Howa mini 1500 vs Tikka T3x
- Thread starter Canadian Bush Sniper
- Start date
- Location
- West Central Alberta
Love my Tikka T3x but ...
Don't know squat about Howa.
Don't know squat about Howa.
ridingshotgun
New member
- Location
- West Kelowna BC
I've had both in .223, I prefer my tikka over the howa.
If you want controlled feed, there is a ruger77 in the EE chambered in .223
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...awkeye-223-stainless-synthetic-cheap.2464956/
If you want controlled feed, there is a ruger77 in the EE chambered in .223
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...awkeye-223-stainless-synthetic-cheap.2464956/
Those are not really comparable rifles - the Tikka is a regular std sized action rifle where as the HM is a scaled down model of a std Howa 1500 rifle which would be compare to the T3X .
I have Both brands model rifles . The T3X is superior I think
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byronick87
Member
- Location
- Cowtown, AB
I’ve had both. The Tikka is significantly much more accurate out of the box. I had to fiddle less with loads/factory rounds to get it shooting nice little groups.
The Howa was very handy tho; splitting hairs against the tikka.
Aftermarket parts will be more available with the tikka.
The factory stock on the Howa was atrocious - Flexy and bendy. Not many options. I remember an MDT chassis available but I didn’t want to go the chassis route.
My vote would be the tikka unless you’re just bored with the t3 which I was.
All that being said, maybe my Howa was a bad copy. It took a few different range trips and trying various grains from 40gr all the way to 77 gr.
Never found a load that could shoot 1/4 moa with the Howa so I sold it
The Howa was very handy tho; splitting hairs against the tikka.
Aftermarket parts will be more available with the tikka.
The factory stock on the Howa was atrocious - Flexy and bendy. Not many options. I remember an MDT chassis available but I didn’t want to go the chassis route.
My vote would be the tikka unless you’re just bored with the t3 which I was.
All that being said, maybe my Howa was a bad copy. It took a few different range trips and trying various grains from 40gr all the way to 77 gr.
Never found a load that could shoot 1/4 moa with the Howa so I sold it
I can only give a brief review of the Howa 1500 mini action, as I haven't handled a T3x. The Howa mini action is small and easy handling, as its receiver is even shorter than a short/standard (308 Win length) action. I believe it only comes chambered in 223 Rem, 350 Legend, or 7.62x39mm. Anything longer won't fit. This also means it uses its own mini length magazines, which hold 10 rounds of 223, and cannot use the other Howa 1500 mags. Rounds fed flawlessly from the mags (I bought an extra; it came with one), and casings ejected nicely. Price was right as I bought it last year on sale from Bullseye North, a CGN advertiser, for $640. Barrel is medium profile and comes threaded and capped with a thread protector. It uses commonly available Remington 700 pattern scope bases.
Now the cons. Lots of cheap feeling plastic parts, including magazines, trigger, trigger guard, and mag release tab. The mag release tab was sharp enough to cut my finger. I rounded off the edges and it's much better now. The tab also needed a break in, as it wouldn't lock mags in without a firm tap on the mag bases. After a couple dozen forceful mag seatings, it now seats mags with a gentle insertion. Stock is fairly beefy, has metal sling studs, but it touches the barrel. Bolt handle knob is hollowed out and the hole edges are a bit sharp. The bolt felt stiff out of the box even after a cleaning and light oil coat. It did eventually work in and is now smooth cycling. Accuracy was mediocre at first. It didn't seem to like any factory ammunition I fed it. After about a hundred rounds, it started settling in and favors a couple types of ammo; getting about 1" to 1.5" five shot groups at 100 yards.
Overall, once broken in, it's a reliable and affordable range plinker or varmint rifle. If I could setup a table and chair to knock off gophers, I would probably pick a more accurate heavy barrel rifle. But the Howa mini action would be good for knocking off coyotes in a wooded area, or an affordable day ringing gongs or breaking clays on the berm.
Now the cons. Lots of cheap feeling plastic parts, including magazines, trigger, trigger guard, and mag release tab. The mag release tab was sharp enough to cut my finger. I rounded off the edges and it's much better now. The tab also needed a break in, as it wouldn't lock mags in without a firm tap on the mag bases. After a couple dozen forceful mag seatings, it now seats mags with a gentle insertion. Stock is fairly beefy, has metal sling studs, but it touches the barrel. Bolt handle knob is hollowed out and the hole edges are a bit sharp. The bolt felt stiff out of the box even after a cleaning and light oil coat. It did eventually work in and is now smooth cycling. Accuracy was mediocre at first. It didn't seem to like any factory ammunition I fed it. After about a hundred rounds, it started settling in and favors a couple types of ammo; getting about 1" to 1.5" five shot groups at 100 yards.
Overall, once broken in, it's a reliable and affordable range plinker or varmint rifle. If I could setup a table and chair to knock off gophers, I would probably pick a more accurate heavy barrel rifle. But the Howa mini action would be good for knocking off coyotes in a wooded area, or an affordable day ringing gongs or breaking clays on the berm.
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Based on CZ (the parent company) being implicated in Colt Canada's involvement with the fed gov confiscation program, I'd like to think that folks would send a message and not buy their products... That pressure might see CZ tell Colt Canada to walk away from the contract...
Doesn't a CZ527 in .223 have control round feed?
They use a slightly modified Mauser action.
Dealers in Canada should have them in stock for just under $1000.
350tracker
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Interlake Manitoba
I had the Howa mini action in the 222 and was a nice short action rifle that handled well. Yes the stock isn't the best but did work. Ended up selling it for something else in the 223 for a little more oomph. I also have a Tikka rifle in another cartridge to match the action length but find the Howa was an excellent length for the mini in the 222 and should well in the 223 as well.
I am not a Tikka fan and I dont own one but I have both a Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel and a Howa 1500 in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Although I am very happy with the Grendel, i have been less impressed with the 1500. In particular, the chamber was very rough and caused serious extraction issues. It also didn’t shoot very well. A second one was as bad or worse. I am still waiting for a replacement (9 months).
The retailer and Howa’s warranty handlers in Canada have completely sh*t the bed in dealing with the problems and i wont be buying another Howa as long as I live for those reasons.
I do love the mini action and the only drawback to it is the action port is so small, my giant hands have some difficulty loading it quickly. This was not an issue with the detachable box mag but i upgraded to the hinged floorplate. It shoots 1/2-3/4 moa with handloads.
The Hogue made stock is what it is. But its certainly no worse than a synthetic tikka factory stock. Pretty much all synthetic factory stocks are garbage these days. Though it is much harder to find replacement options for the howa mini than a tikka.
Although I am very happy with the Grendel, i have been less impressed with the 1500. In particular, the chamber was very rough and caused serious extraction issues. It also didn’t shoot very well. A second one was as bad or worse. I am still waiting for a replacement (9 months).
The retailer and Howa’s warranty handlers in Canada have completely sh*t the bed in dealing with the problems and i wont be buying another Howa as long as I live for those reasons.
I do love the mini action and the only drawback to it is the action port is so small, my giant hands have some difficulty loading it quickly. This was not an issue with the detachable box mag but i upgraded to the hinged floorplate. It shoots 1/2-3/4 moa with handloads.
The Hogue made stock is what it is. But its certainly no worse than a synthetic tikka factory stock. Pretty much all synthetic factory stocks are garbage these days. Though it is much harder to find replacement options for the howa mini than a tikka.
Always the Howa. I have two Howa's 1500 Mini in 7.62x39mm. One is in a standard Legacy Intl. synthetic stock (nothing to write home about) with the MTD bottom metal and 10-rds magazine. The other one is in an EXCL Lite Chassis. Both are sub-MOA for 5 groups, 3 shot each with Ruag MFS or Yugo M67 ammo. IMHO, the Japanese Howa barreled action is second to none. Not so much about the Legacy Intl. (the importer) synthetic stocks which are basically just passable.
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