I've had quite a few Howas and with the exception of a 6.5X55, they all shot good. I like the action, the 3 stage safety, and the trigger. But, I do not like the current Hogue stock, as they make the rifles heavy and clunky feeling. I recently put a scope on a new, although no longer made, Howa Lightning model in 243. The rifle weighed almost 8 pounds, and this was with a 20 inch barrel, minus scope. To me, that's a little too heavy.
I'd like to have another Howa, as I've traded all mine away, but I just can't find any love for them. The only Howa I think I'd own these days is one of the Alpine rifles that they made, and have now discontinued. The only exception to that is a Howa that is currently being shown in their catalogs as having an HS Precision stock.
