anyone else got one of these howa's ?

[LoneRider]

if ya do what have you had done ?
did you lighten the trigger or replace it ?
what stock have you got ?
what thickness barrel have is got ?

what do ya think of it ?

[Peter O]

What Howa would that be? Or am I missing something

[Brett-Cox]

i have a standard model 1500 in the overmoulded stock, to date ive put about 300-400 shots through it and it dies exactly what i need it for

[Peter O]

Ahh now I see it hidden in the sig line.

Good strong action.
Timber is a matter of personal choice but in a walkabout rifle weight is the biggest issue.
Replace the trigger.
I have worn a barrel out and the rifle has preformed so well I re barrelled, it would have been cheaper to buy a new one but I felt I owed the old girl a bit in return for all its done for me.

[HiWall]

I know a couple of people who have used THIS BLOKE to work the trigger on their Howa rifle. They are stoked with the results.

There is NO need to replace the trigger, they come up fantastic. If you can't get the job done straight away, at least get in contact with Glen so he can do it without going through eBay.

$40 trigger job as good or better than a $300 replacement has to be a bargain!!

[LoneRider]

i pulled the plastic stock off mine last night - to have a look
eegads,what a monstrosity. i'll order a new one soon.its flexible,poorly finished and slippery in the hands.maybe its the uncle arthur not letting me hold tight enough ? dunno.
i found my trigger hand slipped forward under recoil,no matter how hard i hung onto it.
trigger was way too heavy.but after reading this artical : http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81845 i have lightened it considerably.still have to test fire it to make sure its not too light.
ive got the bog standard skinny barrel on it,i wont bother replacing it untill its worn out.no point till then i think.
its my first brand new rifle,so i have to be happy with it otherwise.i dont know any different.seems theres plenty room for further improvements though.

[alpal]

lonerider,
I had Glen (mentioned elsewere in this forum) do the trigger on my .223 Howa1500 (sporter barrel) and I made a laminated stock which I pillar/action bedded and managed a .145" group @ 50yds while sighting in (best to date) but it usually shoots under 1/2" @ 100yds if I do my bit, sometimes well under. When it had the elcheapo plastic stock (not the hogue) on it, it was still good for less than 1" after I pillar bedded it. In fact it was good for under an inch straight out of the box, but after a couple of hundred rounds through it the recoil lug started to flatten the stock a bit and accuracy went right off.
Hope this gives you confidence as I believe they are a very good action.
Regards Alpal

[HiWall]

Certainly no problems with the action, it has been around for years in various guises, starting with the rifle known here in Aus as the CMC Mountaineer (a very popular rifle in its day). It was also sold here as the Smith & Wesson Model 1500. The Weatherby Vanguard in its various models and the Howa are basically the same action/trigger set up. Possibly others have retailed the action under other names as well.

The differences are mostly in stock and set up, and this can/does make a huge difference in accuracy potential. Easy enough to fix - with a decent stock, trigger job and properly bedded you should end up with a terrific rifle - don't worry about the skinny barrel too much, it will probably shoot just as well as a heavy barrel anyway and be a lot better for carrying around.

[LoneRider]

i dont doubt the accuracy,the action is fine,safety seems almost perfect compared to some ive seen.
i just dont like the stock.
probably in november when i order my NV scope i will order the new stock.
it was suposed to happen around now,but rego is due on the red baron so the stock will have to wait a bit longer.

i did find some nasty scratch's on the ejected cartridges,but i expect that will ease off as the parts get more use.i think its to do with the cycling out of the mag well.what do ya think ?? yes/no

[fallingblock]

LoneRider
WRT the scratches on spent shells I've had a similar problem with me new Rem varmint. Don't know the set up with the Howa, but check where the cartridge contacts the feed rails. May be a sharp edge there.

[LoneRider]

thanks mate ,i'll check that.

[Brad Y]

Howa 1500 22-250 blued sporter in a hogue overmold. Shot very well after a re crown, bedding job and timney trigger installed.

Now, it sits in a slee thumbhole fully bedded and shoots brilliantly. Once the barrel is stuffed, its going to get a heavy profile 26" barrel chambered in 22-250 ackley and I will upgrade the scope but go down to a 4-16 power as running shots are alot easier at low power and I never crank it above 12 whilst spotlighting.