Question about Henry All Weather LA Rifle (45-70 Gov)

[ddjchemist]

I recently purchased new Henry Level Action Rifle in 45-70 Gov and I will be using it for mainly bear protection on my long backpacking trips. I do a lot of hiking and backpacking (90% of my free time) in the Mountain West (WA, ID, MT, CO, WY) and next summer I am planning a months backpacking trip to Alaska.

How factory accurate are Henry lever action rifles (iron sights)? 3 years ago I purchased new Ruger SP100 .357 Mag and I had to recalibrate iron sights since the gun was shooting to the upper left. I use a laser cartridge for calibration. However, every about 200 shots, my Ruger looses its sight and I have to recalibrate it. I hope Henry does not suffer from the same problem. I would appreciate if a Henry user could give me some input.

Read More

 

[RVTECH]

3 years ago I purchased new Ruger SP100 .357 Mag

Welcome to the forum but do you mean a GP100 or a SP101 ?

Also when you say 'recalibrate' the sights I assume this gun has adjustable sights and you are simply re-adjusting them correct?

I cannot speak for the .45-70 Henry but my .357 BBB will shoot ragged one hole at 50 yards with carefully loaded ammo and if I do my part when shooting.

I have heard good reports from .45-70 owners however I would seriously consider something different for a rear sight such as a receiver or barrel mount peep. The stock Henry buckhorns are terrible.

 

[osprey]

To answer your question the sights should by pretty stable unless getting jarred or broken by a fall. The laser should be used to get on paper only and actually shooting to establish correct poi (point of impact). I can't imagine a Ruger sp101 pistol needing to be sighted in every 200 rds. Are you sure the rear sight is functioning properly? If it is adjustable it should have noticeable click detents which should maintain position of rear sight. You should feel and hear these clicks/detents. If you don't something is wrong and needs attention. The Henry has a a step ramp for elevation and it should be noted which step it is on when sighted in. A spare step ramp is not a bad idea for a long hike. The windage is handled by sight moving sideways in tight fitting dovetail. Noting this position with some kind of witness mark is also a good idea. I think I would pack a small brass punch to handle windage adjustment in an emergency. After a fall where sights are jarred I would be shooting it to confirm poi. Happy trails.

 

[ddjchemist]

I just got back home with my new Henry. Now I need to get a manual to figure out cleaning procedure (manual was not included in the box). I also need to figure out the elevation scale. Any recommendation for a cleaning kits (I only need brushes and rod). Down the road I am thinking about adding a scope, but am not yet perfectly sure if I want it since I will carry this riffle on the side of my backpack. I should be fine up to 100 yards with the factory sights (got 27 months of military experience in Croatia army from 1991-1993 and was fine with AK47-Yugo, SKS-Yugo and Mosin M44-Russian with iron sights)
Sorry, my Ruger is GP100 (I always mix SP and GP and to be honest with all gun models I have a hard time to remember model names and my woman calls my Ruger "gun that lights up") seems to have the issue with rear iron sight. The little screw that is used to adjust the sight gets somewhat loose after a while. I am not sure if it is from a heat expansion or vibration. I rarely use this revolver and 200 rounds = 1 year for me, so it is not a big deal. Eventually I might take it to a gunsmith to take care of it.

 

[ddjchemist]

While I am waiting for the user manual, I got a question about half buckhorn sight (rear sight). Does anyone have any idea about the distance differences between each step on the elevation scale? For example, if the sight is set on the first dent (lowest position) and is zeroed for 25 years, in what position should the sight be set for 100 years shot? Do I have to zero the rifle for various distances (e.g. 25 years, 50 yards, 100 yards) and then remember sight position for each distance? I watched some YT videos about how to zero half buckhorn sights, but in those videos the sight is zeroed for only one distance. If the sight is zeroed only for a short distance, should I just keep it always in the same position and offset longer shots by positioning the white dot on the front sight slightly higher? Of course, it will take practice to figure out how much offset I would need.

 

[RVTECH]

There will be no specific guideline for each 'notch' nor will it follow any pattern from rifle to rifle, or ammo used.

Most buckhorns are set to a 'set it and forget' it distance and holdover used as necessary.

Otherwise you will have to spend some range time with your particular rifle and ammo and determine POI distance for each 'notch' of the elevator on the sight. Also the blade on the rear should be an adjustable, 'sliding' style for 'dialing it in' but if it is the typical Henry rear the blade is very difficult to adjust.

FWIW the stock rear sight on the Henry is terrible (heck good buckhorns ain't much better) and like I said you should seriously consider something different lest you experience serious frustration with the stock sight.

 

[ddjchemist]

Thanks RVTECH. I will head to a shooting range this weekend and will try and see how well the factory sights are working. If I am not happy I will be looking for another solution. One of the issues I noticed immediately is that the front sight has white dot and my eye has a tough time if I am pointing to a very light object because it is difficult to see the white dot. I am super excited to take the rifle to a shooting range.

 

[RVTECH]

Here is the rear on my Henry. It is a Williams WGRS receiver sight intended for a Marlin but is mounted in reverse with the windage blade flipped around so the sight does not hang off the rear of the receiver.

As a peep sight It is a DRAMATIC improvement over the stock sight.


I have also recently installed a 'globe' on the front for an improved sight picture.

 

[The Heretic]

I too am a fan of aperture sights. My grandfather made one for the family Marlin .22 bolt action and that got me hooked.

For your Ruger, put a bit of Locktite Purple 222 on the screw threads. The purple Locktite is for screws you wish to adjust/remove with the same tool you use to insert the screw. Hopefully that will help.

When and Why to Use Purple Threadlocker

LOCTITE® Purple Threadlocker has many uses, from carburetor screws to eyeglasses to small screws on laptops. Due to its low strength, it can be removed with the same tool used to put the project together.

www.henkel-adhesives.com

 

[ddjchemist]

I might consider something similar. Most likely I will order a sight online and bring it to a gunsmith to install and zero it. When you live in a big city and shooting ranges are not cheap, it might be cheaper for me to have someone do it for me.

 

[The Heretic]

For the front sight you might consider a fiber optic sight. I have had better luck seeing those than the stock bead or post sights.

 

[ddjchemist]

There are so many types of sights on market I got a headache. At this point, Styrka S3 3 MOA Red Dot sight seems to be an interesting option. I wonder if anyone has experience using one?

 

[Ura-Ki]

No direct experience with the Henry, but I do have a metric ton of experience with a few Marlins in this chambering! First, A good Post and globe sight arrangement is one of the top priorities I would be considering first! Second ( You don't mention the barrel length) is going to be lots of ammo testing, especially if you are looking at defensive use against Bears, You are going to WANT big heavy solids for those big Grizzlies in the Rockies and Alaska! I live in South Central Co. right in the heart of Big Grizz country, and the factory 365 grain stuff wont cut it, I run Hard cast 500 grainers at near max pressure, and this has served me well on a number of occasions when having to anchore a big pissed off bear! And, forget scopes, you are just asking for trouble trying to use a scope when your life might depend on it! K.I.S.S.

I get my Marlins sights from these guys, might have to do a little custom work to make something fit your specific rifle, but a good smith should be able to handle that with out issue!

Black Powder Shooting Supplies & Accessories

BPCR, shooting supplies & accessories, muzzleloading supplies & accessories, black powder cartridge rifle supplies, reloading dies, bullet casting supplies, kowa spotting scopes, bullet molds, obsolete ammo.

www.buffaloarms.com

 

[JCKelly]

I have a Henry .22, it uses some modern barrel safety or other. Now again the hammer falls but there is no firing pin indent, rifle just goes "click". Have had this occur with two modern design semi-auto pistols also. Only guy to mention this on-line, close to 20 yrs ago, went off-line. Were I to hunt bear I would choose some older design rifle with no modern design of safety.

 

[osprey]

Henry .22 levers have only a 1/4 cock safety. If the hammer is falling from a fully cocked position but not firing the round their is a mechanical/maintenance issue that needs to be addressed. The Henry in 45-70 does not even have a half or quarter cock safety only a transfer bar safety. It only allows hammer to contact the firing pin when the trigger is depressed so it is theoretically safe to carry with the hammer down on a loaded chamber. This system is about as simple and foolproof as one can get and actually quite amazing it exists in this litigious world we live in.

 

[RVTECH]

Second ( You don't mention the barrel length) is going to be lots of ammo testing, especially if you are looking at defensive use against Bears,

I agree.

While I have NO experience with grizzly bears (all the blacks I have ever encountered either stood there looking stupid or ran off when encountered)
but with any rifle a lot of shooting is necessary and a 'smith cannot necessarily 'zero' open sights without shooting as well. Open irons can be set up according to sight height calculations but it takes the owner of the gun to establish sight adjustments by shooting and this takes a combination of bench and offhand shooting as well.

 

[Olderguy]

On some of my firearms, where the front sight is hard to see, I use bright orange finger nail polish.

 

[ddjchemist]

Thank you all for you input. My Henry 45-70 All Weather has shorter barrel (18.5"). I will evaluate various options for sights after I see how well I can shoot using the factory half buckhorn sights. I have eliminated scopes and will decide between some type of iron sights or red dot sights. I do have a concern about durability of red dot sights as they require battery and I am not sure how resistant to rain and wet conditions they are. There are few good gunsmiths around Seattle area, so I will also ask for their advice (recommendations for a good gunsmith in Seattle area are super-welcome). I see that it is hard to find mounting rails for Henry lever action rifles. Most of vendors are "out of stock."

I hope I would never need to use my rifle on a bear as I love bears and other large animals. Few times that I got across them they just run away, but there is alway "first time". Of course for bears I would load heavy bullets (I got 460 Grizzly Load), but for practice I got 300 and 405 grain.
I hope to be able to make it to an outdoor shooting range this weekend. We are entering a rainy period here is Seattle and it seems we are going to have a lot of rain this weekend.

 

[osprey]

Well you have Henry "all weather" and live in the great PNW, only one thing to do, get out and shoot that thing, weather be damned!

Check out these sources for sights and rail systems.

Ranger Point Precision: Lever-action Rifle Parts & Accessories | Firearm Parts

Ready for hunting season or home defense? Buy firearm parts & lever-action rifle accessories for Henry, Marlin, Rossi, Winchester. Call on 832-653-8830.

rangerpointstore.com

Skinner Sights

Machined from Solid Bar stock, Skinner Sights offers improved function, durability, and appearance over factory sights. Specializing in Peep Sights - Aperture sights. Check out our innovative and expanding sights, optics and accessories product lines.

skinnersights.com

 

[The Heretic]

For "red dots" there are alternatives to batteries:

Meprolight M21 or Trijicon RMR - dual illuminated; fiber optic for day, tritium for night.

These two do have a slight (IMO) disadvantage - in certain circumstances, such as standing in a dark place and aiming into a bright area, the "spot" or crosshair/etc., can seem to "wash out" against the light background. I have seen this (I have several M21s), but IMO it happens rarely and is not that bad.

There is a Trijicon RMR that comes with an LED to illuminate the fiber optics in this case.

Also, many red dots have a very long life on battery.

There is also this:

SeeAll - Tritium Gun Sights

SeeAll Sights

www.seeallopensight.com