U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Everyone who wants to own a self-loading rifle that utilizes a high capacity magazine should have one by now. The panic buying that has been going on for almost eight years has come to an end. This does not mean that some future crisis in our nation, either political or actual, will not re-generate the demand for a black rifle. For now deer season is coming and it is time to consider taking your hard earned dollars and go Henry shopping.
One of the nice things about lever action rifles is that people with limited gun knowledge do not always equate lever guns with gun panic hysteria. John Wayne used a lever gun and so did most of the cowboy, western heroes of the Hollywood variety. For most non-gun people the movies and TV shows are where they get their basic, and in many cases false, information about firearms. Somehow they have figured out that a cowboy lever gun is not the same as the machinegun that all the bad guys use in the movies and in alleged real life shootings. This might help with the hide-in-plain-sight concept of firearms ownership.
Hunting with a lever action rifle is a Henry Repeating Arms speciality and by looking at their yearly rifle sales compared to other lever gun manufacturers, Henry owns the market.
Fall is here and deer season will soon be upon us. Henry has their large H009/H010 caliber steel action that they build 30-30 and 45-70 rifles on. There are all kinds of great rifle cartridges in the world today. Sometimes it amazes me just how much energy and effort the ammunition manufacturers expend on multiple types of cartridges that tend to do the same job.
If you can keep your hunting under a 150 yards there is no game in the world that you cannot take with either the 30-30 or the 45-70. One of the variables is the type of ammo you are using. What is the bullet you are using? If you are using ammo that is adhering to velocity and muzzle energy specification for 30-30 and 45-70 when they were first brought on the market prior to 1900, the above statement may not be true. If you are using some of the modern ammo for 30-30 and 45-70 that Hornady or Tim Sundles at Buffalo Bore ammunition is producing you can stop anything. Of course there is that one factor that sometimes gets forgotten and that is shot placement.
If you hit a large game animal that could possibly harm you and your bullet strikes the wrong area and only wounds the bear or bull mouse you inflicted non-lethal pain on, you may suffer for that mistake. Again a Henry lever action rifle in 30-30 and/or 45-70 with the right ammo and the needed shooting skills can take down any game out there.
If you were to have a Henry lever action rifle in 22 LR, 30-30 and 45-70 you have the holy grail of lever action hunting firearms. Small game, medium game and large dangerous game can all be taken with one of these three rifles. This of course does not mean you stop trying to stuff your gun safe with other rifles in other calibers, but if you have these three you can hunt anything inside 150 yards.
Henry’s large caliber steel action rifles come in three different configurations.
Mr. Andy Wickstrom, the General Manager of Henry Rifles, advised me that the blue steel rifles in 30-30 (H009) and 45/70 (H010) were the first model on the market. The Color Case finished large caliber rifles came out second (30-30-H009CC / 45/70-H010CC). I must admit I am partial to the Color Case rifles. Bobby Tyler at Tyler Gun Works does all the Color Case finishing for Henry Rifles. I have one of the gorgeous model H009CC in 30-30 along with one of Bobby Tyler’s color case finished tomahawks. Put the “hawk” and the Henry rifle side by side and you are looking at demonstrated quality.
If you live or hunt in a wet and snowy climate the folks at Henry Wisconsin, where all the steel large caliber Henry rifles are made, have come up with an All Weather series of rifles. The process gives the rifle a matted stainless steel look and along with the weather resistant coating used on the wooden stock, Henry has placed on the market a very effective foul weather group of rifles.
Every gun show I attend in the mid-west I find All weather Henry rifles and sales records lead you to understand there are many pleased customers and a growing market for the All Weather Henry rifles.
With the modern 30-30 and 45/70 ammo there is nothing you cannot hunt with those cartridges, but to make the three gun package complete you need a lever action Henry rifle in 22LR. The Henry Classic Lever Action Rifle in 22LR (H001) was the rifle that the modern Henry Repeating Arms started with. This rifle comes in various barrel lengths, sight configurations and even different calibers. The basic model H001 gets the small game hunting job done. It is quality and it is accurate. Mr. Imperato, the President of Henry Rifles, stands behind the reliability of the H001 and all the other Henry rifles out there in the shooting community. I heard Mr. Imperato say they had manufactured over 1 million of these rifles since it was introduced twenty years ago.
If you are starting from scratch as a new gun owner, acquire one of the H001 lever action 22LR rifles first. Then as you save your pennies you move up to a model H009 / Steel in 30-30 and go deer hunting with it. After you are comfortable with the first two Henrys it will be time to extend your reach and purchase an H010 / Steel rifle in 45/70. I must admit my preference is the H010AW / All Weather Steel model. Wisconsin deer and bear seasons can be hard on a rifle. The All Weather rifles in 30-30 and/or 45/70 can stand up to the worst of bad weather.
If you are already a rifle owner, pick any of the above Henry rifles and start building your holy grail of three Henry rifles, as slow or fast as you would like. You may find that some of the other rifles in your safe need to move on to improve someone else’s life. You do not always have to sell off your gently used firearms, consider gifting one or two to a deserving friend or relative.
Be careful when you start gifting rifles because those friends may figure out your are resupplying yourself with Henrys. The is such a conditions known as Henry-Envy.
In your twilight years remember to gift your Henrys to your grand-daughters.
About Major Van Harl USAF Ret.:
Major Van E. Harl USAF Ret., a career Police Officer in the U.S. Air Force was born in Burlington, Iowa, USA, in 1955. He was the Deputy Chief of police at two Air Force Bases and the Commander of Law Enforcement Operations at another. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Infantry School. A retired Colorado Ranger and currently is an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Cudahy PD in Milwaukee County, WI. His efforts now are directed at church campus safely and security training. He believes “evil hates organization.” [email protected]
I’m a lever gun fiend and of the lever actions made today, Winchester is hands down the best. Better than a Henry. Sorry Henry. And yes I’m talking about the ones outsourced to J-pan. Their craftsmen there best the Italians and the Americans both. I don’t mean to disparage Henry but if you read the above article you’ve already read a paid advertisement for their brand, so this is the counterpoint. The generalizations about going overseas for cheap or American labor is more expensive are false. Ubertis are not cheaper than Henrys and Winchesters are generally more expensive than both.… Read more »
Sure you can purchase more economical lever action rifles then Henry, place them side by side. Look at the quality, fit, finish and the action. None better in my opinion, purchase a 45-70 All Weather last year. Love it, I’m a hand cannon guy all the way BUT what would be “WE THE PEOPLE” more then a wheel gun on the hip and a lever action on the shoulder?
I recently did a review on the Henry 30-30 and am very impressed with the quality. It has one on the nicest stocks I have seen in awhile. The figure is the gun shoots well and is reliable. As for the 30-30 I have done a lot of work on it & it is much more flexible and powerful then most people think. Those who think that the 30-30 barely gets by are showing their ignorance on that subject. If you have a Henry which can mount a scope on top and good ammo you will be pleasantly surprised on… Read more »
The “humble” .30-30 using conventional 150-180 grain ammunition (not the new much more effective new Hornady round) delivers the same energy and velocity at 270 yards as an eight-inch barrel .44 magnum revolver delivers at one inch. Then comes the .45-70… The Henry’s are pricey but then again so is anything that is purrrrty darn good!
This guy’s articles are painful to read and he always has a condescending tone. I honestly think he’s a troll of sorts working to influence/change our perceptions/behavior. I don’t believe anything he writes or that he is a legit gun enthusist. Ammoland needs to stop publishing this asshat’s stuff.
I was hoping the Major had packed his bags and moved over to Mother Earth News.
Where can you hunt these Bull “Mouse” ? And who sells “Horady” ammunition… Couple typos studley, starting to look like I wrote it ! 🙂 Henry’s are nice guns, but very overpriced in my opinion.
@Rock, American labor is expensive.
Agreed. I like my Henrys, but they are pricey. I tried pointing out to the company that if they want to push the brand they need to consider that the people who by their grandkids toys may be on reduced incomes at this point. It didn’t make any headway.
OTOH, the Henrys’ actions makes my Winchesters and Marlins feel gritty. I’d like to see them come down in price, but if you want cheap you can always go offshore. You get what you pay for.
@OV that is funny!