Howa Mini or Short Action

[Maxjon]

Im wondering if the How MINI 223 would be a good shooter for SSAA Optical class. It would have to be the light barrel as per 4.5kg weight limit. Its only 100-300m comp.
For $850 its worth a try i think.

[Wapiti]

I have one in the lightweight category, 20" barrel with the pretzel barrel and the carbon-fibre "Stockey's Stocks" sporter stock. A stailess one of course, great for the farm.
It's just the conventional sporter shape, not one of those awful heavy chassis things.
It'd blow away in a medium wind I reckon, it feels like a rimfire.
I didn't put a space telescope on top of it and blow the lightweight concept either, just a 2.5-8x36 VX3, the perfect little scope for such a small rifle and enough magnification for any real-life critter shooting.
I also have a Mini -"varmint" SS too.
Both are freakish tack-drivers. Hopefully you will score a good one too.

[Fester]

I set a mate up with a staino sporter mini in .223
Light as a feather, shot like a lazer, and the trigger was nice.
Even the stock didn't have the flex problems.

A great farm hunting rifle, but they look like a cheaper build than the heavy, all-steel 1500s.
A 1500 makes a better range rifle, and can shoot 5-10 shots, whereas a mini would be too hot.

The Jap machine tolerances are up with the best. I never seen a Howa that didn't shoot, and a bloke that changed barrels a lot said you would be unlucky if you screwed another barrel on and had headspace change.

They say a varmint mini is not a heavy rifle, but I have not handled one.

[morerams]

Pick the one you like the feel of.

[Maxjon]

I think i would go the 20 inch varmint. I think it still comes in under the 4.5kg scoped for SSAA CSD Optical class

[Wapiti]

I set a mate up with a staino sporter mini in .223
Light as a feather, shot like a lazer, and the trigger was nice.
Even the stock didn't have the flex problems.

A great farm hunting rifle, but they look like a cheaper build than the heavy, all-steel 1500s.
A 1500 makes a better range rifle, and can shoot 5-10 shots, whereas a mini would be too hot.

The Jap machine tolerances are up with the best. I never seen a Howa that didn't shoot, and a bloke that changed barrels a lot said you would be unlucky if you screwed another barrel on and had headspace change.

They say a varmint mini is not a heavy rifle, but I have not handled one.

That's about right Fester, but the pretzel-barrel sporter 20" Mini at the rifle range banging away mercilessly is not what they were made for.
But I find with ours, that even a 5-shot group testing a load, say, doesn't heat the barrel up much at all. Sure, if it starts out cold, it gets warm. But not to the point it causes the POI to walk at all. Ours anyway, the stock is super rigid, the barrel floats and what can you complain about? Not much.
The 223 is a little cartridge, 25gns of powder tops and not that much energy to convert to heat for a bloke using it in the field.

If you wanna bang away at the range, shooting rocks on the mound, other people's targets to wind them up and burn through boxes of rip-off range-shop ammo, buy the varmint model. It's still lighter and shorter than many old Brno rimfires. But with power.

The one thing I would say about the full-size 1500... It's to me, an afterthought that existed before the Mini was, so it HAD to be frakenstein'ed to take the 223 cartridges to be in the market place.
FFS it's a blocked out, short stroked .308 action. Unnecessarily long, massive heavy bolt, receiver longer, bolt stop locked so you can't over-stroke
A larger, longer, heavier stock to suit, because again, it's from the 3 - oh - hate.
What an engineering dog.
Remember, the barrel takes the heat, not the unnecessarily heavy, long 308 action it's stuck with.

The mini is a great rifle, small 222-223 scaled action, smaller, shorter, thinner bolt... it is the economy Sako "S" action they scaled down for these cartridges... but 1/3rd the price.
The only afterthought - and that's what I call this el-cheapo idea - is the plastic floorplate and magazines - made from old icecream buckets with some ground up old tyres in rthe mix to make it black.
I mean, that's bodgy.
The 10-shot mag is a great bonus to the roo-shooter though. I love the things.

First thing I did with both ours is to put those stupid plastic floorplates with the idiotic mag-release in front of the mag so you lose it first time you go bush or spotlighting - in the skip, and buy the excellent machined alloy ones from AtlasWorx in WA. There are others, mainly ripoffs, but these ones are the go.
The rifles are almost spot on, this cheap mod makes them elevated way up.

Actually, I'd love to see a flush-fit shorter mag, made from steel like the Sakos. In them, it takes 6 cartridges with room to spare because thin steel means more useable space - plastic needs to be thick so it doesn't self-destruct and that limits the internal room.
What would it add to the total price of the rifle package? $20 when made in the 1000's?

[Maxjon]

I set a mate up with a staino sporter mini in .223
Light as a feather, shot like a lazer, and the trigger was nice.
Even the stock didn't have the flex problems.

A great farm hunting rifle, but they look like a cheaper build than the heavy, all-steel 1500s.
A 1500 makes a better range rifle, and can shoot 5-10 shots, whereas a mini would be too hot.

The Jap machine tolerances are up with the best. I never seen a Howa that didn't shoot, and a bloke that changed barrels a lot said you would be unlucky if you screwed another barrel on and had headspace change.

They say a varmint mini is not a heavy rifle, but I have not handled one.

That's about right Fester, but the pretzel-barrel sporter 20" Mini at the rifle range banging away mercilessly is not what they were made for.
But I find with ours, that even a 5-shot group testing a load, say, doesn't heat the barrel up much at all. Sure, if it starts out cold, it gets warm. But not to the point it causes the POI to walk at all. Ours anyway, the stock is super rigid, the barrel floats and what can you complain about? Not much.
The 223 is a little cartridge, 25gns of powder tops and not that much energy to convert to heat for a bloke using it in the field.

If you wanna bang away at the range, shooting rocks on the mound, other people's targets to wind them up and burn through boxes of rip-off range-shop ammo, buy the varmint model. It's still lighter and shorter than many old Brno rimfires. But with power.

The one thing I would say about the full-size 1500... It's to me, an afterthought that existed before the Mini was, so it HAD to be frakenstein'ed to take the 223 cartridges to be in the market place.
FFS it's a blocked out, short stroked .308 action. Unnecessarily long, massive heavy bolt, receiver longer, bolt stop locked so you can't over-stroke
A larger, longer, heavier stock to suit, because again, it's from the 3 - oh - hate.
What an engineering dog.
Remember, the barrel takes the heat, not the unnecessarily heavy, long 308 action it's stuck with.

The mini is a great rifle, small 222-223 scaled action, smaller, shorter, thinner bolt... it is the economy Sako "S" action they scaled down for these cartridges... but 1/3rd the price.
The only afterthought - and that's what I call this el-cheapo idea - is the plastic floorplate and magazines - made from old icecream buckets with some ground up old tyres in rthe mix to make it black.
I mean, that's bodgy.
The 10-shot mag is a great bonus to the roo-shooter though. I love the things.

First thing I did with both ours is to put those stupid plastic floorplates with the idiotic mag-release in front of the mag so you lose it first time you go bush or spotlighting - in the skip, and buy the excellent machined alloy ones from AtlasWorx in WA. There are others, mainly ripoffs, but these ones are the go.
The rifles are almost spot on, this cheap mod makes them elevated way up.

Actually, I'd love to see a flush-fit shorter mag, made from steel like the Sakos. In them, it takes 6 cartridges with room to spare because thin steel means more useable space - plastic needs to be thick so it doesn't self-destruct and that limits the internal room.
What would it add to the total price of the rifle package? $20 when made in the 1000's?

Great info mate, thanks! How does the mini cycle when the going gets rapid? Im nearly ready to buy one....$945 at my LGS Mini 223...Houge stock

[Wapiti]

Absolutely fine mate, I'm supposing you mean reliability when in the heat of the moment?

That short little bolt has a nice long handle for it's size and the thing is a real smoothie.
Mechanically, I've never had a problem with ours here, and being quite neglected too which sorts out the good from the bad.

The Hogue stocks are nothing special, they do have the pillar bedding so that's a great bonus when/if you are into playing around with stock torque settings and keeping the tension consistent in all conditions. I wonder if they still sell the green and tan ones, or if they are all black now.
The Barn has walnut stocks now for them! I think you can buy these fitted new, too. Look great!

Tell you what, I've pulled off some arsey long shots with the 55 V-max handloads (24gn/2206H) on crows when they were caning some new-born Aussie-White lambs and ewes, from way up the top of a hill above the yards so the buggers couldn't see me. That was with the tiny 20" sporter!
Enjoy mate.

[Fester]

I remember that mag release, but surely they have improved on that by now.
I do remember it would miss picking up the odd round if you didn't pull the bolt back fully.
The giant 1500 action likely has the round popping up ready when the bolt still has an inch of travel left.

How did you know of my range shooting habits, Wapiti?
It was a very hot summer's day in my mate's house paddock when I felt the spaghetti barrel heating, just not used to that with a .223.
I wished I had a mini last week, as I stalked in and sat; if a roo came under the next fence, it was mine, but the buggers didn't.
Shot one from the driver's door, though. Crack the door open a bit and get that nice possie.

[Maxjon]

Absolutely fine mate, I'm supposing you mean reliability when in the heat of the moment?

That short little bolt has a nice long handle for it's size and the thing is a real smoothie.
Mechanically, I've never had a problem with ours here, and being quite neglected too which sorts out the good from the bad.

The Hogue stocks are nothing special, they do have the pillar bedding so that's a great bonus when/if you are into playing around with stock torque settings and keeping the tension consistent in all conditions. I wonder if they still sell the green and tan ones, or if they are all black now.
The Barn has walnut stocks now for them! I think you can buy these fitted new, too. Look great!

Tell you what, I've pulled off some arsey long shots with the 55 V-max handloads (24gn/2206H) on crows when they were caning some new-born Aussie-White lambs and ewes, from way up the top of a hill above the yards so the buggers couldn't see me. That was with the tiny 20" sporter!
Enjoy mate.

Thats the best fun! I loved blowing them off the fence post with the 222 aswell...Keep up the great work mate, and thanks for making the decision for me!

[Wapiti]

I remember that mag release, but surely they have improved on that by now.
I do remember it would miss picking up the odd round if you didn't pull the bolt back fully.
The giant 1500 action likely has the round popping up ready when the bolt still has an inch of travel left.

How did you know of my range shooting habits, Wapiti?
It was a very hot summer's day in my mate's house paddock when I felt the spaghetti barrel heating, just not used to that with a .223.
I wished I had a mini last week, as I stalked in and sat; if a roo came under the next fence, it was mine, but the buggers didn't.
Shot one from the driver's door, though. Crack the door open a bit and get that nice possie.

Ive just never really liked the 1500's in 223, it just is an afterthought for my way of thinking, to get a 223 into the marketplace with the action they had at the time and everyone is on either side of the camp.
I don't set out to offend those that do.
I have a new 1500 heavy barrel varmint here in 308, set up in the HS Precision V-block stock about to take over from the hugely faithful 700 Police here that's worn out one barrel and is well into another, at least 5000 rounds here on the second, gave up counting. That's high praise that I expect it to follow on from that effort. But then people rag the Remingtons too, but the ones that do haven't a clue.
Same as with the Weatherby Vanguard, it's just a Howa after all. all perfectly good at what they are made to do, I just don't like the big action aborted to take the little case.

And on the barrel getting hot examples I gave, it's not meant to offend, it's just a fact that a bush shooter, whether varmint or hunter, doesn't have to worry about a pretzel barrel heating up that much to make any difference, and let's not forget there is nothing wrong with a piece of steel getting hot and cooling down again. That doesn't affect it one bit.

The mini's aren't perfect, some people have had magazine issues earlier on when they first came out. Fortunately we didn't in our two examples and I bought up big on spare mags when they were on special at the Big C for $29 each and still haven't.
But funny thing - like the people who always say Sako's 85's have ejection issues with low mounted scopes - we have three 85's, both S and L actions, my scopes are as low as mounts available allow and we've NEVER had a drama. Only perfect feeding and ejection, as have all we know who like these lovely rifles.
So, I voice my opinion so others who'd like a Mini, say, aren't scared off by things that aren't a problem. That's mean they are missing out on a great little accurate rifle.
Those that love a full-size rifle and action for a little cartridge can buy full-size overly large rifle - there's plenty to cater for people who like a workout when they are hunting.
We are all enjoying our gear, different that it is aren't we.

[Fester]

Yeah, my Vanguard was my first centerfire rifle and I wouldn't have even known about the oversized action.
It was the right choice, as I learned my marksmanship skills with it, and I use it 80% as a range rifle, 10% as my varminter, and 10% for roo shooting-type stuff.

Couldn't go wrong, as Weatherby was doing the sales, and it was a bit over $600 with rings, a cheap scope, and a bag.
I always found the Monty Carlo stock great, with a good texture and foregrip, with more grip and a bit of palm swell.
The 2-stage trigger is one of the best and has never been touched.

My second centerfire was the T3x in Swede, but I guess it was sort of in the middle, and suited the standard-sized long action, just a lot of extra mag space.

Operating the longer actions is no real deal at all, and all I notice is how small a 22lr is if I haven't shot one in a while.

For me a walking hunting rifle needs to be Tikka or Mini type weight.
Most blokes like shooting a bit heavier a rifle, and I may go a medium-weight sporter for the next bigger cal.
Wouldn't mind an ultra-light .308 as well though, for walking.

The nanny state of Walse LAFOs must be blamed and punished for half-witted terrorists' actions by the liars who imported the scum, so we can't have many guns.

[Wapiti]

I'd love to see them put an alloy triggerguard on the Mini, with a release behind the magazine.
The 1500 with the factory mag-box mod has that terrible release up front, too.
I cut the levers down flush with the "floorplate", so it doesn't happen, so free fix but you really notice the strong spring then when you go to get the mag out.
The other thing I'd like requires no mods at all, that'd be a flush-fitting magazine. As I mightve mentioned earlier, if it's plastic it'd probably hold only 5 rounds but the rifle couls come with a 5 and a 10 shot mag couldn't it?
I mean, those plastic mags would cost, what? $3 each when they are making 1000's of them, Sheesh.