Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Howa rifles: The red headed stepchild?

This, I would try out a howa if they went lefty.

The comments about weight surprised me, so I went to HOWAs page and found they are a bit heavier than I would have guessed. You guys are correct.
I have had a lot of them come through my shop and although it never seems that they were "lightweights" it never noticed them as heavy either. I guess I was not paying attention to that point.

But with a 1920s contour barrel and a slimmer stock I am sure they would not be any heavier then a Mauser, and I have never found Mausers to feel heavy in standard calibers.

I am doing a custom 6.5X55 on a Howa right now for a good friend. She wanted a unique rifle. I am doing the finish on it right now. I placed it on my postage scale and it is 7 pounds and 15 oz. It has a set of folding express sights, a barrel band front swivel stud and a barrel band front sight. It also has a "patch-box" like many American Long Rifles in which is the storage for the front sight or the muzzle break. She can switch back and forth as she likes. In the box is a combo tool also. Depending on what scope she has me mount I expect this rifle to come in at about 8-3/4 pounds in the field, loaded with the sling. So it's not a featherweight, but I can't call that heavy either.

She did not have me re-contour the barrel. It's just as it came, but I did cut the shank off and make a new one so I could re-chamber it because of the complaint of the super long throat Howa is using in their 6.5 X55s. That means it's about 7/8" shorter then it was as it left the factory.

I did another one for a buddy on a Weatherby Vanguard. It was a 308 and I did the barrel contour in that one. I also re-stocked it in 1920s style and it came out very light. I did weight it but I can't remember what it came to other than it was about the same as a Winchester M-70 Featherweight.

So the Howa actions are what I would call "average" in weight. But just like with Mausers and Springfield, you can still make a light rifle out of one if you want. Not as light as with the titanium actions available today, but still getting one under 7 pound ready to scope is not a big deal.

I rate the Howa at the top tier of push feed actions available today.

As a gunsmith, I rate guns for their reliability on how many I have to repair, not how many I customize.

The new Howa triggers are quite good. Older ones were not very good and I'd replace them. They were not unreliable or unsafe, but the pulls just sucked.
Also the early ones had the ejector placed in a way that with short shells they would often drop an empty back into the action. 06 length and magnums were ok.

Howa fixed that issue by moving the ejector to a different location the bolt face. Since Howa fixed those 2 problems, I never have calls to fix anything on them. Restocks and custom work, yes, but nothing that needs to be repaired.

Since Howa addressed those issue I no longer have any real criticisms. Overall I speak highly of them.

If I had to make one change to a Howa or Weatherby Vanguard action it would be replacing the factory bolt stop with one of those similiar to what is on a Kimber 84 or 8400.

I think we are a little OCD about weight at times.
However, a nice bolt stop like the Mauser, Sako, or Ruger would be nice.
Focus on things that matter...... Even if it does add a little weight.

I have a custom .270 WSM built on a Vanguard (Howa) action, recently re-barreled with a factory 24" #2 barrel, Timney trigger, with bedding job on a McMillan Edge stock. With a Leupold VX3 3.5-10 scope and Talley LW rings, it tips the scale at 7lb. 15 oz,.- hardly a heavyweight. Accuracy is consistently sub-MOA, and it is quickly becoming my go-to rifle for just about everything nowadays. It is also undoubtedly the smoothest-feeding action on any rifle I own.

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Regarding weight (and recoil), the older I get, the more OCD I get.

My .300WM is getting up there in recoil but still very manageable. The .338 WM gets shot for hunting and a few practice rounds through the year, still not too bad. Don't mind the 7mm RM or .30-06 or others. The exception to those "others" is my "Rhino Blaster" loads for my Marlin 1895 .45-70. A 460g load of hardcast @ 1812fps in that rifle is about 50 ft-lbs of brutal.

Doubt I'll be buying any more heavy kickers - don't need them to get the job done.

Find I'm liking lighter rifles, too.

No disrespect intended.

I've been 'spoiled' to lighter wt. rifles since I got a Ruger 77 UL in 308 sometime in the 80s.

I just don't WANT to carry a heavier rifle than necessary. I do have some in the 8-8 1/2 lb. range. The heavier ones don't get lugged a lot.

Jerry

Jerry,
I hear you. As I said I hunt mostly from a stand so weight is a none issue. If i had to lug one around the mountains I'd probably go lighter.
Like 6.5x55 in as light a rifle as I could get.
Not a fan of recoil or noise.
I'm probably one of the minority who wear ear plugs and safety glasses even when hunting.

John Boy - like you I also wear ear plugs PLUS muffs. Left my hearing on the flight line circa late 60's i.e.too little, too late.
IMO - HOWA makes a pretty good rifle as I've owned several over the years in a variety of calibers. First being a S&W M1500
.308 Winchester HB. It just felt "right" compared with other mfg's offerings. Over the years I've also purchased Vanguards as well.
Well made rifle... Homesteader

Ive come close to snatching one up a few times. I can usually look past the weight, but cant bear that hogue stock. Then when I factor in hunting down another stock etc. Then see a ready to go Tikka at 6.5 lbs and about the same price, Tikka wins

The vanguard wilderness or backcountry have both intrigued me, just cant find one to handle.

It may be nearly impossible to beat Whittaker's price of $330 for the basic Howa 1500s, a lot of rifle for the $$.

Thats true, I think they had some 270's for $299, thats a heck of a deal for a well made rifle. Then its just a matter of scoring another stock.

eBay?

I've restocked a couple of Howa 1500s with V2 take-offs and B&Cs. GPC still has new, very old stock, S&W 1500 short action walnut stocks.

Had to google GPC...good to know, thanks for sharing.

Since Howa refuses to make anything left handed, I don't look at them.

Weatherby lists their Vanguard stocks available that will fit perfectly..

I had my S&W(Howa) restocked back in the mid 80's before there were any aftermarket stocks. Gunsmith used one for a Sako from Brown Precision. Keep an eye out for a Sako take off or aftermarket.

I'll not a gambling man........ But if I was...... I'd bet that a Nosler stock would fit also as would their bottom metal.
However, they refuse to sell to me....... Imagine that.

I can try it tomorrow. I'll grab each off the shelf and give it a go.

^^^there we go!

I know that the Nosler rifle isn't suppose to be of the Howa design but the pics I've seen sure are similar to my S&W. Even down to the pear shaped bolt knob.

Guess a man who has one and would need parts is out of luck if Nosler won't even sell a stock?