Hogue stocks for Howas

[brasschaser]

How are these overmold stocks for the Howa rifles?  They say they're pillar bedded.  Run about $100.  Wondering how they do in regards to accuracy w/ the pillar bed.

[dmills]

I have a .308 heavy bbl in a Hogue stock, but it has the aluminum action bedding in addition to the pillars.  Accuracy is excellent but I do not know how the stock compares with the stock with pillars only.  Cost is/was about $75 more than the pillared stock.  Fit was perfect.  Hogue does not have the flimsy/toylike feeling of some synthetic stocks, IMO.

[brasschaser]

How's the weight of that hbar combo?  I'm kinda torn between the standard 22" and a varmint 24" configuration.  I'll likely be using it mainly for deer hunting.  Is it a comfortable weight to carry around a bit, or do you feel relieved once you get a chance to sit it down?  I think I read that they were using a #6 contour barrel, but I haven't seen the varmint rifle configuration in person.

[dmills]

Haven't carried it around in the field yet.  Mostly, I'll be hunting from stands anyway.  It weights approx. 9# on my bathroom scale.  It is muzzleheavy and I have considered putting some lead in the tailend to balance it better.  I don't know that I would want to carry it on a long hiking hunt but I could.

The Legacy International site lists the heavy bbl. as a #6 contour.