H-S Precision GEN III Rifle Review

For more than four decades, H-S Precision has occupied a unique place in the rifle world. Known for its fiberglass stocks with integral aluminum bedding blocks, the South Dakota company built a reputation for rugged precision long before “precision rifles” became a category of their own. Some of the most famous production rifles were built on H-S stocks, like the Remington Sendero and the M24 military sniper rifles.

In the early 1990s, the company began production of complete rifle systems and quickly became the industry standard for tactical law enforcement, competition shooters, and discerning hunters. Today, the company continues that tradition with the introduction of the new Gen III rifle.

Before we get into the specifics about the new Gen III, let’s take a look at the current “custom rifle” industry. The vast majority of these rifles are assembled by qualified gunsmiths using purchased parts. The action, barrel, stock, trigger, bottom metal, and brake are all ordered from companies that specialize in these parts. There is nothing wrong with this method; when done right, the result is an incredibly accurate rifle.

When H-S started building rifles, most of these parts companies didn’t even exist. To build a perfect rifle, the H-S engineers had to build every single part in-house. Still today, they make all the major components in-house, including the action screws. Does this make them better? Not really, but when you buy an H-S rifle, you are buying over 30 years of experience obsessing over every single detail to build you the perfect rifle. They are so confident that every H-S Precision rifle comes with a ½ MOA accuracy guarantee, a copy of the test target, and all of the load data!

Back to the Gen III

H-S Precision's VP, Josh Cluff, is a top-level competitive shooter with a passion for hunting the West. He and the engineering team have been taking notes from NRL and PRS shooters for years about what the perfect rifle should be, down to each component. The Gen III is the result of that research. The Gen III is the new Pro-Series action and, as you might have guessed, it has replaced the Gen II action.

The new one-piece spiral-fluted bolt has a removable bolt handle with six different bolt handle styles available. So, if you are heading to an NRL match, you can choose a longer bolt with a more pronounced angle for easier manipulation of the action, then change it out for a shorter, less obtrusive angle, reducing the snagging potential on a pack or in a scabbard. The action and bolt are DLC (Diamond-like carbon) finished for ultra-smooth movement. It is also drilled and tapped for more durable 8x40 base screws to handle the punishment of recoil.

If the action is the heart of a rifle, then the barrel is the soul. H-S is literally the industry standard for consistent quality barrel manufacturing. They are the largest supplier of test barrels used by ammo manufacturers to verify their load data for each new lot they produce. Each Gen III rifle comes with a proprietary 10x cut rifled H-S Precision barrel, mounted true and tested. Both steel and carbon barrels are available.

Every stock has the legendary full-length aluminum bedding block for extreme accuracy and reliability in any weather condition. Kevlar, carbon fiber, and fiberglass models are available, and each stock is Pic and ARCA-Swiss rail compatible. The bottom metal and detachable box magazine are machined from stainless steel and Cerakoted to match the action and barrel.

H-S offers over 13 different models to choose from, built to order based on your specifications. You can choose from any SAAMI-approved caliber (that gives you 130 options). After that, you get to choose barrel length, trigger (with TriggerTech options), stock dimensions, twist rate, fluting options, color, rings, bases, Pic rail, ARCA rail, and a host of accessories. That may sound overwhelming, but if you call 605-341-3006, a rifle expert will help you build the rifle of your dreams. When your rifle arrives, it is likely the only one of its kind in the United States.

My Experience

I have been a fan of H-S rifles for over a decade. Back in 2014, I had the privilege of hunting in Africa with Dean Capuano from Swarovski. I was shooting a 375 H&H without a brake, which should scare you to death, but the rifle design made it easy to shoot for such a big caliber. I managed a 1” group from a rickety table and harvested six different species from a giant eland down to a warthog.

The new Gen III is even more impressive. Our test rifle is a PLR Pro Hunter Long Range chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor. The rifle weighs in at 8.9 pounds with a 24” barrel. The composite stock has a vertical grip with an ambidextrous palm swell, Pic rail up front, and most importantly, an adjustable cheek piece. When it came in, we had just received a Leica PRS 5-30x56 scope at the office, which makes for both a pretty combination and a deadly one.

My first impression was how silky smooth the new bolt and bolt handle combination operated. Even on an 800-yard target, I can cycle the bolt as fast as I want without coming off the target. The accuracy was as guaranteed. I have fired three factory loads through it, with all of them better than one MOA, and the Winchester 6.5 match ammo was consistently in the ½ MOA range. I like to shoot little groups at 100 yards, but they mean nothing if you can’t manage the rifle at longer distances. The combination of the rifle's weight, stock design, and muzzle brake made spotting my own impacts at 800 yards feel easy. This rifle is equally comfortable at an NRL match or on an antelope hunt.

Conclusion 

Our test rifle sells for $5039, which is the standard price for H-S Precision’s steel-barrel rifles. In today’s world of boutique rifle builders and endless combinations of aftermarket parts, H-S Precision offers something increasingly rare: a rifle designed, engineered, and built almost entirely under one roof. The Gen III reflects more than four decades of refinement in precision rifle design, and it shows.

From the new Gen III Pro-Series action to the company’s legendary bedding-block stock and match-grade barrels, this new generation is a rifle built for shooters who value reliability, accuracy, and versatility. Whether it’s punching steel at long range or heading into the field for a western hunt, the Gen III proves that H-S Precision still knows exactly what a serious western hunter needs.