Rifle Review: Henry Big Boy In .357 Magnum

Experience great hunting and sport shooting with the Henry Big Boy and know what makes this rifle a go-to firearm for many gun enthusiasts.

RELATED: 40 Best Rifles Perfect For Hunting Season | Gun Carrier

In this article:

1. Henry Big Boy 357 Review
2. Rifle Info and Specs
3. Ease of Use and Performance

Henry Big Boy Quality Lever-Action Rifle

Henry Big Boy 357 Review

|

The Henry company makes some of the best rifles on the market, and their customer service is second to none. Wow, I'm starting to sound like I'm writing a commercial for them.

You can't argue with the truth, though. Henry Repeating makes some great stuff.

Why? Well, for one, it's all made in America.

I love that—Made in America, or not made at all.

Rifle Info and Specs

|

This time around, they sent me a Henry Big Boy in .357 Magnum/.38 SPL. This particular rifle also comes in .44 Magnum/.44 SPL, and Henry Big Boy 45 Colt.

All three of them retail for $899.95. I never thought I'd say this about some big boy, but Henry's Big Boy is pleasant on the eyes with its brass receiver and accents, black octagonal 20” barrel, and walnut furniture.

I've had this little beauty for a few months, and have brought it to the range with me on several occasions, sending more than a few hundred rounds of the magnum and special projectiles downrange with extreme accuracy at 50 yards.

The fully adjustable semi-buckhorn sights are fantastic at putting the shot on the bullseye. But if you need some extra help in aiming, Henry rifles thought of that, too.

The polished, brass receiver is drilled and tapped for optic mounts, so you can scope out your target at longer distances—which is great for those of you who prefer magnification. And, as a bit of a side note, in my review video, I stated that the sights can be adjusted for elevation, but forgot to mention that they can also be adjusted for windage once you know how to do it (I'll post Henry's video of this at the bottom).

RELATED: Henry Pump Octagon Price New $575, Price Used

Ease of Use and Performance

|

The action on Henry's rifles are smooth without any hangups whatsoever, and the tubular magazine ensures that you make the most out of your capacity, which for the Big Boy, is 10 rounds.

The only problem I was having, was actually an operator error where I didn't open the action all the way. Once I realized the error of my ways, the issue was fixed.

There's been a lot of talks so far about the brass accents, and I want to point out that this rifle's sexiness shouldn't fool you. You can take this brass, pistol-caliber rifle into the woods and put deer, hogs, and other animals down with it just as you could with any other, more “camouflaged” gun.

The Henry Big Boy is capable, and fun to shoot. If you don't believe me, check out all the pictures on their product page, with hunters holding their Big Boy next to their dinner.

Again, you can go plinking and hunt with one of these, if the laws in your home state allow it. Make sure you know the laws in your home state before you go hunting.

Moving on …
I usually try to find something wrong with guns and gear I review, but I'm really struggling with this one. It's pretty, works well, shoots straight …

Oh, I got something. It comes in at over 8 pounds empty (8.2 on my digital scale), which is a bit heavy to hold on to for a while—especially when walking through the woods and stalking prey.

But, that's a small price to pay to be a member of a small club of people who hunt with rifles like this. Here is my review video:

The felt recoil on this firearm is very manageable and even negligible in this setup. I can only imagine that the bigger cartridges will produce more, albeit still very manageable, recoil.

I want to go on to say that a rifle like this, that shoots a pistol-caliber cartridge, is a great step in the right direction in teaching people who are new to shooting guns how to shoot, for a couple of reasons.

The first reason, which we already covered, is the limited recoil. It's good to start newer shooters on a gun that isn't going to hurt them so they actually have a desire to do it again.

Second, a gun like this can boost confidence and help aid in teaching the mechanics of shooting because the buckhorn/bead sights are easy to learn and use.

Third, it isn't intimidating in looks. I know, I know, that sounds ludicrous.

Seriously though, it has been proven time and again that certain guns are “scary” to some people. This one is actually pleasant on the eyes.

Here is a video from Henry Repeating Arms explaining in detail just how to adjust that rear buckhorn sight:

If you're new to using rifles as a gun enthusiast, this firearm is built just for you. I recommend the Henry Lever Action Big Boy to anyone on the hunt for a good rifle chambered in a pistol cartridge.

They're good for target shooting, hunting, cowboys, and anything else you may need a lever rifle for.

What do you think of this Henry lever action beauty? Share us your thoughts in the comments section below!

UP NEXT:

• Henry Varmint Express Price New $455, Price Used (See Below)
• Chiappa 1887 Lever Action | Gun Carrier Shotgun Reviews
• The Best In Home Defense | Mossberg 500 Tactical

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on November 4, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.