Howa 1500

Cut+Squirt

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone..........I bought myself a Howa 1500 a couple of months ago in .223 and have been unable to set it up to my liking.............Trigger far far to heavy, best group 1.5 inch / 100 yard..:oops:...Have tried Winchester, Sako and home loads. None shooting that great. Also not completely free floated.......

Its now with the Smith to be bedded and have a trigger job.........


Anyone else had issues with Howa?
 
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Hi,

I purchased a S/H .243 stainless steel heavy varmit barrel one with a black stock. My shooting buddy took one look at it and seconded it.

Came back transformed. Had two stainless steel rods inserted in the forend and filled with bedding compound, action bedded, trigger sear honed, barell now fully free floated.

It is transformed and is capable of clover leaf gps at 100yds if I do my bit.

Its a lovely rifle, well made and fuctions v well, cannot fault them for the money.

D
 
Hi,

I have had one from new - about a year and a half. The trigger is not great - a bit of creep but not too heavy, and the accuracy is not terriffic - it'll do aout an inch or inch and a quarter - but good enough for daily use.

I have taken about 8090 deer with it so far - mostly roe with a few red and sika.

As said its great value - think it was £750 with mounts and a wildcat mod (from Mcleods in Tain - great shop)
 
Hi everyone..........I bought myself a Howa 1500 a couple of months ago in .223 and have been unable to set it up to my liking.............Trigger far far to heavy, best group 1.5 inch / 100 yard..:oops:...Have tried Winchester, Sako and home loads. None shooting that great. Stock also not completely free floated.......

Its now with the Smith to be bedded and have a trigger job.........


Anyone else had issues with Howa?

Howas triggers are not varmint grade by any means. Relpace it with a Timney and you'll be happy. My son as a heavy bareled .223 and his gun likes V-Mac 40 grain over 23 grains of 3031. Shoots very small groups. I would hold off on the bedding until you swap triggers. Bad triggers can make for very poor groups.~Muir
 
Hi,
I have had one from new - about a year and a half. The trigger is not great - a bit of creep but not too heavy, and the accuracy is not terriffic - it'll do aout an inch or inch and a quarter - but good enough for daily use.
I have taken about 8090 deer with it so far - mostly roe with a few red and sika.
As said its great value - think it was £750 with mounts and a wildcat mod (from Mcleods in Tain - great shop)
WOW :D 8,090 Deer :) was that in a year or your whole lifetime :D
I take it you really meant 80 - 90 :confused:
When they first arrived in this country they were retailing about £350 to £400 and I saw a few but not a bad one among them.
From what I am hearing, now they have a foothold in the UK market, they seem to have gone up and probably being more 'mass produced' are getting a bit like the Remingtons used to be.
 
You are absolutely correct on that Ed.
I bought a Howa when they first came into the country some 10-12 years ago and it was very well made with a trigger that could be adjusted much like the older Remingtons used to be.
Had a look at one a couple of weeks ago, and whilst it still looked to be a strong action, the stock was a cheap Hogue one and the trigger was as good as a bent nail and a bit of wire.
Can’t see the point in saving money to buy a cheap rifle only to then fork out another £175 for a trigger.
£585 for the Howa + £185 for a trigger = £760
Why not just buy a Tikka T3 Hunter in the first place.:confused:
G.M.
 
Howa's

Eddie

I will put my tin hat on-but I have never seen a good Howa yet buddy!:lol:

They are what they are & you get what you pay for with them, I have never owned one but know plenty of people that have & they struggle to get a good group with them.

Sorry, but this is my experiance of them.

If anyone has a good one then they have done whell, as most of them are a late friday afternoon build!

Regs Lee
 
Eddie
I have never owned one ..............:confused::confused::confused:
Sorry, but this is my experiance of them.
If anyone has a good one then they have done whell, as most of them are a late friday afternoon build!
Regs Lee

And therein lies the problem Reg. ;);)
G.M.
 
Well the Importers have done the advertising and got them into the main stream and have now whacked the price up. I would be surprised if they were not working on a 300% mark up now. Those glossy ads do cost mney you know.

The only Howa I know of is one seen at the club range sometimes and it certainly seems to shoot well.
 
Gemini

This being a forum we are thus entitled to voice our own opinion & in my view they are a bag of nails I am afraid, they are an entrence level rifle that is on the whole purchased by those who have either just started stalking or just don't have the financial means to buy somthing better.

Yes they do the basic job that you ask of them & if you are happy with yours then I wish you whell.

I have never owned one & nor would I ever wish to as I am fourtunate enough to be a full time deer manager & demand more acurate results then these rifles would be able to hope to ever produce, in addition to having the means to own & use a number of better rifles

Lee
 
Back in 2005 I got hold of one of the early imports. At the time I got around to writing down a bit about my rifle.

Have a look & hopefully enjoy!

Project Tightwad!!


Mean. Stingy. Tight. :0)

Just a few of the uncharitable words that have been used to describe me. Whatever, over the years I have developed an unholy love of taking budget end rifles and doing just enough to make them shoot. The satisfaction gained from outshooting an outfit costing double, is without compare and this is what started me thinking.

Sometime back I decided to investigate whether it was possible to build a rig that would shoot, but not cost the sort of figures that are bandied around amid the long range fraternity. The idea was straightforward. I wanted something that would be capable of comfortably taking 300lb game out to 600Metres. Maybe target shooting or plinking out a bit further still. Nothing too extreme, but still biggish distances for a shooter here in the UK.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y8/IanF/Nwifle.jpg

HowaMedium.jpg



After a bit of research, I settled on a Varmint spec Howa 1500 recently imported to the UK by Brian Fox of Fox Firearms. With a pedigree stretching back over the years and a design picking the best bits out of the Remington 700 they couldnt be that bad could they? The retail pricing was so competitive that getting hold of one took a couple months gunshops were selling their stock as soon as it was on the shelves.

When I eventually took delivery first impressions were very good. The model selected was the stainless laminate in .308win. The stock is an attractive silver grey construction that compliments the matt stainless barrel and action. A friend purchased the same model in a blued finish, his stock exhibited a slight greenish tinge that again made for a stunning looking rifle combination.

Wood to metal fit was excellent the barrel being free floated, the fore end having 9 ventilation slots that add to the striking looks of the stock. Metal work seemed to be of high quality, the overall impression being of a lot of rifle for the money paid out.

Three position safety, allowed unloading from the drop plate magazine with the trigger blocked a welcome feature on a budget tool. The rifle was looking better and better.

Once back home and it became apparent there was room for a little fettling to be carried out. The barrel was bearing slightly against the left hand side of the channel. With the stock screws loosened off, there was considerable movement indicating the potential for an improvement in the bedding.

Trigger pull was crisp without noticeable creep, but a bit on the heavy side for a rifle intended for precision use.

All in all, not much to get sorted. :0)

Weaver bases and mounts were knocking around the bits box and I had dug out an early Tasco 10 x 42 which I soon had mounted and bore sighted. Still no great expenditure. Out of curiosity, off to the range to see what it could achieve out of the box.

The first few shots on the range were a disappointment. I had picked up a few boxes of 168gn Privy Partizan match after reading a couple favorable reviews, but it soon became apparent that it did not really like it. At one hundred meters, two+ inch groups from a varmint weight barrel was not quite what I was hoping for.

Moving to 165gn Hornaday Interbonds made for a noticeable improvement and grouping improved to an inch and a half as the velocity increased. Still not too dispirited (I had not got around to relieving the barrel channel) I threw in some 150gn loads I had put together for a friend. Bingo! :0) Bullet holes touching, and a tidy group that had shrunk to .53 inch! I got a strong feeling that this was going to be a shooter.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albu...HowaTargetMedium.jpg
HowaTargetMedium.jpg




Back home and the next stage was glass bedding the stock. Having done this on several rifles, without exception it has resulted in a noticeable improvement. After trying various mediums I now stick to Acraglas GEL. Very important decision, as it is far easier to handle than the glass bed version.

As normal, an hour spent in preparation was followed by a day waiting in anticipation of that moment when rifle is parted from the stock and you can see the fruits of your labours. I bedded from the recoil lug, forward to the point where the barrel taper steadies to a regular profile. Gel was placed around the action tang to ensure an evenly bedded action.

Once all had hardened off, I took a look at the trigger and safety. Backing out the FRONT screw has the effect of quickly lowering the pull to a very pleasant one and a half pounds. A bit light for a stalking rifle maybe, but for shooting accurately from a static position it is my preferred setting. Leave the rear screw alone it controls backlash and is set at an optimum postion. Incautious adjustment will have the effect of bringing in creep and probably mucking up the safety catch operation.

The safety works on a sprung plug that blocks the trigger allowing bolt operation in its middle position. Removing the circlipped pins will allow disassembly without altering trigger settings. I rounded off the cone that forms one end of the plunger the safety action becoming much smoother and lighter. After reassembly and confirmation of safety catch operation, it was time to reassemble, test and adjust if necessary.

The blued steel version tried, had a very smooth action by comparison to my stainless receiver. Dry fire practice with a little SolvolAutosol applied to the rails has resulted in the overall feel of the rifle improving noticeably. After thoroughly cleaning the metal polish out of the action, a little moly grease was applied. The end result is very pleasant and smooth. Much like a good Sako action, you are not even sure your bolt has picked a round from the magazine.

Remounting the scope and the rifle was ready for a further range test.

A word about the scope. I have chosen to use branded the Super Sniper, it is a fixed 10 x 42 Mildot unit with external turret adjustment. A 30mm tube and rear mounted parallax adjustment completes the specification.

These were originally put forward to the US Navy when they were seeking a replacement for the Leupold. It was tested to destruction (as only the military can) and eventually taken into service by the SEALS. The original scopes were excellent quality, this soon slipped however and the name ˜"Trashco" started to be bandied around.

Years later, the Super Sniper is back. Manufactured (in the Hakko factory same people constructing the Nightforce range) and sold direct by SWFA. Excellent optics, very repeatable tracking and bomb proof construction.

Have a look at the website http://www.swfa.com and check out the testimonials. Do try to get your hands on one rather than discounting them on price. They cost pennies in the US and are now truly excellent value for money. I thoroughly recommend them. (** Times change - following 9/11 these scopes can no longer be exported from the USA**)

Back at the range, I used the same load that had previously shown to be successful. The idea being that it would show any improvements due to my efforts at bedding.

Following a couple shots which keyholed, I felt confident enough to make some corrections and place the group above the aiming point. A dry pullthrough with a Boresnake, and I settled the rifle back onto the sand bag.

The first two shots keyholed once again. Trying my best to stay focused on good technique, I squeezed off the final round of the group.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albu...8/IanF/HGpMedium.jpg
HGpMedium.jpg




At .16inch centre to centre this is the best group I have ever managed to achieve. To say I am satisfied with the rifle/scope combination is an understatement.

I look forward to taking this performance out to greater distances - it's looking very promising.

Would I recommend a Howa? Oh yes!! :0)

Rgds

Ian
 
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This being a forum we are thus entitled to voice our own opinion & in my view they are a bag of nails I am afraid, they are an entrence level rifle that is on the whole purchased by those who have either just started stalking or just don't have the financial means to buy somthing better.
Ouch I bet that hurt someone!

But I'll say again that IMHO 1.5" at 100 yards is a perfectly respectable performance from an off the shelf and mass produced rifle intended for stalking fitted with a standard profile barrel.

I wouldn't worry about it or think that I'd been short changed I'd just enjoy it as there's a lot of folk who actually would be quite glad to be able to actually themselves be capable of a 1.5" group at that distance!

Even Parker-Hale only ever made the "guarantee" that their rifles would "shoot under 3" at 100 yards with Norma factory ammunition". Although most could do and still do considerably better.
 
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the amount of money you have spent on rifle would have been better invested in a dictionary mate :rofl: (i could do with buying 1 at times) to be honest i like the look of them as a rifle but its the barrel and action and sometimes the stock we pay for at the end of the day cadex is new to the sport of stalking so im thinking its a great beginers rifle
Gemini

This being a forum we are thus entitled to voice our own opinion & in my view they are a bag of nails I am afraid, they are an entrence level rifle that is on the whole purchased by those who have either just started stalking or just don't have the financial means to buy somthing better.

Yes they do the basic job that you ask of them & if you are happy with yours then I wish you whell.

I have never owned one & nor would I ever wish to as I am fourtunate enough to be a full time deer manager & demand more acurate results then these rifles would be able to hope to ever produce, in addition to having the means to own & use a number of better rifles

Lee
 
Howa's have a great reputation, and deservedly so! Yes they did start out cheap, but they were so good for the money that demand soon out-stripped supply as they became very sought after. Suppliers were quick to realise this and hiked up the prices to match the demand. The triggers are set for the USA market and are fairly heavy at about 4lbs pull. I changed mine for a Rifle Basix which cost me about a hundred quid. The original Howa stocks were pretty awful too but the Hogues were a vast improvement. I've just sold mine to a friend but I have told him I would like first refusal if he wants to get rid of it ever. When they first came out, I don't think anything could match them for the price. Sadly they are now getting on for the price of a T3 or similar.:(
MS:)
 
I have owned a few, both standard and tricked up, the first ones that came into the country were brought in by a mate of mine, Martin Bray of Derby.

All these shot under 1 MOA, they have only had the barrels floated and triggers adjusted as per described all ready, the best one, the only one I now have shoots ¼ MOA with factory ammo. As has been posted before, they are built on machinery purchased from Sako.

PIC00113.jpg


If you want a well built rugged rifle the Howa ticks the boxes, one piece forged action, one piece forged bolt, all steel, solid engineering, far more robust than some of the alloy receivers etc you see on some European rifles, US rifles with bolt handles soldered on, or rifles from manufactures that should know better using plastic for component parts. :confused:

P1010042.jpg


The daft thing is I have rifles that cost 4 times and 3 times the cost of my Howa and yet this is the most accurate rifle I own, go figure.

ATB

Tahr
 
Agree 2+ with the accuracy of HOWA's a mate has 2 .204 and a 30-06. When he got the 30-06 we molyed the barrel with dry slide and left it for a week. Cleaned it which was a bugger. Last month he sent me down a target which he shot doing some load developement. The gps wee near as dammit 1 holers for a series of developement loads at 100yds.

Looked at the target with disbelief, must custom built .223 does not shoot that tight.

As I said earlier they will outshoot the pilot in most cases.

Any decent gunsmith will sort the trigger or get a replacement.

D
 
Gemini

This being a forum we are thus entitled to voice our own opinion & in my view they are a bag of nails I am afraid, they are an entrence level rifle that is on the whole purchased by those who have either just started stalking or just don't have the financial means to buy somthing better.

Yes they do the basic job that you ask of them & if you are happy with yours then I wish you whell.

I have never owned one & nor would I ever wish to as I am fourtunate enough to be a full time deer manager & demand more acurate results then these rifles would be able to hope to ever produce, in addition to having the means to own & use a number of better rifles

Lee

Yes I was very happy with mine. And judging by the other replies so is everyone else.
G.M.;)
 
I understand the 1500 is a Weatherby Vanguard. Never heard that called cheap or entry level before.
 
Jason's 30-06 Accuracy.jpg

This was shot with a 2nd hand HOWA 30-06 off of a loose rest (a rolled jacket, if I remember correctly) with the first handload down the pipe. And this with the typical tough Howa trigger. ~Muir
 
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