When Henry Repeating Arms revealed their box-fed lever-action Long Ranger series, I asked to test one in .308 Winchester. Without a round fired, I was impressed and intrigued. Why had Henry departed from its traditional tube-fed designs?
“Because customers asked for it,” Henry GM Andy Wickstrom said, simply enough. The company figured they could make money selling a good product that customers wanted. That’s the long and short of it; the best plan for success and one I rarely see followed. But turning the plan into reality wasn’t easy.
Of course, Henry’s motto “Made in America or Not Made at All” was non-negotiable. Then they had to re-think everything. The company didn’t want to build the same gun as its competition, yet it had to be recognizable as a Henry. So they used familiar grips, slightly modified. The same finishing, with different applications. A smooth action, using an entirely different mechanism. And a totally redesigned trigger.
I’ve taken points off Henry rifles in the past for good, but not great furniture. Not this one. The Long Ranger’s wood isn’t AAA Fancy grade, but it’s well figured and the model tested is at least a Fancy A grade American Walnut…maybe closer to AA.
The stock and fore-end grip areas are deeply checkered with a simple pattern. The wood-to-metal fit is very good, but not perfect. On the model I received, the shoulder stock fit is perfect, but the fore-end to end cap fit isn’t. (If you haven’t fit end caps to rifle stocks and become a neurotic nerd about it, you’ll never notice.) That stock includes a quality recoil pad and sling studs.
A smooth working action is a Henry hallmark, and this one is no different. Except it is. If anything, it’s better. After spraying a little RAA gun oil into the Long Ranger’s action, I was rewarded with butter-smooth cyling.
The Long Ranger’s action springs open and then quickly engages the exposed hammer to drive the bolt rearward. In fast action, the bolt’s about a thumbs width from my nose — if I keep a good cheek-stock weld. Thanks to that easy cycling action, that weld is easy to maintain.
I can cycle the Long Ranger with just my pinky, without any pause. 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. A bolt that’s chromed steel with a six-lug rotary head.
The Long Ranger doesn’t have an external safety. If you want to safe the weapon after cocking, gently release the hammer. Similar to the traditional Henry lever guns, the Long Ranger employs the proven in-hammer sliding transfer bar as a safety. When you pull the trigger, the rifle will fire. That’s the only time.
The Long Ranger’s magazine fits flush into the bottom of the action. It’s released via a black, flush-fit round button. The magazine to metal fit was excellent. There’s no wiggling or odd angles to get the magazine to sit or release. Just a press on the slightly curved bottom of the magazine and an audible and tactile click lets you know it’s locked in. It releases with any solid push of the button.
The Long Ranger ships with one magazine (I’d certainly buy another). The lever-action rifle’s trigger is a huge improvement over many other lever guns. It’s just as good, if not better than most of the bolt-action rifles in this price range. After the teeny tiniest bit of pre-travel it breaks cleanly, at what I’d guess to be between three to four pounds.
The model tested was set up for a scope. There’s no front sight and the barrel isn’t cut for one. The receiver is already drilled and tapped and a two-piece Skinner rail set comes installed.
The Long Ranger’s stock geometry works for a scoped gun that’s meant to be hunted. Although the drop and length of pull is similar to traditional Henry models, the Ranger’s straight grip is shorter and the comb is considerably higher. The resulting rifle shoulders quickly and delivers a full view of the scope and reticle to my eye.
If I was going to use this gun from a rest most of the time, I’d opt for the lowest rings I could get. Reaching the hammer wouldn’t be a problem; Henry supplies a hammer spur with each rifle. If you want to use the rifle for snap shooting or firing from the kneel or off a tree, stick with medium height rings. Of course, your body’s geometry will determine how you set the gun.
For those of you who prefer iron sights, Henry makes a version with sights included. For me, a quality scope in fixed four or six power will suffice in magnification for hunting, and likely be more durable than I’ll ever need. I stand by the old rule of 1X per 100 yards for hunting rifles.
The gunmaker’s brain trust decided to chamber the Long Ranger in the three most requested calibers: .223, .243, and .308Win. Next year they’ll branch out to other calibers. And why not? Henry’s already adding machine capacity to meet booming demand. Again, I chose .308 Win.
The Long Ranger lever gun was as reliable as any bolt action rifle I’ve ever shot. Shooting 250 rounds of mixed ammunition revealed no failures to load, eject, fire, etc. The magazine holds four rounds, (4+1). It loaded and unloaded easily, and never gave me any issue locking into the rifle. For the first 215 rounds, I didn’t clean the rifle in any way. The Long Ranger gave me no problems of any kind, with one exception.
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. It was the only round where I hand to change my grip and really tug on the lever to get the round to eject. There were no pressure signs on the brass or primer. Measuring the round at 2.705″, it’s the shortest round I tested, and although within SAAMI spec, a little over 1/10″ shorter than Barnes lists for that bullet.
After five rounds, I measured the group, then continued the testing with other rounds. I then cleaned the entire rifle, and tried the round again, with the exact same results. That round was very difficult to eject, no others were. The group with that round was also almost twice as large as some others. I’m intrigued, but the simple answer is that I’ll stay away from the HPR ammo with this rifle.
That HPR round scored a group size of 1 3/4″. That’s a five-shot group from 100 yards, all bagged up (as were the others). For the accuracy testing, I pulled the 6X fixed scope off and used a Vortex Viper 6-24X scope, set at the 24X setting. I took two days to do the accuracy testing, and I took whatever time it took to pull the trigger. (Not exactly hunting conditions.) That 1 3/4″ was the worst of the group, and frankly, good enough for most hunting. The gun did much better with other rounds.
Using Remington’s 168gr Hog Hammer round topped with the Barnes TSX bullet, the gun scored an average of 1.25″ after four five-round groups.
The inexpensive and commonly available Federal Premium 168grain SMK cartridge scored an extremely consistent 1″ group after fully 10 five-round groups. It outperformed the hand load I built to replicate it by a tenth of an inch — all done on a filthy dirty bore.
The five-shot group was particularly telling on this rifle, Many of my three-shot groups were well under one MOA. But 100 yard five-shot one MOA groups with factory rounds from a lever-action rifle is outstanding. I was expecting 1.5 to 2MOA. I was not expecting a Minute of Angle rifle in western guise.
Although that accuracy from the bench is great, this Long Ranger’s real joy is from other positions common in the field. At only seven lbs, with a 20″ barrel, this really is a walk-all-day and shoot-all-day rifle. It’s handy in the brush, but can reach way out there down power line cuts and into the fields when you need to. If you need fast follow-up shots on sounders of running pigs, this rifle will do it. One of the true do-it-all affordable rifles.
I shoot a lot of guns for TTAG. Most of the time, it’s an assignment, and it’s work. Usually, I’m happy to turn a gun back into the office and get my next assignment. This one is different. The Long Ranger is a must-have for me. It will be hanging above the door real soon.
Specifications: Henry Long Ranger Rifle
Model Number: H014-308
Action Type: Lever Action Rifle
Caliber: .308 7.62X51
Capacity: 4+1
Length: 40.5″
Barrel Length: 20″ Round
Weight: 7 lbs.
Stock: Straight grip checkered American Walnut with butt pad
MSRP: $1014.95 (at Cabela’s for ~$889)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style, Fit and Finish * * * * *
The Long Ranger’s bluing is well executed, the checkering is both functional and appealing, and the wood is far better than I would expect at this price range. Little features — how the round magazine release blends into the flat receiver, the bolt’s finish, and the checkering and quality of the wood itself — shows that Henry’s paying attention.
Accuracy * * * * *
I own some two dozen bolt guns. Of all of them even remotely in this price range, only one, the heavier and [$100] more expensive Ruger Hawkeye Predator in 6.5 Creedmor, matches the Long Ranger in out-of-the box accuracy.
Reliability * * * * 9/10th
It may not seem fair to take off anything for what amounts to a sticky bolt, but there’s perfect and there isn’t. But to be perfectly clear, 250 rounds went into the gun, 250 rounds went out the barrel, and all of them fired well.
Overall * * * * *
The American-made Henry Repeating Arms Long Ranger shoulders fast and points like a stick. It’s MOA accurate and oh-so-pretty pretty. The best part: it’s not a bolt gun or an AR. Win.
1. Wow that’s expensive, I’ll buy 2 bolt guns instead
2. Great accuracy for a lever action ie for a gun Herr Mauser made obsolete a century ago
3. If you make a 308 detachable magazine rifle that doesn’t fit an AR-10 magazine you are doing it wrong
Mag cannot be any larger or the lever won’t cycle. Watch Mrgunsngear’s video review where he explains this. His groups were really tight.
Long box magazines and lever guns don’t usually mix well.
I wonder though. Can the action handle the pressures of some of the compact mag rounds?
There’s still a small (niche?) market of gun buyers who aren’t interested in polymer wonders. A few of us really like walnut and steel (which inherently costs more than plastic and aluminum) and are willing to save up a little longer for it.
Sure, you could buy two Ruger Americans, Savage Axis etc. for the price, but you you can also buy a hell of a lot of Big Macs for the price of prime rib.
You win the internet for today. Big Mac’s vs Prime Rib
Not everything needs to be AR-based.
If you design a lever gun that takes 20-round AR-10 magazines, you can call it “The Nonfunctional Knuckle Smasher™”.
Spoiled by the Mossberg MVP, are we?
It’s a hunting rifle, not a tactical bullet hose.
Obviously not a lever gun fan.
1. Unless you’ve used a Henry, you don’t understand the quality of the worksmanship. Plus, unlike the Browning BLR, this gun is entirely US made at about the same price. And BTW, a Savage bear hunter bolt action has a street price of $1000. A winchester 70 featherweight has a street price of $900
Except for custom gun manufacturers, Henry’s customer service put’s everyone else to shame. They offered to send a youth stock FREE to a neighbor wh’od bought a 22 and didn’t know there was a youth version.
2. Mauser made the lever obsolete for military purposes, NOT for hunting. Just how fast can you make a follow up shot with a bolt action compared to a lever? From my experience and others. No way near as fast.
3. This is a HUNTING rifle. The less crap you have sticking out, the less chance of your rifle getting hung up on something when working through the brush. And if you need 10 rounds to put an animal down, you shouldn’t be hunting at all.
Another point to ponder. I shoot left handed. I have a .338 Marlin Express that’s a 5 round subMOA gun. Didn’t have to look for a left handed bolt. My sons and my right handed friends can easily shoot it too. Won’t by an AR because the way the action works I get hot gases burning the inside of my nose, but not with a lever gun.
Any gun that gives bolt accuracy that a leftie can shoot w/o having to look for a gun built specifically for left hand shooting gets a big plus in my book.
I could see myself buying this Henry.
Yeah, me too. This is the kind gun you could pass on to your kids, and they to theirs.
Don’t leave anything, especially guns to your kids! They won’t appreciate it the same as you did. Better yet, don’t have kids, or a wife!! They’re both useless, unlike your guns, whom you can always rely on!!
I couldn’t disagree with you more. It all depends on the quality of your ammunition.
I guess its the same, if you don’t look after your gun, it won’t look after you. People are the same. Try it.
Beautiful gun and great review, I’m going to start saving my pennies.
I love my BLR, better ammo selection with a box fed lever gun
This is a box fed lever gun as well. It’s hard to imagine anything else in 308.
I love lever guns! Have had a few over the years including a Winchester in .25-35, awesome little gun! I have an old Marlin 1895 in .38-55 presently, but it needs a LOT of work. Hey Henry, how about a lever gun in .38-55 with a 26″ barrel?
It looks good, but maybe not Henry-ish enough. Maybe they can figure out a new way to load the mag- like the mag is fixed in place and you have to take out the baseplate, spring and follower, then insert the rounds, then put those parts back on.
Totally on point, but still mildly dickish.
Henry rifles are great, everything about them is nicely done- except for the loading (but that’s my own personal preference). I think they are modern classics. I especially am happy about their new single-shot line, and I hope we see more creative thinking like that from them.
Lol! Henry fixes the biggest complaint about their guns on this model and people still give them shit. Ugh.
Dang it, now I’m in danger of blowing my new year’s resolution right out of the gate.
If your resolution was “don’t buy any guns this year”……way to set yourself up to fail.
“…that Mrs. Consequence knows about.” And this one is pricey enough to ping the radar.
More seriously, though, there’s a real danger it would become hers in short order; she’s a woodworker as well as a shooter. I’ve “lost” a good 1911, a very nice Henry lever gun, and have been convinced to convert her AR to wooden furniture….
There are worse problems to have. 🙂
I thought I was good with an AR10 and a bolt action. This just hit the top of the Henrys-to-buy list.
Sounds like you need to put some money aside in a savings account she doesn’t know about, and send the statements to an email she doesn’t know about.
My New Years resolution was to buy a new Henry this year. Guess they saw me coming!
Next steps for Henry:
1. 6.5 Creedmoor: nothing beats 120 GMX Superformance in short action.
2. “Pistol-grip” buttstock: not an AR abomination, just the swell grip they offer on other rifles.
3. Threaded barrel
4. Profit
Yes, please, to all of the above.
6.5 Cteedmoor as well as .338 Federal will be two of the additional rounds released later this year. They already have some of their guns suppressor ready. No plans on the pistol grip though.
Thanks for the tip. I hope they get around to a pistol grip sooner rather than later. I learned from a Marlin 1895 that the straight stocks just don’t work for me.
I would be interested in technical details about it, like exact magazine COAL, and whether the bolt lugs lock into a barrel extension or the barrel itself is cut. I believe I read that the barrel is threaded in. I know it’s early days, but the wildcat potential could be there. Thinking now of short magnums like the 6.5 SAUM and 7 WSM especially.
How about a .358 Winchester with an 18″ barrel, a 26″ .204 Ruger, and a 16″ .300 Blackout with a threaded barrel and iron sights? Maybe some WSMs?
.300 BO? Who wants a long range rifle with the ballistics of a pistol?
It’s nice that there are a few options out there for the half dozen or so of us who aren’t really interested in ARs and budget, plastic stocked bolt guns.
I hope in the near future they offer a Long Ranger in a medium or large bore chambering. I’d pinch pennies for that.
Yea, nothing against AR’s, but not my cup of tea. Buddies have ’em & I’ve shot ’em, but no big deal. Much to my surprise, they all absolutely adore my Ruger 77/357 bolt gun. They ask for it, so I oblige.
This will be my next irrational purchase.
I wasn’t kidding about buying it. Since I wrote this article I keep finding myself taking this gun hunting over many others. So far it has taken 5 deer and 7 pigs.
Sweet! If I wasn’t poor, I’d go buy one of these right now. I love leverguns, and I don’t (yet) have a rifle in the bolt-action niche; this one would fill that niche with more style than any boltie ever could.
Henry’s definitely marketing this rifle hard. I’m curious as to how it compares to the BLR, functionally, because I have a BLR in 7mm-08. I think the Henry’s barrel construction might lend itself to better theoretical accuracy and the trigger is easier to work on because it stays with the receiver. However, it’s more expensive than the BLR (~$100+ more than my SS Lightweight) and it’s heavier. Also, I’m partial to the pistol grip stock and I like the BLR’s trigger travelling with the lever (no pinching), although the trigger isn’t the greatest – needs a trip to Neil Jones, I think.
So, is there a market for a BLR with no iron sights, that costs more?
There is an iron sight version available. As for market, yes. They can’t keep up with demand and they are expanding capacity to be able to meet the demand for this line.
I’d think this gun would be attractive to left-handers who are disappointed with the relatively slim pickings among bolt guns. Levers don’t discriminate against left-handed shooters.
The hot brass ejects to the right. Not good for lefties. My brother is a lefty and he never liked my marlin .30-30 cause of that right eject.
I didn’t think I would really care about this gun too much but after reading your review I am starting to really want this gun. 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. 1 MOA from a lever gun isn’t bad at all. I might have to get this. Would it go better with a matte or gloss Leupold scope?
Already got a Henry 45-70 (all weather) after your last review. Dont want the wife to divorce me, so standing down for a little while until things cool down 😉
I’ll continue saving for a real Browning BLR over the Jersey shore knock off…
Is it smart to leave a weapon near a hot stove? Won’t the heat affect the wood (plastic)?
There’s no plastic on this gun. Prolonged sitting by an open fire would be a bad idea but sitting next to a wood burning stove with a heat shield while you warm your feet and your coffee won’t affect it at all.
The BLR appears to be a bit more nicely finished. This appears to be a good solid rifle in the class of box magazine lever guns.
I had a whole comparison between the blr and the Henry Lever rifle but it got cut in editing. Some finishes offered in the blr are better, some not. The trigger on the Henry is far superior, and I got better accuracy out of this than any blr I’ve ever shot. The stock wood on the Henry is also much better than what I’ve seen with the blr. I really like the blr, I’ve shot them, I’ve hunted with them and they are great guns. But if you have the two side-by-side, fealt their balance and their actions and compare your groups there’s really no question that the American-made Henry is a better product.
Thanks for that input, JWT. The LR with irons definitely has my interest, but I’m hoping they eventually come out with a pistol grip (personal preference) so I can better compare the two myself, particularly with feel/trigger/smoothness of action. I’m hoping to eventually see 7mm-08 on the roster, too. I’m glad to read that it’s selling well, because they certainly are promoting the heck outta it.
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. Unfortunately they went buckhorn which are only adjustable in a dream. Can a peep go on this without fooling around with the front sight? Such as a Skinner?
I bought the long ranger. Had some issues loading the clip, and cbambering rounds. I sent the rifle back to Henry, and they took care of it. The customer service rep, and mr Imperato, both contacted me, wich is something you dont see from othermanufacturers, except Savage. The rifle is very accurate, more accurate than the blr, wich i also have
I have a Browning BLR Lightweight in .308 and love that rifle. I want a Henry in .223 to go nicely with my CZ 527M in 7.62x39mm.
Tired of the tacticool crap. Not everything needs to be an AR-15 and use Pmags.
I have a Browning BLR Lightweight in .308 and love that rifle. I want a Henry in .223 to go nicely with my CZ 527M in 7.62x39mm.
Tired of the tacticool crap. Not everything needs to be an AR-15, have a Costa Grip friendly handguard, and use Pmags.
I decided that the tacticool crap was not for me & have stayed away from it. If that is what someone else likes, go for it, that’s why we have choices.
I would like to see the Long Ranger offered in a ”pistol grip” stock. And on this model, offer a Large Loop Lever.
Have 3 Henry lever, two BLR, two Savage lever,three Marlin lever, so kind of a fan of the Levers!
I picked one up a few weeks ago from Cabelas. $850 I believe. I haven’t taken it to the range yet but fit and finish are great and I really like the trigger. I wish I’d gone to the website before buying though…I didn’t realize that they were going to be selling a version with iron sights or I’d have waited. They won’t have sights or spare magazines available until March unfortunately.
I also picked up a LongRanger .308 in January 2017, while it was on sale at Cabela’s. Unfortunately I haven’t been to the range with it yet either ( broken leg).
I have 2 pros and one con. First 2 pros; I am very impressed with the quality of wood and despite the trigger being heavy (4.5) it is crisp with a tiny bit of travel (this is way better than either of the two axes I purchased prior to accutrigger option).
Only con I can think of is that the action feels very rough and that I am fighting machine burrs the entire stroke. Where is the silky bolt drop promised to me by a misguiding gunwriter? When I asked the gun desk “experts” at Cabela’s why, they told me; that’s what I should expect since “the gun only came out a few months ago”. OMG what in the world does that even mean?
Moving forward I have cleaned, lubricated, and hand worked this LR action a thousand times. And I have loaded some FGMM clones (per Dan Newberry). Unfortunately action has not improved. This gun cost twice what my BLR did (20 years ago) and feels like half the gun so far. My BLR is a steel .243 that still shoot dimes at a 100.
Any thoughts on (1) how to proceed with smoothing my action? (2) is a barrel break-in proceedure in my near future?
KGB
KGB, remove your clip magazine and I’m sure you will find a silky smooth action. All clip feed levers have this issue because they depress the cartridge feeder spring when operating the bolt. If you truly have a ‘rough action’ , contact Mr. Imperato at Henry and I’m sure they will ‘make it right’.
I’ve read the comparisons with the Browning BLR. I owned a Browning BLR in 308 Winchester. It functioned well, however, because the trigger traveled with the lever, the trigger pull was very heavy (7+ lbs) and not really very suitable for accuracy while hunting. I attribute the heavy trigger pull to two misses I experienced. 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. My hunting partner commented on the glare to me. I kept mine in the shade when not moving. I sold it for these reasons. I’m glad to see Henry’s Long Ranger come out with these issues addressed. I noticed other comments. I had spoken to Henry’s management and I understand a large loop lever will be coming. That was another shortcoming with the BLR. It was hard to handle with gloves on when hunting in cold weather. I’m sure if this rifle gets customer support, other options like pistol grips and additional calibers, like the 6.5 Creedmor and 338 Federal, which aren’t available in a BLR will come. Thanks to Henry for a fine rifle.
Spitzer bullets and tube magazines do not mix. Think about the bullets acting as a firing pin for the cartridge iahesd of it,
I owned a Browning BLR in 308 Winchester. It was accurate on the bench, but the high gloss finish on the stock and highly polished barrel were good for scaring game from glare in the fields and woods. The trigger was very heavy and not conducive to field accuracy. In fact, I missed two deer inside of 25 yards with it. You’ll like the trigger on the Henry Long Ranger. Similarly, the BLR needs a glove loop lever. I could barely fit three fingers into the loop with gloves on when the weather turned cold. The free floated barrel on the Long Ranger will surpass the BLR. I sold my BLR twelve years ago, I asked Browning to address these issues but no response.
So glad to have someone make a truly hunter’s rifle agian. I have the Savage 99c in 308 and it has always been my go to rifle. Now that Hennry has made one I must have one . And I will have to get my son one as well as he has always admired my savage . Way to go Hennery . I love the 308 round and own 5 rifle in that caliber. This will be # 6.
You bring up the old Savage 99c; Henry could bring back the .250-3000!!! Or chamber for the .257 Roberts?
This may be a great rifle but it is awfully expensive. Not everybody can afford to pay over $1,000 for a rifle. Most people don’t consider $1,000 a reasonable price, about 1/2 that is a reasonable price for the average working man.
Street price for these is right at $800. Seen the 223 for even less. And you get what you pay for.
This is priced right where it should be for the features and quality. If you haven’t seen or handled one
you should and then you would understand. Henry is coming out with a single shot that looks really nice for
less than $400 if the $800 is too much for you.
I tend to look at firearms as once-in-a-lifetime investments and save accordingly. Rifles are definitely in the you get what you pay for category. I gladly wait to save the money and have yet to be disappointed for doing so.
Just found out about the Long Ranger while researching problems with my BLR 7mm-08 and no satisfaction coming from customer service or repair shop at Browning 😡
Will be trading for hopefully a Henry “7mm-08” in the near future!
I’d like to see a little better finishing of the metal. Some of us just like our guns like that.
You certainly don’t want a high gloss finish on a hunting rifle…….the matte blue finish on the Henry Long Ranger is perfect. Note my comment above……I had a Browning BLR and you could see the glare from the high gloss metal and stock 300 yards away. I sold it. I was tired of having to keep it out of the sunlight while hunting.
I did exactly the same thing with my BLR. The finish was too glossy and easily destroyed in the field. Sold it after just a few months.
Please , please chamber it in .338 federal ! I hunt elk in the jungles of the northwest , and it be the ultimate bush gun . Have a 45-70 marlin but it’s only good with handloads . So PLEASE chamber the 338 !!
Henry can keep up with demand eh? Perhaps Sako should reintroduce the Finnwolf. Had a chance to buy one in 1978 for $225. I thought that was too much and got a Winchester 70 for $175. Often regretted that decision. Lots of mention of deer and hogs here. Ten years ago I got a Model 70 308 and have since killed 10 Colorado Elk with it including one 6 PT bull. Nosler Accubonds have never failed me in his caliber. I like the idea of a 308 in lever action and the look of this gun. Held one in Cabelas a week ago. Looks and feels fantastic. With Cabelas Points and gift cards in excess of $500, I think I may own one of these soon.
Just got a very nice 308 win. henry long ranger.
The workmanship is excellent, I shot over 100 rounds and saw no change in bullet grouping, amazing.
Great wood, good metal work, points well, light recoil, great trigger, mine is just a bit over 3 lbs. this is a fine gun. 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. My Henry will make a fine gun to haul on my quad or the back seat of my 4×4. Going on a bear hunt with it in a few weeks in north central Saskatchewan Canada.
In Ca. its become so restrictive on AR platforms, does anyone know if there are 5.56 cartridges upcoming with propellant and bullets where the 5.56 has better knockdown power for use in the back country, for both hunting and large animal defensive purposes-.
Don, if I understand your question correctly you are basically asking for information regarding any new or fast approaching improvements to the 5.56 x 45 mm also known as the 5.56 NATO cartridge. I’m guessing you asked this in hopes finding the most lethal 5.56 NATO ammunition currently available. You probably know that firearms chambered in 5.56 NATO can also fire .223 Remington ammunition safely. This has caused many people to believe this is simply the exact same cartridge called by 2 different names. That is simply not the case because these 2 cartridges are not identical twins, and it is rarely good for a gun specifically chambered in .223 Remington to be fed 5.56 ammo. This is because of the higher pressures produced by the 5.56 cartridge & also slight differences in the throat length and angles of each. I only tell you this because it sounds like you have an AR and thus can shoot either cartridge no problem. The web site I suggest you start looking thru appears to label all their 5.56 ammo as .223 Remington ammunition, so just in case I wanted to reiterate these slight differences before suggesting you go there & then find no 5.56 NATO ammo because they call it .223 Remington. I believe that both the Lehigh Defense Company and Underwood Ammunition Company have been producing some of the most significant breakthroughs in ammunition design and loading’s to date. They have been outstanding leaders in this field for many years now. First I suggest looking into Lehigh Defense’s “Controlled Chaos Bullet” design if you never have. You should investigate it’s design how it is made and how it functions to make sure you believe it will work for your situation. Lehigh Defense currently produces a “Controlled Chaos Bullet” for 5.56 NATO in 2 wieghts. One weighs 55 grains & the other weighs 62 grains. The Underwood Ammunition Company purchases these bullets from them to load and sell on their own web sight. Underwood Ammunition is always extremely well made, very powerful, effective, and second to none. 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. While the cartridges made using the lighter 55 grain CCB reach 3250 fps and a Muzzle Energy of around 1290 ft lbs.
If you decide the LeHigh Defense “Controlled Chaos Bullet” design is not for you then Underwood also loads and sells cartridges using the 60 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Spitzer in .223 Remington which claim average initial Muzzle Velocity around 3200 fps and Muzzle Energy of 1364 ft lbs. Lastly for 5.56 NATO weapons they sell cartridges they have made with Hornady’s V-Max bullet design in both 50 and 55 grain weights. The web-sight claims the 55 grain bullets average a muzzle velocity of 3300 fps and Muzzle Energy of 1330 ft lbs. While the 50 grain V-Max bullets are said too leave the muzzle at around 3400 fps and average starting Muzzle Energy is 1284 ft lbs. I hope this helps.
Thanks Michael,
A very thorough review. Much appreciated.
Bottom line I’m still short 500 ft pds to a 30-30 and almost a 1000 on 308
When in the back country, that makes a big difference
Again, thanks for taking the time
Don
Go 6.5 grendel!
Its nothing but a browning BLR with henry name.
How easy (or hard) is it to clean, i.e. bolt removal etc.
I’d clean it from the muzzle rather than attempt to take it apart and get the gears aligned again on it’s rack & pinion system. I use a brass rod, a muzzle guard (Kleen-Bore, Dewey or Bore-Tech) and Shooters Choice MC-7. 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. Usually all that remains is copper jacket material. I run a patch with Shooters Choice twice a day thru the bore until the green color is gone. There are more aggressive copper solvents which can speed up the process but some could be corrosive. I haven’t noticed any corrosion issues with MC-7.
Note to “HUNTER”: Please see my posts above starting with Feb 11, 2017. The Long Ranger has many improved features over the Browning BLR. I used to have a BLR.
Would love to see a as long gun
I have been looking at bolt guns in .308 for some time now. I have been trying to find the right one. I want iron sights so that really limits my choices. I own several lever guns and am very comfortable with them.
JWTaylor, your article here has pretty much convinced me that this will be the gun for me.
I already own a Henry Single Shot in 45-70 and I have one of their little .22 AR-7 “survival” rifles. The Single Shot is a quality firearm but I really don’t want a break action .308.
I plan to find a Henry Long Ranger and put my hands on it to see how I like the way it feels and handles.
Thank you for writing this article.
OK, I have never had the time or money to hunt or even own a rifle. As a complete greenie, I think this rifle would be the best all around for the only one I will ever own to go deer and wild boar hunting in Georgia. Now to find a land owner that will allow me to hunt wild boar to start with, that would be the go for me to get into this. Filling the freezer with meat appeals to me, just remember to cook it well with all the parasites out there.
I had my heart set on buying the Long Ranger in 6.5 CM and today I went to Cabelas to get one.
What a let down. The forends on these guns is so thin its like holding a red rider bb gun. 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. They did have a 243 with much better looking wood but not my flavor.
The magazine didn’t fit flush and rattled really bad. This was unacceptable to me.
I can’t say much about the smootheness of the action because Cabalas wouldn’t unlock the lever and let me cycle it. That was my final straw and I left without any gun.
I won’t buy a long Ranger, not at a $900 price tag. There are way too many reviews showing ejection issues and poor triggers.
Some claims of sub moa groups are out there but so bar I’ve only seen proof of 1.5 at best.
I really wanted this gun but it’s just not as nice as I had hoped, and what all of these reviews led me to believe.
My 30 year old 336c Marlin 3030 with birch furniture is nicer than this gun, even uncheckered lol.
Im having and issue. I purchased my 2nd 308 because some black face communist dictator made mine illegal. So I have stopped getting semi autos because apparently they sneak of and commit crimes when I’m not looking, I purchases a Marlin 45-70 dart 1895 and love it. I then purchased the elk special wildlife edition because apparently I have more money then sense. Again I love it. it looks great, its action is smooth as a baby. In record time using only the sites on it I zeroed fast and consistent. The on surprise was the recoil. it seems to kick harder then my Marlin 45-70 dark (sbl) and I would not have ever guessed it when the rounds are side by side. But you don’t leave your love even when they snuggle up and fart on you. now the bad side (besides the farting girlfriend, even worse when she Dutch ovens you) on my second shoot I had a terrible time with rounds not seating on the bolt or chambering properly, sometimes locking the lever or not firing when triggered. So like any rookie in target ranges (was military for 25+ years, but apparently we stopped using lever action over a hundred years ago,,,shame) I asked someone for help. those words are like yelling free timmies coffee (yes Canadian) and within seconds I had almost everyone on the firing line helping. (I love this brotherhood shit, its a lesser substitute then the military but still scratches the itch)) and while one guy helped the other went to his truck and brought in match quality reloads. the theory was the cheap Ammo (Xmetal targets) and hypothesized the shoulder was to far forward and the bolt could not fully close . The guy from lane gave me a mag load of his match grade 308s and it seemed to be fine. 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? anyone?
Oh and and can I rent the clown, I think some of my fellow Canadians at xmetal need a Bass slap for tarnishing our reputation of being the only country no one is scared of or worse confirming it by making ammo while drinking Labatt 50.
Gotta say you have it worse up there with gun control. Down here in Georgia, hunting with freedom to choose your fire arm in relative freedom is a sacred thing. 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. Since we don’t get elk or big bears, I’m still debating what to get that’s practical. Henry makes a 44 mag that would work in a revolver, also a 357 mag. So one of those and a revolver makes the most sense. Being retired, I have one shot at this. Remarks are appreciated.
This is to Shannon Armitage. You’re a racist/bigoted idiot. I don’t agree with that past presidents policities in many regards, but he was my President and you sullied the office. Shame on you.
Its characters like you that put a feced stain on responsible gun owners
Turns out Shannon was right. How do you “Sully the office”?
The only one who sullies the office is the occupier of the office!!
I’ve been looking for a sighted 308 Long Ranger for a couple of months now and can’t find one anywhere unless you want to spend an extra 600 bucks for a special edition model which I wouldn’t dare take hunting anyway. Sure would be nice to know how long for Henry to get the sighted version out into the market place, if it’s too long I just may have to settle for the sightless model which is pretty much available with on line gun web sites. Hunting season is fast approaching!
Contact Mr. Imperato at Henry directly or the Sales Manager……..bet they can find you one.
Great Review, thank you. I would like a comparison review of Henry Single shot .308/7.62×51 to the Henry long Ranger for accuracy.
LOOKING FOR A. 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
My .308 long ranger is a year and a half old. Bore scope showed a divet in the barrel, Henry replaced it. After hundreds of rounds while off work for months the trigger still goes creep creep creep bang and it shoots dependable 3.5 to 4 inch groups at one hundred. Has no tolerance for any heat. I’m a .308 fan and have more than a few. You can spend less for better results. Looks good though.
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