Shooting a rifle 1,000 yards accurately isn’t supposed to be easy. When shooting a tuned-in PLR (Pro-Hunter Long Range) in 6.5×284 from H-S Precision it sure felt like it! Three of us on the Eastmans’ staff got to shoot the PLR. Admittedly, none of us are long-range experts but every one of us was able to consistently hit our target at 800 yards-plus! If you are a hunter looking for a high-quality rifle that flat performs downrange or in the field, this might be your “huckleberry.”
The gun came bore sighted, but not completely dialed in, so our first task was to get the Zeiss scope tuned in. The end result was a group inside of an inch that any hunter would be satisfied with at 100 yards.
The rifle is built around H-S Precision’s Pro-Series 2000 action made of stainless steel. Every turn of the bolt was smooth, pushing the bullets into the chamber cleanly. Clearing the chamber was just as easy and every spent case left the chamber without an issue. When a second shot is needed on a hunt the PLR’s action will be up to the task.
The elevated cheek weld on the stock is comfortable and makes finding the sweet spot in the scope an easy process. Other cheek rests can make finding the scope’s sweet spot challenging, this was not the case with H-S Precision’s stock. The stock was easy to use, easy to get comfortable, and easy to find a rest for looking downrange. If it is easy to get comfortable on the range it will be easy to get comfortable on the hunt.
Target shooting means lots of ammunition, and detachable magazines work well for quick reloading. The PLR comes standard with a detachable three-round capacity magazine that we were able to change out efficiently at the range. We are all human and sometimes our worst days shooting come in the field. This means that a prepared hunter would have a second magazine at the ready in the field. Luck favors the prepared!
Accuracy with the round in the chamber is more important than the rounds in a magazine. H-S Precision found that accuracy was improved with a detachable magazine-which means cleaner kills for hunters. An attached magazine usually has play between the rounds and more space around the chamber to ensure that the bullet slides in properly. The PLR’s detachable magazine holds the bullets snug and eliminates the need for extra space around the chamber, holding the bullet tighter and ensuring a better shot. Clean, ethical kills are what we strive for and the more accurate our tools the better!
If you are familiar with the Winchester Model 70 three-stage safety you will quickly recognize the safety on the PLR. The PLR’s 3-stage safety performed well, moving from safe to fire easily and effectively. Reaching the safety is a comfortable process and no stretch is required, allowing a shooter to stay on target while engaging the rifle. As minute as this sounds it could be the difference between taking a trophy and coming home empty-handed. Shot windows in the West are short and a safety that is too sticky or hard to reach can cost a hunter a shot at the trophy of a lifetime.
The trigger engages smoothly and the pull was just right for my taste straight out of the box. If the trigger pull doesn’t match your style it can be adjusted from two to five pounds.
A barrel can make or break a rifle. The “stress free 10X cut” barrel performs very well and the shooter can expect the round to hit where it was pointed. The barrel didn’t throw a single bullet all morning, even after it got hot from shooting multiple rounds quickly. The fluting not only cut down on heat but also the overall weight of the rifle. In the ounce-counting backcountry hunting world we live in the weight of a rifle matters. Cutting weight while retaining accuracy is critical in a gun that is expected to perform when the shots matter most.
This barrel will perform from 100 yards out to 1,000 and beyond accurately. No matter what, the placement of the shot still comes down to the person pulling the trigger. A barrel that performs at long range will make any hunter deadly at ethical distances of up to 400 yards and possibly beyond in the field with practice. The PLR is a tool that will make clean ethical kills after a stalk possible because of the hunter’s confidence in the gun.
The H-S Precision PLR is a great choice if you are looking for a do all rifle. From the range to the field, be confident that you are buying a great rifle!
4 comments
Very cool review guys. Thanks!
I don’t know many guys who would be satisfied with a 3/4″ group. Maybe at 200, but not 100.
My son and I have 9 HS Precision rifles from the pro hunter take down to heavy tactical rifles and their bench competition rifles. All of our rifles shoot less that .5MOA, 3 inch groups at 600 yards are common even with the South Dakota wind. All of our hunting, and competitive shooting (Bench Rest, F Class, and Long Range Tactical) are done with HS Precision. Their rifles are the high standard of precision. For open plains hunting our 7mm STW in the varmint configuration is ideal. With the options available HSP can build a rifle for any shooting situation. We have used their rifles for the last 20 years without any problems.
The stress free barrel, trigger set, and headspace are major contributors.