Educate me on Howa Rifle pretty please.

[teddy12b]

In searching for a 20 heavy barreled 223 I came across the Howa varmint series rifles.  I don't know anything about Howa so I'm trying to learn....  I've heard bits and peices about them, but I can't find any reviews that talk about their accuracy.  I like the hogue stocks and I've seen that I can get a heavy barreled 223 with a hogue stock for under $500 which (if it shoots well) is a great deal in this market.

How do Howa's stack up for accuracy?

How do they stack up for reliability?

If you have a Howa I'd like to read about what kind of groups you're getting out of it and how it's handled in the field.

[mattmillerrx]

I have the .204 ruger stainless howa/hogue.  It is a great gun.  I am getting .5 inch groups from factory ammo.  I have not found small rifle primer to load for it but can live with that kinda group from factory.  I have not had mine but 6 months now so can not speak on reliability all that much.  With that said I think it will last as long as any other modern gun of simular make on the market. ( speaking of rugers,remintons,winchesters, ect)  The only thing I found after getting it was some small metal cuttings from the reciever but nothing a quick cleaning would not take care of.  The stock is my favorite of any of my guns and I got stainless cause it was all they could get at the time so finish is not an issue with mine.  Which I am glad I did cause I scratched the barrel on a rock while getting into postion on a coyote hunt but no harm done, if it had been blued I would have been sick.  That sold me on stainless, I had never liked them before that.

They have gone up in price as they are catching on as a quality gun.  They were around 400 when I got mine and I gave 500 for the stainless.  Even at 500 they are a good deal.  With that said I would by another and will some day. 

By the way, my local shop says the howa/hogue in .223 is his number one seller.  So that  says a lot.  Also read on hear as I did before buying there are a lot of post about them already on here.

[teddy12b]

Sounds good!

[sachel.45]

all the weatherby vanguards ive shoot (preety much the same as howas) have been under an 1" at 100 yards. thats a 30-06, a .243 carbine. and a .223
edit to add ive had my .30-06 for 4 years now never had a problem

[redhawksixsh]

I have the 1500 lightweight howa with a 20" inch barrel.  I sanded out the barrel channel, and adjusted the trigger down to about 3 lbs.  I have a bushnell sportsman 4x12x40 scope on it, and it shoots 55 grain monarch brass cased soft points into about .6 at a hundred.  The trigger pull is ok, but has a little creep that I couldn't work out.  A very good gun comparable to any other rem,win,ruger,etc., maybe better.

[kiddekop]

In searching for a 20 heavy barreled 223 I came across the Howa varmint series rifles.  I don't know anything about Howa so I'm trying to learn....  I've heard bits and peices about them, but I can't find any reviews that talk about their accuracy.  I like the hogue stocks and I've seen that I can get a heavy barreled 223 with a hogue stock for under $500 which (if it shoots well) is a great deal in this market.

How do Howa's stack up for accuracy?

How do they stack up for reliability?

If you have a Howa I'd like to read about what kind of groups you're getting out of it and how it's handled in the field.

Weatherby Vanguards are made by Howa.

[Ahab]

I have a .243 and a 7mm Mag Howa/ Vanguard. .243 does better than .5MOA. 7mm .75.

[ourway77]

I have a 22-250 Howa 1500 Varmit rifle that with factory Remington ammo 55 grain bullets. I do less than an inch at 100 Yards. Probably do much better with a talored load for the rifle. Lou

[tuck2]

The  223 Remington Howa 1500 thumbhole varmint rifle has ben one of my best buys.  It shot sub one inch groups out of the box with 50 Gr bullets. After my first test groups I glass bed the action, free floated the barrel, and adjusted the trigger pull down to 2 3/4 pounds. I  now get 1/2 to 3/4 inch 100 yard groups with reloaded ammo. I have had other brand rifles that took one or more of the following to get them to shoot smaller groups. Glassbed the action, freefloat the barrel, adjust the trigger pull,lapp the bolt locking lugs, recrown the muzzle, remove wood from under the bolt handle, and free float the magazine box by glass bedding the trigger guard. I got my first rifle in 1949 and have learned that with any brand fire arm you dont know what you got untill you shoot them.

[Mac11700]

In searching for a 20 heavy barreled 223 I came across the Howa varmint series rifles.  I don't know anything about Howa so I'm trying to learn....  I've heard bits and peices about them, but I can't find any reviews that talk about their accuracy.  I like the hogue stocks and I've seen that I can get a heavy barreled 223 with a hogue stock for under $500 which (if it shoots well) is a great deal in this market.

How do Howa's stack up for accuracy?

How do they stack up for reliability?

If you have a Howa I'd like to read about what kind of groups you're getting out of it and how it's handled in the field.

Your lesson is simply this..You can spend a lot..and get little..then you can spend a little and get a lot..

The Howa's are good guns and won't break the bank.You can do a lot of this to them to dress them up if you want too. The are usually very accurate and don't need a lot of coaxing to produce sub moa groups.

Groups from them are usually tight across their caliber line..Howa produced my Stainless 300 Win Mag Sub MOA for Weatherby..some of my first groups from it is sub 1/2" groups..I paid more for it because of the name..but the rifles are basically the same..

Mac

[mcwoodduck]

As others  have said the Weatherby Vanguard series rifles are made by Howa,
Years ago Howa was imported by Smith and wesson and thier 1500 series rifles were great.
When Smith dropped the long arm division Howa started to import their own firearms under their own names.
If you uy one you will be happy.

[One Eye]

As others  have said the Weatherby Vanguard series rifles are made by Howa,
Years ago Howa was imported by Smith and wesson and thier 1500 series rifles were great.
When Smith dropped the long arm division Howa started to import their own firearms under their own names.
If you uy one you will be happy.

I had a S&W 1500 in .270 that was made for them by Howa.  It was a great gun.  I sold it in a fit of youthful stupidity on a quest for "bigger and better".  I have been looking hard at the Howa/Hogue combination because of all of the great reports I have read about them and the Weatherby Vanguards.  Love the Weatherby, but my hands are really small and their grips are a little too "beefy" for me.

Dan