Howa varmint 223 bull barrel

[Ultra12]

A buddyy of mine built a rem700 in 223. When I say built he changed stock bedded action and put on a scope. Gun shoots great its fun and cheap to shoot. I would like something similar myself but would like to do it on Howa platform. They sell their 223 with 2 stage trigger and 20 inc bull barrel for under 500$. i guess what I am asking about Howas quality. I know there are lot more aftermarket parts for Remington but I want something diff. And honestly I am not a big fan of Remington. And japaneese usually very good with quality. So If you have one or had one Please share your experience with them. if you can also share a picture or two of your Howas please do so

 

[tjh]

The Howa 1500 is the same barrel and action as the older Weatherby Vanguard sieries rifles . , Both Weatherby and Howa made in same plant and sme production line . Howa have a good rep. on beeing good shooters , they just don't hold resale value for some reason. You could build you a semi -custom rifle by just getting a barreled action , then getting a better after market stock.

 

[Mobuck]

As far as the brand name goes, I've had good results from the Howa rifles. Regarding the 20" .223 choice, that would not be my pick. The .223 is already velocity challenged for long range work and handicapping it more by picking a 20" barrel is just not what I'd want. Now if you're not looking at longer distances, the 20" would be a possibility.

 

[shanzlik]

Howa makes a good rifle. This one is a 1500 heavy barrel in .308 with a B&C stock, Bushnell Elite 6-24x50 mildot scope, Burris XTR rings, TacOps bolt knob and stock pack, and a Harris bipod. No work was done to the barrel or action and it is still sub-MOA.

I have a Remington 700 done up similarly, and I prefer the trigger pull and the shoe to the 700.

 

[Ultra12]

Reason for 20 inch after some research i found out 20 inch is optimal for 223. It long enough to get maximum velocity. Anything longer may marginally improve accuracy but will slow down the bullet (also marginally). I guess every round has its optimal barrel lenght. I could be wrong. Anyone can confirm or disproof my statement please do so. Is an on going learning process

 

[Beentown71]

I have the .308 and it is a great shooter. 24" barrel that shoots a consistent .66" five shot group @ 100 yards

The only downside is the weight for some.

 

[Bamashooter]

http://www.accuratereloading.com/223sb.html


This might help a little.

 

[Psycareyo]

I have a 20" Howa 1500 in .308 in a Blackhawk Axiom stock. I love it. It came with a cheap scope as a package and Ive only fired it about 20 times with factory ammo. It's my first bolt action ever. This and my built AR got me back into shooting after taking a break for over 10 years. I just got back into it three months ago. I'd have to consider myself a complete noob again.

The above being said...it's an absolute tack driver. I couldn't believe how awesome the trigger was for a factory gun.

I would rather have a Rem700 but only for resale value. My Howa Axiom 308 has everything I will ever need. Awesome stock, great bargin scope, exceptional trigger, smooth action...everything.

 

[Mobuck]

I can assure you that the idea of 20" being "optimal for .223" is hypothetical. I have .223 in 11.5, 16, 20, 22, and 24" lengths. I have not chronographed a single load that wasn't faster out of a 24" vs a 20". Most loads that clock 3200 fps in a 24 are around 3000 fps from a 20 and 2850 fps from a 16. The term "optimal" may be construed to include factors such as weight, portability, or balance but in strictly velocity terms, I consider it to be maximum velocity for the powder burned.

 

[2ndtimer]

Reason for 20 inch after some research i found out 20 inch is optimal for 223. It long enough to get maximum velocity. Anything longer may marginally improve accuracy but will slow down the bullet (also marginally). I guess every round has its optimal barrel lenght. I could be wrong. Anyone can confirm or disproof my statement please do so. Is an on going learning process

I also would disagree with the 20 inch barrel being optimal for the .223 round. I have .223's in 16 inch, 22 inch and 26 inch, and the velocity ranges from 3167 fps to 3650 fps (Fiocchi 40 gr V-Max factory ammo) with the 26 inch offering a significant increase in velocity over the shorter tubes. Frankly, I was surprised at how much velocity I lost comparing my Weatherby Varmint Special 22" barrel to my old Savage Light Varmint 24" barrel.
I like my compact 16" S&W MP15 Sport, but it isn't really made for long range shooting.
If I was to go for a long range .223, I would go for the 24" barrel as the minimum. And I do enjoy the 26" tube on my Remington 700 SPS Varmint.