Howa 1500 Gameking vs Mossberg Night Train

johnny1984

johnny1984

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
21   0   0
Location
My house...in the middle of my street.
Howdy all,

With the present uncertainty with my M14 I find myself sitting on a batch of 308 rounds.

I was looking at the Howa 1500 Gameking package and the Mossberg Night Train package. Yes, I know neither is a high end rifle but I am looking for a reasonably priced scoped rifle I can take out to 200 yards.

Does anyone have a review of either rifle that might help my decision?

Thanx
 
Howa 1500 is an excellent rifle. The design is better than the typical round bar receivers with sandwiched recoil lugs. The Howa/Weatherby Vanguard is a flat bottom receiver with an integral recoil lug, like a Mauser. I'd pay full price for the Howa over taking a free Mossberg. That's how much better it is.
 
There's really no comparison here. The Howa is a much better firearm manufactured using high quality components and a forged reciever. The fit, finish, quality and reliability are where the Mossberg is lacking and put it in the same class as an Axis, Ruger American or even lower.

However, as much as I like the Howa. The cheap combo scopes that come with both rifles should be on a .22 LR or air rifle.
 
OK, my 2 cents worth. I have a Howa 1500 Mini-action in 7.62X39. With my handloads (123 SST-25.5gr. RL7), it's dead-nuts accurate and a good little deer rifle. BUT!! The magazine release is so light that an inadvertent tap and it's fallen out. I actually lost a mag during hunting season when the mag release must have hit something and the mag disappeared into the snow. I found it next spring. As to Mossberg, I have the Patriot in .308, the wooden stocked version. I have absolutely no complaints about it in terms of performance. Granted, I've had no experience with the Night Train per se.
 
I'd buy a sporter weight Remington 783 and top it with a decent scope. The scopes on most gun/scope pkg deals are cruddy.
 
SuperCub said:
I'd buy a sporter weight Remington 783 and top it with a decent scope. The scopes on most gun/scope pkg deals are cruddy.
Click to expand...

I agree and that’s what I would recommend as well. However, there’s nothing wrong with the Howa, but the Mossberg is a garbage rod not even worthy of being a tomato stake. Avoid at all costs.
 
LawrenceN said:
OK, my 2 cents worth. I have a Howa 1500 Mini-action in 7.62X39. With my handloads (123 SST-25.5gr. RL7), it's dead-nuts accurate and a good little deer rifle. BUT!! The magazine release is so light that an inadvertent tap and it's fallen out. I actually lost a mag during hunting season when the mag release must have hit something and the mag disappeared into the snow. I found it next spring. As to Mossberg, I have the Patriot in .308, the wooden stocked version. I have absolutely no complaints about it in terms of performance. Granted, I've had no experience with the Night Train per se.
Click to expand...

Only the mini's come with the cheap ATI plastic mag housing and mags, standard short/long come with a heavy duty hinged floorplate mag.
 
LawrenceN said:
I have a Howa 1500 Mini-action in 7.62X39. With my handloads (123 SST-25.5gr. RL7), it's dead-nuts accurate and a good little deer rifle. BUT!! The magazine release is so light that an inadvertent tap and it's fallen out.
Click to expand...

I owned one of those Mini actions in 7.62x39 and sold it without ever firing it for that very same reason. Bought it used at the LGS. The 1st time I picked it up at home, I dropped the mag out of it by mistake and realized it would be a real problem, esp after researching and found out replacement mags could not be found in Canada.
 
SuperCub said:
I owned one of those Mini actions in 7.62x39 and sold it without ever firing it for that very same reason. Bought it used at the LGS. The 1st time I picked it up at home, I dropped the mag out of it by mistake and realized it would be a real problem, esp after researching and found out replacement mags could not be found in Canada.
Click to expand...

magazine on a dangerous game rifle are always the weak point ....

happy easter Paul.
 
medvedqc said:
magazine on a dangerous game rifle are always the weak point ....
Click to expand...

I agree. Some mags are better than others though. The best one I've seen is the system on the BLR-81 as opposed to the mag on that Howa Mini which was the worst.

medvedqc said:
happy easter Paul.
Click to expand...

You as well. We have much to be thankful for. Easter Sunday and what it means is at the top of the list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom