[Following are excerpts from Wide Open Spaces]
There was a time when we all thought repeaters were “out,” at least as far as hunting was concerned. Lever guns are for nostalgic geeks, right?
Somewhat surprisingly, repeaters are experiencing a kind of renaissance. The truth is, even though bolt action and AR-platform rifles are most common in the deer woods, veteran hunters are increasingly switching to lever action, or back to lever action after a break from it.
Newer hunters, too, are drawn to the cowboy style rifle, though not always for the same reasons. One reason is that they know the vast majority of deer are taken at close and mid range, and most lever guns are built for accuracy, and maneuverability, at those moderate distances.
Especially for spot-and-stalk hunts, which have grown in popularity, the maneuverability and light weight of a lever gun can be preferable. Same goes for hunting brush country. Lever gun manufacturers such as Henry and Winchester have been improving on the classic design with new, refined guns in a broadened range of calibers. Ammo manufacturers have followed suit with lever-specific ammo that increases power, accuracy and safety.
Here are three lever guns from Henry Repeating Arms to look at.
- The Big Boy All Weather .44
- The Lone Ranger .308
- The Color Case Hardened .30-30
The Big Boy All Weather .44
A major departure from any kind of John Wayne gun, the Big Boy All Weather is a durable weapon meant to go with you through the most demanding conditions. Although some of our friends had shot other models of the Big Boy and found it slow or difficult to load, compared to the 30-30 and .308, we found this one quicker to load with no jams, possibly because of the cartridge itself. Which is to be expected, since Henry has a long history with the .44 rimfire. Read the rest here…
Sources: Henry Repeating Arms, WideOpenSpaces
