howa .223 bull barrel 20"

**saartjie du toit** · 05-04-2019, 18:07

Hi everyone,

Contemplating a build with the Howa 20 inch Blued Varmint .223 (heavy barrel). The Rifle would be used mainly for CHASA shooting and field target competitions. (450m max?)

My reason for opting for the 20 inch is weight. I am short, a women and have to account weight as a considering factor.

My question is, will the shorter barrel still perform well at those distances?

**A-R** · 05-04-2019, 21:02

The shorter barrel should be as accurate as any, or even better. You will of course lose some velocity, which will affect your trajectory, especially out past 200m.

If weight is a factor, you may want to consider a standard barrel profile, but with a bit more length. The standard short action Howa rifles usually have 22" barrels. These are still capable of spectacular accuracy. I have often seen people shoot 1" groups and less with these at 200m. That was during a CHASA shoot, not from a bench. And the rifle will weigh a bit less than one with a 20" bull (varmint profile) barrel.

If targets out to 450m are on the menu, I would prefer a barrel with 1:8" twist rate. That will allow you to shoot bullets in the 75 - 80 gn weight range, that have vastly better ballistic coefficients, meaning they will deflect much less in a crosswind. Out to 200m, and a little further, a normal 1:12" twist barrel with 50 - 55 gn bullets will perform quite well.

From 300m onwards, wind drift becomes a major issue, and any little help will be welcome. This is where the high-BC (heavier) bullets shine, but only from a suitable barrel.

**driepootx** · 05-04-2019, 22:07

With the 223 the 20-24 inch barrels have a very similar accuracy node close to 3250fps or slightly less. That means that the 20 inch barrels are running close to max pressure. That is not a safety concern as I am sure that Howa have looked at this and will not market a rifle that is a safety concern.

I agree that the normal barrel contour should still give the accuracy. If you look at the 223's application in America where it concerns the shooting of ground hogs, the limit is normally 500 yards, which is close to 450m.

**kayaker** · 06-04-2019, 02:02

I had one in .308 and it was impressively accurate. The .223 will serve you well and 20" will be fine but I agree, if you are pushing the range you want to be shooting heavier bullets so 1:9" at least will be nice. Even the 20" is not a light rifle but not as barrel heavy as the 24".

**BBCT** · 06-04-2019, 11:56

The Howa in 223 can be had in 2 different action lengths/sizes. They are:

1) "short" action (designed to take 308 and 243 length cartridges as maximum length), and
2) "mini" action (designed to take cartridges with lengths of the 223, 7.62x39, 6.5 Grendel)

If weight is a major consideration for you, have a look at the mini action version, which is noticeably lighter than the short action version, due to it being shorter and slimmer. The barrels of the mini are also a slimmer profile than the short action. I think the minis have 20 inch barrels, not sure if they're available in SA with heavy barrels but they certainly are available with standard barrels. The minis come with detachable magazines and the short actions come with fixed magazines.

The downside to the mini action is that because there are fewer of them around, there are fewer choices when it comes to things like 1-piece picatinny rails, stocks, bottom metal etc.

**Toxxyc** · 08-04-2019, 06:49

I don't know about the Howa, but my father in law has a Remington 700 SPS Tactical in .223 Win. It's also a 20" heavy barrel rifle, and let me tell you, it's light, supremely accurate and you can plink with it all day long. Without fancy upgrades and whatnot, you can spend a whole day on the range just plinking steel at distance with ease.

**saartjie du toit** · 08-04-2019, 08:31

Thanks so much for all the advice. Really do appreciate it. Going to be a tough choice but do agree with you al that maybe the 22" is a bit more sufficient in the longer distances.

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**A-R** · 08-04-2019, 21:04

Originally Posted by saartjie du toit

Thanks so much for all the advice. Really do appreciate it. Going to be a tough choice but do agree with you al that maybe the 22" is a bit more sufficient in the longer distances.

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The standard profile 22" Howa barrel in 223 measures 16mm at the muzzle. In 223 terms that is not really a lightweight or even a standard barrel profile anymore. It could be termed a semi-bull or light varmint barrel. You should not be dissapointed.

**driepootx** · 08-04-2019, 21:55

If using a 22 inch barrel and bullets between 55 and 70gr are used, then pressures are about 5000 psi lower than with the 20 inch barrel. This is a good thing and speeds are on a par with a 24 inch barrel.

**saartjie du toit** · 09-04-2019, 09:24

Okay, so read a little up on the twist rates. 1-8 twist looks to be the best for the heavier bullets 55-80gr. That would help with wind drift at longer distances. Howa 22" standard barrel is 1-9 twist. Still pretty good. Checked out the different weights between 22" standard and 24" its about 400g. Not that big of a difference. Love the idea of the lower twist rate. Already looking at tikka t3x to. Will have to visit the local gun shop or go to huntex and actually try out the different rifles. Would also have to look at LOP. 31.5cm is mine. Really hate being short!

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