Idaho45guy
01-19-2021, 03:36 AM
My LGS had this Henry Big Boy X in .45 Colt sitting on the shelf for nearly two months before I couldn't resist any longer and brought it home today.
3 years ago, I tried to build this same rifle using a Remlin 1894 in .45 Colt as the foundation. The goal was to have a rifle capable of defense against predators and two-legged threats that was short, light, and handy. It would be my companion while camping, hiking, and exploring the Idaho back country.
I took the 1894 and it's sub-par wood and fit and finish and coated the stock with a textured desert tan finish. Then added a small piece of picatinny rail for mounting a light(needed for investigating bump in the night noises while camping), added a rail to the top for a red dot, a comfy sling, and a butt stock shell holder. It turned out great.
Except that it was heavy, and had feeding issues. Tipped the scales at over 10lbs and despite some action work and replacing the tube follower, it still wasn't 100%. But it did shoot decent 1.5" groups at 55 yards.
So, I decided to build an AR to fill that role. I ended up with an AR in .450 Bushmaster that was reliable, accurate, but was still heavy, and simply too bulky and uncomfortable to sling while hiking.
Then I saw the new Henry Big Boy X that came in at 7 lbs and held 7 rounds of .45 Colt. Already had fiber optic sights, a larger loop lever, composite stocks, matte finish, and even a picatinny rail for a light. It was the rifle I had intended to build in the first place.
Price on the tag was a bit steep at $799. So I went online to see if I could order one cheaper. Nope. Online they are going for $900 to $1200, if you can even find one.
So I finally convinced myself that I should pony up the $800 for the one locally.
Bought it today and headed straight to the range with a buddy to try it out. No factory ammo available, but I had plenty of reloads on hand that worked well in my Marlin and my Ruger Bisley.
Loaded it up and took aim at a 55 yard target. Trigger was crisp but heavy at 6.5 lbs. Shot the first group by putting the front sight on the bullseye while my buddy watched through a spotting scope. First shot was to the left 4". Next shot was low 4". last shot was high 4".
What??? I had a great sight picture and it felt good. 8" group. At 55 yards, using the same loads that give me 1.5" with the Marlin.
Tried another load and same results.
So, heading back to the range tomorrow after a thorough cleaning of the rifle. Bringing more recipes and added a Burris Fastfire III red dot to see if that improves things. If not, then I'll call Henry and see what they think.
But, the rifle functioned 100% and felt great. Hoping I can get it to shoot as good as it looks.
275645
This was the Marlin I built. Going to try and sell it for a few hundred to help offset the cost of the Henry.
275646
3 years ago, I tried to build this same rifle using a Remlin 1894 in .45 Colt as the foundation. The goal was to have a rifle capable of defense against predators and two-legged threats that was short, light, and handy. It would be my companion while camping, hiking, and exploring the Idaho back country.
I took the 1894 and it's sub-par wood and fit and finish and coated the stock with a textured desert tan finish. Then added a small piece of picatinny rail for mounting a light(needed for investigating bump in the night noises while camping), added a rail to the top for a red dot, a comfy sling, and a butt stock shell holder. It turned out great.
Except that it was heavy, and had feeding issues. Tipped the scales at over 10lbs and despite some action work and replacing the tube follower, it still wasn't 100%. But it did shoot decent 1.5" groups at 55 yards.
So, I decided to build an AR to fill that role. I ended up with an AR in .450 Bushmaster that was reliable, accurate, but was still heavy, and simply too bulky and uncomfortable to sling while hiking.
Then I saw the new Henry Big Boy X that came in at 7 lbs and held 7 rounds of .45 Colt. Already had fiber optic sights, a larger loop lever, composite stocks, matte finish, and even a picatinny rail for a light. It was the rifle I had intended to build in the first place.
Price on the tag was a bit steep at $799. So I went online to see if I could order one cheaper. Nope. Online they are going for $900 to $1200, if you can even find one.
So I finally convinced myself that I should pony up the $800 for the one locally.
Bought it today and headed straight to the range with a buddy to try it out. No factory ammo available, but I had plenty of reloads on hand that worked well in my Marlin and my Ruger Bisley.
Loaded it up and took aim at a 55 yard target. Trigger was crisp but heavy at 6.5 lbs. Shot the first group by putting the front sight on the bullseye while my buddy watched through a spotting scope. First shot was to the left 4". Next shot was low 4". last shot was high 4".
What??? I had a great sight picture and it felt good. 8" group. At 55 yards, using the same loads that give me 1.5" with the Marlin.
Tried another load and same results.
So, heading back to the range tomorrow after a thorough cleaning of the rifle. Bringing more recipes and added a Burris Fastfire III red dot to see if that improves things. If not, then I'll call Henry and see what they think.
But, the rifle functioned 100% and felt great. Hoping I can get it to shoot as good as it looks.
275645
This was the Marlin I built. Going to try and sell it for a few hundred to help offset the cost of the Henry.
275646