The author’s best 100-yard group with the Precision Hunter was a .37-inch, five-shot group with Hornady’s 55-grain V-Max load.

Next, I tried Hornady's 40-grain load. It clocked a blistering 4,097 fps and turned in a respectable accuracy average of 0.91 inch for five five-shot groups. Federal's 55-grain BlitzKing load left the muzzle at 3,572 fps and averaged .97 inch.

The final load in my 100-yard accuracy testing was Winchester's 55-grain Ballistic Silvertip at a muzzle velocity of 3,594 fps. The Winchester load has shot very well out of the majority of my .22-250s and it's downright deadly on coyotes. But sometimes it takes a few groups before the coated offering reaches its accuracy potential.

That seemed to be the case with the Precision Hunter, which produced a first group of 1.62 inches and a fifth group of .68 inch, for an average of 1.14 inches. I have no doubt that my average would come way down were I to fire another five-group set, but I wanted to make sure my test was a true apples-to-apples comparison.

Accuracy Results | T/C Icon Precision Hunter
.22-250 Rem.	Bullet Weight (gr.)	Avg. Velocity (fps)	Best Group (in.)	Worst Group (in.)	Avg. Group (in.)
Federal BlitzKing	55	3,572	0.75	1.29	0.97
Hornady V-Max	40	4,097	0.66	1.12	0.91
Hornady V-Max	55	3,602	0.37	0.90	0.64
Winchester BST	55	3,594	0.68	1.62	1.14
Average accuracy is the average of five five-shot groups fired from a Caldwell front rest and rear bag at 100 yards. Velocity was the average of 10 rounds fired over a Shooting Chrony placed 15 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviation: BST, Ballictic Silvertip

As I mentioned, I didn't get to do any long-range work with the Precision Hunter, but I did get to fire a few groups with it from the 200-yard line.

I shot the 55-grain Hornady load since it was the most accurate at 100 yards. Despite the fact that it was hot and windy, I managed an average of 1.32 inches and a best group of 0.96 inch--not bad for 200-yards with a dirty barrel and a gusting wind. Still, I think some more load experimentation and a more powerful scope would yield some even more impressive results.

Overall, I was pretty darn impressed with the new Icon Precision Hunter. The cheekpiece was just the right height for me to get a perfect cheek weld, and the stock was very comfortable from the prone position and off the bench.

I didn't have a scientific way to test the Convection Enhancement System, but the Precision Hunter didn't seem to get near as hot as my own .22-250 with a similar-size barrel would get after the same number of shots.

I also liked the handling qualities of the new rifle. It is heavy enough to make calling your own shots a snap, but it's not so heavy you can't carry it around as a walking-and-calling piece. It's not ideal for that, but it's not so heavy as to preclude me from using it in that role.

The fit and finish of the rifle were first rate, though the bolt had a bit of a hitch. It seemed to require an extra push forward before I could push the bolt back down. I've noticed this on every Icon I've tested, so it isn't a problem specific to this gun. But it's not a big issue, and it does seem to diminish with time.

My only real complaint has to do with the trigger, which broke at just 3.3 pounds. But unlike most Icons I've shot, it had an inordinate amount of gritty creep. In fact, it had so much creep it almost felt like a two-stage trigger. That is very much unlike the triggers on my two Icons (a .308 and a .22-250 Weather Shield), which are crisp and creep-free.

I have a feeling my test gun's trigger is unique and expect that current production guns will share the same clean trigger pull as the rest of the Icon line.

Those small criticisms aside, the Precision Hunter is a damn fine rifle. It is more than accurate enough for long-distance work on the range or in the field, and it's a comfortable and user-friendly piece. It's also perfectly configured for its intended role and reasonably priced, with an MSRP of just $1,149--well below that of a custom rifle--you'd be hard-pressed to outshoot the T/C.

The test rifle left impression on me. In fact, I've already decided to order a new Icon Precision Hunter when my current .22-250's barrel reaches the end of its useful life. Based on my experience with the test rifle, the new Precision Hunter will do everything a replacement custom rig would do at half the price. What's not to like about that?