The rain and the high winds were telling me to head home, but I still wasn’t satisfied with my groups with the Black Hills HoneyBadger .357 Magnum and the Henry SPD HUSH lever action. Shooting at 50 yards, I did peg a couple of solid groups, but my shooting didn’t reflect the accuracy I’d seen with two other brands of ammo. Meanwhile, the rain intensified, and winds swirled as the weather front moved over the range.
Determined to shoot a better three-shot group before leaving, I then realized I had no clean targets. So, I aimed at the end of a clothespin securing my target backing to the plastic netting. My first two shots impacted high. I gave myself an internal pep talk (Id-gee-it-Boy! Concentrate!), then shot three more times aiming just to the left of that clothespin end.
Group size: 0.60 inches, all three holes touching. Credit that accuracy to the match-grade, 416R stainless steel barrel wrapped in a tension-loaded roll of carbon fiber standard for all HUSH Series rifles. The design creates an air gap of 95 percent between steel and carbon and led to the very quick barrel cooling I witnessed many times in two range sessions.
SPD stands for the newly launched Special Products Division, Henry’s high-tech focused R&D initiative. SPD HUSH Series lever actions are purpose-built to run suppressed and feature a skeletonized, M-Lok aluminum forearm. Manufactured from high-strength, forged carbon fiber, the receiver-mounted Picatinny rail made for the easy mounting of an optic.
The heft of the hardwood laminate buttstock nicely balanced the weight of my Silencer Central BANISH 46-V2 suppressor. The steel receiver sported a blued finish. There is no manual safety, but HUSH rifles feature transfer bar safeties, with the bar inserted between hammer and firing pin until the trigger is pulled.
HUSH Series rifles are available in .30-30 Winchester, .357 Mag./.38 Spl., .44 Magnum/.44 Spl., .45 Colt and .45-70 Gov’t. Each one is built and fine-tuned at Henry’s Rice Lake, Wisconsin, facility and backed by a lifetime warranty and Henry’s 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
I mounted an EOTECH VUDU 3-9x32 second-focal-plane scope onto the HUSH. This newest and most compact Vudu, at under 7 inches long, proved a fine choice for any lever, including the HUSH.
Henry SPD HUSH: Range Report
On Day 1 at my outdoor range, I zeroed the EOTECH using Winchester Super-X Personal Protection. This was quickly done as the scope’s elevation and windage adjustments worked very precisely.
I also had a friend shoot 12 rounds so I could rate the suppression quality, which was very high! From 5 yards away, the rifle sounded like a high-powered air rifle, not a centerfire chambered in the mighty .357 Mag.
Day 2 was about accuracy and general function testing. Given the wind that day, blowing steadily at 20 miles per hour and gusting to over 30, I opted mostly for three-shot groups at 50 yards. There’s no doubt the rifle and .357 rounds can go out further, but as hunting is the rifle’s main application, I felt 50 yards was a good test and I wouldn’t take a shot at a deer, for example, at more than 75 yards with this caliber.
In addition to the Winchester and HoneyBadger loads, I also shot Federal’s Hammer Down .357 Mag. All three rounds punched groups of 1.0 inches or better with the HUSH.
In fact, better included the aforementioned 0.60 inches with the HoneyBadger and Federal’s two groups at 0.70 inches. The Winchester drilled three at 0.85 inches but missed the target to the right. I adjusted the EOTECH and shot five times for a 1-inch group.
With superior functionality and this level of accuracy, HUSH lever actions truly redefine lever-action capabilities. If the HUSH Series is the very beginning, Henry SPD’s future creations promise to be amazing.
The H&B Bottom Line
The “H&B Bottom Line” is a rating system based on seven criteria. Each category is worth five points (or ampersands) for a maximum total score of 35.
Ergos and Handling: &&&&&
It balanced great even with a suppressor attached. The trigger broke at a steady 3.0 pounds.
Recoil: &&&&&
Recoil pad and suppressor made for pleasant shooting even with 170-grain Federal loads, which generate noticeable recoil and muzzle flip in non-suppressed levers.
Action and Reloading: &&&&
The lever cycled rounds in and out smoothly. Rear of suppressor blocked mag tube, but rounds loaded quickly via loading port on the receiver’s right side.
Sight Mounting Ease: &&&&&
Scope mounted easily to the Picatinny rail. Couldn’t be easier.
Intended Purpose: &&&&&
Definitely a hunting rifle—perfect for deer in thickly wooded or very brushy habitats.
Overall Versatility: &&&
It certainly qualifies as a truck gun, hunter or homestead defender.
Value-Price Point: &&&&
With its high-quality barrel and suppressor-ready design, the SPD HUSH redefines the lever action, but the $2K suggested retail dings it slightly.
Overall Score: 31/35
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