Long Ranger

[Henry88]

Hey guys,

I'm not in the market, but just out of curiosity, I am trying to figure out if these are capable of keeping up with a comparable bolt action with regards to accuracy. I see a lot of posts about new guns, and trying different ammo, etc. but can they generally be relied upon to shoot 2 MOA?

[North Country Gal]

Every post I've read about similar action guns like the Browning BLR, shooting modern cartridges, says they will do better than 2 MOA. Honestly, no way would I keep a rifle like that that couldn't do better than 2 MOA. Even my Marlin 30-30s could be counted on to do that when scoped. I think the biggest thing you would lose with one of these is a fully adjustable trigger that you can get on so many bolt guns, now. Lock times tend to also favor a good bolt gun and, of course, one piece stocks. Still, if I bought a Browning BLR, I'd be a bit disappointed it 2 MOA was the best it could do.

[Henry88]

Thanks for the reply NCG. And Yeah, what you're saying fits what I've seen. It's a long range hunting rifle. I just had not seen many analytic range reports of the type you post. Also it was difficult to search our Centerfire Rifle Forum, generating hundreds of hits for long ranger. I ended up going through the forum using the browser's CRTL F search, but wasn't much there.

I think at some point the Centerfire forum should be broken up to make searches for particular issues easier.

Anyway thanks for the response and see if anybody here has a range report to refer us to.

[Mags]

we need 'search for a phrase' capability. Using "Long Ranger" as an example, the search function finds all topics with just the word "long" plus all the topics with the word "Ranger" plus all the topics with both words but separated plus all topics with the words next to each other in any order. That's why we get hundred of hits. If search could be told to treat "Long Ranger" as a phrase then the search function would only return topics in which the two words occur next to each other and in the word order they were given. Topics in which the words "Long" and "Ranger" were stand alone would be ignored by search. the advance search capability of this forum can't search for phrases either.

[North Country Gal]

Surely, though, we have some folks, right here on our forum, that shoot these guns. I'm surprised at the lack of comments. Hey, guys, a little help.

[Mags]

Long Ranger is on my wish list. If I had one I'd be sharing about it.

[JEBar]

yes Ma'am ..

I don't have a Long Ranger but I do have an early edition (Belgium made) BLR .... it holds 5 308 rounds (1 in the chamber, 4 in the clip) .... several times over the years from a sandbag bench rest, I've fired 4 interlocking rounds with 1 just outside of the linked hole .... I must admit to a long sense of frustration at not having interlocked all 5 .... I have no clue what MOA that would represent .... the bottom line is, my BLR is fully capable of firing better groups than I am able to make it fire .... having never fired a Long Ranger I can't say fro sure if that would be the case .... but, based on extensive firing our Henry 357 Mag, 44 Mag, and 45-70, I have no reason not to believe that would be the case with a Long Ranger as well

[BigAl52]

No Long ranger here but if Im not mistaken there is some videos on youtube of the Long Ranger.

[ESquared]

There are actually quite a few YouTube vids. I scanned through a few and this one seems like they know what they're doing, but, as you know, I'm no expert. They all seem to be fighting some sort of wind or another.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLJ3mjLyKwM

[Mags]

Not sure I like the floating barrel. For my wish list firearm, is it a thing to be concerned about? Seems to me the barrel would jump some just cupped in the forestock without being solidly attached to it.

[JEBar]

Not sure I like the floating barrel. For my wish list firearm, is it a thing to be concerned about? Seems to me the barrel would jump some just cupped in the forestock without being solidly attached to it.

free-floating a barrel is a long standing design technology used in highly accurate rifles .... it is common in match grade rifles where it is proven to increase the accuracy of the weapon ....

[Henry88]

Yeah, I'm sure it's a great long range hunting rifle. I was just hoping for more "meat and potatoes" reporting and less fluff, given the amount of time it's been out.

I would offer the type of range reports that NCG does as an example.

Patience..............

Not sure I like the floating barrel. For my wish list firearm, is it a thing to be concerned about? Seems to me the barrel would jump some just cupped in the forestock without being solidly attached to it.

free-floating a barrel is a long standing design technology used in highly accurate rifles .... it is common in match grade rifles where it is proven to increase the accuracy of the weapon ....

That was my understanding, from what I had heard on the web.

[North Country Gal]

Thanks for the nice comment, 88, but I don't see a Long Ranger in my future, at least not, yet.

As JEBar mentions, I wouldn't give the free floating barrel a second thought, though. As long as the manufacturer designed the gun around it, it's a good way to go and actually an accuracy enhancement, especially on guns that you might shoot with a hot barrel. Free floating is part of the entire action/barrel bedding package. Where people sometimes get in trouble is playing gunsmith and free floating a barrel in a gun that was not designed to use a free floated barrel. Free floating a barrel in a stock and a action not designed for it can actually reduce accuracy. Been there, done that.

[ESquared]

Not sure I like the floating barrel. For my wish list firearm, is it a thing to be concerned about? Seems to me the barrel would jump some just cupped in the forestock without being solidly attached to it.

I thought exactly the same thing when I first saw a Henry without a barrel band, then it popped up in some review that it's actually an accuracy enhancement to have the barrel "float."

This is an overview, but Google will flood you with articles, many of which are Tacti-cool/AR-type points of view, but the theory remains the same, I guess, regardless of platform...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-floating_barrel

[Mags]

ok, it's off my concern list. Thank you all for your good answers.

[dlw]

Hey guys !
Sorry for not responding earlier.
House projects for the wife take priority over going shooting. Imagine that. LOL.
I was able to take my Long Ranger in 556 out to the range for a short break in.
Couldn't do an accuracy test due to my eye sight challenges and the factory low profile sights but let me say it shoots extremely well.
Very well balanced and soft shooting.
I just installed the picatinny rail and took an Eotech EXPS3-0 and mounted it.
Hopefully going out this friday.
With the right ammo I fully feel it will be as accurate as a bolt action. The twist rate limits the ammo selection and when I go I'll be taking a wide variety to see how it shoots. I will be limited due to no magnification but I hopefully will get some worthwhile data.

[ESquared]

Hey guys !
Sorry for not responding earlier.
House projects for the wife take priority over going shooting. Imagine that. LOL.
I was able to take my Long Ranger in 556 out to the range for a short break in.
Couldn't do an accuracy test due to my eye sight challenges and the factory low profile sights but let me say it shoots extremely well.
Very well balanced and soft shooting.
I just installed the picatinny rail and took an Eotech EXPS3-0 and mounted it.
Hopefully going out this friday.
With the right ammo I fully feel it will be as accurate as a bolt action. The twist rate limits the ammo selection and when I go I'll be taking a wide variety to see how it shoots. I will be limited due to no magnification but I hopefully will get some worthwhile data.

DLW,
I've been tracking this thread and wonder if you got out to put some different types of ammo through your Long Ranger yet? Would be great to hear your impressions/experiences, as you seem to be one of a very small group here on the forum who actually owns one of these models.
Thanks in advance!

[ESquared]

You all have probably seen this one from Hickok45. He's typically sort of skeptical/critical of Henrys, and he sort of dogs the Long Ranger in this vid, all the while claiming that he's "not a hunter," so there's the grain of salt that has to be taken into account.
It's also completely void of the type of hard data that this thread seems to be seeking, as he absolutely refuses to even sit down to shoot, let alone use a rest. My takeaway is he doesn't know what to make of it or do with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuWIYJqO20

[ESquared]

Here's what the group is after, at least in .223 terms. No reason to think that .308 would be much different, is there?

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articl ... ng-ranger/

[ESquared]

Hey guys !
Sorry for not responding earlier.
House projects for the wife take priority over going shooting. Imagine that. LOL.
I was able to take my Long Ranger in 556 out to the range for a short break in.
Couldn't do an accuracy test due to my eye sight challenges and the factory low profile sights but let me say it shoots extremely well.
Very well balanced and soft shooting.
I just installed the picatinny rail and took an Eotech EXPS3-0 and mounted it.
Hopefully going out this friday.
With the right ammo I fully feel it will be as accurate as a bolt action. The twist rate limits the ammo selection and when I go I'll be taking a wide variety to see how it shoots. I will be limited due to no magnification but I hopefully will get some worthwhile data.

DLW,
I've been tracking this thread and wonder if you got out to put some different types of ammo through your Long Ranger yet? Would be great to hear your impressions/experiences, as you seem to be one of a very small group here on the forum who actually owns one of these models.
Thanks in advance!

We need DLW to check back in and give us an update. This one is on my list nowadays.

While apples-and-oranges, choosing between the Long Ranger in .308 and a 30-30 CCH is a tough one.