Looking for Howa Feedback

[eyeguard]

Howdy Boys (and Girls too)!

Met a guy at the range on Saturday who was shooting a sweet little Howa (I guess that's how you spell it) .223. While I've heard of the make before, I'm not all that familiar with Howa. Can anyone tell me more about them? Are they a reputable manufacturer? What's the overall impression of this brand? Any and all feedback you can provide would be greatly appreciated. They guy likened them to Tikka. Very reasonably priced, with great out of the box accuracy. Can anyone confirm? Thanks in advance!

EG

"A man can be hard to find in the mountains, but you're welcome at my fire anytime."

 

[Cahunter805]

Howa rifles are great! They are made in japan and are also used by weatherby in the Vanguard series of rifles. I think you will find them very accurate and a great rifle for the price.

 

[mathewsman]

Very good "value" rifle. I have a weatherby vanguard (howa) and really like it. The money you save on the gun can be used to pay a gunsmith to bed/float the barrel & action, and work on the horrible trigger. After that it will shoot with the best of em (out of box factory rifle).


"...I got a shotgun, rifle, and a 4 wheel
drive, and a country boy can survive..."

Hank Williams Jr.

 

[Calif_Mike]

I have one in a 270 and we bought my wife a Weatherby Vanguard this past year. The older ones have decent triggers but the newer ones have really bad ones. Timney sells an easy to replace trigger. Overall both rifle are good shooters and I would buy another.

 

[JACO]

I've got a model 1500 7mag and I absolutely love it. The action is very tight and smooth, high quality manufacturing if you ask me. Tight tolerances. Gun was very precise right out of the box. I like the trigger pull on mine, it is very light. Very nice gun in my opinion, especially for the price. I've killed a couple of deer and a bull elk with it, a few coyotes, and lots of long distance targets. It's a keeper, I won't ever sell it. I think I've had it for about 8 years now.

That's my opinion of Howa.

 

[fullofbull]

Great Rifles! I have ahd one in 22-250 for over 5 years and I love it! The triggers are adjustable, they don't advertise that, but I took mine down to 2 1/4 pounds, no creep no problem. The thing I like is the action, never had a smoothere handling bolt action, and the Hogue Stocks are great, hands seem to stick to it! Happened to see one in .243 at Cal Ranch on sale for $430 with scope, now how do I convince my wife I NEED another rifle? I have read the stainless barrels are better than blued, but my blued shoots great!

 

[REDDOG]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-10 AT 04:48AM (MST)[p]Tikka, the most micky mouse POS on the market?? I'da smacked him in the lips comparing them to tikka!

Howa's are great actions..make sure you dump the rice out of the barrel before shooting tho, sometimes the workers spill their lunch..

 

[hossblur]

I have the 1500 ranchland combo in 22-250. I love it. It is the truck gun, the stock takes damage all day long and for the price I don't fuss about it, Accurate and fun to shoot.

 

[RELH]

Reddog, that rice is far easier on the barrel then the metal shavings I hear about on some American made rifles.

RELH

 

[440sixpack]

Since you're asking for opinions, I don't like them.

I've seen some that shot good and some that didn't, to me they just seem cheap. Spend a few bucks more and get something else there are lots of good choices.

 

[OLDHORNHUNTER]

I have the 1500 in synethic with the bull barrel recessed target crown in 223 shots consistently 1/2" groups at 100 yards awesome gun very smooth action ...I was told Howa used to make the barrels & actions for Weatherby but they are only making their own stuff now ??? for the price u cant go wrong..

 

[1911]

>LAST EDITED ON Oct-16-10
>AT 04:48?AM (MST)
>
>Tikka, the most micky mouse POS
>on the market?? I'da smacked
>him in the lips comparing
>them to tikka!
>
>Howa's are great actions..make sure you
>dump the rice out of
>the barrel before shooting tho,
>sometimes the workers spill their
>lunch..

That was my thought also. They might be great rifles however, the made in the USA thing seems a little more prudent to me. We've already mortgaged the country to Japan. They don't need to sell me a rifle as well.


http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/User_files/4abc76ff29b26fc1.jpg

 

[DUKFVR]

I bought a Howa youth rifle for my daughter last year. It is VERY accurate. MOA easy . It is a 223.

 

[REDDOG]

>I have the 1500 in synethic
>with the bull barrel recessed
>target crown in 223 shots
>consistently 1/2" groups at 100
>yards awesome gun very smooth
>action ...I was told Howa
>used to make the barrels
>& actions for Weatherby but
>they are only making their
>own stuff now ???
>for the price u cant
>go wrong..


The weatherby Vanguard is still a Howa.