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

Why do the Howa rifles seem to be so underated?
Very accurate rifles with a Sako family heritage. A bit overweight maybe, but still fine rifles.
Very inexpensive on the used market.
The worst thing I can say about them is with regards to their triggers. However, that's an easy fix.

Good question. I like mine plenty! There's a lot of good ones out there, however. Lots of competition.

I've got three. And one is a Swede.......
Got a deluxe Vanguard stock coming in for it.

My Vanguard is a great shooter. Bought it used from a member. 6.5 Creedmoor.

I have 2 of them in .243, no complaints. Great low budget rifles!

I wouldn't even call them low budget. They are great rifles at a very appealing price. The only problem for me is that I am left handed and for some reason How has chosen not to produce a lefty. Otherwise I would own a few.

There seems to be a real dearth of custom parts. My Christmas list wish is for a steel trigger guard unit.

My Howa is a Weatherby Vanguard VGX chambered for 30-06. Fine rifle.

I am a lover of classic rifles.
Mostly Mausers, M-70s Springfields, Enfields and Mannlichers. I like the controlled feed extractors.

BUT ---- As a full time gunsmith, if I am pressed to pic my favorite push-feed action of all, I rate the HOWA as good as any and better than many. I actually prefer them to most of their competitors.

If I were to make a suggestion to the Japanese as to what they could do to increase sales I would ask for an optional steel trigger guard and floor-plate. For custom gun work, the painted aluminum parts are a turn off to many.
Maybe a metal follower too, but that's less important then the parts that show.

I agree. The Mauser is my all-time favorite. But, deference to the esteemed Finn, they do have some glaring deficiencies from a sporting standpoint.
With the understanding that Germans tend to over engineer.......
The flared bolt shroud is not so much needed if the had aimed the bolt vents at the magazine well instead of the left raceway. Winchester finally changed theirs. The recoil lug is too small as is the rest action tang. The controlled feed,,,, debatable.
Now the shouldered during pin. Great idea.
If I were too modify the Mauser. .... I'd give it the old style Sako / Howa / Nosler rear tang. Vent the bolt vents into the magazine. Lengthen the recoil lug while shortening the riser on the front tang of the bottom metal. Return to single broaching. Use Ruger style ring system. Since there would be no thumb cut, drop the bolt guide rail but keep the third lug.
Just rambling.......

I'll take the AL-U-minny-Um over a cheesy plastic DM any day. I suspect that the lack of interest in them as the basis for custom builds explains the lack of aftermarket stuff. Changing the bottom metal to steel would only worsen the weight issue, which most people under 40 or so probably consider a bigger deal than a little light metal. At least it works like it's supposed to, unlike some.

My current one is a Vanguard S2 and it's been totally trouble-free. Forged steel action, including the one-piece bolt and easy bolt disassembly. Amazing value.

If I was to buy a Howa, and I've been close a few times, it would be a barreled action so I could put the stock of choice on without having the factory version taking up closet space. The factory stocks just don't appeal to me, especially the Hogue. The new Alpine is much better, but would prefer 22" of barrel.

I've had 4, all good rifles and plenty accurate.
1 - 223, good varmint accuracy
1 - 270 W, probably the most 'beautiful stock I've owned, black walnut, good grain + small knots.
1 - ,06, close to figure of the 270 W.
---- all heavier than I liked-- however I wish I had the 06 back.
1 - Wby ? Fiberguard ? green composite, 20" bll. - 270 W.

IMO can't beat the quality for the $$$.

Jerry

Best mass produced push feed on the market, there is no better made. Every last one I have bought has shot well and the gun goes bang everytime. They are super easy to field strip with no tools, they are easy to glass bed into another stock and the bottom metal is better then anything on a Remington,Salvage even Weatherby Mark V( aluminum bottom metal). How Remington can charge 200 bucks on average or more over one of these speaks volumes of mass marketing on the US side and the availability of aftermarket parts.

That is an understatement. And the only reason I no longer own one. I think that if someone is putting together a rifle for a purpose where weight isn't an issue they are one of the best rifles out there. But weight is an issue with me. A Howa unscoped weighs more than any rifle I own with scope and mounts included.

I usually hunt from a stand so weight isn't an issue.
The heaviest calibre i have is a 30-06.
Weight can be your friend in the fight against recoil.
A 6.5 pound 338 magnum, or similar does nothing for me.
Weight savings can be had by using straight power scopes with smaller objective lens.
Never could warm up to a large objective variable.
8 - 9 pounds for a scoped rifle isn't out of line.
There again good marketing does wonders for what we think we need.

Have 3 of them. As stated before, a bit over weight but accurate and trouble-free rifles.

For a bit more money, you can get the Vanguard version which is still available in SS and has a couple of minor tweaks, along with a much nicer stock. Just saw one last night, a SS .257 Weatherby, at an amazing price.

I had the S2 stainless in 257 weatherby , I put it in a B&C vanguard stock and bedded the front lug. My brother now ones it and he headshot 2 pigs that were roughly 200 lbs at 125 yards with a single shot apieced. It shoots bugholes and that is with factory 100 grain bullets

Imho the vanguard howa platform is probably the best value on the mkt today, and much more comparable to the 700 and mod 70 than say a rRAR or Savage. The two makers have two issues . One is the weight which could be helped by offering a lighter profile 22" barrel. The howa doesn't help itself imho with the hogue stock. I can't stand the clammy feel of the rubber skin. I fitted my vanguard with one of the butler creek classic style stocks and while it isn't as hitec as a mcmllian it is a pretty decent stock. I would suggest that with a lighter barrel and dump the hogue they would be even more popular.

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.

[
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?

Let me know the results.
They say proprietary action, I say you can't hide the lineage.
As much as a Howa was based on the Sako, so is the Nosler with a few, very few minor alterations.
"That's my story and I'm sticking to it......."

That says A LOT for the Howa. FINE piece of equipment for the price.

Rear tang on the receiver, bolt hanger at the root, the bolt itself.
Shaving the sides didn't hide anything.
I'll guess the spacing on the action screws is 7.75 for the long action and 7.25 for the short. ( Howa long and short action. Sako has two more but I know it's not the very shortest one. )

Legendary Arms Works / High Tech Specialties stocks on a Howa 1500 changes the entire feel of the rifle. Definitely a worthwhile upgrade.

Tikka wins??? With a plastic magazine, trigger guard and bolt shroud.....I don't think so.
That is weight OCD to the max.
Wood, steel and leather. Rifle stuff......
Aluminum, plastic and fiberglass don't get lovelier with age.
It's like comparing fine wine to Kool Aid.
Aged cheese to Velveeta.........
Mauser to Savage Axis ( Ruger American )

Worn , anodized aluminum fllorplates and trigger guards don't look good to me. My Tikka 595 is 17 years old and has been hunted alot. The pastic magazine/trigger guard/bottom metal still look brand new. I also guaranee the detachable plastic magazine is a bunch tougher than a stamped sheet steel magazine or the thin aluminum floorplate on the Howa. I've had two Howas and still own a Weatherby Vanguard. My Tikka outshoots them all with ease.

That's why I'm trying to find a steel replacement.
Someone is overlooking a large market.
As for the accuracy, I can't comment on the Tikka. No experience.
Plastic just does nothing for me. Good looking or otherwise.

Synthetic parts don't bother me so long as they suit their purpose well. The Tikka's synthetic parts do. I inadvertently left a loaded Tikka magazine on the roof of my hunting partners truck a couple years ago. It stayed put till we were up to full speed on the highway and then I heard someting slide across the roof. I knew what it was immediately and turned around in time to see my magazine cartwheeling down the road at 60 mph. We immediately turned around so I could retrieve whatever was left of it. Amazingly I'm still using that same magazine and it still works perfectly. Aside from a few pock marks and a bit of road rash the magazine was undamaged and still structurally sound. Try that with a stamped sheet steel magazine and get back to me on which is "tougher".

I'd like to try an Alpine someday.

"Tougher" wasn't used by me.
Toughness had nothing to do with the question at hand unless you fall for the testosterone ads.
Take you plastic fantastics and lay them next to a quality Mauser, Ruger No.1, 1885 Winchester, Model 12 Winchester, Colt SAA......
I think you get my drift.
Everyone had their favorite whatever. I'm talking classic beauty that functions well.
In fact, if you were shooting a Mauser, Model 70, Ruger No.1, a magazine falling off a truck wouldn't even be an issue. Now would it?

I don't own Vanguard or Howa but have.

I have a T3 SS 270 Win, bought in 2003.

Where can you buy a Tikka for close to $300.00 ?


Incidentally, I have not had 1 part failure with the T3.
Also, I AIN'T buying any r A r or salvage --- period.


OTOH a Howa for @. $ 300 is brow raising !!


Jerry

I thought we were talking Howa's, not classic Winchesters and mausers ? The Howa hardly qualifies as a "classic beauty" in factory form. I like walnut and blued steel as much as anybody but performance wise a couple of my plastic fantastics leave the walnut and old iron in the dust.

It was and still is a conversation with some exceptional men about a subject we all enjoy.
Firearms.
So a few rabbits die in the process...... What's a little Hasenfeffer amongst friends?

My non classic Howa.. And it's non classic back up stock..... Oh for the want of a steel trigger guard.
Thinking of installing a forend tip and grip cap.

I've got a Howa 1500 in .270 that came cerakoted and in the Hogue stock. It shoots honest 1" 3 shot groups at 100 with 130 SST's and sometimes it does a little better. I've been debating on ordering a Manners or McMillan but I hate to mess with something that ain't broke... I've shot it to 500 with a bipod and it still hovers right at MOA.

This is good info and a lot of guys don't realize that the long action Vanguard will drop into a stock for a Sako L61R, AIII, or AV. Although the AV stock will require a bit of bedding at the rear of the tang.

I bought one a few months back. Found one in 6.5x55 at Sportsman's Warehouse for $295. My shoulder is just now getting good enough to shoot following my replacement surgery and I have cranked out a few handloads. I may get to the range this weekend. I fully expect it to shoot MOA. Mine wears the green Hogue stock. I am the exception here but I like it. It's heavy. The whole gun is heavy, but this will be a stand/shooting house gun, so the weight won't matter, and the rubberized stock is great for dampening noise. The gun doesn't feel like other bargain priced guns. It feels well made. The bolt is very smooth. The HACT trigger is pretty good. I am not a trigger snob, so this one will work just fine. Bluing is nice. The barrel floats in the Hogue stock. In researching some of the earlier Howa 6.5x55 rifles, they weren't accurate. Apparently the throat was too long. Howa listened and fixed that issue.

My non classic poor man's Sako. 6.5x55 Howa. 8.75 lbs.
If Weatherby, Smith and Wesson and Mossberg think enough of Howa to contract with them, they must be doing something right.
Stock bought here from a member.

That is some GORGEOUS wood.

Jerry

The depth of the throat may not be a problem in and of itself. I have some "Linda Lovelace" 308's that are quite accurate. The diameter of the throat has a bearing as well. If it's a close fit then the length of the throat becomes much less critical.

Those 'howa' type things are left over stuff from the little scum who started WW2, killed hundreds of thousands of Americans and continue hurting the USA.

But of course none of the stuff you like has anything to do with Germany, right?

Look up the definition of hypocrite.

So..... If you feel that way..... Don't buy German....... Don't buy Russian....... Don't buy from Christ killing Jews....... Let's see how bigoted and unforgiving we can be.
By the way. My dad and father in law both served in WWII in the Pacific.
My dad bought a Datsun ( Nissan for the younger crew ) in '71 a mere 26 years after VJ Day.
Can you even give me the date for VE and VJ Days, or has your prejudice completely blinded you?
Please forgive me if I've offended you, but get a life.

By the way, the little sum didn't start the war.
We laid the ground work for Hitler with the Treaty of Versailles........ Study your history.
The Marshall plan was a better victors solution.
And yes, i had a great uncle who was a translator for the folks ( French ) during travesty of "negotiating" the Treaty.
But of course we had to punish the dirty little scum who started that war.......

As long as I'm on my soapbox.....
I'm not buying from you stinkin' Yankees.......
Y'all Yankees shouldn't buy from no Southern Rebs either......
How's many Americans killed each other in that little disagreement?
And you're worried about who builds a piece of equipment........

I got my Howa 6.5x55 out to the range for the first time today. Boresighted it looking down the barrel. First shot at 50 yards was 2 inches right. Shot two more then moved to the 100 yard line. I shot a three shot group that was about an inch and made another adjustment. I shot one more. It is the one at the top of the dot. I gave it two right clicks and shot the three shot group you see. Not where I wanted it to be, but plenty tight. I didn't measure it, but I'd guess it to be about 3/4" That dog will hunt! Looks like 44 grains of RL17 and a 129 SST is just the ticket. Not too shabby for a $295 gun.

Paul

Ain't nuttin wrong with that.

All of the 4 I've had shot very well too.

Jerry

My Father was a Marine from 1937 thru 1947, served on Guadalcanal and Okinawa, and hated everything Japanese for the rest of his life. He wouldn't buy anything Japanese unless there wasn't a viable alternative. He never forgot or forgave the Japanese/ for attacking the U.S. and for killing/wounding many of his friends. Your Father was obviously a more forgiving man than mine was.

My dad was also a Christian. The world may not forgive, but a Christian must forgive.
I am a Christian therefore I must forgive. We can't pick and choose which parts of scripture we want to obey.
Life isn't always pleasant. And a lot of people die at the hands of their fellow men.
But, if we don't forgive, those people maintain control over our lives.
If Christ controls or lives we will forgive.
We are either slaves to sin ( our own passions and desires ) or we are slaves to Christ.
We are only truly free when we submit to Christ.

Turning the other cheek is easy to say, or type, but much more difficult when you've experienced the horrors of war for yourself.

I knew a man, who has since passed, who was among the first U.S. Army soldiers to liberate a concentration camp in Europe during WW2. It haunted him all his life and he never forgot or forgave the Germans for standing by while the SS gathered their neighbors up and sent them to their deaths.

One of the most despicable men who I have ever met was an avowed Christian. My distasteful experience with him has caused me to be skeptical about a person's motives when they claim piety or invoke the name of GOD to gain some moral advantage.

For the war issues read "Unbroken" the story of a war veteran.
For your experience with Christians, it's never good to lump everyone in a group due to the minority who fail to meet your expectations.
I never said forgiveness is easy. It is necessary however if we proclaim the name of Christ.
I fail at it daily, but daily I seek forgiveness.
It's a cold heart and dead spirit that refuses to forgive.

Whatever.

I'm sorry you feel that way.
Your whatever will have eternal consequences.
Man has a choice.
Christ will either be your Savior, or your judge.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me."
Don't reject Christ out of hand.
Send me your address send I'll send you a New Testament.
Read it and then decide if you're good with whatever.

As a note. Any member here who doesn't have a Bible I'll make the same offer.
Send me your address and I'll send you a small copy of the New Testament.

John Boy

My schpeal

I have a Howa 270, Rem700 6mmBR, and lots of Mausers... comparing them...

The book to get is "Bolt Action Rifles" 4th edition by de Haas.
Modern Firearms + Amazon webstore - Bolt Action Rifles

The 98 Mauser/ pre 64 M70 has:
1) flat bottomed receiver to take torque from rifling
2) controlled feed
3) claw typed extractor
4) safety on firing pin, often modified to be 2 or 3 position M70 type
5) multi stage gas filter on firing pin hole for safety
6) bolt handle is integrally forged as part of bolt body
7) safety lug below rear bridge
8) integral recoil lug
9) knife ejector in bolt lug slot
10 an inner C ring to put the tenon threads in compression

The rem 700
1) receiver made from round tubing
2) push feed
3) little wimpy extractor
4) safety on trigger
5) simple bolt
6) bolt handle tacked on with screw and solder
7) nothing for safety if bolt lugs fail.
8) recoil lug is a modified washer that is captured by the receiver and barrel
9) plunger ejector
10) No inner C ring, so the only thing holding the barrel to the receiver is the tenon threads in tension

Of the ~100 bolt action covered in the above book, they seem to all be on the spectrum somewhere between the simple Rem700 and the complex 1898 Mauser design.

The Howa 1500:
1) flat bottom receiver
2) push feed
3) short claw extractor is bigger than rem, but smaller than M98
4) three position bolt safety
5) simple bolt
6) Integral bolt handle
7) nothing
8) integral recoil lug
9) plunger ejector

I would give the Howa Mauser scale = ~50% Mauser
I would give the Howa Rem700 scale = ~50% Rem700

No disrespect intended, but if you're directing this at me, save your proselytizing for someone who needs or wants it, as I neither want, nor need, to have anyone pushing their religion on me.

I've noted this before:



Is this in conflict with your book?

Understood. But I don't push a religion. I share a faith.
I realize it's not for everyone, but have you ever just put it to the test.
To revert to my childhood days......I triple dog dare you to try it......🤓
Seriously, the members here are a great bunch. As much as I'm willing to share important gun information, I'm more willing to share information that's life saving.
Sincerely,
John

My memory is not good, but I don't think I got the "tube" notion from the book, but from an online post.
I think I will have to remove the "tube" word from my spiel.

The problems with round bottom receivers I got from Bart Bobbitt back in the 90s.
Those problems may have been overcome.
Half the rifles I build now are round bottom, but I am not getting 3" 20 shot groups at 800 yards with a 308 like Bart did in 1997.

I have used both Remington 700's and 7's for a good many years, and never had that "little wimpy" extractor not work......zero problems over many thousands of rounds fired. Almost everything I've shot through those rifles has been reloads, and most have been loaded to max, or above max. I have had 4 Howa's and one Weatherby Vanguard (same thing), and had 3 of them fail to extract at times. The Vanguard, a Predator model in 223, was one of the most accurate rifles I've ever owned, but after replacing the extractor twice, due to breakage, I sent it on down the road. Just telling it like it happened to me.

James, you can work up in 223 or 308 or 300WM until the extractor groove grows 0.001" in a Rem700 or Sav 110 with their wimpy extractors.
But if you do something that makes the primer pocket twice as big in diameter, you will wish you had a Ruger #1.

If you get a stuck case in a Rem700 or Sav110 and jump with all your weight on the bolt handle like jumping on a pogo stick, the wimpy extractor [or wimpy bolt handle on a Rem700] will fail. You will wish you had a 98 Mauser or pre 64 Win M70.

But the truth is the average sportsman consumer does not require much rifle ruggedness to shoot a deer every year.

So did we ever find out if the howa fits the nosler stock?

Been wondering the same thing ?

The gentleman has been building a new store so he's been a bit tied up.
I'll contact him to see.

Got another one from Whittaker's last week. Don't want to imply that they aren't on par with 700s, but whenever someone asks about an Axis, American, 783 etc., "Howa" is the first word outta my mouth.

There are some Smith & Wesson 1500s that they put gorgeous factory wood on, and they still go for substantially less than other comparable rifles.

i just received an alpine in 6.5cm. I had been looking for a Barrett fieldcraft and couldn't find one so had the local sportsmans warehouse transfer the alpine in from one of their other stores. There were only two left in the company. Of course a day after I initiated the transfer my local gun store called to tell me they were finally able to order in the fieldcraft so now I have them both. I like the alpine and think I'm going to hang on to it. Is the barrel break in procedure that howa includes with the gun really necessary?

Paul

Barrel break in is a matter of different opinions.

Mine is that break in is just more wear on the life of the barrel. Totally useless.

There are others who don't agree.

Good luck

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. I've never done it before so I guess no reason to start now. I've also never had a rifle come with barrel break in recommendations from the manufacturer that I recall.

I have 2 , 257 weatherby mag and a 6.5 Creedmoor and there 2 of the most accurate rifles I've every owned. There Weatherby Vanguards

Went into a local pawnshop over a couple of years ago and found a Howa 1500 Hogue stocked rifle and a Vanguard, both a .243. About a $100 difference in their price, with the Vanguard being more costly. Condition of each rifle was about the same. Made an offer for the Howa which the manager accepted accepted, knocking off about another $50. The Howa shot well for me, but disliked the early version of the Hogue stock on it for my shooting from benchrest. . Would make a wood stock for it.

Several months ago, had it rebarreled to 6.5 CM by a fellow range member who is learning gunsmithing. Another range member I shoot with on a regular basis had also given him a Howa rifle to rebarrel and I'd heard about it. Both of us had furnished a Savage threaded barrel to use. Basically, our Howa receiver would be rethreaded to Winchester threads with a tap. Their diameter and pitch of threads is quite close, so running a tap into the receiver is quite easy. Half of the threads on our Savage threaded barrels would be re-threaded to Winchester on a lathe and a Savage barrel nut would be used to attach the barrel......so, we had a Win-Savage barreled Howa action. It has worked well for both of us.

Gent doing the gunsmithing is darn informed about rifles and etc,, but had never owned a Howa. He had a nice impression of the two he worked on. Both of us with the Howas had good opinion of our rifles....we just wanted a different cartridge rifle and our regular shooting buddy, the gunsmith novice, did the work for cheap.

In short, Howa makes a good rifle.