I was going to buy a howa mini action to play with, but can't bring myself with the plastic bottom and box mag. I really can't stand box mags for serious culling work. They are atrocious for field use, especially when shooting from a vehicle at night. The moment someone makes a nice blind internal mag with a floor plate for them I'll have one. The CZ 527 imo is a far superior action to the Howa in nearly every aspect when put side by side.
20 Vartarg Action
- Thread starter Mark M.
- Start date
Cz527= junk, junk., junk. Inho.
I'm curious what you don't like about them. Every one I've ever seen has shot well above average. I respect your opinion, just curious. I've seen a lot more average howa minis, over here at least. I don't mind the howa actions in general. Just hate the mag system. Curious to get your insight.
Thank you for asking, i bought a new cz527/762×39. I used Neil Jones hand die's. I used bullet's that were .308, .310, .311" many different powder's , five different factory ammo types including Lapua. Nothing would shoot better than about 5" @ 100yds. I called cz headquarters and they told me to fly a kite. I had Dwight Scott put a lilja .308/762×39 barrel on it and it immediately shot groups around .25-.30". So that proved it was a bad barrel. Next it would not detonate cci primers so i had to use federal primers only. Next the extractor broke and the replacement one broke also. The locking lug's on the bolt didn't have but a tiny bit of contact with the action, like 5%-10% so it really needed to be accurized/ blue printed. The lugs are very small compared to the Howa and the one lug has a cut right through the center thus weakening the small lug. The only thing that i really like about the Howa is the action itself, it is precisely made and very very strong and fires any primer and mates to the action properly. The Howa needs to have a replacement stock, trigger, barrel, and bottom metal but the action is fantastic.
I would agree on the Howa actions themselves. I’ve been messing with them for awhile in the Grendel/7.62 bf’s and they make a handy little rifle. So far I’ve built a 20 Grendel (just finished), 224 LBC, 243 LBC, 6.5 Grendel and I even opened up a factory 7.62x39 barrel chamber with a Grendel reamer up to the 7.62 shoulder. Take apart the trigger and grind/cut 1 1/2 coils off each spring and you have a crisp 1 3/4-2lb trigger.
Yes the bottom plastic is crap, but it feeds slick as can be. I cut off most of the release so you don’t inadvertently drop the mag.
I recently bedded my 224 LBC into the B&C sporter stock and it is a slick handling rifle and seems to be shooting 1/2 MOA pretty easily with the Heym barrel I used. A bdl bottom metal unit would be nice to have but I’m pretty happy with them overall at this point.
As an addition, I have a couple CZ527’s, and they are pretty rough in comparison as far as cycling. The set trigger doesn’t do much for me either as to get a decent ‘standard’ pull you have to adjust the set feature out of it.
Yes the bottom plastic is crap, but it feeds slick as can be. I cut off most of the release so you don’t inadvertently drop the mag.
I recently bedded my 224 LBC into the B&C sporter stock and it is a slick handling rifle and seems to be shooting 1/2 MOA pretty easily with the Heym barrel I used. A bdl bottom metal unit would be nice to have but I’m pretty happy with them overall at this point.
As an addition, I have a couple CZ527’s, and they are pretty rough in comparison as far as cycling. The set trigger doesn’t do much for me either as to get a decent ‘standard’ pull you have to adjust the set feature out of it.
nvtoy
Silver $$ Contributor
RamPro- sweet!
Several years ago, when I was looking for an action to build a 20VT on, Zanders just happened to have a batch of Rem M700 SS actions with fluted SS bbls in 17FB, in CDL stocks, on clearance for what I thought was a very reasonable price. Bought two of them, kept the one with the prettiest stock. Pulled the bbl and sent it to Bartlein after calling them to order a 1-11tw .204 bbl to match the factory bbl's contour. It took several months to get the bbl blank, but by that time, I'd gotten a 20VT finish reamer & a set of Hornady 20VT dies, plus a 500ct box of R-P 221 FB brass (which turned out to be really poor quality, with about 12% of the cases having a primer pocket too shallow to allow flush seating primers). But when I got it finished, that little M700 action fed, extracted, and ejected perfectly.
I've re-barreled five of the Howa Mini actions, with custom bbls in 6.5 Grendel, 22 Grendel, 6 RAT, 20 Tactical, and 223 AI. All five have either DIP or Jefferson Outdoors aluminum DBM units, either EGW or Warne 20 MOA sloped scope rails, modified triggers set at from 1lb to 1-1/2lbs, and in stocks from Boyds, B&C, and McMillan. Jefferson Outdoors has a replacement bottom metal with a hinged floorplate that looks pretty slick, though I've not yet tried one. If Lapua was to start making 221FB brass again, I believe my next Howa Mini project would be a 20VT in a B&C Sporter stock with the aforementioned Jefferson BDL-style BM.
I've re-barreled five of the Howa Mini actions, with custom bbls in 6.5 Grendel, 22 Grendel, 6 RAT, 20 Tactical, and 223 AI. All five have either DIP or Jefferson Outdoors aluminum DBM units, either EGW or Warne 20 MOA sloped scope rails, modified triggers set at from 1lb to 1-1/2lbs, and in stocks from Boyds, B&C, and McMillan. Jefferson Outdoors has a replacement bottom metal with a hinged floorplate that looks pretty slick, though I've not yet tried one. If Lapua was to start making 221FB brass again, I believe my next Howa Mini project would be a 20VT in a B&C Sporter stock with the aforementioned Jefferson BDL-style BM.
RV-Customs
Silver $$ Contributor
Mine I built on a Rem700 action, I modifed the bolt with Sako extractor and bushed the firing pin. I was able to find a 221FB mag box and PTG sells the follower. It has a X-Caliber 1-11tw bbl, trigger tech trigger.
Nice, which mag spring did you use?
RV-Customs
Silver $$ Contributor
I used a 223 mag spring
Thanks, been waiting almost 3 months for a various items order from PTG, which includes a 221 FB follower.
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GT Accuracy
Site $$ Sponsor
I am running mine in a BRMXD. Last time I checked, Jim's drop ports don't handle the .223 cases well as they don't weigh enough to actually drop. Thus, I run a RBLP no eject or a RBLPRE with a very soft spring so it just kinda falls out
Where did you get your light spring?
GT Accuracy
Site $$ Sponsor
When you order your Borden, just ask for a light spring and Jim, or your dealer, will put the spring closest for that 221 case. Or you can trim and stretch your own. Please, only do that if you know what you’re doing
Mark W
Gold $$ Contributor
It’s funny how that works. I’ve had two experiences with Howa and they were both turds. I currently own five CZ rifles and one handgun and I’ve never had a hiccup out of any of them.
I am in Mark W's boat... I own CZ's in a bunch of configurations and flavors. I only one Howa Mini-1500, and will most likely never buy another. The amount of extra money and effort required to get a reliable rifle is not worth the effort. Why do I need to upgrade the bottom metal just to get to functional, and then there is the trigger. By the time you are done it starts to pricing out like a semi-custom rifle without any guarantee of performs better than any other factory off-the-shelf Whatever brand ($600). Don't forget the gunsmith bill. I'm $1300 in to assembling a rifle that is still sporting a factory barrel and the action hasn't been trued.... fix these 2 items and its now a $2K rifle. Makes you stop and think maybe next time....
The next time that I want an action that is larger than a CZ527 and yet smaller than a Rem 700 then I am simply going to put my money on the bar and buy a Borden's Rimrock action and never look back. I know I will smile as big or more than shooting a Sako L46/L461.
The next time that I want an action that is larger than a CZ527 and yet smaller than a Rem 700 then I am simply going to put my money on the bar and buy a Borden's Rimrock action and never look back. I know I will smile as big or more than shooting a Sako L46/L461.
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RV-Customs
Silver $$ Contributor
Or the Rem700 chambered in .300 Blackout, they have the ejector clocked differently to eject the FB parent case
danny
Silver $$ Contributor
A nightmare in what way? They are very popular right now and nobody is or has been having issues.
Danny
Borden or Stiller. Can,t go wrong with either. Tommy Mc
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