, I quickly put a red dot on my .357 BB. Finally ended up with a scope. Both of them made a big difference in group size.

I can still focus adequately on pistol sights with the right glasses. Rifle iron sights give me fits. I've tried the peep sights on my buddy's Marlin. That worked well for me as well.

[Les]

Nice shooting Ziggidy!

It looks like you are really starting to get the best out of your new rifle.

[Sir Henry]

Make sure the lever is closed all the way when filling the tube. If it is open it can cause double loading.