What to do with Howa

[jlorenzo]

I bought a 20" Howa 1500 barreled action in 308 on sale from brownells years ago for 250$.

I put it in a B&C stock and got the Howa detachable magazine. It always shot 3 shots touching then 2 about 3/4" away.

I want to rebarrel and upgrade the bottom medal to something actually metal to run AICs mags.

I was thinking about just going 308 again because I am well set up to reload 308, components are cheap and plentiful but the 6mms are tempting since I have yet to own one. My biggest concern there is brass availability not that it would be a problem. Would probably go BR or BRA, I like to keep things relatively simple.

Third option is a 7mm of some kind with a 308 bolt face. 284 win fits this bill correct?

Mostly would be a fun range gun, with some casual F class and PRS matches here and there.

Will I be able to route the stock for a different bottom metal? Would there be enough space/material?

Should I go with a Howage barrel nut set up?

 

[ebb]

The 2 separate groups is sometimes poor bedding, sometimes other things. figure out what the issue is and fix it. Don't give up. A new stock and an excellent bedding job, would be necessary with a new barrel also.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

https://atlasworxs.com/shop/atlasworxs-bottom-metal-dbm-aics-howa-1500-weatherby-vanguard-sa/
I noticed these guys make a AICS type bottom metal for it, it does say some in-letting may be required.

 

[seagate]

If you shot 2 or3 five shot groups does it do the same thing every time

 

[lb-ft]

I think a rifle that touch the first three of every group has tremendous potential. I’m with ebb above; I say fix bedding and be prepared to be amazed with your factory barrel.

 

[Mark M.]

I bought a 20" Howa 1500 barreled action in 308 on sale from brownells years ago for 250$.

I put it in a B&C stock and got the Howa detachable magazine. It always shot 3 shots touching then 2 about 3/4" away.

I want to rebarrel and upgrade the bottom medal to something actually metal to run AICs mags.

I was thinking about just going 308 again because I am well set up to reload 308, components are cheap and plentiful but the 6mms are tempting since I have yet to own one. My biggest concern there is brass availability not that it would be a problem. Would probably go BR or BRA, I like to keep things relatively simple.

Third option is a 7mm of some kind with a 308 bolt face. 284 win fits this bill correct?

Mostly would be a fun range gun, with some casual F class and PRS matches here and there.

Will I be able to route the stock for a different bottom metal? Would there be enough space/material?

Should I go with a Howage barrel nut set up?

Could you be flinching?

 

[charlie b]

Have you tried 3 round groups? Shoot 3, walk away for a few minutes. Shoot 3 more. Maybe even clean it in between groups?

 

[jlorenzo]

I have a Bartlien barreled Tikka that shoots all rounds touching over and over. An AR10 with a Krieger that shoots tighter than the Howa with the right load. I have been shooting PRS, F class and handloading since about 2018. I can pretty comfortably say the gun is the limiting factor in the equation.

I have gone through some pretty intensive load dev with this gun as well. Probably have around 1k rounds on it at least, the vast majority of which were trying to tighten up the groups.

I have tried 155gr smks, 155gr hornady both bthp and eld, 175gr Nosler CCs, 178 gr Hornady bthp and eld. Varget, Tac, and some AR Comp. All shot about the same no matter what I did. The throat is insanely long, to touch the lands with the 175 nosler the bullet is a good ways out of the neck. The legacy sports magazine limits you to 2.79 as well. I tried single loading rounds much closer to the lands and things did tighten up some but it still displayed the 3 touching then 2 away.

It shot the Nosler 175s and Federal 150gr soft point blue box factory ammo the best. Still nothing crazy.

It was my first bedding job with JB weld, I may clean some out and try again. I have also lightened the HACT 2 stage trigger a bit, it feels great.

The gun could also use some more weight, the B&C isn't particularly heavy. Neither is the 20" medium heavy profile. I'm guessing it's somewhere around a heavy palma. It's a little bit more punishing to shoot than I expected. 60 rounds in a sitting is about the max for me.

You guys have convinced me to try again, but after owning my Tikka with a Bartlien it's hard to continue to blow components on a gun that won't shoot up to par. Granted I can hit things at distance, I've lobbed 185gr federal match at 1k successfully. 12.5 - 13 mils if I remember correctly but it would connect.

I recently grabbed a bunch of 175gr smks for my gas gun, I will try some of those.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I have a Bartlien barreled Tikka that shoots all rounds touching over and over. An AR10 with a Krieger that shoots tighter than the Howa with the right load. I have been shooting PRS, F class and handloading since about 2018. I can pretty comfortably say the gun is the limiting factor in the equation.

I have gone through some pretty intensive load dev with this gun as well. Probably have around 1k rounds on it at least, the vast majority of which were trying to tighten up the groups.

I have tried 155gr smks, 155gr hornady both bthp and eld, 175gr Nosler CCs, 178 gr Hornady bthp and eld. Varget, Tac, and some AR Comp. All shot about the same no matter what I did. The throat is insanely long, to touch the lands with the 175 nosler the bullet is a good ways out of the neck. The legacy sports magazine limits you to 2.79 as well. I tried single loading rounds much closer to the lands and things did tighten up some but it still displayed the 3 touching then 2 away.

It shot the Nosler 175s and Federal 150gr soft point blue box factory ammo the best. Still nothing crazy.

It was my first bedding job with JB weld, I may clean some out and try again. I have also lightened the HACT 2 stage trigger a bit, it feels great.

The gun could also use some more weight, the B&C isn't particularly heavy. Neither is the 20" medium heavy profile. I'm guessing it's somewhere around a heavy palma. It's a little bit more punishing to shoot than I expected. 60 rounds in a sitting is about the max for me.

You guys have convinced me to try again, but after owning my Tikka with a Bartlien it's hard to continue to blow components on a gun that won't shoot up to par. Granted I can hit things at distance, I've lobbed 185gr federal match at 1k successfully. 12.5 - 13 mils if I remember correctly but it would connect.

I recently grabbed a bunch of 175gr smks for my gas gun, I will try some of those.

After hearing this STOP and put a new 6mm barrel on it that you mentioned in post #1.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

https://www.brownells.com/gun-parts...m1500-6.5-creedmoor-barreled-action-e15c23e2/
This would probably be the cheapest option if your stock already has a heavy barrel profile inlet.

 

[charlie b]

I have the 6.5 version. Put it in a Richards Microfit stock with bedding and pillars. It will stay below MOA with good loads. That's with Berger bullets. The ELD's (123, 140, 147) are 1 1/2MOA, or worse. It shoots shotgun patterns with 123SMK's. The barrel collects copper. It will be a candidate for a new barrel this year.

To be honest about it, the gun was purchased for the action and a barrel change was intended from the start. Before I swapped I wanted to see what it would do with the 6.5. The new barrel will either be 6BR or 30BR.

FWIW, comparing a factory barrel to Krieger and Bartlein is apples and oranges

 

[DGP4]

I put a Howa barreled receiver in .308 with a 24" heavy barrel in a Hogue overmolded stock with the aluminum bedding. It will shoot sub MOA 5 shot groups all day long with my handloads unless I screw it up. Seems to like heavier bullets the best. I agree that comparing a factory barrel to Krieger and Bartlein is a bit silly!

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I put a Howa barreled receiver in .308 with a 24" heavy barrel in a Hogue overmolded stock with the aluminum bedding. It will shoot sub MOA 5 shot groups all day long with my handloads unless I screw it up. Seems to like heavier bullets the best. I agree that comparing a factory barrel to Krieger and Bartlein is a bit silly!

I have one like that that came in a Hogue pillar bedded stock. It shoots really well for the $450 that I paid for it.
The last barrel that I bought and then shipped to my Smith to get chambered cost me $520 to get it back home, just an fyi.

 

[DGP4]

Yep, I put it together as just a budget build for plinking, but it surprised me in how well it shot. I think the op will benefit if he beds his stock.