The Henry SPD HUSH .44 Magnum

Henry SPD HUSH .44 Magnum Suppressed Lever Action Range Test

Steve and Caleb are back at the range with something a little different: the Henry SPD HUSH, a lever-action rifle designed with suppressed shooting in mind.

Our test rifle is chambered in .44 Magnum and fitted with a Dead Air Primal suppressor. We are going to see how it groups at 100 yards, stretch it out to 200 yards on steel, and finish with a ballistic gel comparison between 240-grain FMJ and Hornady 240-grain XTP ammunition.

Henry SPD HUSH Overview

The Henry SPD HUSH combines the familiar lever-action platform with features that make it particularly well suited to suppressor use.

One of the big considerations when adding a suppressor to a rifle is weight. The SPD HUSH addresses that with a lightweight configuration that includes a BSF carbon fiber-wrapped barrel. That helps keep the rifle manageable even with a suppressor mounted at the muzzle.

The barrel is threaded, and for this test we are using a direct-thread Dead Air Primal suppressor.

Our rifle is chambered in .44 Magnum, but the SPD HUSH is also offered in other chamberings, including .357 Magnum, .30-30 Winchester, and .45-70 Government.

.44 Magnum Ammunition

We brought two different .44 Magnum loads to the range.

First is Magtech 240-grain full metal jacket ammunition. This is our straightforward FMJ load and gives us ammunition for the accuracy and steel portions of the test.

We also brought Hornady 240-grain XTP jacketed hollow points. We save those for the ballistic gel test so we can compare an expanding XTP projectile directly against the FMJ.

All of the ammunition fired in this test is supersonic.

100-Yard Accuracy Test

The first test is a three-shot group at 100 yards.

The Henry SPD HUSH is equipped with a red dot rather than a magnified optic. At 100 yards, the dot covers a significant portion of the aiming point, so we are looking for practical hunting accuracy rather than trying to shoot the smallest possible group.

The first two rounds land in the black, with the third moving high and right. Considering the red dot and the lightweight hunting configuration, the resulting group is more than adequate for the type of shooting this rifle is designed to handle.

A magnified optic would make precise aiming at 100 yards easier, but the red dot gives us a useful look at what the rifle can do in this configuration.

Loading the Henry SPD HUSH

The rifle gives the shooter two loading options.

There is a traditional side loading gate for feeding cartridges into the magazine. The rifle can also be loaded through the magazine tube.

In the .44 Magnum configuration shown here, the rifle holds eight rounds.

Shooting Steel at 100 Yards

After checking the group, we move over to steel.

The first target is at 100 yards, a very practical distance for a .44 Magnum lever-action rifle. The first shot produces a solid hit near the center of the target.

That confirms what we saw on paper. The combination of the Henry SPD HUSH, .44 Magnum ammunition, and red dot is capable of straightforward hits at 100 yards.

Stretching .44 Magnum to 200 Yards

Next, we stretch the rifle out to 200 yards.

The 200-yard target is smaller, and the trajectory of the .44 Magnum becomes a bigger consideration at this distance.

The first attempt appears to go low. Caleb adjusts his hold, leaving a little space between the red dot and the top of the target. That produces a hit just below center.

Another shot connects as well.

Getting repeatable hits at 200 yards with a red dot is a good result for this setup. It also gives us a useful demonstration of the trajectory difference as the .44 Magnum moves beyond the closer distances where this type of rifle is commonly used.

.44 Magnum FMJ Ballistic Gel Test

With the accuracy and steel shooting complete, it is time for the ballistic gel.

The test is conducted at 50 yards using a Clear Ballistics FBI-style gel block. First up is the Magtech 240-grain FMJ.

The FMJ behaves about the way we expect. It travels through the block without expansion, leaving a relatively narrow path through the gel.

That gives us a baseline for comparison with the expanding Hornady XTP.

Hornady 240-Grain XTP Ballistic Gel Test

Next comes the Hornady 240-grain XTP jacketed hollow point.

The bullet weight remains the same at 240 grains, but the result in the gel is dramatically different.

On impact, the XTP produces substantially more disruption in the block than the FMJ. The projectile expands and creates a visibly larger path through the gel while still penetrating through the block.

For the hunting application discussed in the video, the difference between the two projectiles is immediately apparent.

FMJ vs. Hornady XTP

Putting the two gel shots side by side provides the clearest comparison of the day.

The FMJ penetrates without meaningful expansion and produces a relatively narrow track. The Hornady XTP expands and creates considerably more disruption while continuing through the gel.

The test is not a substitute for performance in actual tissue, and ballistic gel does not perfectly reproduce an animal. It does, however, provide a consistent medium for comparing how the two projectiles behave under the same general test conditions.

For Steve and Caleb, the XTP is the clear choice of the two tested loads for the hunting application discussed in the video.

Final Thoughts on the Henry SPD HUSH

The Henry SPD HUSH delivers an interesting combination of traditional lever-action operation and modern suppressor-ready features.

The BSF carbon fiber-wrapped barrel helps keep weight down, which becomes particularly useful once the Dead Air Primal is mounted. The .44 Magnum chambering gives the rifle plenty of capability for the hunting role discussed in the video.

At the range, the rifle produced a respectable 100-yard group with a red dot, connected with steel at 100 and 200 yards, and provided an effective platform for comparing the Magtech FMJ and Hornady XTP loads in ballistic gel.

If you have experience with the Henry SPD HUSH, suppressed lever-action rifles, or Hornady XTP ammunition, let us know what you have seen. And if you need help with your setup, give the Brownells Tech Line a call.