Howa 1500 HCR Custom Build

D

dhdallas

Inactive
Howa HCR

Howa 1500 HCR .308
Multicam and Cerakote FDE
Kampfeld Custom Muzzle Brake
Kampfeld Custom tactical bolt knob
Kampfeld Custom fluted bolt
Hoptics Quiver 2-shell ammo holder
Magpul fore-grip
Hi-Lux 4-16x scope
AICS Chassis
Luth-AR Butt Stock
AICS 10-round steel mag

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"...but preserving long range accuracy..." Changing the barrel makes it a new rifle . Doesn't preserve anything.
300 yards is short range for target shooters. Sight the thing in about 3.5" high at 100 and you'll be on target out to 300. A lot depends on the ammo, but 3.5" is typical.
 
On my last trip to Wyoming to hunt antelope I had a nice buck crest a small rise less than 50 yards from me surprising us both. Anticipating a long shot, I had my scope zoom cranked and it gave me a nice close-up of his fur. A red dot would have been nice.
 
Where is the pop-up blind, the coffee pot, the satellite up-link, the hub-caps and the wheel barrow to carry out the deer with? (and carry the rifle in)

I live in Wyoming and I have killed more antelope then I can count. More deer then antelope, and a whole lot of elk too.
I never had a problem shooting them at close range with my scope simply set at 3X or 4X (which is how you should ALWAYS set when hunting because you always have time to crank up, but sometimes no time to crank down)
The closest shot I ever made in my life on a game animal was 8 years ago when I blew hair off an antelope with my 9.3X74R Ruger #1. Range of that shot was about 14-16 inches.

Actually I prefer a fixed 4X or 3X for all my big game hunting. The only thing I ever find a use for with high magnifications is zeroing, testing loads and prairie dog shooting.

dhdallas, I think you may find it best to re-think what you believe about western hunting. Not that you can't use that rifle because you certainly can, but if you come out here a lot you will find that a lighter handier rifle is FAR better for making meat then a target rifle is. You need to get on target quickly many times, and you need to carry the rifle for hours or days to be ready for a shot in just 1-5 seconds.

I mean no offense, but those kind of rifles are what I see being brought out to hunt elk antelope and deer all the time from back east, and almost none of those hunters who live here use them. You have read the stuff written in the gun rags, and the whole mission of those articles is to sell you things, not give you good advice.

Here is one of the antelope I killed this year. Iron sights. 177 yards from prone. Rifle weighs 6 pounds 7 Onces.

2018 #1 Ant. Buck by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

If you'd like to talk about hunting in the Western states I'd be happy to help. PM me if you want, and I may be able to give you some good advice not only about gear, but also about places to hunt.
 
I liked your reply. I did forget to mention all those things like pop-up blinds and so on not to mention an altimeter, wind speed indicator, range finder, GPS, Ghillie suit, etc :-)

Seriously, thanks for the sound real-world advice!
 
I always carry the rifle o it's lowest power. If you need more than that there's always enough time to crank it up. If you don't need more usually there is not time to crank it down!
 
DH,
What I have respect for is that you mentally formed a vision of a job and a rifle/tool to do that job.
Then you did a nice job of building your vision.And,it shoots for you.

Thats what I enjoy about building rifles.I'll pick something I want to use....it might be a sleek,efficient projectile,or a Mexican 98 receiver....or a leftover AR-15 barrel nut,and from that,a vision of a rifle forms.Then I build it.

At one time,I had a vision for a 600 yd Elk rifle (easy,I abandoned the 600 yd elk idea before I ever tried it)

I started with the Boone and Crockett reticle.I used ballistic software to trajectory match a load to that reticle at the approx altitude and typical conditions hunting.

I blueprinted a Husky 5000 receiver ,fitted a #2 lilja barrel,chambered it 30-338,and put it in a Hi-Tech 20 Oz stock. Canjar trigger,Leupold VX3 in 3.5 to 10 X,40 mm.It came out real good.A test from a 300 yd sight in got me a 500 yd cold barrel x ring hit.

But,by the time I got the rifle built,I had already rejected the idea of 600 yd elk shooting.Its just not my style. I took one 250 yd buck deer with that rifle,then I put the scope on something else.

My point? I missed on my initial vision,but I did build the tool nicely.

As we evolve,hopefully our ideas do,too.

I'm not going to say a word about what you might have done different. You'll find your way on your own.

The pronghorn rifle that has served me well over 20 years or so was built on a Mexican 98.With the 6X by 42 mm fixed power Leupold it weighs 7 lbs.
I built it to crawl through cactus and under barbed wire...and to travel with me a lot.It has a utility bow flage spray paint job. I wrote some ballistic data on the buttstock.

The scope is always on the correct power. 6X. Scope is low mounted and the rifle fits.I can shoulder it with my eyes closed,open my eyes and I have reticle on target.
I can easily see and hit 250 yd + prairie dogs with it.Plenty good for heart/lung shots to 400 yds plus. Farther is too far.
That rifle doesn't need any fixing. It works.

IMO,a rifle certainly needs to be shootable,but I spend a whole ,way bunch more time carrying it than I do shooting it.That carrying thing,and crawling and climbing,IMO,is important.

Lighting? Well,I set an AR up to watch over a dead cow at night.The AR has a railed forend. I put a 200 lumen Surefire in a Leupold 1 in QD scope ring.It goes on and off the forend easy.Its mostly off.

I snuch a little bitty flat handgun laser under the scope on the rail.It shoots out under the scope.

On any dark night,I can see my crosshairs on a 100 yd target with the flashlight. I can then co-witness the haser to my crosshairs at 100 yds.
Once I do that,it looks like I have a red dot scope.

Now,the thing is,we had a dead cow,on private land,with a hill for a backstop.

I just don't go launching rifle bullets willy-nilly in the night.The rancher's horse might be out wandering around.

So,I can almost never use a rifle night shooting outfit.

I'm not knocking yours,I'm telling what works,or not,for me.
 
I have to ask, what's the attachment at the end of your forearm? I'll be honest it looks like a bottle opener. I'd say your almost ready for PRS competitions when you retire from hunting.
 
Wyosmith said:
Where is the pop-up blind, the coffee pot, the satellite up-link, the hub-caps and the wheel barrow to carry out the deer with? (and carry the rifle in)

I live in Wyoming and I have killed more antelope then I can count. More deer then antelope, and a whole lot of elk too.
I never had a problem shooting them at close range with my scope simply set at 3X or 4X (which is how you should ALWAYS set when hunting because you always have time to crank up, but sometimes no time to crank down)
The closest shot I ever made in my life on a game animal was 8 years ago when I blew hair off an antelope with my 9.3X74R Ruger #1. Range of that shot was about 14-16 inches.

Actually I prefer a fixed 4X or 3X for all my big game hunting. The only thing I ever find a use for with high magnifications is zeroing, testing loads and prairie dog shooting.

dhdallas, I think you may find it best to re-think what you believe about western hunting. Not that you can't use that rifle because you certainly can, but if you come out here a lot you will find that a lighter handier rifle is FAR better for making meat then a target rifle is. You need to get on target quickly many times, and you need to carry the rifle for hours or days to be ready for a shot in just 1-5 seconds.

I mean no offense, but those kind of rifles are what I see being brought out to hunt elk antelope and deer all the time from back east, and almost none of those hunters who live here use them. You have read the stuff written in the gun rags, and the whole mission of those articles is to sell you things, not give you good advice.

Here is one of the antelope I killed this year. Iron sights. 177 yards from prone. Rifle weighs 6 pounds 7 Onces.

2018 #1 Ant. Buck by Steve Zihn, on Flickr

If you'd like to talk about hunting in the Western states I'd be happy to help. PM me if you want, and I may be able to give you some good advice not only about gear, but also about places to hunt.
Click to expand...
Nice speed goat.. I got mine earlier this year with my little .257 Weatherby. I have a Swarovski 3.5-18x50. It's a long range scope with excellent field of view. It sits on 3.5 until I need more.
 

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