Which one would you choose and why.

[JCN]

Well I only have one so it's an easy choice. The BBS .357. You know there are some guns that I've bought for fun (Ruger 6" GP 100 and Glock 20). They aren't very practical and didn't see too much range time. Then there are other guns like my BBS .357 and my Glock 19 that will always see a ton of range time due to practicality. The ammo is affordable, the recoil is manageable and just overall a blast to shoot!

[Squatch]

I love all 3 for different reasons. For a long time I just had 2 Henry's. 22 and 44 mag Big Boy.

Well 22 is off the list cause it doesn't count here. It's a 22 and everybody has to have at least one of those.

So for me I'd have to say my Big Boy 44. It's fits so well and is so versatile. To me it's what every cowboy lever action should be. One gun that can do most anything you ask of it! It's what started the whole concept for me. 44 mag rifle and side arm. One ammo to carry. Enough power to save my rear from an angry bear or bad guy if needed! Between the revolver and rifle 16 (17 with 1 in the chamber) rounds loaded. If I need more than that It's probably already too late!

The 45/70 is a close 2nd. But I don't want to shoot that handgun! Ammo is awful heavy to be packin' a lot of it.

[JNG3]

BBS 357. If you reload you can tailor loads from small game to medium/non dangerous large game.

[Catherine]

My husband would choose his HENRY 45-70 for hunting and for woods/wilderness protection. He hunted in a different location this past year with a friend. This hunting location was right up to THE BOB. Grizz country.

His second choice for a HENRY rifle would be in 30-30 (H009) which he recently purchased with his full in store credit.

He reloads (Over 40 years.) and can adjust his loads as he wishes. He does have his favorite loads.

We owned a 357Magnum HENRY rifle and it was/is a great and beautiful rifle but we got out of ALL 357Magnum and 38Special and Plus P caliber firearms (Rifles/handguns.) some time ago. So I agree with many of you on that rifle and caliber.

Cate
PS: I do not hunt and I do not reload. (I rarely shoot RF rifles at this time. I do enjoy my husband's shooting at the range and hunting adventures even though my arthritis is worse.)

[Henry88]

Glad to see you posting again Cate

[BigAl52]

[quote="Catherine"]My husband would choose his HENRY 45-70 for hunting and for woods/wilderness protection. He hunted in a different location this past year with a friend. This hunting location was right up to THE BOB. Grizz country.

His second choice for a HENRY rifle would be in 30-30 (H009) which he recently purchased with his full in store credit.

He reloads (Over 40 years.) and can adjust his loads as he wishes. He does have his favorite loads.

Cate
Im curious about something because of your husbands 30-30 choice. What if Henry would of been chambering a 38-55 would that change anything for him? Al

[Catherine]

Glad to see you posting again Cate

Thank you.

Cate

[Catherine]

My husband would choose his HENRY 45-70 for hunting and for woods/wilderness protection. He hunted in a different location this past year with a friend. This hunting location was right up to THE BOB. Grizz country.

His second choice for a HENRY rifle would be in 30-30 (H009) which he recently purchased with his full in store credit.

He reloads (Over 40 years.) and can adjust his loads as he wishes. He does have his favorite loads.

Cate
Im curious about something because of your husbands 30-30 choice. What if Henry would of been chambering a 38-55 would that change anything for him? Al

Hi Al,

I do not think so because he downsized ALL of his calibers and firearms. I did the same thing as many of you already know. Plus I have not owned, open carried/conceal carried or shot handguns for several years now.

I do not know if he ever owned the caliber that you mentioned above in the past long before he met me. I personally do not know jack squat about that caliber other than seeing it mentioned on some forums and looking it up online just now. I DO know that he owned a BUNCH of calibers in VARIOUS firearm brands and styles since he was a young man. (We are in our 60's.) Rifles, shotguns and handguns.

Side note: He just came home from his walk and he said that he did not own that caliber but he did own a MARLIN 375 Winchester, several 358 Winchester rifles including a HW Jr. RUGER MODEL 77 LIMITED RUN RIFLE - Double A grade walnut, etc. I only saw one of THOSE caliber rifles and it belonged to HANK WILLIAMS JR. HW Jr. has or had several homes in Montana. That rifle never made it on the shelf when my husband sold it.

I did see other firearms of his in various calibers over the years but he owned far MORE guns in his life compared to mine in my specifically chosen calibers. Most of my guns were bought back east and I deliberately bought guns that could SHARE ammo with my other guns.

Since he downsized - he only owns these calibers:

45acp - He only owns and shoots 2 handguns total now on purpose.

22lr

.223

30-30 HENRY and CT Made Marlin

45-70 HENRY and CT Made Marlin

30-06 older rifle

BOLT action rifles and only 4 CF LEVER action rifles. NO semi automatic rifles. NO s/a and d/a revolvers. NO shotgun.

Cate

[BigAl52]

Thanks Cate. Im a lover of the straight wall cases for reloading reasons. They are much easier to reload than a bottleneck case. The 38-55 is quite an old round as it goes back to the days of black powder. I have always liked that round. Its like a little brother to the 45-70. I am hope Henry will come out soon with that caliber. Al

[Squatch]

I too love the simplicity of loading straight wall cartridges. That and I just like big bullets that make big holes and go boom.

[Catherine]

Ok Id like to see if you had to make a choice and you could only have one Henry which one would it be and why

I will answer this if I did NOT have my arthritis issues, old accident flare ups, from what I have shot in the past and from what I previously owned.

I would still pick a 22lr caliber FIRST in a rifle.

For the HENRY BRAND:

Henry Golden Boy 22lr and a Henry Golden Boy 22wmr like what I used to own and shoot.

For the 22lr CALIBER:

I liked them (HGB rifles.) more than my/our former 2 Marlin Golden 39A rifles (CT MADE), my Winchester 94-22, my Browning BL 22, and my Henry large loop carbine. I am not knocking those brands or styles and IF I never had a HENRY BRAND to try as I have out here... I would still be VERY pleased with those former beautiful and straight shooting rifles.

I have owned and/or shot several brands in 22lr lever action rifles. Some in CF lever action rifles but I did not own a CF rifle until I moved out west. We had some Wins (94 Trapper) in 30-30, 45Long Colt and 357Magnum calibers.

If we are allowed a CF choice and not just a RF choice... I would choose a 30-30 caliber for woods/wilderness protection like the one that my husband just got IF I still lived out here in Grizz country. I have not shot this rifle of his but I have handled it - it is heavy for my old and arthritic bones.

(I do not hunt and I never did hunt so I am just talking about predator protection for my OWN situation. Re: 30-30 Caliber.)

If I lived back east and/or KNEW that my husband or another person would be out in the wilderness/woods with me here in Western Montana carrying a 45-70 or a 30-30 or ? for PROTECTION... I would feel fine carrying another HENRY Classic Big Boy 357Magnum rifle like what we had previously. We had the brass/walnut one and they did not have the other Big Boy designs when we got ours. That was/is a beautiful and sweet shooting gun with factory and reloaded loads.

I used to just carry a BIGGER caliber handgun (45Long Colt, 44Magnum or a 357Magnum) when I first moved out west hiking alone or with someone else. (Back when I used to own, shoot and carry handguns.) Later on, I realized that it was a wise idea to own and carry a CF rifle when I Hiked Alone in specific remote areas including where I used to Camp AND Live in a tiny log cabin butt up to the wilderness.

The weight of a rifle is even more important to me now. It was before but more so now. Plus I was ALWAYS picky on how any firearm felt in my hands and on my body be it a handgun or a rifle. Holstered = shoulder rig or on my hip - Triple K western rig, on a rifle sling or just in my hands shooting as I prefer - standing up and with NO scopes.

Cate
Added more.

[dngnmn]

BB carbine .44mag I love the looks of the brass. The carbine feel good in my hands. I like the .44 mag overall.

[PT7]

Simple & complicated.

Which one?
I only have one Henry rifle now, and it's definitely the one I would choose. I have the H001TLP Small Game Carbine in .22LR.

Why?
Several reasons. It is an extremely accurate-shooting carbine, love the large-loop lever and 16.25" octagon barrel, and especially that it came built with a stock, receiver-mounted Skinner ghost-ring rear sight package. I currently have a good supply of .22LR ammo, and it is quite an inexpensive caliber to send down range.

Complications.
~~I've found that at my age of seven decades, the weight of a rifle is becoming a consideration. I've had three different models of the .357 Big Boy, and my favorite was the steel .357 carbine with the shorter barrel. But of course it is heavier than the SGC. I went rabbit hunting this last season with my SGC, and it's pretty easy to handle while hiking the woods.

~~Here is the biggest challenge for me if I were to again buy another Henry. The buckhorn sights are my nemesis on Henrys. And I've tried to change out those buckhorns on every Henry I've owned. Whether barrel-mounted, or when I added a Skinner Express to my .357 carbine, I seldom could get the rifles sighted-in very well at all. Always something got in my way, which I never could resolve. In particular, I have much trouble getting a front sight adjusted correctly. So you should see the "collection" of Skinner sights, apertures, and Allens I have in my gun toolbox! The cost of these sights that are gathering dust would help me buy quite a few rounds of .22LR ammo.

~~The bottom line complication is that I'll not get another Henry unless Henry, and say Skinner, collaborated again and built a Henry with a receiver-mounted iron ghost-ring sight, already adjusted to flow with the front sight. And the two Henry calibers I'd like would be either a .357 magnum or a .30-30; either would be great for deer hunting. Not too much to wait for, is it?!?

I shared this roadblock recently with Henry tech rep, Tom Kotz. He's been a good help over the years, and I really like working with him. He tried to convince me how simple it is to add a receiver-mounted sight, such as the Express, by working with Andy at Skinner Sights. Been there/done that. I've not been able to accomplish it; and at moments it baffles me why that front sight alignment trips me up so easily.

All of the above is not a complaint!
My comments only explain where I'm at in my rifle ownership today.

Worth repeating. "Simple & complicated."

[RetiredSeabee]

I don't generally get into these only one gun scenarios. Because frankly the thought of having only one gun just makes me dizzy.
But if I could only have one Henry it would have to be that gorgeous color case hardened carbine in .357. I am thinking maneuverable in tight quarters, plenty of power for anything I might need to punch holes in. Very manageable recoil and could shoot .38 as well. And of course....it is just plain beautiful.

[BigAl52]

I don't generally get into these only one gun scenarios. Because frankly the thought of having only one gun just makes me dizzy.
But if I could only have one Henry it would have to be that gorgeous color case hardened carbine in .357. I am thinking maneuverable in tight quarters, plenty of power for anything I might need to punch holes in. Very manageable recoil and could shoot .38 as well. And of course....it is just plain beautiful.

Ive seen the 45 colt and the 44 mag for sale but I havent seen a 357 yet. Ive been waiting they must be coming soon to a gun store near you. Al

[Conax]

I think I chose my .44 BBS carbine earlier in the thread somewhere.. I just got back from a quick trip to the range to check something out, and I want to say that the BBS .44 has a thick recoil pad and weighs over 7 pounds. This baby doesn't kick ya as much as gives you a little love tap. .. I could shoot it all day without any wear or tear on me.
So don't reject the .44 over recoil, it is actually mellow.
My brother shot a Marlin '95 .45-70 and loaded some that seemed pretty hot to me. That rascal kicked. The .44s and .357s are extremely fun to shoot. The .30-30 is also a sweet round.
I loove my BBS.

[Vaquero]

That's easy, My BBS 41Mag.

RP

[Rustbelt]

I've been debating this for the last couple of months and I chose the 45-70.
I think the 45-70 and the pump 12 gauge (I like the Remington 870's) can cover all my hunting needs.