Does anyone have any experience with these rifles? Are they built cheaply like the ruger american/savage axis/etc? I haven't held one personally, but I'm looking at one online chambered in a 222 and it looks budget friendly.

Metal is Skookum,mags suck ass...............

How about the triggers and stocks?

Triggers are better than most of their stocks...............

So I'm assuming the stocks are cheaply made and on par with all the "budget" rifles currently in production?

They make alotta stocks. I'll greedily take Laminate over Living Wood or Milk Jugs...but that ain't always an option.

Hint................

The stocks are not nearly as cheap feeling as an axis or American. Not even close. I’d take a Howa over most budget guns.

Also if you do the mag and release fix that’s found here it makes it pretty much a non issue.

Howa is a buncha bang for the buck,as metal goes. The dropped the fhuqking ball with Mini's,due the proprietary mag bullschit.

If you are gonna suffer small platform AR mag confines,you had better feeding the fhuqking thing with AR mags.

Hint...............(grin)

I have a Mini in 223. The trigger is a 2 stage pull and it was 2 lb 12 oz on my rifle. I changed the springs in the trigger and now I have a 1 lb 3 oz pull.

The stocks are not as stiff as a Tikka synthetic, but comparable to the Ruger American IMHO. My stock has aluminum pillars installed from the factory. I had to relieve some material to get a true free floated barrel.

If you don't like the plastic bottom metal there is a company who makes an aluminum replacement.

CDI and then you've AM steel 5-rounder or MDT poly 10-rounder options.

Pass the Laminate and hold the fluff.............

The stocks are fat as hell but they are stiff, albeit unrefined in form they do function. Way better structurally than Ruger American IMO. Have bottom metal for real.

Or you can do as I did and take a wood rasp and belt sander to it, cut a few inches off the end, then full length bed it and get a well shaped and stiff stock.

Hummm, that's an idea....

Is McMillan offering a stock option yet?

Here's hoping either Legacy or Weatherby offer the SS models they get overseas, along with a blind mag or hinged floorplate. The crappo plastic ones do work, if you can keep them in the gun. The DIP bottom metal is supposed to help with that.

Not as interested in another since the Fieldcraft got here.

Boyd's has options

Laminate is the way.

Hint................

To OP and subsequent responders besides Big Schit....


The Mini HB 6.5 Grendel looks rather interesting. Anyone?

Interesting for what? It won't shoot any good bullets.

Hint............

I'm liking mine so far. I've got a couple hundred rounds through it with some Hornady 123 SST, Federal MSR and some 120 NBT handloads. I put 40 rounds through it Friday evening from 400yds and 600yds on 6" and 12" steel.

A 223 boltgun will simply shoot a greater BC,at greater velocity,with less powder,less recoil and less jingle.

Hint.................

123 Scenars / ELD-M caught my attention. Thinking a dandy little whitetail rig.

Wonder how a 223 would do on Deer?................

Once I burn through some 120 NBT's I got from SPS those are the bullets I'm taking for a spin.

I just bought a 6.5 Grendel barreled action that Brownells has on sale for $359. It's supposed to arrive today.

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...avy-barreled-mini-action-prod113624.aspx

I'm headed to SHOT show tomorrow, so I'll wait and see if there are any new options for stocks. I also prefer a blind mag, so I'll be trying to work that out, perhaps even convert it single shot.

VA says no .224s on deer or bear. Probably a main reason 16 bore is thinking grendel.
Main reason my 223 AI is stamped 6mm TCU...

So I should try it?!?.......................(grin)

I think a you can tempt fate with a 75 Amax. Maybe.....

Some day by Gawd...some day....................

why does Howa not offer the 22 hornet in the mini action. It would be a perfect match for the actions size. If they did, I would buy one!

AR mags...and chambered in 224 and 243 Grendel would rewrite the books.

Hint...............

6.5 Barreled action arrived today. Time to start tinkering.

What are doing for a stock? Glass?.................

IIRC, .224 is legal for deer in every state that borders VA....go figure.

Been thinking hard on grabbing one while they're on sale and rebarreling to a 6mm Gren.

What's that chambering based on?

Laughing!.............

Brownells has had 6.5G mini barreled actions on sale for months. I’ve thought about one but can’t get real excited about dropping a mini into an aluminum chassis or a laminate handle. Don’t think it’d feel all that compact and handy at that point and I think I’d rather just shoot an AR than a mini in an MDT chassis

And as said above, AR mags would be more appealing than $40 proprietary mags..

Bingo!

Howa kinda came close in Theory,but madly missed in Application. They need more RPM and real mags......................

Fquk AR mags:


http://www.65grendel.com/forum/showthread.php?15845-My-Howa-Mini-Action-Upgrades

Now you can say it was your idea..

Fhuqk yourself...mainly because you will get more poozy. Hint. Congratulations?!?

1000 words in 224 Grendel and 243 BR...and now you can say you've "seen" one. Hint.

Laughing!



Bless your heart...............

1000 words.

Oooopsie!..................

Figured it would fly right over your pointy head ya dumb lil' fquck..

I'm rather steeped in AICS footprint mags and am afforded the luxury of not being forced to guess,while you GOTTA pilfer and plagiarize from others. Hint. Congratulations?!?

Now one can go AICS bindered mag,roll PRIMAL BR guts and tweak feedlips to Grendel...but they sure as fhuqk ain't gonna roll as issued.

Ooooopsie!



Hint.

Not you "know" too.

Bless your heart...................

I don't really have any love for detachable mags on hunting rifles. I keep a few ARs and Glocks around for applications that lend themselves to mag changes.

I'd like to figure out a way to put in a blind mag. The mag that came with isn't designed to have rounds pushed straight down in it, so other guts will need to be explored. Possibly a solid bottom metal and the guts of a shortened AICS mag stuffed in the stock? Maybe one of those bastard hinged setups like Browning used on the BAR semi autos? I'm perfectly happy with 2 or 3 down. Also, I may just block the mag well off and use it as a single shot. At the very least, I will shorten the mag as several folks have already documented.

I could live with a laminate stock. I've gotten them down pretty light before by hogging out a lot of the material in the butt and the barrel channel. I'll wait and see if there are any new stocks at SHOT show for the mini.

In hunting mode it will most likely have a Leupold 6x36 on it.

I'd want an AICS DBM in .264",simply for the COAL latitude. It's also a nice way to tote extry rounds in a pack,or a pocket.

Single shot bolts,loose luster quickly..................(grin)

Good stuff.

Doesn’t look like there’s much to making the mag flush fit if you want

So if I’m reading your 1,000 words, you went CF stock / floor plate on one and carved down/painted the other?

They are both carved down hogue-like howa stocks....that's my guess

Very good.

And fhuqking funny!...............(grin)

The carbon fiber is a hydro-dip.

Too bad Howa don't leap to the front and do a Custom Shop.

They're closer than most..................

So, tell more about the floor plate on the Mini.

there is no floorplate on the mini action only a molded plastic trigger guard-magwell.

I forget the full details. Owner dude did it before the dipping.... I think, IIRC, it's just a plug, not functional, circa mid 2016.

I know...hence the interest in what appeared to be one.

JB, Maybe, just maybe, I will dig through to find his thread. Late tonight... I am almost wanting a mini now.

It’s a great rifle. I hate the magazine. I now know I hate ANY kind of detachable magazine on a bolt gun.

Bobbed the mag in a Boyds stock 6.5Grendel HB

You ever gunned AM steel 5's in 223 or BR? Tough not to swoon binderless AICS footprints,for coaxing COAL latitude,with cat schit greasy feed/function.

Was schucking 223 SALAMI 88's in MDT poly-10's not many minutes ago and them 2.545" COAL Smooches ran like they had fhuqking eyes.

Hint.

Just sayin'.....................

That's why I've stuck with the regular 1500/Vanguard!

Yeah, but the 1500 is a pig. It is like the heaviest bolt action ever made.

Steel is soothin'.

Hint...................

I used to think that--until I started actually comparing weights on like rifles. Model 70, Ruger M77 variants and Sakos (at least the older ones the Howa action is patterened after) are all just as heavy or heavier.

Those stock mods look awesume!!!! want to do a couple for me?

McMillan will inlet for the Howa Mini. Here's a Grendel in a McMillan:

I agree about the mags but I think mine is twisted right at 1:8.