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Howa bolt action rifles
- Thread starter jcmullis2
- Start date
Not aware of any place selling just action and trigger. Howa pics here
www.snipershide.com
Howa 1500 builds **post them**
Hello all, So being a Howa owner, it's always nice to see what modifications or changes others do to theirs. Plus, the howa 1500 action is a great shooting platform and typically very very accurate. I noticed there is no such thread and decided i should start one seeing as how Bergara, Tikka...
www.snipershide.com
I don’t here much about Howa anymore but their actions are built like a tank. I’d like to try and use a howa action for a build to see how it stacks up.
Say what you will about Remington but they kept prices down throughout the shooting community. If Remington hadn’t been broken up and sold off do you think people would be paying over $2/round or waiting a year for a rifle to be built? No way in hell! I know I miss their sorry ass.
Say what you will about Remington but they kept prices down throughout the shooting community. If Remington hadn’t been broken up and sold off do you think people would be paying over $2/round or waiting a year for a rifle to be built? No way in hell! I know I miss their sorry ass.
I love mine. Not going to say it’s the best thing in the world but it’s a nice action and the barrel shoots. It kills stuff, shoots itty bitty holes in paper and does just fine out to 800 yards for me. That being said I don’t know if anywhere that just sells what you are looking for.
I have a couple Howa-made rifles. Happy enough with them, including the barrels (for the purpose of hunting).
Just twist the old one off and turn it into the first flute made from a rifle barrel. Could be your calling...
Just twist the old one off and turn it into the first flute made from a rifle barrel. Could be your calling...
Howa 1500's are great, and not just for the money.
I was playing with one today for a bit, and after having shot one a bunch (talking ~3800-4000rds, no BS, over 2 barrels between Nov '20 to July '21) before going to a custom 700 clone... and really the only thing I've gained was a nicer bolt-lift on cocking. Thats about it.
That said, the bolt lift on cocking with the Howa's isn't bad, it's just a little heavier than most newer/fancier custom actions made these days.
The Howa's were obviously designed more so to work every time and be bomb-proof versus much effort put into making them feel particularly smooth or anything (classic Japanese 70's engineering ethos really). Honestly, if Howa were to revisit/redesign the cocking ramps on the 1500's slightly, in order for them to feel a little lighter and cock with a bit less effort, they'd be about as good or better than anything else out there at any price. If one doesn't care too much about foo-foo shit like a slick bolt-lift, based on just pure performance, IMHO they already are.
I was playing with one today for a bit, and after having shot one a bunch (talking ~3800-4000rds, no BS, over 2 barrels between Nov '20 to July '21) before going to a custom 700 clone... and really the only thing I've gained was a nicer bolt-lift on cocking. Thats about it.
That said, the bolt lift on cocking with the Howa's isn't bad, it's just a little heavier than most newer/fancier custom actions made these days.
The Howa's were obviously designed more so to work every time and be bomb-proof versus much effort put into making them feel particularly smooth or anything (classic Japanese 70's engineering ethos really). Honestly, if Howa were to revisit/redesign the cocking ramps on the 1500's slightly, in order for them to feel a little lighter and cock with a bit less effort, they'd be about as good or better than anything else out there at any price. If one doesn't care too much about foo-foo shit like a slick bolt-lift, based on just pure performance, IMHO they already are.
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I totally agree. I passed them over for a long time because they were inexpensive and not American made. Got discussing them with another member and took a good look at them. They are as good as Anything out. If they sold actions like Remington did more people would use them for their builds. I’m surprised others haven’t noticed how good they are.
I wonder if a lighter spring would lighten/smooth out your cocking on lift?
I wonder if a lighter spring would lighten/smooth out your cocking on lift?
I totally think a lighter spring would help! (in fact there's a ghost post around here somewhere of me asking exactly that... no one replied hahahaha)
And, don't forget the flat bottom like an M70 or Accuracy International, SO much better than a round bottom, makes bedding or just getting the action to sit down solidly so much better and almost impossible to fuck up... when running a barrel nut setup one doesn't even need a barrel vise, turn the action on its side and a regular bench vise is all it takes...
Being that Howa are, or originally were, an exact clone of the Sako Finnbear, & that Howa made some Sako Finnbear & Forester rifles for Sako, they mustn't be to bad of a design.
The original clones, the Howa-Dickenson Golden Bear, of which there was 3000 sent to the USA, is what caused Sako to end the deal with Howa, & Howa was made to change the rifle slightly so it wasn't an exact clone.
They may be a bit rough but with a little work I don't see why they couldn't shoot near as good as some much more expensive rifles.
Very underrated.
The original clones, the Howa-Dickenson Golden Bear, of which there was 3000 sent to the USA, is what caused Sako to end the deal with Howa, & Howa was made to change the rifle slightly so it wasn't an exact clone.
They may be a bit rough but with a little work I don't see why they couldn't shoot near as good as some much more expensive rifles.
Very underrated.
I agree 100%. I overlooked Howa for years and obviously I didn’t know their history. However it doesn’t surprise me because they’re built like a tanks. A little bit of trueing and they should produce a damn good shooting rifle. Too bad legacy doesn’t sell just actions because they’d damn sure sell.
30 minutes with some fine grit sandpaper on the cocking ramp and cam will leave it buttery smooth. Or you can shoot and dry fire the shit out of it.
Don't forget to grease those cocking surfaces.
If you keep an eye out you can find older rifles that have been rode hard. I have found 2 recently for cheap.
Don't forget that Howa made rifles for Weatherby, Smith & Wesson and Mossberg. If you only want the action that can be an avenue.
Also Crown Ridge Barrels makes a "Howage" barrel, so once you get that stubborn original barrel off you can make it easily swappable to any caliber.
Don't forget that Howa made rifles for Weatherby, Smith & Wesson and Mossberg. If you only want the action that can be an avenue.
Also Crown Ridge Barrels makes a "Howage" barrel, so once you get that stubborn original barrel off you can make it easily swappable to any caliber.
My 308 has been through several gyrations
How I first got it, in a B&C stock with a shit MOA/mil scope
To a Manners MCS-T (with DIY toolless comb) and its first mil/mil scope
To now, chopped to 17", braked, and with a real scope.
Also have one in 223, set this one up from a barreled action that i bought on sale from PTG
How I first got it, in a B&C stock with a shit MOA/mil scope
To a Manners MCS-T (with DIY toolless comb) and its first mil/mil scope
To now, chopped to 17", braked, and with a real scope.
Also have one in 223, set this one up from a barreled action that i bought on sale from PTG
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The following rifles are straight up Howa 1500s made under a brand contract
- Weatherby Vanguard
- S&W 1500
- Mossberg 1500, 1550, and 1700
The Pirates got some damn good looking rifles. I love the krg chassis’s and that’s some sweet coating.
By the looks of things I’m gonna have to find a old rifle that is shot out. I’m cheap when it comes to stuff like barrels and I hate removing the damn things. It’s not uncommon for me to bruise and scar the barrels during removal.
I appreciate the list of other companies that use the same howa 1500 design. Are any of those different brands considered better than others or are they all equal other than the luck of the draw?
By the looks of things I’m gonna have to find a old rifle that is shot out. I’m cheap when it comes to stuff like barrels and I hate removing the damn things. It’s not uncommon for me to bruise and scar the barrels during removal.
I appreciate the list of other companies that use the same howa 1500 design. Are any of those different brands considered better than others or are they all equal other than the luck of the draw?
Just buy one of their barreled actions from Brownells, drop it into a KRG bravo, top it with a scope, and shoot the barrel out. No need in trying to find an action or donor rifle with the price they’re selling for. You’ll be leaps and bounds ahead.
Or get a Bighorn Origin with a green mountain barrel from John at Keystone and drop it into a KRG.
Howas are great, especially for the money. They are IMO one of the best factory actions out there, punching well above their price point.
Imagine a model 700 without many of the design shortcomings of the model 700. It has a nice flat, square bottom, is extremely strong, has an integral recoil lug, the factory trigger is really good, the bolt is all once piece, it has large vent holes in the bolt, and it has an oversized extractor for sticky cases. The barrels are generally very good and overall they benefit from a good stock or chassis.
The only downsides I can think of are metric barrel tenon threads (some smiths don't want to spend the time swapping the gearing on their lathes) and there are fewer options in terms of aftermarket support, though that is much better today.
Buy with confidence.
I have a .308 that I'm keeping a .308 and have no intention of selling. It's not worth selling because the value and usefulness that I would lose are much greater than the money I could stand to gain by selling.
Imagine a model 700 without many of the design shortcomings of the model 700. It has a nice flat, square bottom, is extremely strong, has an integral recoil lug, the factory trigger is really good, the bolt is all once piece, it has large vent holes in the bolt, and it has an oversized extractor for sticky cases. The barrels are generally very good and overall they benefit from a good stock or chassis.
The only downsides I can think of are metric barrel tenon threads (some smiths don't want to spend the time swapping the gearing on their lathes) and there are fewer options in terms of aftermarket support, though that is much better today.
Buy with confidence.
I have a .308 that I'm keeping a .308 and have no intention of selling. It's not worth selling because the value and usefulness that I would lose are much greater than the money I could stand to gain by selling.
Mine is a beautifully Walnut stocked Weatherby Vanguard. (Rebranded Howa). It came with a test target with all the holes touching. It's one of my best shooting rifles.... And looks good doing it.
Does anyone still sell/carry the Howa barreled actions? It seems as if they are out of stock everywhere.
Looks like Brownell's is your best bet (6.5 Creedmoor in stock and a few available to pre-order).
I picked up a .223 for my daughter a few years back....it's in a bedded At-One stock, and while not the most precise set-up, that thing sure shoots.
I picked up a .223 for my daughter a few years back....it's in a bedded At-One stock, and while not the most precise set-up, that thing sure shoots.
They used to have so many different barreled actions in all shapes & sizes & clamberings and much cheaper. But yeah, they're probably the only ones selling them...
Look around for Weatherby vanguards too. Same action, same barrels. I picked up a discontinued but brand new vanguard 308 HB for $368 from Cabelas (pre-lunacy) while the Howa barreled actions were selling for ~$450 at the time. Same rifle, different engraving.
These are a couple of groups from my new Howa mini action in 6.5 Grendel at 100 yards with hand loads. This was the first time out during barrel break in. Howa may not be the end all be all but they can be very accurate, reliable, and silky smooth.
Adam
Adam
