Because of the rifle’s compact size, partnered with its knockdown caliber, it’s a gem in tight quarters like hunting blinds as well as stalking through gnarly terrain. We had it with us many nights in both bush-built and dugout hunting blinds as well as pursuing Black Death (Cape buffalo) into the bush. While the hyenas never came to the calls, every professional hunter wanted to keep this rifle due to its combination of stature and performance.
One of the key features on this rifle is the extended Picatinny rail. It’s the type shooters often find on .308 bolt-action scout rifles. On the big-bore .45-70 lever action, it allows shooters to use scout scopes with extended eye relief, which allows shooting with both eyes open as well as any number of night vision choices. It also opens up the options for red dots, holographic optics, or traditional rifle scopes.
The other major feature that must be considered on a lever action, especially for dangerous game, is the side loading gate. While the rifle maintains Henry’s standard tubular loading port, where we prefer to do our major loading and unloading, the side gate allows for quick top-offs in the field. Though it never happened, if we put two shots into an animal and wanted to reload in a hurry, that’s better done from the belt right into the side gate, keeping the rifle always at the ready.