Howa

[jellyhead90]

Does anybody have much experience with the Howa rifles? I was at a local gun shop and they was talking about the model 1500 being pretty accurate.

 

[REN]

i almost just bought one 2 days ago. Have a buddy that has a 7mm-08 one and loves it. I have found VERY FEW people with any complains about them.

i checked his out and shot it a few times. My personal comments are the stock is really nice being a houge and love the rubber feel to it. The action is also very smooth and easy to work. Trigger is adjustable to 2.5lbs and it easlily shoots 1.5MOA.

overall it was a super rifle for the price. In addition to that they made the actions for all the Weatherby Vanguards for years.

i ended up getting a series2 Vanguard just because i got it in stainless for a steal.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Good guns

 

[ShamrockIV]

super accurate for the money. i have one is 243 that will flat shoot and 7mm sniper is lights out with his howa 7mm

 

[BigD_625]

I have shot one in 308, 7mm, and 30-06. Have killed deer with the first two. They are unbelievable for the money. A buddy of mine loaded up some 130gr hollow points for the 308...was hitting same hole at 100yds, and I'm not that good of a shot.

What amazes me is that they don't kick, regardless of caliber. I think it has something to do with the ported bolt. I would say it was the stock, but have tried with them laminate thumbhole, cheap plastic, and bulter creek rubber stocks. Of the three I shot, none even rang my ears.

 

[jellyhead90]

Thanks guys! i like how they shoulder but wasn't sure about them

 

[Grainger]

Have one in 223, great field rifle.

 

[BigD_625]

I think it has something to do with the ported bolt.

"bolt ports"? Those are only there for the accidental case of a primer failure and/or case head seperation where gases rocket rearward instead of all going down the barrel. If such happens the ports are then acting as "vents" to keep the pressure from blowing the bolt or exploding the chamber. I didnt remember the Howas or Vanguards having them but i know Mark Vs do.

My 3 howas that I used to have had the ported bolts, and I checked out the Weatherby vanguards they had a walmart when they clearanced them out last year. They had them as well. I don't know if it directly affects recoil, but all three had them, and none of them kicked or rang my ears, even the 7MM Mag. I did see another post that said the howas do not have ported bolts, but mine did, and the new ones do according to their catalog.

If gas goes through them during a failure, what would keep it from going through on any shot? If gas is released from the ports into the stock (when the bolt is locked, they point downward) instead of the barrel, it would seem that it would at a minimum quiet the rifle. If there is dispersion of the gas, it would seem like it would also decrease the pressure of the load and dampen recoil. I was discussing this with a friend who was asking me about howas. After that, he watched a segment where they mentioned the reduced recoil and noise because of the ported bolt. That made me feel a little better about my assumption, but I don't claim to be any kind of expert.

I would have bought one of those vanguards, but you had to flip the safety off to open the bolt. The howas I had didn't require you to do that.

Sorry for my long windedness.

 

[BigD_625]

Makes perfect sense. I was never certain about the ports. What I can speak to with certainty is that Howa rifles are very nice. Of the three I've had in three different calibers with three different stocks, and maybe three different barrel lengths (know the magnum was longer, maybe the 308 and 30-06 are the same), none of them kicked or were very loud compared to the same calibers in other weapons. Thanks HL, enjoyed the discussion, and always glad to learn something.

 

[BigD_625]

I'll be hunting with a Howa this year. Snuck up on a deal on a 30-06 with a simmons 3.5-10x50 on it. The scope's inner lining was coming loose, so I sent it to Bushnell, and they replaced it with a Trophy XLT 3-9x50. The gun lined up easily with the Nikon Buckmasters I put on it, and I can't wait to see how it does in the woods. Maybe I can make it 3 8 points with 3 Howas.

HL, good luck with your VG2 if you get it. Hope you get a big one!

 

[REN]

Howa makes a GREAT gun! Mr. Roy Weatherby himself selected them to begin building his then new rifle, the Vanguard, in 1970. It's flatout tough to get more rifle for the money than a Howa or Vanguard!

And BigD I told you my CRS was terminal, you are correct in your statement of the Vanguard having the ports in their bolts! I had a 25/06 VG 20yrs ago plus my 11yr old has a VG youth.

I haven't had a chance to test a new VG2 but I'm VERY interested in them and my oldest son is wanting a bigger rifle and if I get him a bolt gun it more than likely will be a VG2.

I'll let you know on the series2 this week. Just got mine is SS 270 on Friday. So far I like what I see. The trigger is all new as well as the stock and the new ones are subMOA which is nice.