Anybody got one? How does it shoot. Any other advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

Big-un

First welcome to the forum!

I have experience with the 22/250 and the 223 Howa 1500 Varminters. Tack drivers both of them. Great bang for the buck. Can't go wrong in my book.

cheers
seafire

I own a Howa 1500 heavy barrel in 22-250. I have it on a boyd's stock, and it shoots factory loads hole for hole. Best money I ever spent on a gun.

For what it's worth, a Howa 1500 Varminter in .223 with the 1:12 twist got a VERY good review in Shooting Sports magazine over here in the UK. Amazing value for money too.

Thanks Seafire, How is the trigger in these rifles? What if a guy wanted to order an after market trigger, would I order a mauser style trigger?

Thanks
Big-un

Big Un:

Can't help you on the trigger. I adjusted both down until they were considered pretty acceptable, by anyone but the Jewel trigger crowd.

They were good enough that I did not look for an aftermarket trigger. A gunsmith looked at them and said whoever did these did a nice job, so I just smiled and closed my mouth.

I'd also agree with MurfTJ, that a Boyd's stock is a nice investment into making one look like a real nice rifle. I am not a big fan of synthetic stocks anymore, after I got hooked on laminate.

Cheers and good shooting
seafire

I have a Howa 1500, in 300 WSM, and I was able to
get the trigger down to 1.5 lbs, with a functioning
safety. Most of the work was in getting the
adjustments set correctly, and a small effort to smooth
the mating surfaces. I had considered a Timney
trigger, after my first brief effort to adjust the trigger,
but then decided to really work the adjustments, and
polish the surfaces, and I got it down to almost scary
in a hunting rifle.

So I put the Timney trigger idea on hold until I
got a little more trigger time. As of now, I have no
plans to order an after-market trigger. Very
nice, accurate, rifle by the way. I did change out
the Walnut stock for an after market synthetic.
Nothing fancy, but the intension is to drag this
rifle over a few mountains, through high country
weather, for elk, and for that purpose it will work well.
If it was a varminter, I would be looking to a laminate
thumb hole. One of my Tikkas has a laminate stock,
and they sure do look good, and seem to have little
effect on accuracy, through a variety of weather,
and temps. They are a bit on the heavy side, so in
a sporter, unless it was a heavy recoiling rifle, I would
probably stick with synthetic.

The only complaint I have on the Howa, is that the
safety doesn't lock the bolt. I have heard a rumor that
this has been changed. Anyone know if this is so?
Even that would not stop me from buying another
Howa, if the deal was right.

Squeeze

This comment isn't aimed merely at Howa rifles, but all. A lot of us reading these forums are probably contemplating our next rifle. Please post your group sizes as you are breaking in these rifles at the range so the rest of us can benefit from your range testing. I'm certain many of us would consider it a big help. Thanks and best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

quote:

Howa 1500 Varminters

I used ot own a Smith and Wesson (made by Howa) 1500 Varminter in .222 Remington.

Was an accurate shooter, splattered many woodchuck with it in PA. The wood was rather nice too. Never a problem. I wish I kept it, darn need for car parts so that I could get to work caused me to sell it.

Cal,

This Howa 1500, in 300 WSM, shooting 165 gr Barnes
XLC bullets, had a best group of .625" at 100 yards,
and averages .9 MOA.

I am working loads with 168 Barnes TSX bullets. I
expect this average groups size to shrink, if this effort
tracks with other caliber transitions from XBT/XLC
loads, to TSX loads.

Squeeze

I have a 1500 Varminter Supreme in 223, love it. Adjusted the trigger to 1 lb pull and haven't felt the need to replace the tigger. Haven't started handloading for it yet but 45 gr ww factory load is consistantly around 3/4". The varminter supreme has the Boyds stock which is very nice. I personally don't care for the thumbhole stocks the one I have has a nice palm swell. If your gonna use it for varminting I'd say go for the 22-250. For the money I think it's a better gun than the Savages the only thing I would like to see is a 26" tube as opposed to the 24".

Ok, I got one on order its going to be here Wed. I see in the Cabelas shooting catalog it has 2 different Leupold bases listed. One for a Howa 1500 "Rem. 700 spacing" and the other one says Howa 1500. I would like to have a 1 piece base if possible and am open to sugestions on rings and bases. Talley, Leupold??? What did you guys do for rings and bases?

Thanks
Big-un

You want the one with Rem 700 SA spacing. I went with Leupold's one piece base and rings. The glass is an Elite 3200 5x15x50. Which gun are you ordering? The Supreme or the Synthetic, 223 or 22-250?

Just to help Big un get the info faster, he ordered the wood stock with a thumbhole so I'm assuming it's the supreme and it's in 22-250.

Thanks Supermag, yeah its the Howa 1500 Varminter, nutmeg wood thumbhole in 22-250. I think the supreme only comes in a regular wood stock dont it?

Thanks
Big-un

Yep the supreme is all dressed up in the Boyd's laminate. I have the black pepper/nutmeg without the thumbhole in 223. Just my preference, I like to lay my thumb on top of the tang. For the money the only way I think they can be improved is to have a 26" tube instead of the 24". You'll be happy with it. The only reason mine is collecting dust right now is that I just finished rebarrelling my Savage to 223 AI and I'm getting that dialed in for the summer. Enjoy