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Thread: Howa 1500 Varmint 20" .243

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Christchurch
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    161

    Howa 1500 Varmint 20" .243

    I am surprised no one has done a review of these guns as they are croping up a lot on various forums.

    As the header says I have just bought one fitted with a Hogue stock, it arrived today and I am impressed with the quality of the whole thing, stock included. The gun is well balanced has a nice crisp trigger and a smooth acting bolt. It also comes fitted with a 20mm weaver rail so all it needs is a scope and some ammo and it is ready to go. The deal I got included a hard case and the whole lot cost me £450 posted to my rfd. When I have chance to get to the range I will post some grouping data.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    13,730
    a Howa comes with the case included and the rail and I reckon your RFD fitted it for you as normally it doesn't come attached, I take it you went for a blue'd one at that price.

    look under the bottom bit of foam, there should be Howa's instructions on how to shoot the barrel in.

    I too like my Howa (.223) and the standard Hogue stock, but I have a stainless washer between stock and action on the front bolt, raises just enough to make it totally free floating in the channel when there is a slight flex in the rear of the stock
    And then an ice hockey game broke out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0woZ...layer_embedded
    son got MOM in world championships: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoCcYwNJxv4

  3. #3
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    Nov 2007
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    You are of course correct Nigel it is the blued model and my rfd did fit the rail and set the trigger a bit lighter than it came from Howa.
    It is still a very good price for a very nice out of the box gun.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Hereford
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    91
    Hi I see you are happy with it ATB Tony
    Howa Varmint 204 Ruger,243win,308win,Rem PSS 308win, Steyr 22/250

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
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    161
    Yes Tony I am.
    The 20" varmint barrel is better balanced than the 22" or 24" and the velocity drop with the shorter barrel is insignificant unless you want to shoot at 1200 yards. All my shooting is done at 600 or less so no problem. Also .243 is a very god target shooting round, it is capable of great accuracy out to long range.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    South Shields
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    229

    Howa

    I have the 308 Varmit that I bought second hand .
    I had my first fallow with it on Sunday.
    The barrel has been cut to 18 inches and wonder how much this will reduce the velocity.
    Anyone have any ideas.

    Dave

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
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    I have done a lot of reading about this subject and it eould appear that the answer is not as much as you may think.
    Shooting times did some tests taking a rfa quadlock 24" barrel and slwly reducing its length to 18".
    The conclusion was, starting with 150gr sierra match king doing 2905 fps reducing the length to 18" and using the same load gave 2748 fps, a loss of 157 fps.
    There are many other studies posted on the internet which say basically the same.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    South Shields
    Posts
    229
    Quote Originally Posted by neutron_bomb View Post
    I have done a lot of reading about this subject and it eould appear that the answer is not as much as you may think.
    Shooting times did some tests taking a rfa quadlock 24" barrel and slwly reducing its length to 18".
    The conclusion was, starting with 150gr sierra match king doing 2905 fps reducing the length to 18" and using the same load gave 2748 fps, a loss of 157 fps.
    There are many other studies posted on the internet which say basically the same.
    thank you

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
    Posts
    161

    Howa 1500 on the 50 metre range

    I finally got some ammo to try out the grouping. It was only some SAKO 90gr fmj but it was all I could get.
    The results were actually excellent, shooting from a couple of sand bags I managed a 4 shot group of around half an inch after I had adjusted the scope'

    Pretty dammed good for factory ammo, next I will try some reloading.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    birmingham
    Posts
    764
    I have the same gun but with a sporter barrel cut to 16 inches and found the sako 90grn very good also privy 90grn it was useless with 100grn in any make good guns though.

  11. #11
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    Nov 2007
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    Christchurch
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    I have had very good results with sierra matchking 90 grain but the 95 grainwere absolute rubbish, would not group at all

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
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    I have just fitted a boyd thumbhole stock (thanks wee beastie) may not improve the shooting but it does look good.
    the gun is shooting very well, using 90 grain sierra matchking I am consistently shooting sub half inch groups at 50 metres and that is moa from a stock gun, I am very happy

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
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    Took the Howa to the range yesterday, at 50 metres from a sandbag the best group was 0.34 inches with five shots and I pulled one shot, the remaining four went into a 0.2 inch group, measuring centre to centre of holes.

    I was using nossler 90 grain spizer point boat tail and 40.0 grains of N160.

    I really really like this gun.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Nuneaton
    Posts
    1,350

    Howa 1500

    Is that with a 1 in 12 twist

    BBF
    "The grass is always greener on the other side"

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Christchurch
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    Twist is 1 in 10

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