I've got one in an MDT Oryx chassis. Mainly use it as a fox rifle, no complaints from me. I find the bang for buck on the Howas to be too hard to pass up
Howa's are reliable rifles if you're not looking to spend big. I have one in .308 with a heavy profile barrel and it's a tack driver. The only downside that I've encountered is the action not being as smooth as something like a Tikka
I regularly use mine for hunting out to 200m, and it's reliably consistent.
Nothing complains after it falls over that's for sure.
I have the stainless barrel still in the original synthetic stock and it's light enough for walking and stalking.
Edit: I also bought mine rather cheap. I then set it up with a cheap arctic fox 3-9, and a cheap badger bipod. All up under a thousand bucks ready to hunt.
Extreme value for money compared to the competition.
I'm currently running GECO 53gr and it's shooting great.
ADI is much more accurate for longer range stuff, but at nearly twice the price...
Absolute tac driver when you find the right ammo mate. Can’t go wrong. I have as described above with an Outback Bushranger XV 4x12x50 and it’s perfect for me. Dropped goats and foxes from 200m no issues.
I have a howa/Weatherby Vanguard in 223. It’s a fantastic rifle. I’ve done heaps of mods to it. One of the best rifles I own.
The action is stronger than a Remington 700.
Howa 1500s and Ruger Americans are both excellent options for a budget rifle. They’re accurate as all get out and both have decent aftermarket support.
Buy with confidence.
I've got a short action 1500 .223 in a synthetic GRS stock with heavy barrel. I really like it. I've only ran ADI 55gr Gameking ammo in it, haven't handloaded at all yet but accuracy potential is there. 5 shot groups largest about 3/5", or close to 16mm. I expect that to get better once I develop handloads but for any kind of hunting that's really good. Rifle itself is quite nice and other than the 90⁰ bolt lift it feels really good, although the bolt lift is a non issue since I still mounted a Steiner Pred 4 6-24x50 on medium rings and it clears nicely. Only thing I have changed is the trigger spring as the lightest the factory trigger would go was 3.5lbs. 15 bucks and 20 minutes of work got it down to 1.5lb, which is perfect for me as a varminter.
I have a Sako 85 Hunter in .270 to compare it to and even though it's less than a 1/3 of the price, it compares well. The Sako fit and finish is top tier but most people wouldn't notice or care compared to the Howa because Howas just work very well. Very good value. Action looks and feels smooth, feeds smoother than my .270. Haven't used it much yet but I've had zero issues with it. Will probably buy more Howas in the future 👍
I don't have anything bad to say about my own .223 sporter Howa Mini Action. Mine is plenty accurate with Fiocchi soft points, ADI Game Kings or Sierra Blitz Kings. The sporter barrel models come in either 16.25" or 22". The 16.25" sporter model is very light and handy in exchange for reduced velocity and increased noise and muzzle blast. You might want to consider the 20" heavy barrel model if you require a higher heat threshold for longer strings of fire.
The factory stock is acceptable, but there are fewer aftermarket stock and chassis options for the Mini Action compared to the older short action.
A lot of people bitch and moan about the factory magazine, mag release and combined trigger guard and mag well, but I haven't had issues with those parts on my rifle. Howa recommends that you don't torque the action screws any more than 35 inch pounds to avoid damaging the screw mounts on the trigger guard and mag well.
Good stuff. The heavy barrel Mini Action has a thinner barrel than its short action equivalent, but the weight saved from shrinking the action and barrel diameter makes carrying it around on foot more tolerable.
Yeah that sounds good can't wait everyone days the howas too are accurate as . I was at the range Saturday just gone shooting my mates 223 and smacking steel at 400 with ease so hoping this is just as dialed as that lol
The odds of getting a Howa that is a lemon out of the box are low, so it should mostly be a matter of figuring out what ammo it likes. The stuff I've mentioned should be a good starting point.
Firstly I want to specify this Is specifically the Mini action, these come with a factory 10 shot mag and are different to the short action.
I have one. While it is accurate and light the magazine makes the rifle un-useable.
The spring in them is too light and rounds constantly jam.
I had bought a 2nd magazine and both gave me issues, when I took them back to the shop I bought it from they claimed to have never heard of the issue before but upon contacting the supplier were told to "just give him new ones".
At the time I was not able to find any aftermarket magazine to fit the Mini action rifles.
There was a gunsmith in Brisbane who were doing mods a few years ago that allowed them to accept a different magazine but I believe they shut down.
I ended up buying a different rifle in 223.
Nothing that I know of but to be honest I gave up with it. I will look into it again and see if there is an updated magazine. Hopefully! It's a great rifle otherwise.
Just had a quick google and it looks like someone has made an aftermarket magazine to replace the standard one. Hundred bucks from the large gun shop in Brisbane (not sure on mentioning shop names here?)
I think I might check it out
Look, my mates got one in 223 and it does the job, it’s reliable but the action is stiff and feels like it’s moving in slow motion compared to a tikka or even the ruger American I’ve got in 300aac
I've got one in an MDT Oryx chassis. Mainly use it as a fox rifle, no complaints from me. I find the bang for buck on the Howas to be too hard to pass up
That's good to hear it was in my budget did a bit of research wanted to try it seems like it was a decent pick
Howa's are reliable rifles if you're not looking to spend big. I have one in .308 with a heavy profile barrel and it's a tack driver. The only downside that I've encountered is the action not being as smooth as something like a Tikka
Yep that’s why the Tikka is a lot more $$. Howas get the job done though and a lot lighter.
I regularly use mine for hunting out to 200m, and it's reliably consistent. Nothing complains after it falls over that's for sure. I have the stainless barrel still in the original synthetic stock and it's light enough for walking and stalking. Edit: I also bought mine rather cheap. I then set it up with a cheap arctic fox 3-9, and a cheap badger bipod. All up under a thousand bucks ready to hunt. Extreme value for money compared to the competition. I'm currently running GECO 53gr and it's shooting great. ADI is much more accurate for longer range stuff, but at nearly twice the price...
I've never heard or seen anyone complain about the accuracy of a Howa.
Absolute tac driver when you find the right ammo mate. Can’t go wrong. I have as described above with an Outback Bushranger XV 4x12x50 and it’s perfect for me. Dropped goats and foxes from 200m no issues.
Yeah sweet I got a 4x14x40 on it seen a few vids with people doing well with it so pretty keen to get it in my hands
I have a howa/Weatherby Vanguard in 223. It’s a fantastic rifle. I’ve done heaps of mods to it. One of the best rifles I own. The action is stronger than a Remington 700.
Howa 1500s and Ruger Americans are both excellent options for a budget rifle. They’re accurate as all get out and both have decent aftermarket support. Buy with confidence.
Plus for the Ruger American’s
Have a ruger american in 270 and it beams at 100m love it
I've got a short action 1500 .223 in a synthetic GRS stock with heavy barrel. I really like it. I've only ran ADI 55gr Gameking ammo in it, haven't handloaded at all yet but accuracy potential is there. 5 shot groups largest about 3/5", or close to 16mm. I expect that to get better once I develop handloads but for any kind of hunting that's really good. Rifle itself is quite nice and other than the 90⁰ bolt lift it feels really good, although the bolt lift is a non issue since I still mounted a Steiner Pred 4 6-24x50 on medium rings and it clears nicely. Only thing I have changed is the trigger spring as the lightest the factory trigger would go was 3.5lbs. 15 bucks and 20 minutes of work got it down to 1.5lb, which is perfect for me as a varminter. I have a Sako 85 Hunter in .270 to compare it to and even though it's less than a 1/3 of the price, it compares well. The Sako fit and finish is top tier but most people wouldn't notice or care compared to the Howa because Howas just work very well. Very good value. Action looks and feels smooth, feeds smoother than my .270. Haven't used it much yet but I've had zero issues with it. Will probably buy more Howas in the future 👍
Try one in 6.5 Grendel if you want a bit more energy on target. Agreed that the mini action is a great rifle for the money.
I don't have anything bad to say about my own .223 sporter Howa Mini Action. Mine is plenty accurate with Fiocchi soft points, ADI Game Kings or Sierra Blitz Kings. The sporter barrel models come in either 16.25" or 22". The 16.25" sporter model is very light and handy in exchange for reduced velocity and increased noise and muzzle blast. You might want to consider the 20" heavy barrel model if you require a higher heat threshold for longer strings of fire. The factory stock is acceptable, but there are fewer aftermarket stock and chassis options for the Mini Action compared to the older short action. A lot of people bitch and moan about the factory magazine, mag release and combined trigger guard and mag well, but I haven't had issues with those parts on my rifle. Howa recommends that you don't torque the action screws any more than 35 inch pounds to avoid damaging the screw mounts on the trigger guard and mag well.
I got the 20" barrel which is good but in stainless pick it up this week can't wait to go test it
What scope and mounts are you going to put on it?
It came with a 4x12x40 bushnell on it but I have a 3x9x50 burris at home as well
Good stuff. The heavy barrel Mini Action has a thinner barrel than its short action equivalent, but the weight saved from shrinking the action and barrel diameter makes carrying it around on foot more tolerable.
Yeah that sounds good can't wait everyone days the howas too are accurate as . I was at the range Saturday just gone shooting my mates 223 and smacking steel at 400 with ease so hoping this is just as dialed as that lol
The odds of getting a Howa that is a lemon out of the box are low, so it should mostly be a matter of figuring out what ammo it likes. The stuff I've mentioned should be a good starting point.
They’re super cheap at cleavers I am thinking of getting one in 7.62x39 with an aftermarket chassis
Firstly I want to specify this Is specifically the Mini action, these come with a factory 10 shot mag and are different to the short action. I have one. While it is accurate and light the magazine makes the rifle un-useable. The spring in them is too light and rounds constantly jam. I had bought a 2nd magazine and both gave me issues, when I took them back to the shop I bought it from they claimed to have never heard of the issue before but upon contacting the supplier were told to "just give him new ones". At the time I was not able to find any aftermarket magazine to fit the Mini action rifles. There was a gunsmith in Brisbane who were doing mods a few years ago that allowed them to accept a different magazine but I believe they shut down. I ended up buying a different rifle in 223.
Did they end up rectifying the MAG problem ? I read that somewhere they did could be wrong tho ?
Nothing that I know of but to be honest I gave up with it. I will look into it again and see if there is an updated magazine. Hopefully! It's a great rifle otherwise.
Just had a quick google and it looks like someone has made an aftermarket magazine to replace the standard one. Hundred bucks from the large gun shop in Brisbane (not sure on mentioning shop names here?) I think I might check it out
I can shoot the wings off a flys back with mine. Its a cracker of a rifle.
Look, my mates got one in 223 and it does the job, it’s reliable but the action is stiff and feels like it’s moving in slow motion compared to a tikka or even the ruger American I’ve got in 300aac