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Thread: Howa Owners

  1. #1
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    Aug 2013
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    Randburg, Gauteng
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    1,281

    Default Howa Owners

    Every day someone comes along and asks what rifle brand/calibre/etc should they start off with, and it seems the advice always seems to be "Go with Howa in .308".
    Having fondled them a bit in various shops, and having spent a lot of time reading up about the topic, this seems like sensible advice (however, I have never shot one).
    From what I have read, most owners are generally happy with their rifles, with only minor issues (iirc the good Ds had some issues with a moulded stock touching the barrel and causing inconsistent groups).

    With this in mind, I would like to find out which Howa rifle/configuration you have.
    Polls are a bit difficult with all of the possible variations, so I set up the template below.
    If there is anything else you would like to add, just add it to the Comments field.
    The Howa catalogue can be found here: http://www.howarifles.eu/resources/HOWA.pdf

    Calibre:
    Barrel Length: (20/22/24/etc inch)
    Barrel Profile: (Light/Standard/Heavy/Fluted/etc)
    Stock Make: (Howa/Other)
    Stock Material: (Synthetic/Laminate/Wood/Aluminium/Other)
    Scope Brand:
    Scope Model:

    Primary Application: (Hunting/Long Range Target Shooting/etc)
    Best Accuracy Achieved: (0.25/0.5/1 MOA @ x distance)
    Are you happy with your Howa: (Yes/No)
    Comments:

    I'll try and combine all of the results in some sort of graph/set of graphs and show it here.

  2. #2
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    Feb 2011
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    Stormberg, EC
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    3,062

    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: 30-06
    Barrel Length: 22"
    Barrel Profile: Standard
    Stock Make: Hogue
    Stock Material: Synthetic
    Scope Brand: Meopta
    Scope Model:
    Meopro 4-12x50
    Primary Application: Huting
    Best Accuracy Achieved: Cloverleaf at +-90m, consistently hitting a 150mm gong at 300m (150gr GS Customs)
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes. I will buy another when the time is right, I don't think I'll even bother looking around at other brands. I'm hoping to still acquire a heavy barrel 26" 6.5 Creedmoor and a heavy barrel .204 Ruger.
    Comments: I had to grind the fore end of the stock in a few places to completely clear the barrel. Trigger is the newer version, HACT I believe it's called.

  3. #3
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    Feb 2013
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    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: .308
    Barrel Length: 22"
    Barrel Profile: Standard
    Stock Make: Standard Howa walnut stock
    Stock Material: Wood
    Scope Brand: Bushnell
    Scope Model: Adler (4-12 * 40)
    Primary Application: Hunting
    Best Accuracy Achieved: MOA @ 100
    Are you happy with your Howa: Very!
    Comments: The rifle does everything I need it to do. It is reliable, durable and accurate and it didn't break the bank.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Howa Owners

    My Howa 308 with thumbhole in laminated stock BB is my go to rifle when it comes to any hunting. I get sub MOA accuracy constantly and I've taken headshots with 180gr bullets up to 250m (obviously compensated for the shot at that distance) with out an issue. My father has a SS barrel in 308 with Hogue stock and we continue to get great results with that one too. Currently loaded up with 155gr A Max and again sub MOA groups even tho with the twist its better to go with a 168gr or heavier. For the amount you pay, you can afford a quality optic and you get accuracy, durability and fun, I wouldn't hesitate to get another one. I have just bought a Howa BB 300 WM now for R8500. Here's a hunting video on YouTube of mine:



    Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  5. #5
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    May 2015
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    750

    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: 300WM
    Barrel Length:
    24"
    Barrel Profile:
    Standard magnum
    Stock Make:
    Laminated thumbhole from Howa
    Stock Material:
    Laminated Wood Pepper
    Scope Brand:
    Lynx
    Scope Model:
    Lynx lx2 2.5-10x56
    Primary Application:
    Huting
    Best Accuracy Achieved:
    0.8 MOA at 100m, MOA at 200m (180gr SGK in Norma brass) Im sure it could do better, my skill level is not that good yet.
    Are you happy with your Howa:
    Yes
    Comments:
    I will buy more HOWAs.. 300WM not the best first caliber for someone - I feel the standard recoil pad is a bit marginal / too hard for this caliber..

  6. #6
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    Mar 2013
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    Roodepoort
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    839

    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: .243 Win
    Barrel Length: 24"
    Barrel Profile: Heavy
    Stock Make: Boyds Featherweight Thumbhole
    Stock Material: Applejack Laminate
    Scope Brand:Lynx
    Scope Model:LX2 4.5-14x42
    Primary Application: Hunting
    Best Accuracy Achieved: 0.25 MOA
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes
    Comments: Improved with the addition of the Boyds stock and a Timney trigger. Quite heavy but an absolute joy to shoot.

  7. #7
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    May 2012
    Location
    Somerset West
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    153

    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: 6.5x55mm
    Barrel Length: 22 inch
    Barrel Profile: Standard
    Stock Make: Howa-Houge
    Stock Material: Synthetic
    Scope Brand: Hawke
    Scope Model: Endurance 4-16x50
    Primary Application: Hunting / General shooting at the Range
    Best Accuracy Achieved: Never bothered too measure but sub 1 MOA @ 100m x; hits the 250mm gong @ 300m without any serious effort.
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes
    Comments: Very Happy. It Started out as a bet to put together a rifle for less than R15K. Managed to do so under R12K with loading dies, silencer, brass and a host of other paraphernalia.
    100m



    Proof Pudding.


  8. #8
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    Jul 2013
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    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre:.243
    Barrel Length: 24"
    Barrel Profile: Heavy (Varmint)
    Stock Make: Howa
    Stock Material: Laminated wood(Eurovarminter)
    Scope Brand: Sightron
    Scope Model: S3 6-24*50 FFP

    Primary Application: Hunting/ "Veldskiet"
    Best Accuracy Achieved: .4MOA at 100m
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes
    Comments:
    Decent out of the box, bedded action and polished trigger(pre-HACT) only improvements I have made. Added new BM to accept AI type magazine specifically to make loading easier for "veldskiet"

    Calibre:.243 Ackley Improved
    Barrel Length: 24"
    Barrel Profile: Heavy (Varmint)
    Stock Make: Boyds Pro-Varmint
    Stock Material: Laminate
    Scope Brand: Burris
    Scope Model:
    XTR II 5-25*50
    Primary Application: Hunting/ "Veldskiet"
    Best Accuracy Achieved: .5 MOA at 200m
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes
    Comments: Replaced Hogue stock with Boyds laminated stock, bedded action, polished trigger and added larger pin to eliminate long 1st stage on the HACT trigger, new BM to accept AI mags specifically for "veldskiet"

    Calibre: .300 Win MagBarrel Length: 24
    Barrel Profile: Heavy ( Varmint)
    Stock Make: Custom/ Hogue
    Stock Material: Lamiate / Synthetic
    Scope Brand: Vortex
    Scope Model:
    PST 6-24*50
    Primary Application: Target shooting /Hunting
    Best Accuracy Achieved: .4 MOA at 100m
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes
    Comments: Replaced Hogue with custom laminated stock for prone shooting. Still use Hogue stock when hunting. Bedded action and polished trigger, larger pin to eliminate long 1st stage on HACT trigger.

    All three my Howas will shoot 1MOA or better at 100m, almost regardless of the ammo as long as I do my bit.
    Personally I don't like the flex in the Hogue stocks, but a steel rod and some epoxy sorts this out easily enough.
    Triggers are decent as is, but small amount of polishing makes them even better. I prefer short/no 1st stage on a trigger, easy enough to sort that on the HACT trigger.
    Lightly sanding the bolt makes the action almost as smooth as a Tikka.

  9. #9
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    Dec 2010
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    Philippolis
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    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: 6.5x55/.300 win mag
    Barrel Length: 22/24
    Barrel Profile: Light/Light
    Stock Make: Hogue/Bell & Carlson
    Stock Material: Synthetic
    Scope Brand: Leupold/Leupold
    Scope Model: Mk4 6.5-20x50 (ARM reticle in FFP)/VX2 3-9x40 (LR duplex reticle)
    Primary Application: Hunting
    Best Accuracy Achieved: 15mm @ 100m/ 20mm @ 100m
    Are you happy with your Howa: Yes/Yes
    Comments: 6.5x55 fitted with Timney trigger. .300 has standard single stage Howa trigger. The 6.5 is almost 3 years old, the .300 is 18 years old.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Howa Owners

    Calibre: .243
    Barrel Length: 24"
    Barrel Profile: Bull barrel
    Stock Make: Howa laminated thumbhole stock
    Stock Material: Laminated Wood
    Scope Brand: Nikon
    Scope Model: Monarch 4-16x42
    Primary Application: Range / plains hunting
    Best Accuracy Achieved: .5 MOA at 300m
    Are you happy with your Howa: Very!
    Comments: It is reliable, durable and very accurate and it didn't break the bank.
    As a dedicated hunting rifle I wouldn't advise a bull barrel especially 24". It is very heavy and difficult to carry. I would get a standard taper barrel. Those that I have shot with are very accurate. [/QUOTE]

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