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Hunt Smart, Hunt Safe

R-WEST

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"the spotlight of truth will cause the cockroaches of deceit to run for cover every time"
Rush Limbaugh

I have at least six friends who bought Weatherby Vanguards when HOWA made them in Japan and they were ALL JUNK! They were pretty, they all had beautifull stocks, but they ALL had problems with them. Some of these guys would not own a Weatherby now, no matter WHO made the action!!!

HOWA does does not make good actions, no matter what you read here or any place else.

My opinion is do not waste your money, just my opinion, and worth just what you are paying for it!

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Growler

If HOWA actions are so good, they must have been giving their rejects to Weatherby for use as Vanguards. Some had feeding problems, some were so inaccurate so as to be of little threat to varmints except at rimfire ranges, etc.

One close friend had one that would show high pressure signs with factory ammo and he had to use no more than the starting loads from any number of reloading manuals to keep it safe.

But the most annoying habit those guns had was that when they had been shot very much they would often develop a problem in that the match between the firing pin and the bolt was very poor. I know of three 22-250's that ALL started piercing primers and actually taking divits out of the primers. The primer material would be blown back into the bolt body (that is how awfull the fit between the firing pin and the bolts were). Then the bolt would lock up and the gun could not be fired until the bolt was disassembled and cleaned.

Yeah, they were quality stuff. They WERE pretty, Weatherby put some nice wood on them.
But the only fellows I know who still own them are guys who don't shoot ten shells a year.

R Flowers

quote:

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Originally posted by R Flowers:
In response to old 4X4, I do not remember all the problems I have seen with the Vanguards, but I can mention a few.

If HOWA actions are so good, they must have been giving their rejects to Weatherby for use as Vanguards. Some had feeding problems, some were so inaccurate so as to be of little threat to varmints except at rimfire ranges, etc.

One close friend had one that would show high pressure signs with factory ammo and he had to use no more than the starting loads from any number of reloading manuals to keep it safe.

But the most annoying habit those guns had was that when they had been shot very much they would often develop a problem in that the match between the firing pin and the bolt was very poor. I know of three 22-250's that ALL started piercing primers and actually taking divits out of the primers. The primer material would be blown back into the bolt body (that is how awfull the fit between the firing pin and the bolts were). Then the bolt would lock up and the gun could not be fired until the bolt was disassembled and cleaned.

Yeah, they were quality stuff. They WERE pretty, Weatherby put some nice wood on them.
But the only fellows I know who still own them are guys who don't shoot ten shells a year.

R Flowers

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My Howa is new, unfired, so I can't comment on how it shoots. I still nedd a stock for it.
One thing that needs to be understood, is these few bad Howa's are not representative of the whole lot. Only these are bad.
Same for the few bad Remingtons that we hear about, same as the few bad Winchesters we hear about, etc... its not all that are bad, just a few. ~~~Suluuq

R Flowers - Your acquaintances must have been born under a bad star or something. I've had six different HOWA's - two Vanguards and 4 of the 1500's, and I've never seen the problems you describe.

One of them, a 223 sporter weight, is closing in on 1,000 rounds fired, and it still works just fine, averaging under 3/4" for 5 shots. Another, in 7RMAG is at least as accurate as a Rem 700 7RMAG I own, likewise for a 30-06. The only one I've ever had a problem with is the 243, and that is strictly accuracy related. Some guns just don't want to shoot, but, that's okay, I also have some guns costing 4 times as much as the HOWA that don't want to shoot either.

R-WEST

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"the spotlight of truth will cause the cockroaches of deceit to run for cover every time"
Rush Limbaugh