Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles All this talk about Howa's and Vanguard's

I heard on another forum that it was an issue with the supply of the Alpine stocks. It appears they are searching for a replacement stock.

If someone wants a Howa rifle that's a little lighter, the Weatherby Vanguard Wilderness or Backcountry are always a choice. They are still heavier than a Tikka T3 Lite, however. The stock is kind of clunky as well, not in the same league as the Howa Alpine stock. But I like that the Vanguard has a 24 inch barrel as opposed to 20.

It's funny that Howa replaced the Alpine with the HS Precision model, which might actually be heavier than the normal Hogue-stocked model.

At least Bansner is back in business and now has stocks for Rem 700 and Win 70. As time goes on I’m sure they will offer more action inlets. They are start priced at $425. Another option is Pendleton through Oregunsmithing. They make some real nice stocks starting at $650. They don’t mention Howa inlets, but do list Weatherby. Gotta think Vanguard is in the mix as Weatherby sells quite a few more Howa based actions then Mark V.

Easy to make a "budget" rifle not so "budget"! Lol!

My Old Goat hunting partner just put a Pendleton on his Mashburn and it seems to be a darned nice stock. No clue on weight though.

I have $365 in mine total😉

Found a steal on a lightly used Alpine and sold the barreled action. Bought a 6CM package gun and sold off the stock and scope.

Nice work!

Darrik has a couple Alpines in 6.5 YouKnowWhat for a good price, but after a little vacillating, I decided to pass. On the other hand, I can pick up a LW barreled action from Brownells for about half the price of a complete rifle and do a switcheroo as "needed".

I was just looking at them on Brownells myself and it looks like McMillan will fit any of their stocks they do for Sako's to the action. Their 26" semi heavy barreled 6mm CM might be a champ if you chopped it down to 22" and added a Sako Classic EDGE fill stock to it.. Pretty slick combo if it all just bolts together!

I call them "stone soup" upgrades, in that you upgrade them a little at a time until you have more money into them than you ever intended.

That is why I struggle a little when deciding between buying Howa 1500s in lieu of Weatherby Vanguard 2s. I really dislike the stocks that come on the basic Howa 1500s, so I know that I'm going to have to install a new/different stock and I try to factor that into the purchase price if I'm considering one or the other of those two rifles.

So...since I have an alpine stock, does anyone know where I might find one of the other models that uses the cerakoted, lwt action? The kuiu rifle is one for sure...or a barreled action? Or mebbe a vanguard compact? I want a 6.5 cm, just becz I have never tried one. Also might go std stainless. Looking to put a reasonably lit rifle together without breaking the bank.

I do have a compact vanguard 243 in the stock now...

Legacy Sports puts a lot of things in the Howa catalog that aren’t always available for purchase. All their lightweight 20” barreled actions are available cerakoted, according to the catalog. Good luck finding them in stock somewhere. If it was me, I’d buy one of the newly available stainless Howa 6.5 standard weight actions and open up the barrel in the stock. Or you could sell your stock to me!

Impact Guns and Midway show the .308 LWT in stock, they are about $150 more than I paid for my daughter's.

Picked up an as-new Weatherby Vanguard in 6.5 Greed that came with a set of Talley lightweight scope mounts out the door for $325. Like the stock much better than the Hogue that comes on the Howas. Really like the Bansner stock though, sweet looking and light! Too bad the Talley mounts were 30mm, I need a scope that'll fit!

Here be your Howa Basner:

http://www.legendaryarmsworks.com/product-p/howa1500sa.htm

Where can I get a std weight stainless? I could maybe pay the wt penalty for that...

z1r, there's Durlin/plastic bushings so you can use a 1" scope in 30mm rings. I use them, they work great and also protect the scope finish.

JRK, Brownels carry's them, I picked mine up from Whittakers Guns. But I did just have to keep looking until I found what I wanted in stock.

Picked up the Bansner stock here, in the free classifieds.

Not cerakote but lightweight...Here you go:

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/receiver-parts/receivers/barreled-receivers/1500-barreled-action-lightweight-blue-6-5-creedmoor-1-prod94589.aspx?avs%7cCartridge_1=BCC_6xzzx5%2bCreedmoor

Thanks. That is an option

Be nice to get it in cerakote though. And the stainless idea would be awesome, although I understand that howa isn't making them, but I see above someone mentioned newly available...

They had one in .223 in cerakote for $469 I believe.