Peace and Quiet at the Range
A Case for the Henry Frontier Model Threaded Barrel
The best thing about shooting outdoors is the reduced noise. The ringing of plates, the chirping of birds…but the rifle report is definitely an optional extra here. Henry made the Frontier Model Threaded Barrel .22 with noise reduction in mind. A 24″ barrel produces a borderline ear-safe report with subsonic ammunition all by itself, but a sound suppressor makes it quieter than most pellet guns. Fired with 38-grain Aguila subsonic HP, it emits just a click from the hammer drop followed by a “clang” about two-thirds of a second later as the 100-yard gong returns a hit. With 2MOA dispersion using non-match ammunition, long-distance hits are easy with it.
While this rifle boasts an impressively long sight radius, my ability to hit with irons reliably stretched not much further than 60 yards: the highly visible brass bead on the front sight post is made for speed more than precision. A 1-3x Weaver scope mounted directly to the grooved receiver made all the difference, allowing quick snap shooting unmagnified, easy hits standing at 2x, and a decent degree of precision at 3x. No can of pop at the 100-yard line was safe.
The octagonal barrel is heavy enough to sustain prolonged firing. The modest powder load of .22 subsonics keeps the suppressor cool enough, especially since the 10-round tube magazine forces cooling breaks every ten shots. The barrel makes the rifle slightly front-heavy, so a leather sling is worth having for support and not just for carrying the rifle across your back in the woods.
If shooting for meat or varminting, use 45-grain CCI subsonics instead: they are equally accurate and hit with more authority. However, if going after paper, lighter 38-40 grain loads are a little quieter. The difference isn’t much though.
This rifle has become a range favorite, especially with left-handed shooters. The manual action stays clean longer than a semi-auto would, and it has not needed cleaning even after about a thousand rounds.
Henry’s lever action rifles are safe for left-handed shooters
This Frontier variant is quiet perfection.
