Henry 22 To Scope Or Not To Scope?

[paperboy]

Just got a Henry 22. The rifle is awesome! Action is so smoooooth! By the way this is my first lever action and I picked a great one! Now, I shot soda cans with it at about 25 yrds, it is really accurate and I like the looks of the gun. I am though considering using it to hunt squrills this fall and also turning it into a 50-75 yard shooter that is why I am considering putting a scope on it. Will it ruin the "nastalgia" look or will it be a nice looking lever gun with a scope? This maybe a stupid question but what do you think????

 

[redneckmedic]

NO, Neg, not, keep it real!

 

[jy951]

I wouldn't add a scope, especially a big one. I would probably add a rear peap sight though.

 

[following2dp]

I ran a scope on my Henry once and was very impressed with the little .22's ability to shoot strait. That being said, it looked stupid, and I took it off. It was one of those NC Star tacticool airsoft scopes to be exact.

If I had a classy scope I would definately keep one on it. Unfortunately, most of the classy scopes cost more money than what I bought the Henry for.

 

[2cool9031]

I have an Ithaca MDL 49 .22 Mag with a scope on it....it has a side mount like you would put on a Winchester...looks cool.

 

[D.T.O.M.]

Just my 2 cents but I would not scope it! Sometimes it is hard to see them threw a scope with leaves on Save your Henry for that time of year and scope another type of rifle. Lever actions should NOT have scopes and pistols should NOT have bipods lol Whatever you decide to do it will still be a fun gun to shoot!

 

[22lr]

If you must scope it please get a vintage off center mounted scope that keeps some kind of classic look.

I had a scope on my Henry and while it helped accuracy a lot I never could live with a classic looking lever gun with a scope on top. But that's just me and I dislike Glocks, 1911s, H&Ks, Remington shotguns, Mosins, SKSs and AK-47s so maybe you should take that with a grain of salt .

 

[JByer323]

I'm torn. I love my dad's Henry with iron sights, but at the same time, if I was going to hunt with it, I would probably prefer it to be scoped. I agree lever guns look better without, but lever guns also have sights that don't really have fine adjustments.

If you decide to go with one, check out Leupolds variable rimfire. It's like $200, and a variable 2-7x, but doesn't have adjustable parallax (set to 60m). I have it on a Weatherby XXII, and I think it looks just right.

 

[RelicHound]

I own 2 lever actions one is a 22 mag and ther other is 22lr,I think levers with scopes look kinda funny but my 22mag is my coon hunting gun and for me a good fixed power scope is a must when I coon hunt so it does have a scope. my other lever is for punchin holes in paper and to sit around a look pretty so she's gonna stay scopeless. either way congrats on the lever! they are fun!

 

[Old Syko]

Use the money you would spend on optics and buy ammo so you can learn to shoot the thing. If you can't hit tree rats at 50 to 75 yds. with open sights with a 22, just use a scattergun until you learn to shoot.

 

[redneckmedic]

Use the money you would spend on optics and buy ammo so you can learn to shoot the thing. If you can't hit tree rats at 50 to 75 yds. with open sights with a 22, just use a scattergun until you learn to shoot.

Couldn't say it better myself. A lot of people including myself think that in most shooting scopes are just a crutch! They absolutely have their place in the shooting world, but on a .22lr lever? For $14 you can shoot 550 .22lr rounds, that will take you as far out as a .22 is capable of with open sights. Maybe 2 boxes and then you should be the fear of all hare!

 

[Claddagh]

I wouldn't put a scope on it if it were mine. Purely for practical considerations, not aesthetics.

I use most of my LA rifles and carbines for plinking, as "woods walking" companions and/or for hunting in the timber. Aside from my old Savage 99F, the longest shot on game I've ever had to make with one has been about 85 yds. Even with my bifocals and aging eyes it wasn't any great challenge to put the shot where it needed to go with a receiver sight and FO bead.

I've installed QD swivels and have a sling/carry strap on most all of them, but it still feels handier and more natural to carry them in my hand at the balance point, almost always at or close to where the receiver and forearm join. Conventionally mounted optics make doing that awkward and feels relatively insecure to me.

They also have a negative affect on how quickly and consistently I can deliver a good, solid hit on running game, most particularly cottontails and squirrels at close-to-moderate ranges. With the receiver sight I can pick up my target and index the sights with both eyes open much more easily than I can with a scope, especially one with a magnification greater than 2.5X. I don't experience the loss of field-of-view and peripheral vision or the momentary "double image" that can throw my concentration off and force me to abort the shot for fear of wounding an animal and losing it in the brush.

It's your rifle, and your tastes and uses for it may be very different from mine. If putting a scope or Red Dot on it will increase the pleasure and utility you get from it, by all means suit yourself. That's what it's all about, IMO.