What don't you like about Howa's

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What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Westy » 09 Mar 2015, 6:05 pm

Just curious to find out why people don't like Howa's and why they would prefer a SAKO or a Tikka seems simple to me!!!!! :unknown: :clap: :unknown:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Gwion » 09 Mar 2015, 6:27 pm

I'd prefer a Sako but bought a Howa because it was obviously so much more affordable.

I really like mine but what i don't like about them is:

1/ Screw holding bolt release catch is too small and can break quite easily. Have already replaced mine once.
2/ Standard Hogue stock is quite a shocker, although it works, you won't get the rifle's optimum performance from it.
3/ They are heavy. On the up side, they are very solid so should last a long time.

Other than that, they are great for the price. I have swapped out for a an Atlas floor plate with DBM (AI mags) and have bedded it into a Boyd featherweight thumbhole stock.

Didn't buy a Tikka because i'd rather a Sako if i was to spend extra dollars.
Last edited by Gwion on 09 Mar 2015, 7:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Oldbloke » 09 Mar 2015, 7:28 pm

Too heavy for me. But otherwise look good.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by tom604 » 09 Mar 2015, 7:38 pm

+1 on the heavy,,to heavy to walk any distance with. :thumbsdown: saying that for a thousand buck rifle she's not to bad :thumbsup:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Combat_Wombat » 09 Mar 2015, 7:54 pm

Yeah even my sporter barrel weighs a tonne but I didn't buy it for a walking around gun. Some people don't like the floor plate but it doesn't cost much to change (can't say that about a tikka). Basic in looks but expected for the price.

Although it comes up in a Holden vs Ford style fight I think it's really apples and oranges due to the price range.

Fair comparison would be howa vs Axis or American and Tikka vs Ruger it's just the popularity that brings them into it.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by bigfellascott » 09 Mar 2015, 7:59 pm

Their plastic stocks, wouldn't own a plastic stock if you gave it to me, reminds me of when I was a kid playing cow boy and ingens :D

I love the fact they have a good range of aftermarket parts to tart em up if that's ya thing,
I love the fact they don't cost a fortune
I love the way mine shoot
I love the fact they function without hassles ever
I love the fact I can't lose the mag
I love the fact it can be single feed without any bobsled thing or mag mods
I love the fact it isn't full of plastic parts that you pay a premium to buy
I love the fact I own em
I love the fact I payed about 1/2 the price of a Tikka and got wood and metal, not plastic and metal
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by headspace » 09 Mar 2015, 8:04 pm

I've got a Howa 1500 in 308. I sold my Heavy barrel 223 to make room for my Mod 70 Winchester. Now I don't worry too much about the weight of the Howa Sporter because I'm a big bloke and I don't care. It does the job and it's accurate. If I had a complaint it would be that it's push feed action, but I'd need to sell it to get that in another Winchester. Some blokes complain about them being heavy then go and stick a 10round mag kit in it?? I can do enough damage with 5 rounds and I like to top load. End. Oh by the way mine has a Boyd Classic stock, I tossed the rubber goods.

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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Westy » 09 Mar 2015, 8:06 pm

bigfellascott wrote:Their plastic stocks, wouldn't own a plastic stock if you gave it to me, reminds me of when I was a kid playing cow boy and ingens :D

I love the fact they have a good range of aftermarket parts to tart em up if that's ya thing,
I love the fact they don't cost a fortune
I love the way mine shoot
I love the fact they function without hassles ever
I love the fact I can't lose the mag
I love the fact it can be single feed without any bobsled thing or mag mods
I love the fact it isn't full of plastic parts that you pay a premium to buy
I love the fact I own em
I love the fact I payed about 1/2 the price of a Tikka and got wood and metal, not plastic and metal

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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by bigfellascott » 09 Mar 2015, 8:14 pm

Westy wrote:
bigfellascott wrote:Their plastic stocks, wouldn't own a plastic stock if you gave it to me, reminds me of when I was a kid playing cow boy and ingens :D

I love the fact they have a good range of aftermarket parts to tart em up if that's ya thing,
I love the fact they don't cost a fortune
I love the way mine shoot
I love the fact they function without hassles ever
I love the fact I can't lose the mag
I love the fact it can be single feed without any bobsled thing or mag mods
I love the fact it isn't full of plastic parts that you pay a premium to buy
I love the fact I own em
I love the fact I payed about 1/2 the price of a Tikka and got wood and metal, not plastic and metal

One Word Xanax Scott you need it and The Doctor has it!!!!!
Do yourself a favour and stay off my threads your opinion isn't wanted


I also like the fact I'm not restricted to one colour stock (black) which is obviously the cheapest colour option for all these plastic stocked rifles these days.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by deye243 » 09 Mar 2015, 11:15 pm

i have 3 (had 4) the only thing i don't like is the crap extraction they have in the 0.378 in case head size
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by sally-bee » 10 Mar 2015, 11:04 am

Combat_Wombat wrote:Yeah even my sporter barrel weighs a tonne but I didn't buy it for a walking around gun.


I'm not real familiar with them, why so heavy on a sporter?

Heavy action or thick stock? Where's it at?
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Die Judicii » 10 Mar 2015, 12:05 pm

I just love mine for the following reasons;
* Didn't cost me a fortune (new) like some other brands would've.
* Its reliable (never had any problem with it)
* Its accurate
* Its Stainless
* It doesn't have a plastic magazine (plastic magazines belong on toys)

As for weight,, that is one more thing that I like about it.
It was bought mainly for "sniper" type use, and thus I don't have to carry it far anyway.
Mine weighs in at 5.6 kgs (scope/bipod/thumbhole stock etc all inclusive)
In my belief, the weight actually helps with regard to accuracy

My main dislike is that I only own 1 Howa.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by chrispy88 » 10 Mar 2015, 3:25 pm

My Howa 223 goes to the gunsmith tomorrow (bedding, 2"shorter, recrown, trigger job) so I can't say too much yet, though after picking it up I will say I was surprised by the weight, my only other centrefire at this stage being my T3 lite. That said, mine was never going to be a light rifle being heavy barrel stainless and is going to be for stationary varminting and learning to shoot comp.

I'm fairly fit and in my mid-20's so I dont see any walking that I do with it being a problem.

Other than that obviously the bolt ain't as slick as the Tikka, but what is in the price range. And yes, pics soon or it doesn't exist...
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Westy » 10 Mar 2015, 6:33 pm

I lost all my rifles as I can't seem to find any pics of them????? :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Chronos » 10 Mar 2015, 7:45 pm

Die Judicii wrote:I just love mine for the following reasons;
* Didn't cost me a fortune (new) like some other brands would've.
* Its reliable (never had any problem with it)
* Its accurate
* Its Stainless
* It doesn't have a plastic magazine (plastic magazines belong on toys)

As for weight,, that is one more thing that I like about it.
It was bought mainly for "sniper" type use, and thus I don't have to carry it far anyway.
Mine weighs in at 5.6 kgs (scope/bipod/thumbhole stock etc all inclusive)
In my belief, the weight actually helps with regard to accuracy

My main dislike is that I only own 1 Howa.


Wait, what? Your rifle weight 5.6kg? That's more than most target rifles. You must be mistaken. My .308 weighs 3.2kg.

Also where do you guys get this stuff "plastic magazines belong on toys?"

Tell the truth, it doesn't have a detatchable magazine. And if it did it would be plastic.


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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Fry » 10 Mar 2015, 9:18 pm

Chronos wrote:Wait, what? Your rifle weight 5.6kg? That's more than most target rifles. You must be mistaken. My .308 weighs 3.2kg.


Heavy scope with a big objective? :unknown:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by bigfellascott » 10 Mar 2015, 9:23 pm

From memory mine weigh between 3.9kg and 4.1kg (Varmint model - all boyds stocks, scopes, mounts etc)
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by PaWNTANK » 11 Mar 2015, 7:27 am

I know a lot of older gents and people of smaller stature don't like them because they weigh too much.
But I love the Howa 1500, I will be getting a T3 CTR in the coming months. Both great rifles but the Howa cost me $580 and the CTR is set to cost me $1600. For a thousand dollar difference the Tikka aught to be better (I would hope)
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Westy » 11 Mar 2015, 7:42 am

The CTR is a Awesome rifle with it's all metal 10 shot mag and it's threaded Barrel from factory it's a great rifle as for the Howa it's also a great rifle for the money and could shoot a nats eye @ 100m but again it's a well built rifle for the money you pay which is like $500-00 I think???? When hunting both will do the job nicely and everything stays dead IMHO!!! Now if Sakos were $500-00 I'd be out now buying a few more safes to put them all in, I reckon 1 in every Calibre!!!!!! LMFAO
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Go the Tikka, Go the Howa
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Chronos » 11 Mar 2015, 7:59 am

PaWNTANK wrote:I know a lot of older gents and people of smaller stature don't like them because they weigh too much.
But I love the Howa 1500, I will be getting a T3 CTR in the coming months. Both great rifles but the Howa cost me $580 and the CTR is set to cost me $1600. For a thousand dollar difference the Tikka aught to be better (I would hope)


Safari had CTR's listed at $1425 but I see other stores listing them at over $1500. Not sure what the deal is there.


BFS those weights sound much more on the money, from memory bith the soorter and varmint howa's are about 100-200gr heavier than the tikka equivalent barreled action. A 5kg rifle isn't such an issue shooting from a vehicle or off the bonnet but as a walk around gun anything over 4kg seems unnecessarily heavy.

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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by bigfellascott » 11 Mar 2015, 9:49 am

Chronos wrote:
PaWNTANK wrote:I know a lot of older gents and people of smaller stature don't like them because they weigh too much.
But I love the Howa 1500, I will be getting a T3 CTR in the coming months. Both great rifles but the Howa cost me $580 and the CTR is set to cost me $1600. For a thousand dollar difference the Tikka aught to be better (I would hope)


Safari had CTR's listed at $1425 but I see other stores listing them at over $1500. Not sure what the deal is there.


BFS those weights sound much more on the money, from memory bith the soorter and varmint howa's are about 100-200gr heavier than the tikka equivalent barreled action. A 5kg rifle isn't such an issue shooting from a vehicle or off the bonnet but as a walk around gun anything over 4kg seems unnecessarily heavy.

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Yeah not much in em weight wise mate, as for weight and being able to carry them comfortably, try humping a M60 all day long over 20 or 30ks Plus then you really will have something to bitch about, not to mention ammo belts, spare barrels and all the other crap we carted around :lol:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Die Judicii » 11 Mar 2015, 11:59 am

Chronos wrote:Wait, what? Your rifle weight 5.6kg? That's more than most target rifles. You must be mistaken. My .308 weighs 3.2kg.


Yep... 5.6 kgs

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100_3541.JPG
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by bigfellascott » 11 Mar 2015, 12:06 pm

:lol: that explains the weight diff nicely - top little setup mate, :thumbsup:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by VICHunter » 11 Mar 2015, 12:54 pm

Chronos wrote:Safari had CTR's listed at $1425 but I see other stores listing them at over $1500. Not sure what the deal is there.


RRP doesn't mean anything around here.

I have 3 locals, For something common like a Tikka there is a $200 spread in price between them.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by heeple » 11 Mar 2015, 12:55 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Pic > So it does happen


:lol:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by melanie » 11 Mar 2015, 12:56 pm

Is that masking tape or cloth or something?

What's the deal there?
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by bigfellascott » 11 Mar 2015, 3:31 pm

I hope the New Howa Mini Actions come here soon and in a barreled action only and internal mag offering, I'd like to buy one! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

http://legacysports.com/mini-action-rife

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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Oldbloke » 11 Mar 2015, 5:21 pm

VICHunter wrote:RRP doesn't mean anything around here.

I have 3 locals, For something common like a Tikka there is a $200 spread in price between them.


Same here, prices are all over the shop. Just gotta keep your eye out for a bargin.

That highlander cammo looks nice. Shame I got all the rifles I need now, never wear them out. :cry:
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by chrispy88 » 11 Mar 2015, 8:43 pm

melanie wrote:Is that masking tape or cloth or something?

What's the deal there?


Melanie, looks like it's a camo wrap. Stops light reflecting off your barrel/scope and helps break up the outline too. The good ones you can take off and reuse, and don't leave a residue.
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Re: What don't you like about Howa's

Post by Die Judicii » 11 Mar 2015, 9:08 pm

bigfellascott wrote::lol: that explains the weight diff nicely - top little setup mate, :thumbsup:


Actually, the pic was taken out of a file of many,,,, but the NiteSite was NOT on the rifle when I weighed it.

I looked in the booklet, but it doesn't actually give a weight for the unit.
Apart from the little battery, the rest of the nitesite weighs 3/5ths of bugger all. :lol:
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