Remmington 700 v Howa 1500

[Dazza9t9]

Good evening all,

well as as the title suggests I’m looking for information and advice on my first full bore (and likely only) I’ve just had my variation for a .243 and I a starting to look around.

I have a soft spot for the remmington 700 sps, from what I have read they are so customisable. So I was thinking over time I would “tune” it into the exact rifle I want.

However a lot of posts I’ve read are urging people toward the Howa 1500.
i don’t know a great deal of detail on either rifle less so if the Howa.

as states this is likely to be my only full bore, certainly for the foreseeable anyway. It will mainly be used on fox, while trying to dip my toe in the world of deer stalking.

I would love some advice, views, opinions and experiences

i will be buying the rifle second hand if that make any difference.

also are there any rifles I’m over looking?

also if the Howa or remmy is the best option, what model, year should I be looking for

Thank you in advance

 

[Tim.243]

I have 2 700's in .243/.270 both with top end scopes and original stocks, both shoot factory ammo very well.

The front ends are scratched from being on the sticks 100's of times, they get a pull through and a light oil.

Not much else I can say, the .243 came new with the.270 S/H with around 200 rounds from the range through it...


Tim.243

 

[kennyc]

either will do the job well, handle a few and see which takes your fancy, both can be fitted with farkles if thats your fancy, cue someone suggesting you pay a lot more and get a Tikka/Sako/blaser

 

[takbok]

It may be worth considering Bergara too. They're a Remington 700 copy that are meant to be very good.

 

[User00033]

It may be worth considering Bergara too. They're a Remington 700 copy that are meant to be very good.

That’s a good suggestion. The are very good rifles and potentially more customisable than the Howas being Rem 700 clones. I don’t know what trigger design they have though? Does anyone know what trigger the Bergara has?

The X-Mark Pro (Remington) triggers cops a fair bit of flack, probably more so than the HACT trigger on the Howa. I like my Howa HACT triggers, they work for me. BUt as usual, both have their fans, and their detractors.

The Howa HACT trigger was introduced in 2011 but there was a lot of inventory with the old trigger in the market which meant old trigger models were still being sold in 2013-14. If you are looking at Howas from around this time, find out which trigger it has.

All the usual for and against comments will come about the stocks. Check to see which one fits you best, and whether the barrels are free floating. Some of the older Hogue stocked Howas were more flexible than the newer ones. A lot of guys end up upgrading their 700 SPS stocks. Up to you to work out which one you like.

If I were you - interested in second hand and a possible upgrade path - I’d look for a rifle that already had some accessories / aftermarket add ons. E.g. muzzle threading, good suppressor, maybe a better stock, or Timney trigger etc. These mods can be hard to justify on a second hand rifle, great if someone has already shelled out for them!

 

[Dawnrazor]

I've not seen a new 700 for a good few years but my mate has 2 howa's,. 223 &. 22-250 and I'd not have one given! My 700 is 25 years old and I love it to bits.

 

[Defender 130]

That’s a good suggestion. The are very good rifles and potentially more customisable than the Howas being Rem 700 clones. I don’t know what trigger design they have though? Does anyone know what trigger the Bergara has?

The Bergara trigger is there own Rem 700 copy the same as the rest of the rifle as far as I know, and they are interchangeable with other triggers that suit Rem 700's

Got a replacement Rem 700 trigger for my 300 Win Mag Bergara from South Yorkshire shooting supplies and it dropped straight in and is a big improvement over the original Bergara unit

 

[Druid]

Whichever you choose, don’t go for a heavy barrel, they look cool, are confused with offering awesome accuracy, heat dissipation, more suitable for range use, etc.
But they weigh a lot more than the sporter barrel that does the job perfectly well.

 

[Dazza9t9]

Thanks for all the input it’s great and keep it xonkbf

i was actually looking at the heavy barrel. I’ll try a few for fit

 

[Dawnrazor]

Whichever you choose, don’t go for a heavy barrel, they look cool, are confused with offering awesome accuracy, heat dissipation, more suitable for range use, etc.
But they weigh a lot more than the sporter barrel that does the job perfectly well.

Excellent advice, I got a medium profile, not as heavy as a true heavy barrel but heavier than a standard one, should have kept it the same as the original, much more user friendly!!

 

[rem284]

Good advice and thinking. I would suggest you think of applying for a sound mod at the same time. One of the best things about a remy or remy clone is the fact you can put a jewell trigger on them.

 

[LeftHandGuy]

For me the Remington would edge it because LHB is a redline for me. The Howa is probably the better action, marginally. Haven't shot a B14, but I haven't seen a bad word written about them.

I would also say that the cheaper poly stocks for both the Howa and 700s come in for a lot of criticism, but since both are very common, replacement stocks are eminently sourceable.

You ask about rifles you may be missing? Simple traditional turnbolts I wouldn't turn my nose up at would include Parker Hale and BSA, CZ, Husqvarna and Ruger 77s, all of which I seem to remember being available for very reasonable money when I was first looking for a CF in the UK (about 4 years ago).

I got lucky and found a Rem700 in 308 near to me for reasonable money and it was stellar. I mean, it looked like a bit of a dog, the stock was pretty bad cosmetically - but it produced hole-on-hole accuracy.

The other thing to consider in a second hand rifle is the fact that condition of the individual weapon is more important than the general make and model in terms of how it will actually perform. A well maintained Parker Hale will do all you might ask of it, an abused Sako may be incapable of grouping under 4" at 100 yards (or worse) - which I would have though would rule it out for foxing!

 

[User00033]

Whichever you choose, don’t go for a heavy barrel, they look cool, are confused with offering awesome accuracy, heat dissipation, more suitable for range use, etc.
But they weigh a lot more than the sporter barrel that does the job perfectly well.

Hmm, I’ll stick my neck out and question this view. If the rifle is primarily a carry rifle, then yes, get a sporter contour barrel if weight is a concern. If the primary mode of shooting is offhand, then definitely do not get a heavy barrelled rifle. But... if the primary mode of shooting is prone, with limited carry time, at small targets a few hundred yards away... then medium or heavy contour barrel is something the OP should consider.

The OP did say “mainly used on fox” which sounds a lot like varminting to me, and my goto varmint rifles all have heavy barrels today, and always have had in the past. And they have always been more accurate, less fussy rifles out of the box than my sporter weight barrels.

Horses for courses dazza9t9, there’s a reason varmint rifles come with heavier barrels. If I was mainly after fox, shooting prone, longer ranges, it would be a heavy barrel every time.

 

[Dazza9t9]

Thank you all for the input. It is making great reading and giving me food for thought.

I already have a mod on my ticket for the 243,

I currently have a CZ 22RF and I love it. I would consider another CZ in a heart beat but equally I would like to try a different make

so between the remmy and the Howa, it appears there is very little between them. Is there much difference in upgraded stock choice?

 

[Tim.243]

Thank you all for the input. It is making great reading and giving me food for thought.

I already have a mod on my ticket for the 243,

I currently have a CZ 22RF and I love it. I would consider another CZ in a heart beat but equally I would like to try a different make

so between the remmy and the Howa, it appears there is very little between them. Is there much difference in upgraded stock choice?

Get the lowest round count rifle you can afford, top it with the best glass you can afford and go shoot it....

lots of time to by stocks, trigger kits etc....

Tim.243

 

[Tim1]

Good advice and thinking. I would suggest you think of applying for a sound mod at the same time. One of the best things about a remy or remy clone is the fact you can put a jewell trigger on them.

I have to say that having fitted one of the Triggertech triggers on my Stiller, I believe the likes of Timney and Jewell have become dinosaurs. They are the equivalent of the Wright Brothers versus Concorde.

Kind regards,

Tim

 

[kenbro]

A word of warning. The Howa Mini Actions are very nice,but...one only has to look at the mag release catch and the mag falls out. Could easily get lost in that grass that claims anything shooting related when dropped.
Some owners have modified theirs, but really, Howa need to sort the problem.
Ken.

 

[NigelM]

I have 4 Rem 700's and 1 Howa. Triggers were average on the 700's, poor on the Howa and all now have Jewels or Timneys. The stocks on the Remmys were average, poor on the Howa, they all now bedded and sit in aftermarket stocks. They all shoot very well now, all sub MOA, but I do prefer the 700's to the Howa which just feels a little more agricultural - but it still shoots well.

For a first foxing rig I wouldn't get too hung up on which to buy, but find the best package. If it comes with a mod you will have saved £300, with mounts another £50. If it already sits bedded in a good aftermarket stock you will save £400. A "cheep" £300 bare rifle can very quickly turn into a £1000 plus piece of kit.

 

[Ingy]

I have owned both Howa and Remington 700 rifles and still have a remmy in .223.
I have used a heavy barrel howa .308 for stalking use, which was ok for me as I'm quite a big geezer but it was more cumbersome to use in a deer stalking situation when you want to be swift in getting up onto your sticks and into the aim. As has been previously mentioned a stalking tool would probably be better with a sporter barrel.
For foxing though and use at range I would go for the heavier barrel, I used mine for general deer management and guiding which was not ideal, it was great for park culling, but if a client needed to use it, it was always complained about as being a heavy gun.
I also had a Remington police with an accuracy international stock, great gun but again heavy, I had it cut down to 20" which helped a lot and I used it for everything.
I love remingtons as they are easily upgradable as there are so many after market products readily available out there and they can be customised to your hearts desire. They are also the basis of the old US sniper rifle and so you can guarantee that they are almost bullet proof, can be used and abused and still come back for more. Great gun great pedigree.
If it were me, I would go for a remmy, the howa was also a good gun but the remmington has a special place in my heart and I would have another again in a heartbeat. I would buy the sps and get the barrel cut down to 20 inches by a good gunsmith and use it for deer and foxes. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
All the best
Ingy
Oh by the way, I'm a Sako user at the moment.

 

[Dazza9t9]

Thank you everyone for your input. It really is giving me a lot to thinking about and some more research to do.

I think the next stage is to get to my local shop and handle both rifles