Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Howa 1500 Project

I am kind of a tinkerer by nature and have spent quite a bit of time putting together Remington 700s and am looking to take on a different project. I don't do my own rebarrel work but do pretty much everything else.

I am thinking of putting together a rifle starting with a Howa 1500 sporter in 308 and sticking it in a high tech specialties stock throwing on a set of talleys and go from there. I know they make a lightweight model now but I am pretty sure I can throw one together cheaper than that. The question is how are how as for accuracy and are they as well built as they seem in the stores?

Thanks

Recent thread on the Wby Vanguard...similar to the 1500

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...72778/all/Weatherby_Vanguard_Opinions...

There is no way you can put together a Howa rifle as light as the Alpine cheaper. You might put together a Howa rifle with Talley mounts and a High Tech stock cheaper but it'll weigh more. The Alpine has a milled down received, polymer bottom metal, and a lightweight 20" barrel all things the standard 1500 rifle doesn't have.

Howa has a new Mini Action, like those of CZ...

Right now just chambered in 223... has one in 9 twist,
and available with a 20 inch Number One contour or a 22 inche Number 2 Contour...

they've also done some weight shaving on the action...

can't report on it yet as I am waiting for mine to come in..

ordered one thru Whittaker Guns, ShortActionSmoker's shop..

$345 shipped and insured...

Howa also has those two available in a barreled action configuration...

I'm not familiar with a High Tech Specialities stock but I can tell you that the Howa isn't the best action to use if you want UBER light. And you'll more than likely have a very tough time getting lighter than a factory Alpine Light.

I own lightened actions and the standard SA Howa's. The lightened actions ain't much lighter. They shave some off the left side and drill out the bolt handle. Those little bits of shavings don't add up to much. I've used barrels about as skinny as you can go and down to 16". I've also used #3's up to 22" (I think) and I've used the detachable plastic, mag box type, and the standard issue aluminum bottom metal. I've used Edge fill, and I've used standard fill McSwirley types. They all end up in that 7.5-8lb range after you add glass and rings.

Now the Mini could be as light as they say, and dropping into an Edge could likely get a guy into UBER light territory for very cheap. But at this time, McMillan won't inlet for the Mini. So that's out.

So at the end of the day, if you really want to trump the Alpine I highly recommend you buy an Alpine and a grinder, or get a Kimber Montana.

I also wouldn't go .308 on something as light as you want to go. But then again, I wouldn't go .308 on an 8lb rifle either.

Whittaker can get you the Lightning to your door for about $350 as well. And you're going to have a tough time beating that price.

Regarding accuracy, the Howa will flat out fugking shoot. And it is by far the best value in the new rifle category today.

Hope this helps and GFY.




Travis

Thanks for the help. I am not looking to go super light or super long range for this build just a solid reasonable weight woods gun where my longest shot would be 300 yards. I have a good 300 win mag for the real long stuff or for elk and mule deer hunting. My whitetail hunting is all woods hunting so just want to build a solid 7.5 lb all up rifle.

"My whitetail hunting is all woods hunting so just want to build a solid 7.5 lb all up rifle."

My S&W 1500(HOWA)in .300mag with a Brown Precision blind magazine stock,6x36 scope,weaver bases,leupold rings,sling,and two rounds goes 7lb 8ozs. Surely it can be done lighter with a .308.

Can you order barreled actions through your FFL? Howa has them and McMillan will inlet them.

Do you plan on rebarreling it?



Travis

Yeah my ffl can get me a barreled action no problem. I figured I would try it with the factory tube for now as some people that I have talked to said that they shoot well if it doesn't a rebarrel will be done.

I saw that McMillan inlets for them but I think I will go with a legendary arm works / bansner stock because they are a little cheaper and weight is similar to a McMillan edge. The stocks need some finishing but I can do that myself as I just recently finished one for a buddy and was very impressed.

MPI also offers stocks inlet for Howa actions. They'll need finishing like High Tech stock as well. I've one sampling of High Tech stocks and four McMillan stocks, all were bought used. I do like the High Tech stock a lot and wouldn't be afraid to use them.

I have pondered this and came up w/ almost exactly 8 lbs using the lightweight 1500 barreled action (blued not coated like the alpine), high tech spec stock, talley lightweights, and a Leupold 6x36mm.

I'm not into ultra lights so that'd be about perfect to me. There certainly are better ways to go if you're looking REALLY light but if you want a shooter for a relatively low cost, I can't imagine this package won't shoot.

I had a 257 Weatherby that shot lights out, and just pieced together a 300 Weatherby Mag using an old VGL 7 RM receiver, take-off 300 Weatherby tube, and MPI ultralight stock. Haven't weighed it but I'd guess it's 9-ish all-up w/ VX1 3-9x40mm in Warne rings & Black Hawk mtn sling.

Good luck with the build; please post up results here if you decide to go with it as I'd love to see how it'll work out.

How much do you save going with a High Tech?



Travis

The last couple high tech specialties / bansner stocks that I have used (I think they are called legendary arm works now) after finishing with a small recoil pad have weighed between 24-26 oz so they are not to bad. If the forearm was shortened some and you didn't paint them overly thick you could prolly get them a little lighter.

They are a little more work then a drop in finished McMillan edge but the weight is similar. As far as I have been able to tell you cannot get a Howa from McMillan with edge fill yet so that's not really an option.

I have a Howa 21" stainless .308 devcon bedded in a Bansner with a Leupold 2.5 ultralight on it that I put together myself. I absolutely love it. Its my third Howa and all of them have been very accurate. I shot a 5x6 bull with it this year at 278 yards with a 180 accubond handload- one broadside shot and done. I was solo across a river and a mile from the road at dusk, but that's another story... Seems mine was just under 7lbs unloaded when I checked. Or just over, can't remember

I've handled a 1500 hogue model in an LGS and was tempted. Is the Lightning model you linked the same as the stnd 1500 just lighter barrel and plastic stock instead of the hogue?

I think it's a hogue stock just without the rubber on the outside. The actions seem good and reports are they shoot. Still haven't bought one yet still doing some research but they seem like good guns.

I meant in dollars, not weight. McMillan will sell you an inletted, but otherwise "unfinished" stock.

And they will do Edge fill for the Howa/Vanguard. Not sure who told you otherwise.



Travis

Price on the high techs are $329 from their website. You can find them on eBay once in a while for about 150-200

You used to be able to pick up a High Tech Specialties stock for about $350, but there wasn't much savings compared to a McMillan if you had a gunsmith finish it. You can go to LAW's web site and they list all the same stocks as the old High Tech site but the prices are missing, and no inventory is listed. Hopefully someone somewhere has some NOS High Tech stocks laying around.