rifle quality & life span
- Thread starter blb
- Start date
Farlsincharge
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Can't be beat for the price, comes with test target and all. Personally I am not a fan of the regular stock, but I handled one the other night with more of a sendero type stock that I kind of liked.
Maybe someone will have some different opinions to share, but as far as I know they are a solid choice. Anyone I have talked to who has purchased one is very happy with it.
I contemplated buying one a few times, but there are just too many Remington's out there calling me.
Maybe someone will have some different opinions to share, but as far as I know they are a solid choice. Anyone I have talked to who has purchased one is very happy with it.
I contemplated buying one a few times, but there are just too many Remington's out there calling me.
I just ordered a Howa 1500 barreled action. For the life of me I can't believe they aren't more popular. From what I've read they have the following advantages over the Rem 700:
- available as a barreled receiver in both blued and stainless
- flat bottomed receiver with integral recoil lug
- bolt body and handle are one piece
- vent holes in bolt body
- nicer bolt knob
- better extractor
- accepts all Rem 700 scope bases
- apparently finished better than Remingtons and shoot just as good
- cheaper!
- available as a barreled receiver in both blued and stainless
- flat bottomed receiver with integral recoil lug
- bolt body and handle are one piece
- vent holes in bolt body
- nicer bolt knob
- better extractor
- accepts all Rem 700 scope bases
- apparently finished better than Remingtons and shoot just as good
- cheaper!
I have owned a howa 1500 varmint in 223,which was the most accurate factory rifle that I have owned.However,I certainly don't consider the flat bottomed receiver as an advantage,especially when bedding an action into the stock.
Well it certainly makes bedding that much easier. Inletting on a mill is simplified, the bedding surface is somewhat larger, and it's easier to ensure the action isn't canted in the stock. None are huge advantages by themselves but combined they do make more sense than a rounded action.
Probably stating the obvious, but the Weatherby Vanguards are made by Howa.
As an off-the shelf rifle, they are great. They are not popular with gunsmiths when it comes to accurizing, and finding accessories is nowhere near as easy as for Remington or Savage.
As an off-the shelf rifle, they are great. They are not popular with gunsmiths when it comes to accurizing, and finding accessories is nowhere near as easy as for Remington or Savage.
mahony1977
Regular
- Location
- Frelighsburg Qc
Is buying just the action an option ?
Yet the vast majority of custom and precision actions have round bottoms.If the flat bottom was a great advantage,why wouldn't all of the custom and precision actions be made that way?Personally,I find the round bottomed 700 actions easier to bed that the flat bottomed actions that I have bedded.
Two reasons.
Many commercial actions are made from tube stock for economics (Remington, Savage). Forged & cast receivers are easier to make with flat bottoms (Winchester, Ruger, Howa). Winchesters forging equipment was established early with the pre 64 Mod 70's. Ruger's invested in modern investment casting from the onset, it was their edge from the start, plus they don't only use it for one type of action and produce much more than just firearms so it makes more sense for them. I believe Howa's to be cast, but I've read forged too.
Most custom shops produce far fewer actions than a commercial outfit so it doesn't pay them to invest in forging or casting equipment. Much easier and more economical to turn down a round action or order tube stock to spec. from a custom supplier. Also many custom/precision actions are made to match the footprint of a Rem700 action as it dominates so far as accessories (stocks) are concerned.
The great advantage of a round action would seem to be economics and nothing more.
I think this more because of their metric threaded barrels than anything else, people don't like working with stuff they're not familiar with or have established information on. Aftermarket triggers and stocks are readily available, and they accept all Rem700 bases as the top of the receiver is the same so I don't see any problems there.
mahony1977, I've only seen completed guns and barreled actions available.
Ok I'm going to shut up, I'm starting to sound like a Howa saleman. I just think they're one of those guns that are overlooked for no good reason other than being too good of a deal. I can't see how a Remington is any better in any area or for the additional cost. Maybe I'm missing something.
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It is quicker and easier to chuck up a round action in a lathe to true up the action,than it is to chuck up a flat bottomed action.As such,it's easier,quicker and cheaper to accurize a 700 action,than it is a flat bottomed action.As far as accessories go,there are far more 700 actions in service,so there is a larger market for accessories.
Actually,the barrels are threaded in a lathe,where it is just as easy to cut a metric thread as a standard thread.
A Canadian Company called N.A.S.S. actually used the Howa actions when they sold the Canadian Magnum line of cartridges several years ago.They are a very well made action,especially for the price.
I realize that, the last part of my sentence was referring more to blueprinting ect. I don't have a lathe, but on older imperial machines is it that easy to cut metric threads without some kind of tool changeover/conversion?
Do you have the full name of N.A.S.S.? I wouldn't mind reading up on them but the closest I get on google is North American Spine Society, not really what I'm looking for
.N.A.S.S. stood for North American Shooting Systems.It was based out of Osoyoos,and was run by Aubrey White.They pioneered a line of cartridges called the Imperial Magnums/Canadian Magnums.These cartridges were virtually identical to what are now the ultramags.I have owned a few rifles built by N.A.S.S. including a 7mm imperial Mag.My rifles were built on 700 actions,but Aubrey himself preferred Sako actions.They sold a line of rifles in the Imperial/Canadian Magnum chamberings that used Howa actions.I haven't heard anything from them in several years since the Ultramags were released.
As far as cutting metric threads on an imperial machine is concerned,it's not a big deal.
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/MTL12202/MLT12202.htm
As far as cutting metric threads on an imperial machine is concerned,it's not a big deal.
http://www.wisc-online.com/objects/MTL12202/MLT12202.htm
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Cutting metric threads on an Imperial machine is not too big a deal on some machine and moreso on others. The only real pain in the neck is that, once the half nut has been engaged, it cannot be disengaged. The spindle must be reversed to return for the next cut. On some lathes, it is necessary to change the feed gears which means the gunsmith gets his hands greasy. No small matter if he is the sort who forgets and wipes his face.
I don't mind the Howa actions at all. Even the triggers are not that bad. Regards, Bill.
I don't mind the Howa actions at all. Even the triggers are not that bad. Regards, Bill.
- Location
- British Canuckistan
aside from Frontier, who carries Howa firearms?
