Mr.boom

Hi everyone. I was thinking of buying a Henry rifle big boy model x in .45 colt for deer season. Are there any advantages for getting the lever action besides being able find ammo easier then 12 gauge ammo?

Oldtimr

If you are looking for a rifle to use for deer I would not buy a .45 colt caliber. While a .45 colt round will kill a deer you may want to use the gun for other big game and there are a whole lot of calibers that are better suited and more versatile than a .45 colt. .300 savage, .308 Winchester, 30-06, .270 just to name a few . I own 2 .45 colt revolvers and I have nothing against the caliber, I like it but not for deer hunting. If you are determined to get a Henry, get a 45-70 which can be used for most big game. So far as an advantage to having a lever action perhaps it would be speed of a follow up shot is needed but a good man with a bolt action is pretty fast if they practice and there is also the slide action rifle.

Nomercy448

Are you living in a straightwall only restricted zone? What are fair comparisons to be made - are you only asking to compare a 45colt levergun against a 12ga, or against a common field of deer rifles? Is deer hunting the only application?

For 200yrd and under hunting, given a responsible reloader, there’s not much a scoped 45colt levergun sacrifices.

mrbb

also, 99% of the time(minus the current ammo shortages ) 45 colt ammo is a lot harder top find typically than 12 Ga ammo

a 12 ga shotgun is a way more popular caliber/gauge than the colt 45, and thus typically sold in way more pl;aces and in stock
5 colt is honestly these days more of a novelty caliber, that many shops DON"T typically stock or stock in amounts/selections they would normally stock 12 ammo!


its just right now, with craziness of ammo demands that the more common calibers are sold out, leaving them less popular calibers in stock, which might be why your finding /seeing 45 colt ammo over 12 ga in stores right now!

and not sure what you mean by a lever action advantage here? what are you considering an advantage over what other type of rifle/shotgun???

as IMO there really isn't much of an advantage of a lever action rifle over any other type, its more about personal preference

as yrs ago, levers were able to MAYBE hold more ammo, offer faster follow up shots, or be shorter in size
but in the real world, most all rifle types have some form or another in smaller in size, larger capacity of ammo held, and so on
so, to be honest, picking a TYPE of rifle, is more about personal preference, or unless there are restriction or /laws that require use of a certian type of rifle to be legally used!

all rifle types have pro's and con's
a lever action is no different! than other types to be honest!

Nomercy448

In my haste, I neglected to mention in my first above: traditional lever action 45colts will offer considerable accuracy advantage over a traditional 12ga pump gun most guys will own. Something like the Savage bolt action slug gun stomps most leverguns, but when you’re talking about the traditional comparison of a Marlin 1894 and a Rem 870, the 1894 has a significant accuracy advantage.

Anecdotally, I willingly hunt with leverguns, but can’t be bothered to hunt with slug guns. I do not live in a straightwall only zone, but have hunted with both. But any given season, I will likely haul a levergun in 44mag or 45-70 after hogs or deer. It’s been over a decade since I’ve elected to haul a shotgun afield after big game.

Mr.boom

Yes I do live in a straight wall only zone. The thing is where I’m at ( Iowa) almost EVERY ONE hunts. And most the time they get their ammo at the last minute. Also the 12 I’m using was my dads and it’s clapped out. When it shoots a heavy load the slide slams back all the way. ( causing me not to completely eject the shell and missing the deer). Also it seems like the local hardware store does a pretty good job keeping.45 in stock. It was there before everyone went all ammo crazy. I was thinking of .45-70 but the thing about that is it’s not in Iowa’s specifications (even though it is legal) they could take it off the list at anytime. The gun I want does come in .44 magnum but it seems like that is more expensive because you can only find hollow point. I was planning on buying a box of normal lead bullets for practice then using the hollow tips ( as needed for in Iowa hunting) to hunt the deer.

bronko22000

While I agree with Nomercy that the 45 Colt is capable for killing deer a reloader has an advantage of "pepping'' it up making it a much better deer round.
But IMHO if I were you and it is legal I would go with the .45-70. Both Marlin and Henry make their lever actions in this chambering and more than enough for any deer and suitable for just about anything you need to hunt.

mrbb

if your gun is having issues when firing, I would highly recommend STOP using it and have a good smith loom it over,a s sounds like there is a major issue with it that could get you hurt!

as a shotgun shouldn't really wear out until there are tens of thousands of round s thru it, or unless maybe some one has been loading some super hot rounds and beating it up by never oiling/or cleaning the gun properly!
parts can fail and do on occasions, and this is why again, gun maybe needs to be inspected by a persons with the skills to know so! and they can fix for you

Also, if you live where straight wall calibers are required by LAW< then YES then ammo for them will be found more common like in your stores that sell ammo

But you already pointed out, folks wait till last minute to buy ammo before hunting season opens, having owned a gun shop, I seen this first hand
, so the real simple fix to this in NORMAL times, is just BUY your am,mo long before the season and even stock up on brands loads you like, it then prevents the worries of chasing ammo before opening day!

and like Is aid, shotguns come in many shapes and builds and many are VERY accurate with modern slugs, the main key is having a dedicated shotgun for slugs and NOT just using a plain jane shotgun made mostly for shotshells and bird shot!

adding a scope to most ANY shotgun will give you a LOT more accuracy out of them too and most popular models have scope mounts available for them!
providing your area allows use of a scope that is!

if not, again, having a shotgun with REAL sights and not just a bead or two, will get you much more accuracy out of them.

I am in NO way saying a lever action isn;'t a great gun, as they can be, just saying, under most conditions, a gun is only as good as it is made and how it works for the app;location its being used for!

and by FAR a 12 ga is a more common found caliber in 99.9% of the USA , there are just more guns out there in 12 Ga period by a LOT! due to how many types and uses they have!
which is why its normally easier to find ammo for one!

Mr.boom

Tens of thousands of rounds oh yeah. It was my dad’s ( he doesn’t hunt anymore) he bought it when he was a teenager and used it for hunting almost every day. He used it for any and every thing he could in Iowa. And I’m going to be honest I don’t want a shotgun. I’m 5’10 and 135 pounds. And while I can handle the mighty power of the 3 inch 12 gauge slug I think that a rifle will just be better. And not to mention that we already have a few boxes of .45 colt. And even if I have the shotgun fixed it’s heavy has no sling mounts and even though the slug barrel is pretty accurate it has no scope mounts, so I’m stuck with the open sights that are all black and hard to focus with.

bronko22000

Well if you have your heart set on getting and using a .45 Colt then I suggest you wait for a perfect shot opportunity. Broadside and standing still and aim for the heart lung area behind the shoulder. Don't hit the shoulder or you'll likely end up just crippling the deer and not recovering it. Factory .45s are capable of killing a deer but they aren't loaded to the rifle's full potential as they are factory loaded to be safe in all firearms chambered in that cartridge.