Howa Rifles ?

[bigfellascott]

I have a close friend who has just bought a sporter in 308win a PC second hand SS. First thing he did was replace the stock. He also had problems with bolt lift. The lugs had only 5% contact (just a little on the left lug). Accuracy was awful. Has had the lugs lapped and now has 75% lug contact i don't think he has shot it since. The smith seemed suprised as Howa has a pretty good rep. I suppose every manufacturer has a dud every now and then. I'm not sure its been mentioed but Howa also make the Weatherby Vanguard.

Doesn't sound real good mate! May well have been a dud by the sounds of it? I know quite a few people who own em and absolutely love em, me included, mine is very accurate and even the first group out of it fitted into a 10c piece at 50m and has been shooting sub .5" regularly today I got a .3" quite a few .4" and a few .5" as well and I got a .5" 4 shot group at 200m and the 5th shot blew the group out to just over 1" - bugger! almost had a great group at 200m! I regularly shoots great groups, always has, most people near fall over when they see how well it shoots, especially for the money it costs, couldn't be happier with it at all.

Even my missus shoots sub 1" groups with it and shes only used it twice!

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[Dr G]

there are some nice groups there scott

great shooting

Dr G

[patroldog]

Thats one sweet looking rifle and it shoots like crazy!! Any further info on the stock as I may upgrade to one like this when I buy a Howa Varminter in 204Ruger, eg has it got pillar bedding and is it a staight drop in?
Cheers
Charlie

[bigfellascott]

Thats one sweet looking rifle and it shoots like crazy!! Any further info on the stock as I may upgrade to one like this when I buy a Howa Varminter in 204Ruger, eg has it got pillar bedding and is it a staight drop in?
Cheers
Charlie

Hey Charlie,

The stock is a Boyds Ross Varmint Thumbhole in the colour "Pepper" Just go to the Boyds website and have a look mate. This one cost $134 delivered about 4mths ago, so it should be slightly cheaper now.

You will have to set up an account on the site to order from it which is no biggy really, name, address etc which you can then use to track where your order is upto etc.

Sometimes the stocks are "Out of Stock" again no biggy, they usually tell you when the stocks will be ready for shipment so no dramas there. They are easy to deal with, just send them an email if you have questions, they get back to you within a day or so.

No they aren't pillar bedded at all, to be honest I don't see the need really for it but I guess you can get it done here! I will eventually get my action bedded just to make sure there are no unecessary movent etc, but at the moment its shooting fine so I don't think I will touch it.

It was a straight drop in mate, that all I did and went straight down the range a shot a 5 shot group into a 10c piece with it at 50m of course, using factory ammo, but now it does better than that with most groups managing to be inside a 5c piece at 100m and even some 5c piece groups at 200m!

So they shoot fine by me, love it, couldn't be happier with the results so far.

You will probably want the trigger worked as they can be a bit heavy and scratchy there is a guy by the name of Glen Coughlan that does them $58 including post and he does a fantastic job, super light and smooth as silk let me know if you want his details and I will send them to you. This guy is well known amoungst Howas Owners as the man to send triggers too!
Cheers Scott

[Dan257]

Any of you blokes had problems with extraction with howa or vanguard rifles?
I had to put a higher tensioned spring in my vanguard 223 a mate had the same problem with his vanguard 223 and then i heard a story a couple of weeks ago about a bloke on a hunt with a vanguard and the extractor actually snapped.
just curious to find out if its vanguards only or a shared action problem.

[bigfellascott]

Any of you blokes had problems with extraction with howa or vanguard rifles?
I had to put a higher tensioned spring in my vanguard 223 a mate had the same problem with his vanguard 223 and then i heard a story a couple of weeks ago about a bloke on a hunt with a vanguard and the extractor actually snapped.
just curious to find out if its vanguards only or a shared action problem.

No problems here so far mate, none of my other mates have had any problems either, sorry mate I can't help with that one.

How old is the vanguard?

[Dan257]

the vanguard is 3 year old its 223 sub-moa varmint

[bigfellascott]

the vanguard is 3 year old its 223 sub-moa varmint

How many rounds through it?

Mines got 530 rnds so far and no probs.

[Con]

One thing to watch out for is the magazine box. When fitted into particularly the Hogue stock (but potentially anything else as well), the magazine boxes occasionally refuse to seat properly up against the recess in the action bottom. One side snaps in but the other wont. Accuracy can go haywire as a result.
Cheers...
Con

[bigfellascott]

One thing to watch out for is the magazine box. When fitted into particularly the Hogue stock (but potentially anything else as well), the magazine boxes occasionally refuse to seat properly up against the recess in the action bottom. One side snaps in but the other wont. Accuracy can go haywire as a result.
Cheers...
Con

Thanks for the tip Con, is there anyway of fixing it?

[Con]

[/quote] Thanks for the tip Con, is there anyway of fixing it?[/quote]

Just fiddle with it ... seems to be the Hogue stocks causing the issue as they are almost a snap-press fit on. I was assembling guns at my local and came across it when putting the actions into the Hogue stocks. Potentially it can also be an issue with wooden stocks and it applies to Remington's and other brands as much as Howas.

I know one 'shitter Vanguard' that started shooting perfectly fine once the stock was relieved a tad to allow the magazine to snap into its recess without binding.
Cheers...
Con

[bigfellascott]

Thanks for the tip Con, is there anyway of fixing it?[/quote]

Just fiddle with it ... seems to be the Hogue stocks causing the issue as they are almost a snap-press fit on. I was assembling guns at my local and came across it when putting the actions into the Hogue stocks. Potentially it can also be an issue with wooden stocks and it applies to Remington's and other brands as much as Howas.

I know one 'shitter Vanguard' that started shooting perfectly fine once the stock was relieved a tad to allow the magazine to snap into its recess without binding.
Cheers...
Con[/quote]
Thanks for the advice mate, appreciate it. Mine seems fine at this stage - have notice in the last couple of times the groups have opened up slightly, one of the fellas there reckons he gets similar results in Winter and reckons he has 2 loads one for summer and one for winter, have you noticed anything like that at all or do you do 2 different loads for winter and summer, also mate what torque settings (LB's) do you use for the front and rear action screw? or do you do it by feel? I notice my action moves around a bit in the Boyds so it might be time to get it bedded.

P.S. do you use a FAT wrench or something similar? I was thinking of getting one down the track.

Cheers mate

[bigfellascott]

there are some nice groups there scott

great shooting

Dr G

Thanks for that Dr G, its a pleasure to use, I have started recording where all the different shots land in each group, so are 95% of the first shots are spot on with only 1 about 2cm from where it should have been (the other 4 were spot on except the first) I guess that was me!

I have also noticed that the groups have opened up slighly since the cooler weather has started not sure why (not an expert in these sorts of things) but one of the fellas said he has the same problem and useds what he calls his Winter and Summer loads, to be honnest thats fine if you are a target shooter, I'm not so I won't be worrying about that sort of thing, I just wanted to put my skills to the test and see how it and I shoot, as its been 20yrs since I've owned and fired a rifle!

Reloading is fun and seeiing how much of a difference reloading ammo for the rifle has changed the group sizes, just amazing really, how much better people can get their rifles to perform with some tinkering with reloads, not to mention its a lot cheaper to reload than to buy ammo.

cheers mate

[Con]

P.S. do you use a FAT wrench or something similar? I was thinking of getting one down the track.

At this stage ... no. BUT ... been considering one.

I don't run a Howa at the moment ... but am sorely tempted. I prefer Savage by far. Only thing I do when assembling is hold the barrel upwards so gravity pushes the recoil lug back into the stock. I then tighten the front action screw firmly, then do the rear.

In your case ... way your rifle is shooting ... geez I wouldn't want to be touching anything.
Cheers...
Con

[bigfellascott]

P.S. do you use a FAT wrench or something similar? I was thinking of getting one down the track.

At this stage ... no. BUT ... been considering one.

I don't run a Howa at the moment ... but am sorely tempted. I prefer Savage by far. Only thing I do when assembling is hold the barrel upwards so gravity pushes the recoil lug back into the stock. I then tighten the front action screw firmly, then do the rear.

In your case ... way your rifle is shooting ... geez I wouldn't want to be touching anything.
Cheers...
Con

I do a similar thing to you mate, I stand the rifle barrel facing up and whilst holding the stock just give it a light tap on the ground and then the same action as you just tighen the front and rear up using 3 fingers to tighten (that advice comes from Glen Coughlan when you get your trigger back in comes with re-installation info and thats what he advises) seems to work.