Accurate Howas

[RMiller]

I see most everyone who has a Howa is loving the accuracy.

I have two Howas in 308 and 25-06 and neither one shoots good enough to brag about. Not bad just nothing like these Grendel reports.

Are you guys finding your other Howas good shooters or just the Grendels?

[roor]

I have plenty of wide groups but like posting only the good ones! Seriously though hand loads help a lot and managing the barrel heat. I'm really wanting to rebarrel to a nice prefit

[Yama]

I tried several bullet/powder combinations, but settled on 30.5 grs. of CFE 223 under a Hornady 120 gr. ELD-M, CCI 450 primers, for 2530 fps. In my Howa mini, this load literally puts 5 shots in one hole @ 100 yds. I've been using this load for hi power silhouette but it's not reliable on the 500 m rams. I can push it faster, but the accuracy of this load is the best yet. After the first round, I thought the subsequent 4 bullets missed the target entirely... I was considering re-barreling, but I think I'll wait until this one is shot out as it has shown it is capable of some good accuracy.

[Kilco]

Mine loves the 107gr SMK and TMK, as well as the 108 Scenar.

First bullets I tried with a plethora of different powders, and they would all shoot sub-moa if I did my part.

Grendel is based on the 6 PPC case, and apparently its touted as one of if not the most inherently accurate cartridges ever developed. How that information is quantified is far beyond my skill, but I do know that my 16", 18" and 22" Grendel ARs are capable of sub moa groups, as well as my Howa and Ruger American.

I'd actually tip my hat to the Ruger American Predator as the most accurate with least amount of work, but all my Ruger Americans are very accurate rifles. All things in the air unless I do my part... I have my days lol.

My father is a much better bench rest shooter than I, and a non-discussed variable people often, and understandably forget about, is sometimes putting a better/different shooter behind the rifle and seeing how the groups change.

NOT saying this is your issue OP, just saying from personal experience.

[bj139]

I have a Howa in 308 and was unimpressed by the group sizes.
I handloaded a bit with the 308 and was still unimpressed.
My Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel seemed better with all ammo.
I didn't have to search through handloads to find one which shot well.

[RMiller]

I should have my wife shoot them and see what happens.

[Taz575]

My Howa in 308 is a 3/4" rifle all day long for 3 shots with hunting ammo. With stuff it likes, like Federal Gold Match, it is .3-1/2". Cheap 308 ammo was around 1.25-1.5" for 10 shots at 100. This is with the JRS Classic Laminated stock and a 3-9x40 Bushnell Trophy scope in the early 2000's.

My Mini 1500 in 6.5 Grendel is pickier. It liked the 129gr SST from Alexander Arms, but most factory ammo was 1"-1.5" for 5 shots. It would often be close for 3 or 4 shots and then have a flier. Could be operator error as well! It is in a factory stock; I stiffened the forend of the stock and bedded it a bit, and it seemed to tighten up and be less heat sensitive than before when the barrel heated up. POI doesn't change much at all with a hot or cold barrel. With stuff it likes, 1/2" groups are possible with my handloads. Hunting scope is a 2.5-15 Athlon Midas BTR SFP.

In the MDT chassis stock and Mueller 8-32x scope, I have done groups .3-.49" with SST handloads. Other groups are in the 1-1.5" group. I have a few hundred rounds through it now with load development for hunting under my belt, so I need to put it back in the Chassis and try some more reloading recipes for it. 28.33gr of XBR under the 123 SST was the best shooting load previously at .3" for 5 shots. I posted these targets on the forum before.

[roor]

Mine loves the 107gr SMK and TMK, as well as the 108 Scenar...

What are the loads you are using for the SMK and TMK? I've tried and couldn't get anything under an MOA. I just have xbr, h322 and h335 on hand

[Kilco]

What are the loads you are using for the SMK and TMK? I've tried and couldn't get anything under an MOA. I just have xbr, h322 and h335 on hand

Warm charges of 8208, ARCOMP (very compressed) and H335 all grouped well, with ARCOMP the most consistant.

I'm using Hornady brass and CCI #450 primers, 2.250 coal.

I've noticed TMKs are a little jump sensitive, but the 107s seemed to shoot great in my grendels at standard mag length.

[Procyon Lotor]

I only have the Howa mini in 6.5 grendel to speak from experience about. It doesn't seem very picky at all, I've worked up some loads with CFE223 and 125 grain partition bullets for deer and hogs that shoot 3/4" and this past week I was working with the 90 grain TNT and the 95 grain Vmax and both shot under a 1/2" It also shoots factory 123 Amax loads under an inch. I have heard second hand that the 6.5 creedmoor shoots tiny groups as well.

[RMiller]

Seems like I need to try harder.

Also seems like I need a bolt action Grendel

[pinetreebbs]

I have Howa 6.5 Grendel, 7.62x39 and .308 I'm working on loads for the first two, the I've been shooting Ventura Munitions .308 NATO spec ammo successfully. Six rounds:

Howa308.jpg

[splashy]

i have the mini in 6.5gr. Friends have the 223, 6.5cr and 308. And they all shot fantastic out of the box.

[Msalm]

I fluted the barrel on a 24" heavy barrel 6.5 Creedmoor for a friend with 6 very heavy flutes. He says that rifle is shooting easily 1/2 MOA very consistently. I have 9 or 10 Howa Mini's (dang sales at Whittaker's!). Most of them were the 7.62X39's as I've rebarreled them to 22 and 6mm Grendel with hammer forged Heym barrel blanks. The 6.5 Grendel factory rifles have shot 1 MOA or better, some after bedding and tweaking handloads have turned in reliable 1/2" groups (3 shot, 100 yard). The 7.62's have also shot pretty well with the 125 Sierra ProHunter .311 bullet (MOA or close to it). I used Lapua brass in those loads. I also ran a Grendel chamber reamer into one of the 7.62X39 barrels and made a 30 degree shoulder improved version which shoots well and will get 25-2600fps on the 125's. For the price I paid for these rifles (average about $300 ea) I think they were an incredible value. At $450 ea I would maybe own two or three of them I suppose, but the actions (and barrels) are very well machined and made. The barrels borescope extremely well, and typically show no bore reamer marks which tells me the barrels are honed before the hammer forging. All in all, I think they are a great little rifle and I prefer them over the CZ 527 rifles.

One of the Mini's I have is a 223 rem, the rest are the 6.5 and 7.62's. The 22 Grendel shoots 53gr VMax's at 2500+ easily, is accurate and weighs a touch over 6lbs with optics...a very handy calling rifle! I was talked out of the 6mm Grendel and never got to play with it, but it's shooting 87gr VMaxes at 3000fps and killing coyotes on a daily basis in NW IA this winter. That rifle is shooting 1/3 MOA pretty reliably.

[A5BLASTER]

200 yards.
Prone
Bipod front
Bag rear
127 lrx handload
Cci450 primers
Lapua brass 9x fired now
Cfe223 powder

First five right side to find and dial in.

Second five shot is that itty bitty group on the left.

I would say this lil howa mini's got it going on. Started as a heavy thread barrel barreled action, boyd's pro varmint stock, outer impact 20moa rail, burris zee rings, vortex 4-16x42 diamondback hp.

Not giving the powder charge since its a bit hot for a ar grendel, coal is 2. 315.