The SPD Predator Promise
Touted as “the most accurate lever action ever built,” the Predator sets a high bar for itself and then seemingly clears it with ease.
A three-shot sub-MOA guarantee is the first of its kind for levers. Lever guns have long been revered for fast-cycling hunting guns, lovely collector pieces, or bread-and-butter game-getters, but rarely precision rifles for competition or distance work. So, leave it to Henry’s Special Products Division to set its mind on doing something differently.
That’s how the Predator was born. The name itself is significant, and not just because the gun excels at its game. Instead, the letters represent the phrase, “Precision Rifle Engineered for Dispatching Agile Targets Over Range.”
Meet the SPD Predator
Thus far, the SPD Predator is chambered only for .223 Rem/5.56 NATO. It is fitted with an 18-inch BSF carbon-fiber barrel that is threaded for easy suppressor use. A carbon-fiber Picatinny rail and sling studs come pre-installed from the factory.
The rifle feeds from its 10-round Magpul PMag magazine, though it accepts any STANAG pattern mags. Checkered gray laminate furniture sets the Predator apart from its related Lever Action Supreme Rifle family, as does the adjustable comb.
The Predator comes in a sleek, sleeved box filled with extra goodies including a Harris S-LM bipod, five-round magazine-limiting insert, trigger adjustment tool, and extensive paperwork packet.
Like any Henry, the SPD Predator is backed by the company’s industry leading lifetime warranty and 100-percent satisfaction guarantee, though we seriously doubt you’ll ever need it. Each SPD Predator is designed, engineered, and built in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, where each is individually inspected and certified by an SPD engineer.
Field Notes
The Predator has the smoothest action we’ve ever felt on a lever gun out of the box. The trigger is exceptional, with our test gun breaking just under 4 pounds. The match-grade 416R stainless-steel barrel is tension-wrapped in carbon fiber, meaning it not only reduces weight, but also cools quickly and offers the rigidity required for repeatable accuracy. The barrel is threaded at 1/2x28, which makes for quick direct threading of many suppressors, including our Banish 30.
The trigger pull surely aids in accuracy, and we never felt a need to adjust, though the tool is included. With a higher scope setup, we easily tweaked the buttstock’s comb by loosening the inset bolt for ideal eye-optic alignment.
That gray laminate furniture offers a modern look, though classic checkering remains practical, as does the solid rubber recoil pad. Recoil, whether shooting suppressed or not, is minimal, as one expects from a .223.
The AR magazine design opens the door to many options. Fit and finish, both right out of the box and after significant shooting, proved impressive with a high level of attention to detail. Competition shooters might wish for an ARCA rail and a more bench-bag or obstacle-friendly stock, but the Predator is a precision-capable rifle that is built first and foremost for hunting.
Range Time
Though the SPD Predator is touted as a long-range star, it also excels at fast-moving shots on furbearers and everyday use. Thus, we opted to begin testing with a quality LPVO in Trijicon’s Credo HX in 1-6x24. This optic allows for quick target acquisition with a wide, bright field of view along with an illuminated reticle, but still has ample power for placing shots across multiple football fields.
We headed to the range with a nice mix of factory ammunition in both .223 Rem and 5.56 NATO, including Hornady Varmint Express 55-grain V-Max, Hornady Custom 55-grain SP, Nosler Trophy Grade 70-grain Polymer Tip, Hornady Frontier Match JHP 68-grain, and Federal Power Shok 64-grain JSP.
Not surprisingly, our rifle cycled everything with ease. Henry does note a proper barrel break-in is required, and when you spend north of $2,000 on a rifle, you really ought to follow the manufacturer’s suggestions. Henry offers concise instructions on how to break in its BSF barrel, a simple process requiring only 35 shots. Spoiler alert: you’ll enjoy this rifle so much that you’ll be shooting hundreds more in short order.
We found multiple rounds the rifled liked, including the Hornady V-Max and Frontier Match. At 100 yards, our test piece delivered repeatable sub-MOA groups. Because of its promised longer-range accuracy, we snuck in time for a handful of 200-yard groupings, teasing evidence of the rifle’s expansive capabilities.
As it sits, our test Predator, Trijicon optic, and suppressor would make a mean furbearing hunter. For future testing and a prairie dog adventure, we’ll swap to a higher-powered scope and find out what happens with a couple hundred more rounds through the barrel. Until then, though, the SPD Predator will be ready for action from 25-300 yards.
Kristin Alberts
Kristin is a Staff Writer with a focus on hunting and the wilderness lifestyle. When she's not traveling the world on the next outdoor adventure, Kristin enjoys fishing, motorcycling, field-to-table cooking, canning, antiquing and reloading.
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