Lever gun sight-in fiasco

[LHSmith]

The rear sight ramp IS at the lowest notch.
Plan to try 158 gr bullets at 100 yds next, but I believe it will still be printing excessively high at that distance - not to mention at 50 yds which was the avg range it was going to be used on deer. On the Henry You Tube vid on sighting in their rifles it was implied that their factory does sight them in.

 

[joshb]

The heavier bullet will probably make it right. Those 125s are zipping. Have you chronographed them? Maybe try a 38 load and see where that prints.
Have you considered the Marlin/Ruger?

 

[LHSmith]

We actualy did try .38 Spc's, 125 gr JHP and got same POI as .357/125's. But this was at 25 yds vs. 50. I believe the Henry was picked because of all the current raving about them, and price and availability. I have an Oehler but may dust it off to get some data now that this sight-in is more involved that I contemplated.

 

[Hipshoot]

The 125 gr. bullets was/are a marketing ploy. The .357 round was designed around a 158gr. bullet.

Our local police department tried them and found , as you did that they shot really high and after a couple of years abandoned them/.

If you are looking for higher velocity try a different round/caliber.

 

[Chilly807]

I had the same problem with a Henry lever .22, an H001 I think it was.
Shot 3 to 4 inches high at 25 yds, even with the rear sight elevator completely removed.

I got fed up and removed some material from the top of the rear sight with a file. It took maybe a 16th of an inch to get it hitting centre with the elevator in its lowest notch. Three or four tries, removing a little bit at a time and trying it. I had to deepen the rear notch as I went along, but it wasn't so bad. A touch of cold blue and it was done.

I'd agree that it's something you shouldn't have to do, but it's what the industry has come to.

I could have probably ordered a higher front sight, but you shouldn't have to do that either, it should work with the sights it came with.

I'd also agree that a 357 rifle is a 50 yd gun to begin with, 100 is a long shot if you're using it to hunt with.

 

[tmwinds]

I had the same problem with a Henry lever .22, an H001 I think it was.
Shot 3 to 4 inches high at 25 yds, even with the rear sight elevator completely removed.

I got fed up and removed some material from the top of the rear sight with a file. It took maybe a 16th of an inch to get it hitting centre with the elevator in its lowest notch. Three or four tries, removing a little bit at a time and trying it. I had to deepen the rear notch as I went along, but it wasn't so bad. A touch of cold blue and it was done.

I'd agree that it's something you shouldn't have to do, but it's what the industry has come to.

I could have probably ordered a higher front sight, but you shouldn't have to do that either, it should work with the sights it came with.

I'd also agree that a 357 rifle is a 50 yd gun to begin with, 100 is a long shot if you're using it to hunt with.

A person that knew what to do and did it. Problem solved.

 

[Short Round]

Ugh, this brings up a bad experience with a Cimmaron US Marshall in .357. Their front sight is part of the barrel band. One chunk of metal so no swapping out the front sight for a new height. On the phone they were a little slow looking to see if there was another height part to help. A week later they tell me no other height but send it back. They had it for a bit over a week and it showed up on my doorstep in a cardboard box with no packing material and a test target that appeared like they shot it a 8 yards. I took it to the range and it was still shooting 15-18” high at 50 yards and now 12” left. They did nothing but shoot it and let it get damaged in shipping. After looking at it more closely to see why I was now shooting left I saw that the road trip had resulted in the mag tube and barrel band getting bent and twisted to the left. I was really annoyed and disappointed. They did nothing to fix the gun despite all we went through explaining on the phone and the very detailed note I put in the box. If they hadn’t used an odd barrel band/sight I’d have gladly just swapped in the right height Marbles front. I get that they’re at the mercy of Uberti and pretty much have no parts on hand but that’s no way to operate.

Luckily my FFL had talked to the distributor and relayed that it went back to Cimarron and remained unresolved so they refunded me. I swore off Cimmaron. They are unable to back what they sell. Fortunately the Ruger Marlins 94Classics were released just at that time. Done and done!


If you like the gun calculate the right change in front sight height and buy it or maybe obtain one from Henry. It is the logical fix. Marbles and Brownells have sight height tables.

 

[Rickhem]

If it has this style of sight, which most newer Henry's have, put the sight elevator on the lowest position. Then adjust elevation with the sliding plate in the center of the blade.

View attachment 1692324

This!!!

 

[boltman13]

The 125 gr 357 Mag bullet is not suitable for anything but small game and varmints at 50 yards. Try the 158 or even the 180 gr bullet

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

Ugh, this brings up a bad experience with a Cimmaron US Marshall in .357. Their front sight is part of the barrel band. One chunk of metal so no swapping out the front sight for a new height. On the phone they were a little slow looking to see if there was another height part to help. A week later they tell me no other height but send it back. They had it for a bit over a week and it showed up on my doorstep in a cardboard box with no packing material and a test target that appeared like they shot it a 8 yards. I took it to the range and it was still shooting 15-18” high at 50 yards and now 12” left. They did nothing but shoot it and let it get damaged in shipping. After looking at it more closely to see why I was now shooting left I saw that the road trip had resulted in the mag tube and barrel band getting bent and twisted to the left. I was really annoyed and disappointed. They did nothing to fix the gun despite all we went through explaining on the phone and the very detailed note I put in the box. If they hadn’t used an odd barrel band/sight I’d have gladly just swapped in the right height Marbles front. I get that they’re at the mercy of Uberti and pretty much have no parts on hand but that’s no way to operate.

Luckily my FFL had talked to the distributor and relayed that it went back to Cimarron and remained unresolved so they refunded me. I swore off Cimmaron. They are unable to back what they sell. Fortunately the Ruger Marlins 94Classics were released just at that time. Done and done!


If you like the gun calculate the right change in front sight height and buy it or maybe obtain one from Henry. It is the logical fix. Marbles and Brownells have sight height tables.

I despise those one piece "barrel band and front sight" combinations.
This was my solution; mill a dovetail slot in it and install a REAL sight.