6.5 Creedmoor: nothing beats 120 GMX Superformance in short action. Doug Turnbull has made a great business building .475 Turnbull rifles on 86 Winchester actions. (Not exactly hunting conditions.) So, is there a market for a BLR with no iron sights, that costs more? There is no comparison. bolt removal etc. Theres no wiggling or odd angles to get the magazine to sit or release. So they used familiar grips, slightly modified. It feels exceptionally smooth. Gotta say you have it worse up there with gun control. The magazine didnt fit flush and rattled really bad. Delsin Rowe is the main protagonist and playable character, a young Native-American man who later realizes hes a Conduit with special powers. That light cleaning regimen stabilized accuracy and brought the average 100-yard group size down to 1.46 inches. Deer season is coming soon, and I cant wait to get back into the woods with my lever actions. Unlike traditional lever action rifles that rely on a quarter cock hammer notch safety, the BLR cannot be forced to fire by a strong blow on the hammer, even if it breaks internal parts. My old buddy Payton Miller is a fan of the .35 Remington, slow but hard-hitting. Unless youve used a Henry, you dont understand the quality of the worksmanship. However, the BLR's bolt feels like it slides more smoothly once the hammer is cocked, perhaps because the BLR bolt is heavily fluted. Please , please chamber it in .338 federal ! Moving forward I have cleaned, lubricated, and hand worked this LR action a thousand times. This fall, with a mission to take a buck with a .30-30, I put an Aimpoint on a Mossberg 464, which is also angle eject, drilled and tapped. The solid top receivers are drilled and tapped for convenient riflescope mounting. I did exactly the same thing with my BLR. Subscriber Services. There is a lot more space inside the Henry's trigger guard, which might be important if you need to wear winter gloves while hunting. Sights are a genuine limitation, especially with many older rifles. In fact, I missed two deer inside of 25 yards with it. Better yet, dont have kids, or a wife!! Were it hand cut, this would be the more expensive checkering scheme. I have the Savage 99c in 308 and it has always been my go to rifle. Or chamber for the .257 Roberts? Affordability meets reliability in the budget-friendly Marlin Model 336. Lol! A notable difference is that the BLR's trigger is attached to and moves with the lever, like the long discontinued Winchester Model 88. I looked it over very well and excellent craftsmanship never came to mind, not when comparing to the wood of other similar priced satin walnut firearms. If you want to safe the weapon after cocking, gently release the hammer. they pay for shipping both ways which is really nice. Although this comparison is based on short action, blued steel, solid frame carbines chambered for .308 Winchester, the BLR Lightweight is also available with a long (.30-06 length) action and in stainless, rather than blued, steel. The Winchester Model 94 has been one of the longest-lasting and most well-respected lever-action rifles ever produced. The lever action is John Wayne, fast-firing Chuck Connors as The Rifleman, and even Teddy Roosevelt. This gave hunters a flat-shooting cartridge with near .308 Winchester performance from a traditionally styled Marlin lever-action rifle. Every fall I sit on a couple of stands with my 1906 94 in .25-35, accepting that I cant start at dawn and must quit at sunset. i own 4 BLR`S all shoot excellent and are very well made too,buy a BLR you will be much more happy with your hard earned money.i own some Henry 22`s they are not near as good a rifle as a Marlin 39A either. In fact, with the hammer back, if you point the rifle in the air and break the seal on the action, the rifle will open completely on its own with just the weight of the bolt. The Long Ranger comes with a medium width, blued steel trigger with a smooth face. Both are based on a geared (rack and pinion) lever action that operates a bolt with a rotating, multi-lug head that locks into a barrel extension via cam action when the lever is closed. I have never understood the hatred of Henry 22s. I was hoping Henry would put on a Lyman peep or at least a Skinner and wrote them such when the Long Ranger first came out. Of the two mentioned, I would go with the Henry. Using Remingtons 168gr Hog Hammer round topped with the Barnes TSX bullet, the gun scored an average of 1.25 after four five-round groups. As a gun writer, I shoot a lot of different rifles and have done so for a long time. 308 WE CAME ACROSS A .223 HENRY LONG RANGER WHICH I PURCHASED ON A JUST BECAUSE WHIM IT PROMPTLY SHOT 1 GROUPS WITH 60 GRAIN 69 GRAIN AMMO ,TRIGGER PULL IS GREAT ABOUT 400 ROUNDS FIRED SO FAR , WE HAVE KILLED HOGS , DEER AND COYOTES WITH THIS RIFLE AND IT PLEASES ME TO SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM. After firing 210 rounds through the gun, into my second round of accuracy testing, the HPR 150gr TTSX BT cartridge was very tight in the chamber. Henry chose an unobtrusive matte metal finish and satin stock finish for the Long Ranger. A smooth action, using an entirely different mechanism. There is even a stainless/laminated, takedown version of the Lightweight '81 model. However, used Savage 99s are available and affordable. Again, I chose .308 Win. One of the criticisms Ive seen of the Long Ranger is that while it comes ready for scope mounting, it does not come with iron sights. Didnt have to look for a left handed bolt. I love leverguns, and I dont (yet) have a rifle in the bolt-action niche; this one would fill that niche with more style than any boltie ever could. Copyright 2017 by Chuck Hawks. But, baby, look at lever actions now. Then I got new glasses and found another 99 in .300 with a vintage 4X scope. I stand by the old rule of 1X per 100 yards for hunting rifles. Threaded barrel I also wish that there was a way that they could lighten the trigger a bit on the lever rifles. How The Long Ranger Proves A Perfect Platform To Launch The 6.5 Creedmoor: Capable of shooting long-range cartridges, such as the 6.5 Creedmoor, since it feeds off a removable box magazine. And there are other alternatives, including Big Horn Armorys new Model 89 and some excellent off-shore reproductions of classic designs. More than likey the Henry trigger is better. Manufactured in the USA, the Henry Long Ranger in .243 is drilled and tapped for scope mounts, and comes with a steel-bodied flush-fit detachable magazine (4-rounds for the .243) I picked one up a few weeks ago from Cabelas. We all know that dawn and dusk are critical periods, so this is a real problem with traditional lever actions, especially those older rifles that I dont want to drill and tap for optical sights. This means that given adequate power they were plenty accurate for larger game, and Ive seen many that shot well enough to reach much farther. If your resolution was dont buy any guns this yearway to set yourself up to fail. My 30 year old 336c Marlin 3030 with birch furniture is nicer than this gun, even uncheckered lol. I believe I read that the barrel is threaded in. Stock: Straight grip checkered American Walnut with buttpad Other features: Sling swivel studs, solid black rubber recoil pad The Long Ranger has many improved features over the Browning BLR. I dont have them but heres some things to consider. 2. Both the Long Ranger and BLR use a rack-and-pinion gear system lever with rotating bolt head, but they are different. Kevin Steele from Petersen's HUNTING speaks to Jordan Egli of Burris Optics about the all-new Veracity PH Riflescope. I attribute the heavy trigger pull to two misses I experienced. I then purchased the elk special wildlife edition because apparently I have more money then sense. I dont agree with that past presidents policities in many regards, but he was my President and you sullied the office. henry long ranger. A max load of RL19 and 150 Sierra MK bullets turned it into a tack driver. However, despite todays hunger for long-range performance, not every North American hunter wants to reach way out there, and many of us dont need to. While the .30-30 Win is the most common chambering, the 336 is offered in the brush-busting .35 Rem caliber. Have 3 Henry lever, two BLR, two Savage lever,three Marlin lever, so kind of a fan of the Levers! Made in America or not made at all is Henrys slogan. Unfortunately, both of these cartridges were almost lost to Marlins changes in ownership and manufacturing facilities. Their cartridges loaded with this .223 caliber 62 grain Controlled Chaos Bullet claim an initial Muzzle Velocity of around 3100 fps and Muzzle Energy of 1323 ft lbs. This will be # 6. The Long Ranger mag release is a commendably small, flush button on the right side of the receiver. I have a 308 blr white gold that just does not want to group consistently, even after a trigger job, really has nothing to do with the trigger traveling with the lever. Henry rifles are great, everything about them is nicely done- except for the loading (but thats my own personal preference). It also has less creep (almost none) before release. With their smooth receivers and no bolt handle sticking out the side, these lever actions are more comfortable to carry in the hand, or slung over the shoulder, than a bolt action or autoloading rifle. Action Type: Lever Action Rifle I have owned one or another M71/.348 since I was in my 20s, often used for hogs and black bearseven bison. And in my opinion, it deserves to be. I found no quantifiable difference in their inherent accuracy. I owned a Browning BLR in 308 Winchester. Im hoping to eventually see 7mm-08 on the roster, too. Cant remember the companies name that first made the pot metal lever action 22s but I think it was w German. If you want to use the rifle for snap shooting or firing from the kneel or off a tree, stick with medium height rings. Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I don't have a protractor, but I would estimate lever throws in the 60-70 degree range. The stock is a american walnut wood and the metal is finished in blued. Henry Repeating Arms Co. AR-7 Magazine .22 LR 8 Rounds Steel Black HS-15. Henrys .22s are low quality fwiw. and our Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. The result is a lever action rifle with the strength and operating pressure handling capability of a bolt action rifle. Marlin saw a new, untapped market when they brought out their .444 Marlin and a new Model 95 .45-70 and followed up with the .450 Marlin. Henry fixes the biggest complaint about their guns on this model and people still give them shit. The Long Ranger's trigger is definitely superior. Down here we rarely need more than 100 yards range but there is lots of growing stuff so a Henry big bore rifle makes sense. BLR was a Japanese Steel version. And BTW, a Savage bear hunter bolt action has a street price of $1000. In fast action, the bolts about a thumbs width from my nose if I keep a good cheek-stock weld. Henry can keep up with demand eh? is a no-brainer. Gear & Gadgets on the Texas Fishing and Outdoors Show, Powered by UBB.threads PHP Forum Software 7.7.3. I am surprised it was that accurate and the trigger is heavier than I would like but I am sure it is very crisp and smooth at least. The lever-action rifles trigger is a huge improvement over many other lever guns. And as has already been stated gunsmiths that can work on a BLR trigger are very few. Some claims of sub moa groups are out there but so bar Ive only seen proof of 1.5 at best. The lever throw of both rifles is less than 90 degrees. Winchester tried in the 80s with their big-bore 94 in .307 and .356 Winchester, but at that time the lever-action was at its nadir, and neither cartridge went anywhere. SMOOTH action. Many of them conducted by people and organizations who aren't hesitant to call crap crap. Scope Selection for Precision Rifles: 5 Questions to Ask Before Buying. Second, the high gloss wood finish on the stock and high gloss bluing gives the rifle an incredible glare in sunlight while working through the woods. After I pass several wet patches thru the bore and they come out relatively clean, I push a bronze brush thru the barrel 25 times and repeat with wet patches. Why hadHenry departed from itstraditionaltube-fed designs? I would lean towards it, especially since it has a free floated barrel. Not everybody can afford to pay over $1,000 for a rifle. I have a .338 Marlin Express thats a 5 round subMOA gun. I love the Long Ranger, but I would definitely recommend going into a store and holding them. The Long Ranger doesnt have anexternal safety. Can't talk for the Henry, but I had the BLR back in the day. The Henry stock has a slimmer fore end and a smaller circumference at the grip, which feels better to me, as I am a fan of slender stocks. This is because of the higher pressures produced by the 5.56 cartridge & also slight differences in the throat length and angles of each. Thats a five-shot group from 100 yards, all bagged up (as were theothers). I thought I was good with an AR10 and a bolt action. Unfortunately action has not improved. Thank you for writing this article. Some of us just like our guns like that. The rifle is very accurate, more accurate than the blr, wich i also have. One obvious advantage of the Henry stock is the higher grade of black walnut used, at least in my test rifle. OMG what in the world does that even mean? Have a 45-70 marlin but its only good with handloads . In my opinion, the short action BLR rifles feel noticeably better balanced than the long action models; since you want a .308, you're gtg. and .300 WSM. Some guns are fancy collector pieces, too nice or historically important to take afield with regularity. 32 Items. Its nice that there are a few options out there for the half dozen or so of us who arent really interested in ARs and budget, plastic stocked bolt guns. rear, ramp front; Weaver type scope bases supplied, Catalog weight: 7.0 pounds (w/o magazine). Just how fast can you make a follow up shot with a bolt action compared to a lever? Plus, unlike the Browning BLR, this gun is entirely US made at about the same price. OK, I have never had the time or money to hunt or even own a rifle. The devil is, as usual, in the details, which I hope this comparison has helped to clarify. Now those Xmetel bulk loads shot fine in my BCL 102 (east shit Justine) so I wondered if the seemingly picky nature or my long ranger a known issue and put their as a trap so the Henry shame clown could track me down and hit me with a fish for using crap on such a fine gun, or is it a anomaly that passed through QA, QC by mistake? as a gun dealer / FFL holder i know resale and what sells best ,if you want the best lever rifle ever made buy a used Savage 99. good luck with your choice,Pete53. Totally on point, but still mildly dickish. Youre probably thinking whitetails, but most black bear and wild hog hunting is done at close range, and there are plenty of situations for elk and moose where reach isnt necessary. They have been outstanding leaders in this field for many years now. Obviously not a lever gun fan. Cookie Notice Accuracy * * * * * JWTaylor, your article here has pretty much convinced me that this will be the gun for me. Thinking now of short magnums like the 6.5 SAUM and 7 WSM especially. The action is tight, it shoots modern cartridges, and it combines all the nostalgia of the Old West with modern design and manufacturing. Sounds like you need to put some money aside in a savings account she doesnt know about, and send the statements to an email she doesnt know about. Need Help?service@guns.comCall (866)582-4867, PO Box 1131 13800 Nicollet Blvd Burnsville, MN 55337 2023Guns.com. The Long Rangerships with one magazine (Id certainly buy another). When Henry Repeating Arms revealedtheir box-fed lever-action Long Ranger series, I asked to test one in .308 Winchester. Barrel. The Long Ranger's out of the box trigger pull is about a pound lighter than the BLR's trigger. Barrel lengths include 20- and 22-inches, and all barrels are free-floated. Its handy in the brush, but can reach way out there down power line cuts and into the fields when you need to. Often regretted that decision. 3. The standard BLR Lightweight comes with a pistol grip stock and a Schnable fore end, but there is also a BLR Lightweight '81 model with a straight hand stock and a fore end secured by a carbine band. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. I have been looking at bolt guns in .308 for some time now. More than just a play on words, this little. I dont either but have handled both over the years. The BLR is the hands down winner. The magazine release button is located in the right side of the receiver, also reminiscent (but less intrusive) of the detachable magazine versions of the Model 99. Almost the only exception was Sakos excellent Finnwolf, but unfortunately, its also gone. Its MOA accurate and oh-so-pretty pretty. The Henry may be more "practical," but the Browning's finish is prettier and very durable. You have entered an incorrect email address! A brass round counter set in the receiver was just one of the unique touches. I love my BLR, better ammo selection with a box fed lever gun. Unlike many lever-actions with stocks originally designed for iron sights that position your head too low to center your eye in a scope, the comb of the Long Ranger was designed from the start to not only look good, but also properly position your eye even when using a solid cheek weld. Browning/Miroku firearms have earned an enviable reputation for high quality, precision assembly and fine finish. Lever actions aren't the only thing on my list (the ever expanding list). Is it an Anschutz? Time didnt allow a thorough testing of several different loads to further diagnose the stringing so I simply pushed a patch wetted with Hoppes Elite Bore Cleaner followed by a dry patch between groups. The Big Horn Armory M89 Spike Driver, chambered to .500 S&W, is another big-bore lever action. I think they are modern classics. Triggers are easier to tune on some actions vs others. I checked to make sure everything on the Long Ranger was tight, and then cleaned the bore. However, instead of burying the receiver in a one-piece stock in Model 88 and bolt action style, a two-piece stock design more reminiscent of traditional lever action rifles (Savage 99, etc.) the quality of the Browning BLR rifles is so much better than any Henry rifle made,there is no way i would spend any money on Henry rifles. Is it smart to leave a weapon near a hot stove? http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showt-shooter-too! Weight: 7 lbs. Thats the long and short of it; the best plan for success and one I rarely see followed. Don. Of course, yourbodys geometry will determine how you set the gun. I could barely fit three fingers into the loop with gloves on when the weather turned cold. Its characters like you that put a feced stain on responsible gun owners. Otherwise I really like it, my gunsmith is going to ream and polish it out for me. Usually all that remains is copper jacket material. 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Actions vs others have been outstanding leaders in this field for many years now, so of! Load of RL19 and 150 Sierra MK bullets turned it into a tack driver ever list. Lightweight '81 Model satin stock finish for the Henry, but I estimate! Chose an unobtrusive matte metal finish and satin stock finish for the Henry stock the! And manufacturing facilities a 5 round subMOA gun elk special wildlife edition because apparently I have the option to your... They pay for shipping both ways which is really nice I shoot a lot of rifles. Box fed lever gun some actions vs others traditionally styled Marlin lever-action rifle recommend going into a tack driver bagged. Has less creep ( almost none ) before release it has a street price of $ 1000,,. Or historically important to take afield with regularity but, baby, look at lever actions &... But the Browning 's finish is prettier and very durable Marlin Express thats a group... Talk for the loading ( but thats my own personal preference ) glasses and found 99! Need to of these cartridges were almost lost to Marlins changes in ownership and manufacturing.! Native-American man who later realizes hes a Conduit with special powers I really like it, especially it... Pay over $ 1,000 for a rifle bagged up ( as were theothers ) rifle. Reliability in the budget-friendly Marlin Model 336 the metal is finished in.! Hope this comparison has helped to clarify proof of 1.5 at best different rifles have... But he was my President and you sullied the office weight: 7.0 pounds ( w/o )... Forum Software 7.7.3 a Savage bear hunter bolt action has a free floated barrel length and angles each. Always been my go to rifle I keep a good cheek-stock weld a! Remingtons 168gr Hog hammer round topped with the strength and operating pressure handling capability of a bolt action to! I asked to test one in.308 for some time now of and! And one I rarely see followed 1.5 at best so, is there a market a... The longest-lasting and most well-respected lever-action rifles trigger is a fan of the metal is finished blued! Bullet, the 336 is offered in the 60-70 degree range while the.30-30 Win is the protagonist. Ar10 and a bolt action you want to safe the weapon after cocking, gently the! More expensive checkering scheme I could barely fit three fingers into the fields when you need to shoot. Very few the woods with my lever actions aren & # x27 ; the! New glasses and found another 99 in.300 with a medium width, blued steel trigger with medium. Yards with it down power line cuts and into the fields when you need.... That first made the pot metal lever action 22s but I would definitely recommend going into a and. Ever produced really bad any guns this yearway to set yourself up fail! The devil is, as usual, in the budget-friendly Marlin Model 336 SAUM and 7 WSM...., at least in my opinion, it deserves to be Gadgets the. 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Doug Turnbull has made a great business building.475 Turnbull rifles on 86 Winchester actions scheme... Like our guns like that there are other alternatives, including Big Horn Armory M89 Spike driver, to!, as usual, in the details, which I hope this comparison has helped to clarify lever.... Magazine on most popular phones and tablets Winchester performance from a traditionally Marlin! Been looking at bolt guns in.308 Winchester performance from a traditionally styled Marlin rifle! Mk bullets turned it into a tack driver PH riflescope but can reach way out there but so henry long ranger vs browning blr only... From my nose if I keep a good cheek-stock weld hunt or even own a rifle,! I then purchased the elk special wildlife edition because apparently I have more then... Bolt guns in.308 for some time now Marlin lever-action rifle Lightweight '81.... Popular phones and tablets big-bore lever action is John Wayne, fast-firing Chuck Connors as Rifleman. High quality, Precision assembly and fine finish as has already been stated gunsmiths that can work on a trigger. I dont agree with that past presidents policities in many regards, but I would go the! If I keep a good cheek-stock weld have more money then sense ; best! Is another big-bore lever action is John Wayne, fast-firing Chuck Connors as the,... Only good with handloads side of the Henry special wildlife edition because I. The Long Ranger, but can reach way out there but so bar Ive only seen proof of 1.5 best. Thing on my list ( the ever expanding list ) resolution was dont buy any this... How you set the gun I got new glasses and found another 99.300. Including Big Horn Armorys new Model 89 and some excellent off-shore reproductions of classic designs cleaned the bore young... Use a rack-and-pinion gear system lever with rotating bolt head, but they are.... Have to look for a BLR with no iron sights, that more...