Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Just bought a Howa 1500 in 7mm Rem Mag, tell me about the 1500

The two-stage triggers on the more recent models are very nice, and worth giving a try IMO. I just put a Timney on a FN, however, and am very impressed with the qualitÿ. One thing about Howas that annoys me just a bit is the chintzy safety button. If the Timney safety is like the one in my FN, it'd almost be worth swapping in just to ease that burning little itch.

It's heavy.

I’d like to see Pics of this new rifle.
Also what’s the plan for the 7 mag tikka ?

DIdn't read that part, replacing a vanguard trigger with a timney is automatic.

The safety button on the new Howas and Vanguards is the cheapest one I have seen yet on a Howa.

Well, hell, scrapped the plan for the Tikka. Another guy was selling a Tikka stock with a Limbsaver plus a Tikka barrel chambered in 300 WSM, both for $30. And he’s local, so I bought them. Maybe rebore the barrel to something interesting and screw it onto the 7 mag. Didn’t realize the barrel was blued until I made the deal. So now I have a blued Tikka barrel in 300 WSM.



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I have owned a bunch of the standard 1500 and the Minis. They are very well made, usually moa or better accurate and very reliable. Except for the Minis they are heavy and the older triggers suck. Drop a Timney in and you are good to go. I think they are one of the best values out there.

My current favorite rifle is a stainless Howa 1500 6.5 Creed that I bedded in an Alpine stock. It isn't a lightweight, but doesn't feel heavy. It shoots anything I feed it acceptably and some things really well. The action is solid, the bolt is one piece, the extractor is robust, the factory 2-stage trigger is very nice (but I may replace it with a Timney anyway) and it functions flawlessly. There isn't much not to like about it for an all-around rifle.

I got my first Howa 1500 in .308 Win (also a first) a couple months ago. It is a tank as many have said but I like it so far. The first load I worked up was 130 TTSX over 48.5 gr TAC that shoots 1.11" at 100 yards. Not sure if I will keep the hogue overmolded stock or not but it works.

Happy shooting!

Interesting 1st Howa I ever worked with was back in 1982 in 243,it was smooth, zero'ed fast with moa 3 shot groups. Couple of years a go I traded an m870 field gun to a buddy for his 223 Howa 1500. I took it home and put a 6x Burris on it to see how bad I got took. Zero'ed fast and 3 shot groups under a dime at 50 yds with ammo loaded for my hb m700. What's not to like? So smooth I could not detect a round being fed out of the mag, that is a major first in the rifles I have owned. Trigger can all ways be lighter but sure wasn't so heavy that good shooting wasn't possible. Gun is no lightweight but for $225 I got in it WGAF? There is no such thing as a perfect gun, yet I get the distinct impression that the most important thing to a lot here is how much money you can sink into one for minuscule improvements that you will never recoup if you fall out of love with it. Everyone has different goals with their purchases and I am no different, but if they don't shoot good in stock dress I sure don't spend any money on them, just time and tune. MB

I put a Leupold VX2 4-14x40 CDS in Talley mounts on it. Gonna load some 160 AB over Reloader 26 and try to get 3k FPS.



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Rolled up a seating depth test with 69 grains of Reloader 26 and 160 AB. Starting just kissing the lands at 2.819” from the ogive, then moving deeper by 0.040” to finish at 2.697.” Six rounds at each depth. The Magnetospeed said 3017 fps with a small extreme spread so I’m hopeful. Weather permitting I’ll find out tomorrow.

Oh, and I sold the scope.




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Mine in 6.5CM (yes, my man bun is fabulous) shoots factory ammo about an inch at 100 yards and handloads a little less. The action is smooth, the trigger doesn't suck, but it's not a Tikka, and it ain't light.

I hunt sitting in a tree, and when I'm doing that it's awesome. If I'm walking I've got lighter options.

But, I got it cheap, and it's a LOT better rifle (IMO) than other "budget" options from TC, Ruger, and Mossberg that I own.

They all kill deer though.

I have a 20" heavy barrel varminter in 308. 2 stage trigger and 3 position safety. Trigger breaks crisp at 2.5 lbs. I replaced the hogue stock with a B&C medalist. Scoped this rifle is 9-10 lbs. A dream to bench rest.

Just curious, how much did you get for the silver vari x 2? Those things are going for crazy money on eBay. I've got a Howa 223 that has been good. I think it's ready for a new barrel though.

They are fabulous rifles for the price.

I didn’t do my homework and check prices before I listed it. I let it go for what I figured it was worth, $165.

What the hell, 160user got a good deal.



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I really like Howa 1500 rifles!

Range report:

She likes it short.

The shortest OAL (2.697”) shot just under an inch, 5 shots at .824”, not bad but I want better. I’ll load a few more shorter and see how they fly. Still, .8” ain’t bad for my first ever outing.

Length measured from ogive.



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