I did some more research on them this evening and found it a common complaint even on the Howa 1500s. The dab of grease is suppose to help it. I will give it a try. Would polishing that cocking ramp with some lapping compound make any sense? I felt it with my finger tip and it didn't seem to be rough at all. Its probably the steep angle. This is my son's first rifle (he is 7 and a lightweight) and has a bit of trouble racking it up and was hoping to reduce the force needed to open the bolt.
