Opinions on henry rifles

[Uncle Gump]

Michigan passed a new hunting law last year... centerfire straight wall cartridges can be used in the southern lower peninsula. That has been forever considered the Shotgun zone. My BIL bought a new Ruger Bushmaster 450.

 

[Dirtman]

To me, deer hunting with a shotgun is cruel. I cant shoot a bow to save my life, and I just am not buying a black powder gun for hunting lol. So the NJ deer are safe from me. I'm legally allowed to shoot nuisance animals though since I am considered "farmland". So I do shoot skunks, coyotes, cormorants, crows, groundhogs etc. My .22 works fine for those.

 

[sgtsandman]

You can’t fo wrong with a Henry or a JM stamped Marlin for that matter. If you see a Henry you like and want, go for it.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'm not sure I would say shooting deer with a shotgun is cruel... I have a 870 with a smooth bore slug barrel that is an absolute deer killing machine. The guys that hit the deer stand with dad's old 12 gauge shooting buckshot at 80 yards... that's cruel.

 

[ford4wd08]

Is it legal to hunt deer with buckshot in your states? TN it must be a solid projectile, slugs only from shotguns.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Not sure about Illinois... but in Michigan it always has been legal. I don't agree with it but that said... I have killed deer with buck shot... close range it does work.

 

[Dirtman]

Buck shot is 100% legal here and the most common way to deer hunt. But your talking about a lethal range less than a damn bow... hunters track deer through my property all the time, I'm usually cool with it but it's not uncommon at all for me to find a shotgun hunter who said he shot a deer over 24 hours ago and is still tracking it... that is cruel to me.

 

[Curious Hound]

Buck shot is 100% legal here and the most common way to deer hunt. But your talking about a lethal range less than a damn bow... hunters track deer through my property all the time, I'm usually cool with it but it's not uncommon at all for me to find a shotgun hunter who said he shot a deer over 24 hours ago and is still tracking it... that is cruel to me.

I agree. Bad hunters should be banned.

 

[Curious Hound]

Getting back to the Henry rifles....

A few years ago, I was wanting a rifle and found out about Henrys. If their product is anywhere near as good as they say it is, it should be an excellent rifle. The craftsmanship appears to be top notch. I would still like to get one. But I have now lost my private shooting range. So target shooting is no longer as convenient as walking out the back door. I would like to get a Henry in .17hmr. I like the octagon barrel. It just isn't high priority.

 

[sgtsandman]

My H001 is butter smooth. My Western Auto Revelation 200 (Marlin 336) from the 1960s is close but the Henry is still better. You might pay a bit more for a Henry but they are worth it because of things like that. The JM stamped Marlins will be like the Western Auto.

 

[91stranger]

I love henry's. Get their free catalogs from time to time just to drool over the $2-3k guns that i'll never own. lol.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Michigan passed a new hunting law last year... centerfire straight wall cartridges can be used in the southern lower peninsula. That has been forever considered the Shotgun zone. My BIL bought a new Ruger Bushmaster 450.

People got all excited about that in Iowa too... but by and large even a 45-70 doesn't really do much that a slug gun does not.

The system is broken IMO. Shotgun/straightwall pistol caliber rifle season is 3-4 days so you have to group hunt during shotgun season. Everybody gets in a circle around a draw and some sucker goes up the middle to chase the deer out. Most shots are at running deer and guns run like WWII anti-aircraft batteries... it gets very messy.

Maybe some can but I can't tag out hunting "normally" in a single weekend. There is a reason archery and muzzleloader seasons go for several weeks.

My H001 is butter smooth. My Western Auto Revelation 200 (Marlin 336) from the 1960s is close but the Henry is still better. You might pay a bit more for a Henry but they are worth it because of things like that. The JM stamped Marlins will be like the Western Auto.

You might actually pay more for a JM Marlin now especially a nice one. I don't think the renamed ones were the same level of finish as a higher end Marlin.

Another thing with the '94 Marlin, they are stupid common for cowboy action shooting so they are not overly hard to find used.

 

[sgtsandman]

Ever since Freedom Group (owns Remington, Marlin, and few other brands) bought Marlin, they haven’t been the same. The finish quality and craftsmanship are not there. I’ve been told the ones being made of late have gotten a lot better.

That being said, JM stamped Marlins are going to pull a premium because of what Freedom Group did to the brand.

 

[ford4wd08]

I have often thought the Henry 22 mag pump would be a cool addition with the octagon barrel...

 

[Biggfoot44]

My .38/357 levergun is an older Rossi M92 clone . Yes , a .38/357 sounds like it would work well for you . ( With the understanding that if it were primarily for deer hunting, a .44 or .45 would be better .)

I haven't owned a Henry ( yet) . But one time at my #2 shooting & hunting partner's private range , we had a .44 levergun day - MIJ Browning M92 , Ruger M96/44 , Henry, and one other that escapes me at the moment .

The Henry stood out as having the least recoil ( same ammo shot thru all of them ). Probably partially because the Henry was heavier, but also because of the stock design .