Howa Rifles any good?

Q

Quail Fat

Moderator
I can get a new Howa .300 Win Mag blue with synthetic stock for $360 and I was wanting to know if these rifles are worth a dang.

The first thing I'll do is float the barrel and glass bed the action, anyone have one and if so, how do they shoot?

Is the quality o.k.?

I can't find very much about these rifles on the www and apologize in advance if these questions have already been asked.

Thanks

QF
 

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Come to think of it, I don't recall their being discussed, here. Did you try the "Search" feature?

Sorta like a Dodge: You see 'em around, they're probably okay, but you don't know anybody who'd actually own one...

:), Art
 
My Stratus and I take exception to that last remark! ;)

As to the Howa, I can't say that I know anyone who owns one. Sorry.
 
I helped a coworker sight his Howa rifle in a few years ago. I was very impressed by it. Did Howa make rifles for Weatherby at one time?
 
I bought a Howa barrelled action in .270 win when I was in a hurry to build my wife a gun and could find nothing else readily available. The blueing was rich, deep, and dark when we bought it and still looks great. It has turned out to be a great little gun and I wish I had more. It still holds sub 1/2 MOA with the right handloads and has worked without a hitch for her for eight years running and taken five deer and three antelope in that time.

I looked into what I had bought her after building it and found out that Howa builds/built these rifles in the same plant that the Wetherby Lasermark is/was built in. They are/were nearly identical aside form the brand name. I'll say that her rifle is smooth as a Weatherby and as well put together as any $800.00 gun out there, but I had a little to do with some of that. :D

Now I've heard rumors lately that Weatherby quit building the Lasermark there and Howa's plant has lost a lot of QC as a result. I don't know if that is true and would love to substantiate it one way or another - I was thinking of buying another barrelled action in .308 win. with a heavy fluted barrel to build a long range gun on. But until I find out for sure, I'll wait.

Hopefully it was just another guy wanting to make his Steyr sound better by badmouthing Howa, but you never know. For now it's all still rumors, but it makes me wonder if these little guns are as good today as they were ten years ago. (Just like most makes of guns, eh?) Anyone know?
 
Capbuster, come to think of it, I believe you're correct.

Just guessing, for the price and considering the glass-bedding and free-floating, it certainly oughta be a good rifle for hunting.

Quail Fat, if you do go that route, give some thought to a shim out at the front of the fore-end. Most of the time, that'll make the barrel vibrations more uniform, giving tighter groups. Gale McMillan agreed as to the shim's utility on those barrels not of match-target quality. (About a five-pound pull to separate the barrel and stock for insertion. Use plastic or waxed paper.)

But I haven't messed with synthetic stocks very much...

Art
 
Art brings up interesting point. A little pressure tween forend and bbl often favorably changes the resonant frequency of the barrel. Can cause groups to tighten or to loosen. Worth fiddlin with. They show up on plastic, wood and laminated wood stocks. Some, like the Win 52C, had a screw adjustable loader at the front of the forend. Gives another variable when lookin for the "sweet" load.

I have used em only on smallbore rifles. Looks neater than a few turns of solder to move around on the barrel to compensate for different lots of ammo.

Sam
 
I had a Weatherby Vanguard in 7mm Mag----which is basically the same rifle you're talking about.

It wouldn't shoot very good for me---so I free floated mine-----BIG MISTAKE---the synthetic stock isn't strong enough and the barreled action would bounce around in the stock.

I would look for something else.




ps----Howa still makes the Weatherby Vanguard----its sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.
 
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I have a Howa 30-06. Damn accurate rifle. Took my first buck with it. It is a pretty fine rifle, I believe the actions are made by Weatherby. I could be wrong.
 
I have a Smith and Wesson built by Howa. Shoots very good. Howa has built rifles for Browning, S&W, and Weatherby. This partial list of names should be enough to tell you that they build a quality product. Do not be fooled by the price. If they charged more and used a better stock they would rank with anybody. They use a cheap hogue stock. Save money and time and just order a barreled action for 250 and get a bell and carlson stock for it total of 375 out the door. you cant beat that. As another example of quality I have never found anyone that had hands on experiance complain about one online. The lack of complaints tells you they build an outstanding product.

PS if you want some nice stock options for your Howa go to
www.rifle-stocks.com
 
I learn something new on TFL nearly everyday. And at other times I am reminded of something I've foregotten. :D

So it was the Weatherby Vanguard not the Lazermark they built! I stand corrected... Oh my aching memory.
 
A friend in the rifle club shoots an older one in .222. (He calls it "The Goat Gun" :D )

He built his own stock (wood) and the barrel "free floats" about 1/2 an inch above the forend! The action is bedded and he also tweaked the trigger.

It will shoot near as dammit to 3/4 MOA all day with his handloads, using non-match grade bullets. He really likes it; says it's much under-rated.

Bruce
 
I had a Howa 1500 in .308 and it was deadly accurate. And after 4000+ rounds it is still resonably accurate. Also, the bolt is smoother and sweeter than any other rifle I have ever owned. My brother in law now owns that .308 and I REALLY regret letting it go. I sold in because I thought I was missing something by not being in the Model 700 club. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. I hope to buy that rifle back someday, but my brother in law is in love with it too.
One thing though, if Howa hasn't improved the trigger you will HAVE to replace it. I had a Timmeny put on mine. Groups improved dramatically after that.
 
I suggest those of you interested in Rifle's get the book by the late Frank Dehaas "The Bolt Action Rifle". It gives a complete run down of most of the modern bolt action rifles.

As far as my experience has been. There has been a recall on this rifle. It was because if it was reassembled incorrectly to could go off.

Let me state that the rifle is a great value for the money and it of course had great workmanship in it. Most of the rifles and shotguns that I have examined, owned, or sold that were made in Japan were often better or as good as the same exact model made in some of the European countries like Belgium (Browning) and Germany (Weatherby).

The rifle does have extremely slow lock time but it bothers me not a wit. It has its advantages believe it or not. The slower lock time accounts for much more positive ignition. The lock time is about on par with the world famous 98 Mauser. Slow like time is not noticed much when shooting off of sand bags and if the shooter is an accomplished rifelman he sees no difference in the accuracy in a hunting sitiuation and even in some cases on the National Match Course. I have seen some damn good scores shot with the 98 Mauser and the Howa.

I personally know of a man who built up a national match rifle on the Howa action. He had one of the models made in the 1980's that had a detachable clip. He was one of the better shots in our club. He saw no disadvantage in using it in competition.

Let's face it although it is a lot of fun to shoot off of sandbags on weekends as most people do, you only become an accomplished rifleman when you learn to shoot three position , standing without aid of a sling, sitting and prone without aid of a bi-pod.

In conculsion I would say that for the money the gun is a very good buy. I have always perferred the controlled feed type rifle but for those on a budget it is hard to beat the Howa. W.R.
 
A good friend ordered a .223 Howa a few months ago because it was only $300 and change. Using a 6-24 BSA scope(he's always searching for a good deal), I shot 1" to 1.25" groups at 100 yards using ammo from the 300-round battle packs he buys for $40.

The trigger is interesting, but usable.

John
 
I would like to thank everybody for their replies to my inquiry.

I plopped down $150 and put a Howa .300 in layaway this afternoon.
 
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