Henry Big Boy - 357 mag. - anybody have one?

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bedbugbilly

New member
Anybody have one of the "Henry Big Boy" lever action rifles in 357 magnum? If so - could you give a little review on what you think of it? I'm thinking of getting one as a companion to my Ruger New Vaquero 357. I stick to shooting 38 spl. and would be using the 38 spl. in the rifle as well. How does it shoot? Any problems/complaints? I don't shoot CAS but I undestand that this rifle is sometimes used in CAS so figured I'd ask here. Thanks!
 
I bought one in a 44 mag at the same time a friend of mine bought a 357 mag, so I got to try them both.

No complaints, but its a heavy gun you should realize.

For the money you can purchase a marlin 1894 cowboy in 357 magnum, which I shoot far more then the Henry.

Pros:
Very pretty gun
Due to its weight you will feel VERY little recoil with the 357 magnum
Fit and finish is excellent, and the action is smoother then my 357 marlin by far.
If a part does break, Henrys customer service is excellent

Cons:
The fine finish is very delicate so dings and scratches will show up pretty easily.
The octagon barrel is NOT TAPERED, which means you have a 3 foot crowbar for a barrel and the balance suffers, once you try a TAPERED octagon barreled marlin, you will realize how ungainly the Henry is.
The tube magazine is the rolled type with a seam, its just cheap.
The rifle itself is very bulky, compare its size to that of a marlin or a winchester 92 and you will see.


If its just for range shooting, plinking and the like, its an excellent gun. If you focus more on performance then aesthetics, then go for the marlin cowboy.
 
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hickstick - thanks very much for the information - greatly appreciated! I took a look at the Marlin online - see what you mean. It really is one beautiful piece! I like the looks of the Henry - brass frame, etc. but I understand what you mean on the barrel weight - loved the "crowbar" comment! I'm not shooting competition - just target and plinking. When I get a chance, I'm going to hit a shop where I can have the opportunity to handle both of them but from what I'm seeing, the Marlin is just what I'm looking for. Again, many thanks for your comments and input - greatly appreciated! :)
 
No problem fella

I haven't given up on the Henry, Im going to see if I can mount one of those really long malcolm scopes on it to see If I can get more enjoyment out of that rifle.

Its weight and crowbar barrel would be to its advantage with a scope, shooting a far away pop can.
 
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