I've spotted a Howa 270 SS/black plastic stock in one of the chain stores @ $399 and a 300WMg blue/Black stock @ $319. The 270 is a 22" barrel and the 300 is a 24" barrel. Does anybody have any comment on the price/value of either of these. I am leaning towards the 270 since I shoot a Tikka WTHunter woodstock/blue in 270 that I am very satisfied with and would use the Howa 270 as a backup and wet weather piece. I also have a Savage 116 FCSAK 300WMG in SS/black rubber that I use for an all weather gun now so the Howa 300 is a little redundant but the Savage's barrel is only 20"s of rifleing plus 2"s of the muzzle brake so it does not really give me 300WMg performance, and I think the Howa is a great buy that would allow me to replace the cheap stock with a laminate or something. Is the Howa a carbon fiber stock, fiberglass or a "tupperware" special that will not hold up? Comments? Buy Both?
Ron

The howa is a well made gun and a bargain at the price.Like most other companies they use molded stocks.I use mcmillan fibreglass stocks myself but have never seen a carbon fibre stock.They would be very expensive if they do exist.As for the choice of chambering I would get one of each and dump the savage as a 20" barrel is a waste of the 300winmag cartridge.

I've been thinking that the Savage really does need to go away, but it shoots great and I bought to use for a pigsticker allweather brush gun that I could clean up in a car wash. I'd take the muzzle brake off if I could and use it as a carbine length, overly loud, Heavy Duty version of an '06 Piggy Special, but it is comfortable to shoot and light to carry thru the slop where I hunt.
Some Mgr I talked to at Stoeger told me that their black stocks were some sort of carbon fiber composite on the Tikka WTHunters when they came out and got PO'd when I called them nothing but plastics...the Tikka WTH black stocks have a totally different feel and sound than the T3's so maybe there is something to what he was saying...dunno enough about it to be sure.
Ron

[ 11-08-2003, 02:25: Message edited by: verhoositz ]

I have the exact same rifle you describe, but in 30-06. The stock is a simple Butler Creek injection molded plastic unit.

Even with that flimsly stock, the rifle shot acceptably well, averaging a little over 1 MOA. I replaced it eventually with a Bell & Carlson fiberglass/graphite/Kevlar Medalist stock (the one with the bedding block) and the rifle became a sub MOA drill, averaging 3/4 MOA.

I paid exactly the same, $399.

The trigger is easily adjustable after removing the action from the stock. Be advised, my rifle shoots better with a forearm pressure point for the barrel.

Hmmm Might be time to rob old Mom's butter and egg mad money stash before these go away! The dealer only has 1 of each left as of last Monday.
RV

IMO, "synthetic" stocks are all inkection molded plastic.

Only true hand layup stocks made of fiberglass, foam, carbon fiber (aka graphite), Kevlar (aka aramid), other reinforcing fibers, and an epoxy matrix are true composites.

Any stocks not made with natural materials such as wood are synthetic by viture of the fact that they are made with synthetic material.That includes the stocks that use fibreglass,foam or kevlar.Therefore not all synthetic stocks are molded plastic.

Mcmillan,H-S Precision and Rimrock who make some of the finest synthetic stocks available all use the term synthetic stocks to describe their product on their websites.

[ 11-08-2003, 08:24: Message edited by: stubblejumper ]

The Howa's are usually accurate, I had a 30-06 that shot really well, 3/4" at 200yards, gave it to my brother.

I've got a Weatherby Vanguard version of the Howa 1500 with the moulded stock (Wal-Mart) in .300 Weatherby Magnum, freebored and all. It came with a factory target, a 3 round 100 yard group having two holes, measuring about .7". On very close inspection, one of the holes was very slightly oval, with two bullets having gone through it. It's been a consistent sub-1" shooter with handloads seated to the cannelure and crimped. I can't say that either the moulded stock or freebore is a big handicap based on my experience. My other black plastic stocked rifle, a 7mm Rem Mag Winchester M70, was also shooting sub-1" groups with both Remington factory and my handloads till the mounts for the Simmons scope that came on it shot loose. Just found the problem and fixed it, hope to get to the range and try it again soon. Anyway, I think the Howas are great rifles.

I have a Weatherby Vanguard WeatherGuard mdl in 270 win and I picked up an NOS S&W 1500 wood stock for it. The rifle is unfired in the box and I'd let you have it with both stocks for $425 Delivered in the lower 47.