Gents / Ladies, I am very new to precision shooting. I'm looking to buy my first rifle for the task. Would the Howa Hogue Varmint in .223 be a good starting platform? I plan to spend serious money on a good scope, and possibly a front bipod. I know its better to put a $1000 scope on a $100 rifle, then the opposite. Is the Hogue Varmint with a 20" heavy, factory bedded barrel, a good platform? I would like to eventually get in to competitive long range shooting. I realize I have a very long way too go, but I'd like to get something that I can grow my skill set with.
Howa Hogue in .223
- Thread starter BeemerD
- Start date
Why no one else chimed in is beyond me, but. I would skip the hogue models, the stocks are not the full length aluminum version, but the reciever only ones, giving them flex issues. While I myself have just bought the very rifle you mention, I would not recommend it for precision shooting. You can get a longer barrelled version, 24inch I believe, with a thumbhold stock, and one of the site dealers has one in 223 listed for less than 700$ in the EE at the moment. That would be a better choice, though there are quite a few folks who buy the 20inch version, and then replace the stock with a better choice, like a Bell & Carlson etc.
I have a Howa 1500 that I bought years ago. It came with a bull barrel and I have installed a Timney trigger on it. I have used it in Summer Games events and some Service Rifle matches as well. I mainly use it on gophers and with VMax bullets you can do head shots on the little varmints out to 200 yards through my Redfield 6 x 18. it is excellent as a target rifle and you can work up a number of very accurate loads although the twist (in my rifle) doesn't lend itself well to heavier bullets.
I don't know what they cost now but mine was very inexpensive at the time and because of that I was able to spend more on the scope, trigger, etc. If they are still building them like they used to, it would be money well spent I would think.
I don't know what they cost now but mine was very inexpensive at the time and because of that I was able to spend more on the scope, trigger, etc. If they are still building them like they used to, it would be money well spent I would think.
