Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

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Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 11 Nov 2018, 6:49 pm

I have been toying with the notion of replacing my 24" 1:9 barrel with a threaded 26" 1:7 if such is available to use heavier pills.

Does anyone know of anyone in Australia would be best to provide one?
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Mitch » 11 Nov 2018, 7:21 pm

Allan swan mate
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 11 Nov 2018, 7:31 pm

:thumbsup:
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 11 Nov 2018, 7:36 pm

Lol... a new barrel or a 6.5 manbug
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Apollo » 11 Nov 2018, 7:42 pm

Any Gunsmith would be able to do that easy task. It's a matter of pick a Gunsmith who you like but perhaps one that is not swamped with months of work in front of your job. Perhaps the hardest task will be getting a barrel to suit your requirements like contour and length plus twist rate in a reasonable time frame. Get fussy about barrel manufacturer could also pose a problem but it's a Howa so I imagine it's not quite a high quality custom job.

The most likely choice will be a Gunsmith close to you so you aren't involved with shipping and insurance from a local dealer to the Gunsmith.
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by SCJ429 » 11 Nov 2018, 8:45 pm

Is it worth spending a grand on your Howa or would it make more sense to sell it and put your money towards a better rifle?
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 11 Nov 2018, 9:18 pm

Hey howa isn't as bad a gun...lol.

You could always try and find a ruger precision rifle in 223 (2nd hand or old stock) they are 1:7
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by marksman » 12 Nov 2018, 12:24 pm

SCJ429 wrote:Is it worth spending a grand on your Howa or would it make more sense to sell it and put your money towards a better rifle?


of coarse it is, as long as you want to keep it :thumbsup:
the howa's can make a very accurate precise shooter,
using a good barrel is more important than who made the action as long as the job is put together right :thumbsup:
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 12 Nov 2018, 12:52 pm

Thanks for the responses.
After doing some googling and reading following the advice above, it seems like a back burner project for the moment.

I just bought 600 55gn Roo Max pills for $85, so that will give me enough to play with developing a load for them.
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by bigfellascott » 12 Nov 2018, 1:59 pm

Mick my question would be is it really worth spending the better part of 1K to lob heavier pills or just keep lobbing the lighter ones and spend the 1K on another rifle in a cal that can handle lobbing the heavier pills - best of both worlds then?
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by bigrich » 12 Nov 2018, 2:05 pm

Get a 243 ? 55-105 pills I believe ?
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 12 Nov 2018, 2:14 pm

bigfellascott wrote:Mick my question would be is it really worth spending the better part of 1K to lob heavier pills or just keep lobbing the lighter ones and spend the 1K on another rifle in a cal that can handle lobbing the heavier pills - best of both worlds then?


G'day Scott,

Yes mate, that would seem the best way. Perhaps the new 26" Howa barrelled action in manbun for $700. It would drop straight into the XLR chassis.

My inner 7yo is putting on a tantrum wanting to do it, but the tiny part of me that is adult has put the foot down and common sense prevailed once I totalled up the extras with all new brass, pills dies, shell holders etc etc etc.

I've just looked at the ADI load data for the Roo Max I just bought, not much wriggle room with min at 21gn and max at 22 of 2206H
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by SCJ429 » 12 Nov 2018, 7:28 pm

marksman wrote:
SCJ429 wrote:Is it worth spending a grand on your Howa or would it make more sense to sell it and put your money towards a better rifle?


of coarse it is, as long as you want to keep it :thumbsup:
the howa's can make a very accurate precise shooter,
using a good barrel is more important than who made the action as long as the job is put together right :thumbsup:



I agree that the Howa action is a sound platform for a custom build but to remove a perfectly good barrel to get something with a different twist rate may not be the most cost effective way to go. There are other factory rifles with a twist rate capable of accurately pushing out 80 grain projectile. One of the things a 223 does well is to accurately sling 50 or 55 grain projectiles. I am sure the existing barrel does exactly that.
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by bigfellascott » 12 Nov 2018, 7:42 pm

Gaznazdiak wrote:
bigfellascott wrote:Mick my question would be is it really worth spending the better part of 1K to lob heavier pills or just keep lobbing the lighter ones and spend the 1K on another rifle in a cal that can handle lobbing the heavier pills - best of both worlds then?


G'day Scott,

Yes mate, that would seem the best way. Perhaps the new 26" Howa barrelled action in manbun for $700. It would drop straight into the XLR chassis.

My inner 7yo is putting on a tantrum wanting to do it, but the tiny part of me that is adult has put the foot down and common sense prevailed once I totalled up the extras with all new brass, pills dies, shell holders etc etc etc.

I've just looked at the ADI load data for the Roo Max I just bought, not much wriggle room with min at 21gn and max at 22 of 2206H


Sounds like ya got it worked out Mick, there's a lot of "hidden" costs people neglect to take into account when it comes to these sorts of decision. May I ask what the purpose was for the new direction re new barrel and heavier pills?
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by SillyWetTas » 12 Nov 2018, 7:49 pm

I just did a 6.5 grendel last weekend on a mini Howa.
It was a True flight about 6 weeks delivery .
They do a 1 in 7.
I have a 223AI reamer
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 12 Nov 2018, 8:18 pm

bigfellascott wrote:
Gaznazdiak wrote:
bigfellascott wrote:Mick my question would be is it really worth spending the better part of 1K to lob heavier pills or just keep lobbing the lighter ones and spend the 1K on another rifle in a cal that can handle lobbing the heavier pills - best of both worlds then?


G'day Scott,

Yes mate, that would seem the best way. Perhaps the new 26" Howa barrelled action in manbun for $700. It would drop straight into the XLR chassis.

My inner 7yo is putting on a tantrum wanting to do it, but the tiny part of me that is adult has put the foot down and common sense prevailed once I totalled up the extras with all new brass, pills dies, shell holders etc etc etc.

I've just looked at the ADI load data for the Roo Max I just bought, not much wriggle room with min at 21gn and max at 22 of 2206H


Sounds like ya got it worked out Mick, there's a lot of "hidden" costs people neglect to take into account when it comes to these sorts of decision. May I ask what the purpose was for the new direction re new barrel and heavier pills?


As SCJ suggested mate, it throws 50gn Nosler BT Varmint very well, but it's windy as buggery here most of the year and I'm piss poor at windage, the Nosler 70gn RDF and Berger 70gn VLD are both far better in the conditions here but have to be loaded to the max to get accuracy, which badly craters primers.

That was Remington primers, I have some CCI BR4 now, that I've been assured are a thicker wall, so I will give a couple of them a try before throwing the baby out with the bath water.

I'm only shooting rabbits, usually no further than 200, but in 40 to 50kph gusty, swirling crosswinds that can be too far for the combination of the 50s and my lack of windage judgement.

Perhaps the Roo Max will be a happy medium.
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Roo farmer » 12 Nov 2018, 9:29 pm

Gaznazdiak wrote:
I've just looked at the ADI load data for the Roo Max I just bought, not much wriggle room with min at 21gn and max at 22 of 2206H


Really? What are you comparing to? The closest I could see listed is the 55 grain Speer SP, and it's much higher. I know I run 25.4 of 2206H with Sierra Super Roo 55's.

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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 12 Nov 2018, 10:21 pm

Roo farmer wrote:
Gaznazdiak wrote:
I've just looked at the ADI load data for the Roo Max I just bought, not much wriggle room with min at 21gn and max at 22 of 2206H


Really? What are you comparing to? The closest I could see listed is the 55 grain Speer SP, and it's much higher. I know I run 25.4 of 2206H with Sierra Super Roo 55's.

Screenshot_20181112-215329.png


Good thing you pointed that out, I was looking at the Barnes solid copper TSX :roll:
Thank you. :thumbsup:

Looking at the correct line, yes 25-26.
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by bigfellascott » 13 Nov 2018, 6:45 am

Might be better to run a 243 or other option is sneak in closer and save all the hassles and expense :D

I'm no real fan of wind either, never really bothered to learn how to read it but, I just try and stick to days and spots where the wind isn't that big of an issue (not an option for you by the sounds of it Mick. :(
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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by rustypic » 03 Mar 2019, 11:50 am

Hi Gaznaz,
Swan makes no frills barrels for well under a grand, my Brno Fox $650. If your not in a hurry as I have waited four and a half months. ;)

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Re: Replacement Barrel For Howa .223

Post by Gaznazdiak » 03 Mar 2019, 12:47 pm

Thanks Rusty, but I finally found the perfect load for the setup as is, so I won't be wanting to fiddle with it.
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