Henry Long Ranger

The Long Ranger is what happens when Henry stops being constrained by the tubular-magazine round-nose-bullet rule. The 4-round detachable box magazine accepts pointed bullets, which means current mainstream chamberings like .308 Win, .243 Win, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .223 Rem can use their full ballistic coefficients, not just traditional round-nose lever ammunition. The geared lever action drives a rotary bolt head into the chamber, the same locking principle as a modern bolt action, so full-pressure short-action hunting cartridges are handled without drama.

The rifle is a tradition-meets-modern compromise. American walnut and blued steel keep the visual heritage. The drilled-and-tapped receiver takes standard Weaver bases for any modern hunting scope. The 20-inch barrel on the .308 keeps the rifle handy at about 7 pounds. The trade is action speed: the geared lever is slower than a Marlin 336, and current MSRP puts it in entry-premium bolt-action territory. The pick here is for the hunter who wants a lever-action handling profile with modern cartridge performance.