stovepipe, you and me both. I really drool over that Howa 308 sniper. But, budget I have right now is making me look at the Maverick 308 .
But I really need a good spotting scope right now. My eyes are not what they use to be.

Nice score Dan!
Yeh- I'm kinda pressed and plans don't include a new rifle. But....grrr!
I did some reaserch and the Hows is a deal. It's actually a compact varminter- but they "tacticled" it up. Either or....
I compared it to the Rem 700 Tacitcal, probably it's closest competition.

---------Howa-----------------------Remington------
3.5# adj trigger......................4# adj trigger
Nicer bolt and killer handle.......standard 700 stuff
1/10 twist...............................1/12 twist
BDC scope, rings, base...........zippo, nada
Box mag- I think.................................blind w/ hinged floor plate
Similar Hogue stocks but the Howa's looks taller/stiffer, the Rem's tube rubs on the forend to due a flimsy stock on bags/bipods.
$560 plus tax and DROS.........$581 was the least I could find the Rem for, plus shipping, tax, trsnf fee, DROS etc and no glass, rings, or bases.

You do the math!

I was also reading their borchure and they have a really interesting barrel break in...using Windex.

dan1dad wrote:

stovepipe, you and me both. I really drool over that Howa 308 sniper. But, budget I have right now is making me look at the Maverick 308 . But I really need a good spotting scope right now. My eyes are not what they use to be.

Barska makes a very reasonably priced 10X-40X 50mm varmint scope that can obviously be used as a scope or a spotter. Check Natchez.

heheheheheheheheheeeee....

Stovey...I could be wrong (it's happened before), but I think you will find that the HOWA is a 1:12 twist mate, also the HOWA is a cousin to the Weatherby Vanguard and the both have a "blind w/ hinged floor plate" magazine.

I have the Weatherby Vanguard and a mate has a HOWA in .223 ans they are almost identical except for the synthetic stock on the Weatherby.

Cheers Vince

stovepipe wrote:

they have a really interesting barrel break in...using Windex.

I'm all ears! Windex?

slimjim wrote:

stovepipe wrote: they have a really interesting barrel break in...using Windex. I'm all ears! Windex?

Yep...me too...I was intrigued when I first saw the post.

Cheers, Vince

I've heard of a few guys clean their new rifle barrel with windex after every shot to break in a new barrel.

Ominivision1 wrote:

I've heard of a few guys clean their new rifle barrel after every shot to break in a new barrel.

I'm one of those guys but I do it with copper solvent not windex.

Need an accurate but light inexpensive 22 RF. Anyone care to give me their rifle recommendation. I am open to all actions, makes and models. Maximum range is 100 yards. Grouse and rabbits are the game but target plinking is also going to be an important use. I thought about a Gamo pellet rifle but they are not legal for hunting here. I might still get one for those games of rifle putting (shooting golf balls into holes.)

Mac, I'm sure you will love the T-bolt (made left and right handed!), but when you cannot find them, you cannot go wrong on an Anschutz altough my personnal favorite is now a very special Krico, equiped with such a 'stecher' (2 trigger-system).

When you want a semi-auto, I would recommend Browning Auto-22 (altough the BAR-22 is nicer and better, but also much more expensif) or if you would meet such an austrian Voere, don't hesitate!

And just a complete other hint: the Buckmark Varmint or Silhouet often gives better results than most other semi-auto's.
And now that we are into handguns: more than excellent and very cheap is the czech Drulov (made for the 50 m free-pistol-matches). It's a single shot, costing about 1/3 or 1/4-th of a Contender but shooting them all home!

MacD- match grade barrels will give you great accuracy at 100y. Mid and bottom shelf stuff may not past 60-70y. Unless someone knows something I don't. My Mossberg Plinkster? Out to 50y with bulk ammo and stuff was dead. Even @ 200y I could tag gongs offhand. As far as tack driving at 100 and 200 with a 150$ rifle well- ya might get lucky and or just have some fun. There's SO many bargain 22's out there now- 99% are made in China a more than a few share the same action, they all shoot well and are very accurate on bulk ammo to 50-60y easy. If you got good glass, a good rest, no wind, decent and clean chamber and a half decent tube you can do really well @ 100y. Ammo is secondary in my book here, match runs a lot cleaner with a better bullet but....

My SW M&P 15-22? Wicked accurate running on junk. But it aint a 150$ gun either.


2011 Howa .308 heavy barrel are all 1:10, at least according to their brocuhre, .223 is still 1:12. I'll run a patch down the bore with a marked rod to verify twist once I get it and then well know for sure- trust me that's the only way nowadays youll know what you have with all this farming out of stuff. And, yes, corrected, it is a hinged floor plate Vince! Not a box mag. I think they put their money where it counts. Has a neato tactical bolt knob, engraved floor plate, nice blueing, super heavy barrel, Hogue stock is a pile- I mean what a flexy forend- joke! Scope is OK, the usual bottom shelf stuff- and, it didn't have the BDC reticle- but it has a duplex and that's better than nothing!

For $569 plus tax and fees it's a great start with a great barrel and action and trigger and it's range ready!

I compared it to the more expensive Remington SP Tacical-, dealer ahd both, close in some respects, esp the stock it's the same, but the Howa's way less and it's ready to shoot! The Rem needs bases, rings and glass- unless yer a point shooter with a highpower rifle, I'm not!. See my comparo a few posts back. You'll see the Howa wins hands down at this price range.

Windex- is used to remove the oils most bore cleaners leave behind to prevent flash-rust. In theory it keeps one from coking the barrel when it gets burned into the pores. Intersting break-in per them and I'm going to try it. Pretty logical! Check out their new brochure and see.

Got 3 boxes of Fed GMM 168gr on the way from CTD, 20$/box. Dies coming soon too. Once I find out exactly what twist rate it has I'll call Phil @ Sierra and well chat up some load's.

I'm very happy with my purchase. It has room for improvement too and thre's aftermarket stuff availbe as well. Been looking forward to someone making an affordable, range ready shorty sniper...now it's on the way.

9 more days!

From Howa's site....308's are now 1-10" twist...woohoo! Still gonna measure it.

Varmint Barrel 20” - Blued
Catalog # Caliber Magazine Capacity Barrel
Length &
Contour
Overall Length Weight Action
Type Muzzle
Diameter Rifling MSRP
HWB20004+ .223 Rem. 5+1 in chamber 20” #6 31.25” 6.7 lbs. Short .825” 1-12” twist $549.00
HWB21204+ .22-250 Rem. 5+1 in chamber 20” #6 31.25” 6.7 lbs. Short .825” 1-12” twist $549.00
HWB23104+ .308 Win. 5+1 in chamber 20” #6 31.25” 6.7 lbs. Short .825” 1-10” twist $549.00
HWB30004+ .223 Rem. Fluted 5+1 in chamber 20” #6 31.25” 6.4 lbs Short .825” 1-12” twist $603.00 NEW
HWB33104+ .308 Win. Fluted 5+1 in chamber 20” #6 31.25” 6.4 lbs Short .825” 1-10” twist $603.00 NEW

1 sho,t clean, for 10 rounds 3 shots, clean, for next 15, then clean after use is what I did with my .223 looking forward to hearing how she shoots stovie keep the updates coming.

I stand corrected on the twist rate Stovey. I got the info from one of the many Forums that proliferate the Web mate...I should have known it wouldn't necessarily be correct.

I think you will be happy with the accuracy of the HOWA when you get her run in mate. My mate's HOWA .223 is a damn fine accurate rifle. Give some thought as to why the forend is the way it is mate. My Weatherby Vanguard (essentially the same rifle) has a "pressure point" towards the front of the forend and it shoots .7" groups at 100 metres...when I do my part. Different things I've read say that removing this pressure point and fully floating the barrel can be detrimental to accuracy and isn't always the best way to go.

I suppose that the only way you will find out is by experimentation, but it would be a shame to trash the stock by taking "meat" off it only to find that it has hurt your accuracy. I would like to think that Hogue knew what they were doing when they made the stock.

Cheers, Vince