Howa rifles

[Commando]

Anyone have experience with howa rifles? I was thinking of picking up a howa hogue at sportsmans warehouse. They got a sale going on and was thinking of getting one in 30-06, 300, or 7mm-08.  I don't have a rifle and normally archery hunt but thought it would be a good idea to pick up a rifle for bear hunting or going out and shooting a few target every now and than

[Magnum_Willys]

Killer deal $399 for package.  You will eventually want to replace scope if you use it a lot.  Get the green stock in 7mm mag or 300 win and you are set for anything.  It is a lil heavy at 9.5# but will keep recoil down.   Wouldnt get in smaller calibers for that reason.

[Igor]

I had a Weatherby Vanguard (made by Howa) in .300 Win mag for years.  It was a very accurate rifle, but too heavy.  With scope and sling it weighed in at over 9 lbs.  There were days when I felt like just leaving it out in the woods rather then lugging it miles back to the truck one more time.  I finally sold it..................

[J.Brower]

I've got a Howa 1500 in .308 and love it. A little on the heavy side with the bull barrel, but it is a pleasure to shoot compared to other .308 rifles I've shot.

[Bookworm007]

I have a weatherby vanguard in 308 which has been mentioned by others to be the same action and barrel as the Howa. To me it is a great gun, it has great balance, enough weight to keep the recoil down, the metal work is surprisingly good, and after one day at the range cooking up loads I got it down to 1/2 MOA with a handload. Some folks don't like the trigger, as a hunting rifle it doesn't bother me. If a person was wanting to use it as a target rifle I would say it is ill equipped. I have the gen 1 with a synthetic stock and half the reason I bought it is that it has a nice sturdy stock, not one that feels like it came off a toy. So buy it and enjoy!

I would suggest 308 or 7mm-08, they both have great bullet selection, can match 30-06 in performance with hand loads, have low recoil and the short action makes the rifle easier to handle. Unless you really need to make a 400+ yard shot on an elk (that opportunity does not happen very often on the westside) then you don't need a magnum. To many folks get caught up in the bigger is better mentality, buy what you shoot well. I have a savage 7mm rem mag and I take out the 308 because it is more fun to shoot, more accurate, cheaper to reload, and can kill the animal without tons of blood shot.

[hunter105]

I have a Smith & Wesson 1500 in 30.06 made by Howa.  I have shot it over 30 years and it has performed flawlessly.  I believe Howa builds a good rifle for a good price.

[T-Dozzer]

I have a .270 howa 1500.
HS precision stock, and good glass. Drives tacks.
The stock trigger is adjustable so I kept it and took it down in pounds.
Barrels are hammer forged and replaceable but have a metric thread on them. Thing seems machined very well and has tight tolerances.
Sleeper rifles for sure. Not sure why they don't do a better job at marketing.
Mine  prefers premium or handload ammo and gets sub moa groups.

[syoungs]

I've got a 6 5 creedmoor gameking package. I ditched the scope,  though I was usable, and bedded it into a Boyd's pro varmint stock. Adjusted the trigger down some, (no idea what the poundage is).

I wasn't super impressed with it until i got about 120 rounds through it. It was a solid 1.5" at 100 gun, but I expected more. I cleaned the barrel with some sweets 7.62 around #113 down the tube. By 118-120 it was shooting sub moa 5 shot groups easily. If I take my time and do my part it'll shoot closer to.5 moa.

It's not the first Howa I've heard needing a longer then normal break in.
To me, it has one of the best triggers in a factory gun, and I love the 3 poistion safety. I'm going to build a 300 win mag using one of their bsrrled actions later this winter.

[b23]

I've had a couple of them.  First one was a little Weatherby Vanguard with a 20in HB in 223 that I bought at Sportsman Warehouse on sale for $299 about 15 years ago.  Was one of the best shooting factory guns I've ever owned.  The other was a Howa 1500 270 Win that I bought super cheap and used the action for a semi custom 6.5-06ai build.  Still have that one and it shoots every bit as good as some of my full customs that cost twice as much.

Biggest complaint I ever had with them was the triggers were pretty bad but that was a quick and easy fix with a Timney but I've heard the newer ones have a much better trigger in them.

[Commando]

Well I went in today to get the 30-06 and ended up walking out because they didn't have the green stock on hand. They only had the black stock. I'm probably being super picky but I really wanted the green stock. They do have the 270 and the 300 in green though. So I'm trying to decide which caliber I'd like to get. Sounds like the 300 would be the more popular choice. Mainly going to use this for bears and glossing clear cuts. Probably let my wife use it for deer to. What do you guys think?

[bobcat]

Sounds like for your purposes the 270 would be ideal.

[Bob33]

Well I went in today to get the 30-06 and ended up walking out because they didn't have the green stock on hand. They only had the black stock. I'm probably being super picky but I really wanted the green stock. They do have the 270 and the 300 in green though. So I'm trying to decide which caliber I'd like to get. Sounds like the 300 would be the more popular choice. Mainly going to use this for bears and glossing clear cuts. Probably let my wife use it for deer to. What do you guys think?

This may sound sexist, but I wouldnt' choose any 300 Magnum as my first choice for a woman unless she was an experienced shooter and wanted it. Of the three you mentioned I would get the 270 if recoil is a consideration.

[hunting4sanity]

I'm not a fan of recoil, even though I love my 300RUM, the 7mm-08 and 6.5 Creedmoor are very capable rounds and would be my personal choices. If your wife isn't accustomed to recoil, I'd lean even further towards the 7mm-08 or 6.5, but that's just my opinion.

[Commando]

The 7mm 08 and the 6.5 aren't on sale right now, otherwise I'd take a look at those to.

I think I am leaning towards the 270 right now. She isn't a experienced shooter at all but won't complain about shooting a rifle with more recoil though. But your right a 270 would be a better rifle for her to start with.

Think I'm going to go back in tomorrow and put the 270 with green stock on lay away. Thanks everyone for all the help!

[bobcat]

Well you were originally getting the 30/06, and that and the 270 Win, are practically the same anyway. I have both, and ballistics, and recoil, is very comparable, and depends more on the bullet you're shooting than the name of the cartridge.