howa rifles
- Thread starter bobby18
- Start date
highland stalker
Well-Known Member
I have a howa .243 fluted barrel in a black hogue stock. It shoots very well. Basically a no thrills rifle that does what it is supposed to. I'm sure it would be better in an aftermarket stock but if I was to fit one on mine it would only make it look better. It is very accurate with federal 80gr soft points. The trigger is a bit heavier than my Tikka M695 but it's not the end of the world. Mike Norris will fettle the triggers for about £70 I think.
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alberta boy
Well-Known Member
I think they're probably the best value for the money rifle out there . The trigger isn't difficult to work on , if required , mine wasn't . The stock fit me well enough to not bother switching it out , if I did , it would probably be into wood laminate , I just like wood . Have a look at one , if the stock fits you , I'd use it as is . The Howa is after all a Sako clone for the most part , you won't be disappointed . I've owned four over the years , including one sold under the Smith&Wesson name in 338WM . All of them were accurate and reliable rifles at a very reasonable price . They will do what rifles costing three times more will , sometimes they'll even do it better .
AB
AB
whitehackle
Well-Known Member
I'm a gamekeeper and have one in .223 stainless.
Brilliant rifle, it does exactly what it's supposed to to. Mike norris has done my trigger, and for the money, I don't know why you wouldn't have the trigger done.
Then there are plenty of upgrades for them if you want to change anything in the future.
Brilliant rifle, it does exactly what it's supposed to to. Mike norris has done my trigger, and for the money, I don't know why you wouldn't have the trigger done.
Then there are plenty of upgrades for them if you want to change anything in the future.
markyw
Well-Known Member
Have one in .308 with the 1:10 24" varmint barrel. Shoots well out to 600yds when I do my bit. Well engineered, not over engineered, no frills ( as others have said) and reliable. Trigger is ok, not had need to adjust or replace mine yet. I htink the HACT 2s are not as workable as the earlier triggers, but then I have tread they don't need to be.
I bought mine with the Hogue stock as I am a lefty and the intention was to replace it with a chassis. Not got round to it yet as it shoots well enough.
An often overlooked rifle by 'badge snobs', but excellent value for money for Japanese workmanship and QC.
Regards
Mark
I bought mine with the Hogue stock as I am a lefty and the intention was to replace it with a chassis. Not got round to it yet as it shoots well enough.
An often overlooked rifle by 'badge snobs', but excellent value for money for Japanese workmanship and QC.
Regards
Mark
shotguntom
Well-Known Member
My first ever rifle and for the money I couldnt fault it.
Highlandsjohn
Well-Known Member
I have one in 243 in classified all year. Its a cracking little rifle which I bought new as a stop-gap, while I repaired my Brno.They are very accurate rifles, both on and off the bipod. The one bit of advice I would give regarding the Hogue stock. Do not lean hard on it as it has a floating barrel as you shouldn't anyway.
As others have said, buy with confidence.
I shall now bump mine AGAIN. with or without the package.
As others have said, buy with confidence.
I shall now bump mine AGAIN. with or without the package.
I have one in .308 Cerakoted, sitting in the (Boyd's ??) Pepper laminated t'hole stock. I can't fault it as a working rifle, certainly more capable than me. The trigger suits me for a live quarry rifle, smooth and consistent and just on 2lb.and easy to work on if needed.
At the price, it is a lot of rifle, and very capable of being blinged to the max if that is your thing.
At the price, it is a lot of rifle, and very capable of being blinged to the max if that is your thing.
Here’s a recent-ish review of the Howa Hogue in .243 I did for our local club’s biannual mag. It’s a bit long.
This Howa Model 1500 is chambered in .243. Those who have experience of the Weatherby Vanguard will recognise the Howa 1500 – they are essentially the same barreled action made by the same Japanese factory. There are some minor cosmetic differences but otherwise the performance is pretty much identical. Bought new from Gun City, it was chosen for some very specific criteria:
There is an external mag conversion kit available but this does not suit my purposes and I haven’t used it. I load the internal mag from the top down; as long as I concentrate on getting the first (lowest) round in through the (generous) breech straight and as far back as possible, the rest will seat ok. It is worth practising this process to make sure you are able to reload in a hurry.
The action is firm, no slop, but not what I would call “slick” in the way that a Tikka or Sako is. It is definitely not a smooth action that requires a light touch to operate, it’s quite industrial. This doesn’t bother me and I have found it to be totally reliable when used for its primary purpose – goat control – when I can shoot five goats in five shots without even thinking about the how I am operating the action. It shoots fast, cleanly and accurately as long as the shooter is firm and deliberate with the bolt. The main error I have seen with other shooters of this rifle (principally The Wife) is not pulling the bolt all the way back and failing to pick up the next round, and then dry firing. In some circumstances, this is quite amusing for the observer.
The three-position safety is excellent and I am always a bit frustrated going back to my Tikkas and only having the two-position safety. The Howa’s safety lever is a bit industrial but it works and I carry my rifle with it in the rearward position. If I chamber a round, and then decide not to shoot, I can select the safe central position, opening the bolt to clear the rifle knowing that the pin is protected. The HACT trigger is a good functional two-stage hunting trigger. I have lightened mine to the minimum weight achievable from factory using the screw adjustment – it measures a tad over 2lbs. The first stage take-up is fine and it fires crisply. It does not have any bothersome creep to speak of. I clean the trigger assembly regularly with lighter fluid and leave it alone.
The rifle wears a Weaver Grand Slam 4-16x44 with BDC reticle, on Weaver style bases which are screwed into the threaded action. There is a slight (2-3mm) overlap of the rear base and the breech. This does not interfere with chambering rounds. I use a DPT modular suppressor which most of you are familiar with. I find the muzzle blast of the 20” barrel and a hot load far too loud for comfort. I really appreciate the overall calming down of the process that the suppressor delivers.
I shoot three loads with this rifle: Sierra 1540 Prohunter 100gr (deer and pigs), Hornady 22420 V-Max 75gr (goats) and 22716 V-Max 55gr (varmints). The rifle is 12 months old and has shot about two dozen red and fallow hinds / spikers, countless goats, some good sized eating pigs and a lot of small game varmints (e.g. hares, peacocks).
The main gripe I have with the rifle is that it is a ‘noisy’ action, in that it is pretty much impossible to chamber a round slowly and quietly. This is not unusual for many rifles, but some are definitely quieter (e.g. my Tikkas). If you’re like me you’ll prefer not to carry the rifle loaded either with safety on, or with a half-cock, only chambering a round when the target is identified and the decision to shoot has been made. If you do with this with the Howa, you will be hard pressed not to spook a close in target. I have learnt that when in close cover with limited field of view, to carry the rifle cleared, with a half-cocked bolt. If a distant target is identified, I cycle in a round as normal. But if I want to be quieter, I partially open the breech and slide a round from my pocket into the chamber with my index finger, then close the bolt. Far less noise all round. For maximum stealth, when close stalking an animal I’ve already identified, I am happy to carry the rifle loaded, half-cocked with the three-position safety in the rearward position.
I find that chambering a soft point round really slowly risks damaging the point, due to the overbore nature of the .243 and the relatively steep throat shoulder angle. This is more a calibre related problem than a problem with the rifle itself. If the point hits the shoulder, the cartridge will back up against the bolt and you’ll get yourself into a pickle if you withdraw the bolt far enough back to pick up the next round. Generally, I have found that it is more effective to be fast and decisive – a rapid chambering followed by fast target acquisition and shot will usually deliver good results.
The Howa action and Hogue stock cannot be described as a lightweight. Overall the rifle weighs 9.9lbs (4.5kg) with scope, moderator, bipod, sling and a full magazine. This does not bother me as some of my other rifles have heavy varmint contour barrels and I’m used to a bit of weight. I carry the rifle muzzle down on the sling and find it perfectly fine to carry all day. I would say that the weight is perfect – I can shoot an animal at 350-400m and the rifle’s weight and moderated recoil allow me to maintain the target in my field of view even on high magnification. This is a big deal for me as I really like to be able to see what’s going on at the POI.
The stock is hard wearing and gets a real beating. I carry it in soft-grip rifle mounts on the quad, which don’t mark it. I’m not fussy about getting it covered in crap as long as it doesn’t get in the action. It cleans up well, but as with all synthetic stocks, it is starting to collect some minor battle scars. Some of you have enjoyed a wet hunt with me and know that I love to hunt hard in the rain! The handling of the stock when wet is very, very good, and this is a big deal when rolling around in wet, muddy leaf litter. I do remove the stock from the action to clean up the rifle after a wet hunt as the stock will hold water and cause corrosion otherwise. I torque the screws to 35lbs every time and the POI remains bang on.
The stock will flex a lot and close the generous free-floating channel if you put too much pressure on it by trying to shoot in silly positions. I have done some tests in the shed where I’ve had The Wife twist the stock whilst it’s on a bipod, and I’ve checked the free floating with a sheet of paper. You really have to put a lot of twist into the stock to get it to touch the barrel. I usually shoot off a bipod, and off-hand when it’s all on with the goats or lots of little pigs. When shooting prone, gentle fore-end control is all that’s required to manage any bipod bounce.
The Hogue stock gets a bad rap on internet forums and my bet is that timber snobs or aftermarket custom addicts are mostly to blame, many of whom have probably never even held one. The stock does exactly what it is designed for and for my kind of hunting it is perfect. I’d get another one tomorrow.
Now for the best bit. This rifle is accurate. By that I mean MOA field accurate all day. I use the BDC reticle for holdover and windage, longer shots (>200m) are checked with the rangefinder and if time allows a quick verification with Strelock. The ballistics app is calibrated for each round from range work in 50m increments out to 500m and its bang on for bullet drop. I don’t see variation between a first shot cold barrel or a fifth shot hot barrel. Most shots are taken cold (prone, one shot / one kill) but when the action heats up and there’s a mob to deal to, the hot accuracy is bankable.
As some members have seen on recent Ruapehu hunts, knocking over small to medium size deer and goats at 350-400m is all in a day’s work for this rifle and reliable hilar shots are pretty straightforward. Neck shooting at closer ranges are a personal choice and one that I will happily take up on calmer days with the 100gr Prohunter. In fact, this rifle has delivered such good results that we are preferring to neck shoot in the steep country out too ~250m to stop meat animals taking off and tumbling down into the gullies. Head shooting bigger pigs out to 200m is a breeze. Due to the energy limitations of the .243, we do not shoot for the hilar with bigger pigs due to variable shield thicknesses and uncertainty about the animal’s weight.
It took some work to determine the right load for the 100gr Prohunter being on the limit of projectile length for the 1:10” twist, but it shoots these sub-MOA quite happily. Mine will not accurately shoot boat tailed pills longer than ~1.075” (e.g. Sierra 1560 Gameking), so forget any of the long VLD types. The two V-Max loads were easy to develop and both are right at the upper end of the Hornady load advice, delivering extremely good accuracy (though the 55gr pill is a tad unreliable on windy days).
As a working rifle for NZ conditions, the Howa 1500 Hogue in .243 is a really solid choice. At $800, it was a steal quite frankly. With a good scope ($800) and suppressor ($300) is has delivered practical, reliable accuracy at an impressive all up cost. Other members and associates who have the M1500 in various calibres, mostly .223, .243 and .270, with Hogue or Laminated stocks, are reporting similar very sentiments. With near daily use, and a rapidly increasing tally of meat animals and pests, this rifle will in all likelihood one day be shot out, at which point it will look like a veteran of several infantry campaigns. That’s something I am looking forward too because I know that by the time it gets to that point, it will have been a bloody good field gun and one that has given me a great deal of satisfaction and a job well done along the way.
This Howa Model 1500 is chambered in .243. Those who have experience of the Weatherby Vanguard will recognise the Howa 1500 – they are essentially the same barreled action made by the same Japanese factory. There are some minor cosmetic differences but otherwise the performance is pretty much identical. Bought new from Gun City, it was chosen for some very specific criteria:
- It has the green synthetic “Hogue” stock with the rubbery overmoulded finish – all weather capable and designed for a sticky grip.
- The magazine is 5-shots, internal with hinged floorplate.
- It has a 20” threaded barrel in light sporting contour and the standard 1:10” twist.
- The short action and barrel are stainless.
- The action is a long-proven design, Japanese made, strong and durable.
- Others belong to friends were proving to be reliable and very accurate.
- It is exceptionally good value when compared to other makes in this price range.
There is an external mag conversion kit available but this does not suit my purposes and I haven’t used it. I load the internal mag from the top down; as long as I concentrate on getting the first (lowest) round in through the (generous) breech straight and as far back as possible, the rest will seat ok. It is worth practising this process to make sure you are able to reload in a hurry.
The action is firm, no slop, but not what I would call “slick” in the way that a Tikka or Sako is. It is definitely not a smooth action that requires a light touch to operate, it’s quite industrial. This doesn’t bother me and I have found it to be totally reliable when used for its primary purpose – goat control – when I can shoot five goats in five shots without even thinking about the how I am operating the action. It shoots fast, cleanly and accurately as long as the shooter is firm and deliberate with the bolt. The main error I have seen with other shooters of this rifle (principally The Wife) is not pulling the bolt all the way back and failing to pick up the next round, and then dry firing. In some circumstances, this is quite amusing for the observer.
The three-position safety is excellent and I am always a bit frustrated going back to my Tikkas and only having the two-position safety. The Howa’s safety lever is a bit industrial but it works and I carry my rifle with it in the rearward position. If I chamber a round, and then decide not to shoot, I can select the safe central position, opening the bolt to clear the rifle knowing that the pin is protected. The HACT trigger is a good functional two-stage hunting trigger. I have lightened mine to the minimum weight achievable from factory using the screw adjustment – it measures a tad over 2lbs. The first stage take-up is fine and it fires crisply. It does not have any bothersome creep to speak of. I clean the trigger assembly regularly with lighter fluid and leave it alone.
The rifle wears a Weaver Grand Slam 4-16x44 with BDC reticle, on Weaver style bases which are screwed into the threaded action. There is a slight (2-3mm) overlap of the rear base and the breech. This does not interfere with chambering rounds. I use a DPT modular suppressor which most of you are familiar with. I find the muzzle blast of the 20” barrel and a hot load far too loud for comfort. I really appreciate the overall calming down of the process that the suppressor delivers.
I shoot three loads with this rifle: Sierra 1540 Prohunter 100gr (deer and pigs), Hornady 22420 V-Max 75gr (goats) and 22716 V-Max 55gr (varmints). The rifle is 12 months old and has shot about two dozen red and fallow hinds / spikers, countless goats, some good sized eating pigs and a lot of small game varmints (e.g. hares, peacocks).
The main gripe I have with the rifle is that it is a ‘noisy’ action, in that it is pretty much impossible to chamber a round slowly and quietly. This is not unusual for many rifles, but some are definitely quieter (e.g. my Tikkas). If you’re like me you’ll prefer not to carry the rifle loaded either with safety on, or with a half-cock, only chambering a round when the target is identified and the decision to shoot has been made. If you do with this with the Howa, you will be hard pressed not to spook a close in target. I have learnt that when in close cover with limited field of view, to carry the rifle cleared, with a half-cocked bolt. If a distant target is identified, I cycle in a round as normal. But if I want to be quieter, I partially open the breech and slide a round from my pocket into the chamber with my index finger, then close the bolt. Far less noise all round. For maximum stealth, when close stalking an animal I’ve already identified, I am happy to carry the rifle loaded, half-cocked with the three-position safety in the rearward position.
I find that chambering a soft point round really slowly risks damaging the point, due to the overbore nature of the .243 and the relatively steep throat shoulder angle. This is more a calibre related problem than a problem with the rifle itself. If the point hits the shoulder, the cartridge will back up against the bolt and you’ll get yourself into a pickle if you withdraw the bolt far enough back to pick up the next round. Generally, I have found that it is more effective to be fast and decisive – a rapid chambering followed by fast target acquisition and shot will usually deliver good results.
The Howa action and Hogue stock cannot be described as a lightweight. Overall the rifle weighs 9.9lbs (4.5kg) with scope, moderator, bipod, sling and a full magazine. This does not bother me as some of my other rifles have heavy varmint contour barrels and I’m used to a bit of weight. I carry the rifle muzzle down on the sling and find it perfectly fine to carry all day. I would say that the weight is perfect – I can shoot an animal at 350-400m and the rifle’s weight and moderated recoil allow me to maintain the target in my field of view even on high magnification. This is a big deal for me as I really like to be able to see what’s going on at the POI.
The stock is hard wearing and gets a real beating. I carry it in soft-grip rifle mounts on the quad, which don’t mark it. I’m not fussy about getting it covered in crap as long as it doesn’t get in the action. It cleans up well, but as with all synthetic stocks, it is starting to collect some minor battle scars. Some of you have enjoyed a wet hunt with me and know that I love to hunt hard in the rain! The handling of the stock when wet is very, very good, and this is a big deal when rolling around in wet, muddy leaf litter. I do remove the stock from the action to clean up the rifle after a wet hunt as the stock will hold water and cause corrosion otherwise. I torque the screws to 35lbs every time and the POI remains bang on.
The stock will flex a lot and close the generous free-floating channel if you put too much pressure on it by trying to shoot in silly positions. I have done some tests in the shed where I’ve had The Wife twist the stock whilst it’s on a bipod, and I’ve checked the free floating with a sheet of paper. You really have to put a lot of twist into the stock to get it to touch the barrel. I usually shoot off a bipod, and off-hand when it’s all on with the goats or lots of little pigs. When shooting prone, gentle fore-end control is all that’s required to manage any bipod bounce.
The Hogue stock gets a bad rap on internet forums and my bet is that timber snobs or aftermarket custom addicts are mostly to blame, many of whom have probably never even held one. The stock does exactly what it is designed for and for my kind of hunting it is perfect. I’d get another one tomorrow.
Now for the best bit. This rifle is accurate. By that I mean MOA field accurate all day. I use the BDC reticle for holdover and windage, longer shots (>200m) are checked with the rangefinder and if time allows a quick verification with Strelock. The ballistics app is calibrated for each round from range work in 50m increments out to 500m and its bang on for bullet drop. I don’t see variation between a first shot cold barrel or a fifth shot hot barrel. Most shots are taken cold (prone, one shot / one kill) but when the action heats up and there’s a mob to deal to, the hot accuracy is bankable.
As some members have seen on recent Ruapehu hunts, knocking over small to medium size deer and goats at 350-400m is all in a day’s work for this rifle and reliable hilar shots are pretty straightforward. Neck shooting at closer ranges are a personal choice and one that I will happily take up on calmer days with the 100gr Prohunter. In fact, this rifle has delivered such good results that we are preferring to neck shoot in the steep country out too ~250m to stop meat animals taking off and tumbling down into the gullies. Head shooting bigger pigs out to 200m is a breeze. Due to the energy limitations of the .243, we do not shoot for the hilar with bigger pigs due to variable shield thicknesses and uncertainty about the animal’s weight.
It took some work to determine the right load for the 100gr Prohunter being on the limit of projectile length for the 1:10” twist, but it shoots these sub-MOA quite happily. Mine will not accurately shoot boat tailed pills longer than ~1.075” (e.g. Sierra 1560 Gameking), so forget any of the long VLD types. The two V-Max loads were easy to develop and both are right at the upper end of the Hornady load advice, delivering extremely good accuracy (though the 55gr pill is a tad unreliable on windy days).
As a working rifle for NZ conditions, the Howa 1500 Hogue in .243 is a really solid choice. At $800, it was a steal quite frankly. With a good scope ($800) and suppressor ($300) is has delivered practical, reliable accuracy at an impressive all up cost. Other members and associates who have the M1500 in various calibres, mostly .223, .243 and .270, with Hogue or Laminated stocks, are reporting similar very sentiments. With near daily use, and a rapidly increasing tally of meat animals and pests, this rifle will in all likelihood one day be shot out, at which point it will look like a veteran of several infantry campaigns. That’s something I am looking forward too because I know that by the time it gets to that point, it will have been a bloody good field gun and one that has given me a great deal of satisfaction and a job well done along the way.
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DAVIDAIKEN
Well-Known Member
I also have the .308 1:10 24" Varmint Barrel. Thumb hole stock with a Timney trigger. I took it to Bisley Saturday and shot several 'V' bulls @ 900 yards. I was only using factory 145g Ball ammunition.
You hit the nail on the head with the Howa's two biggest faults, the Hogue stock and the poor trigger. The action is very good, if a little heavy, but it does turn into a very accurate rifle when re stocked and a replacement trigger put in. Mine in now bedded into a carbon stock with a Timney trigger in it and is a great little gun.
Erik Hamburger
Well-Known Member
I use a bog-standard Howa 1500 in .243W with standard Hogue Overmoulded stock.
The rifle is as accurate as any so-called 'Premium Brand' and does the job just fine on both the range and in the field. Any rumours about the standard stock being 'too flexible' you can ignore, it is good for purpose. The trigger is also fine, but can be tuned to your liking if you wish.
Take note of my signature tag-line...
The rifle is as accurate as any so-called 'Premium Brand' and does the job just fine on both the range and in the field. Any rumours about the standard stock being 'too flexible' you can ignore, it is good for purpose. The trigger is also fine, but can be tuned to your liking if you wish.
Take note of my signature tag-line...
Cobblers, Nigel. Why buy a cheap hunting rifle if you're going to spend knows how much on putting it in a flashy stock with a new trigger?
I picked it up second hand at a very good price to experiment with it as a short barrel tracking rifle. The very flexible Hogue stock showed itself very early on. Any stress on the forend causes it to touch the barrel and bullets to fly off the POA. A second hand carbon stock I picked up for a good price on this forum and a good bedding job solved the problem. As for the trigger, I do like a light trigger and to be "surprised" when it goes off rather than suffer creep wondering when it might fire. Both are pretty well documented problems.
The result is an excellent little gun, but it took a bot of work to get it there. And I enjoy playing with things trying to get them just right. The Howa's are exceptionally good value over here, but I would not buy one in a Hogue stock and I would budget to put a good trigger in.
And I'm a Tailor not a Cobbler
And I'm a Tailor not a Cobbler
Ah I see! A tailor, who tinkers, with guns. Are you sure you're not undercover?
Now I think, dreamt maybe, who knows, that the Howa Hogue stock was stiffened a while back so the excessive flex problem was fixed. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere sensible. So new ones today might not be the same as your older one? To get the stock to touch the barrel on mine, you have to twist it hard in an unnatural, determined fashion, in a manner that simply will not occur under any shooting conditions. So, are are stock concerns a hangover from a previous design? I might investigate some more.
In the meantime, I am going to refresh my coffee and see what hilarious arguements have been had overnight on matters of extreme national importance like driving yourself mad trying to shoot one hole groups at the range so you can kill a deer.
kennyc
Well-Known Member
I have 2 Howas, 1 sporter, I varmint, both .308, the sporter has the original trigger and is set to around 3lb the varmint has the HACT trigger, no idea what pull weight, I have never felt the need to mess with it, the sporter has spent most of its life in the original Hogue stock and has never given cause for concern, and is sub MOA if I do my part, the varmint is in a Boyds laminate stock for target use, I have used this stock with the sporter, but to be honest it gets in the way and the Hogue is for my purpose far superior.
Both rifle have given good service and the sporter which I have put several 1000 rounds through(including over 200 in a day on a trip to WMS ) is silky smooth, I suspect a lot of the rifles people criticise for rough actions are not used enough to wear in, admitedly other makes can be smoother from the factory, but I guess thats where the extra cost comes from, its certainly not for extra accuracy!
Both rifle have given good service and the sporter which I have put several 1000 rounds through(including over 200 in a day on a trip to WMS ) is silky smooth, I suspect a lot of the rifles people criticise for rough actions are not used enough to wear in, admitedly other makes can be smoother from the factory, but I guess thats where the extra cost comes from, its certainly not for extra accuracy!
You may well be right, they might have updated it.
I had an incident last year in a high seat when a muntjac buck came out of the ride behind me. I swung round 180 degrees and braces the gun, without any undue pressure but towards the front end of the stock, on the side of the seat. I shot and missed. i thought the shot was good so a bit confused.
I replicated the shot using a target and found that the front of the Hogue stock was putting sideways pressure on the barrel and I was off the target. Same shot without the brace against the side of the seat was bang on. After that I replaced the stock with something far stiffer and the gun doesn't suffer the same problem.
Now pour yourself a coffee and get back to your morning studies. I'm sure you will be able to make a positive contribution to someones quest to shoot bug holes at 1000 yds
