I just looked at Howa quite in depth and I was pretty sure that was what I wanted. After handling a few rifles, I ended up with a tikka and did not look back. Howa is a fine rifle from what I could tell. I was in the market for a 308 but I handled many variations out of curiosity. My opinion, which is just that, is to go with what fits you and feels good. In the end that will make all of the difference.