New2me Howa Mini

[wreckster84]

[kmon]

Congrats, sounds like a plan Stripped screw heads are a pain but can be dealt with. Stocks there are several options for that rifle.

[tdbru]

wrekster84,
if the torx heads are stripped, don't be surprised with stripped hole either. unfortunately.

nothing wrong with the 20MOA rail. use it if you want to. if you decide to use it, all you'll need to replace is the scope. otherwise there are lots of mount options.

talley makes a one piece ring mount that will give a little more clearance between the bottom of the scope and the action opening, if that matters to you.

a small easy out might work for the stripped torx head screws.

for a light weight scope, in keeping with a light weight rifle, there are 3 leupolds that come to mind that will work well for your stated purpose. vx-3i 2.5-8x36mm, vx-3i 3.5-10x40mm, 6x42mm for a fixed power choice. actually if you're thinking big game or coyotes/hogs and bigger look for a used leupold FXII 4x. you can likely find a used one. the simple fixed 4x has been discontinued due to low sales, but if you want a really light weight rig, those scopes are rugged, simple, bright, and only weigh 1/2 a lb. not bad.

Leupold also use to make a lightweight 2-7 but again, those have been discontinued due to low sales, but they are light weight too.

and if you have any doubt about the used Leupolds, just contact them and they'll refurb it.

of course there are many choices in scopes. congrats on your mini-Howa. is it the HB or the 22" or the 20" light weight?

look into the Bell & Carlson sporter for the mini. i do like mine.

-tdbru

[wreckster84]

My original post lacked a few pertinent details which I will clarify. The Mini actually came with two stocks, the standard Howa overmold in green which I will keep; so I'll only be selling off the youth stock. I'm half way thru the screws on the 20MOA rail so there's no turning back. Will try the easy out before attempting to drill out on my press.

I really wasn't sure if a standard scope inside 400 yds would adjust sufficiently with the 20MOA rail. When I get it off, I think I'll opt for a standard set of bases.

As for the scope, it's not a bad scope: Vortex Diamondback 4-12x40 and maybe its just fine for my purposes. I did not like the rings (chinese mfr) so if I keep, it's going in new rings for sure. I just mounted a VX3i 3.5-10x40 on my Grendel AR, otherwise I would have used it. The only other scope I have on hand is a Nikon 3-9x40 BDC.

The action, trigger, and barrel and in top condition so the core of the rifle is great. Ironically, I have an early model Howa 1500 .270 Win that is mint I'm selling on AL and a local sheriff's deputy is interested, so one Howa is out, another is in.

Appreciate any and all suggestions on where to take this project. Thanks.

[tdbru]

use your drill press with the easy out. use the press to push the tip of the easy out into the torx hole and turn the chuck counter clockwise by hand.

within 400 yards you'll be fine with most scopes w/o the rail. however on my mini howa 6.5 G 22" sporter i am running an aluminum EGW 20MOA rail anyway.

is your's the 20" HB or the 22" sporter or the 20" light weight? what do you intend to do with it? hunt? target shoot? some of both? if hunting, what size game? that will determine in a large part where to take the project. Mine's for hunting. so i try and keep it light and simple.

some folks like putting their mini action into a "Chassis" type stock. not my style entirely but i can see it's appeal.

contrats and have fun with it. Welcome to the Horde.
-tdbru

[wreckster84]

Mine is the 22" Standard version, non-threaded barrel. I'm considering it primarily for whitetail in the southeast with 123g projectiles; perhaps coyote/varmint with the lighter bullets. I'd love to have a Kryptek Typhon stock for it but I don't want to spend money on looks.

I was able to drill out the core of the screws with a very small bit in my press. Then I pressed a smaller torx driver T-6 into the hole and was able to twist what was left of the last screw out of the hole. Never touched the threads in the two holes. Whew!! I'll run a tap to clean out what was an unbelievable amount of thread lock all over the top of the receiver and coating the screws.

So just to be clear: the 20MOA rail will not over compensate if I were to go with a 100yd or PBR zero? I don't think I even know what the Point Blank Range is for a 123g SST. The farthest shot i would ever take will be 400 yds and even that would be rare.

My son as the 24" Howa 6mm CM in a chassis stock. That is one sweet rifle but not for carrying afield. Ringing steel at 600 yds is a hoot. As you said tdbru, that's not my thing either.

[tdbru]

wreckster84,

since i put my action into the B&C sporter, i have the factory stock i could sell you. it's one of those factory patterned ones.mini_howa_fctry.jpg

shoot me a pm if you're interested. i hope the image came through

-tdbru

[tdbru]

Wreckster84,
if the scope you pick has at least 20 moa in both directions vertically from center, you should be fine. that little 4X FXII leupold has 40 moa in both directions from center. and it only weighs 8 or 9 oz.

so you can keep the rail if you wish if your scope has say +/- 25 MOA from center you should be good to go. of course if you want to go with a different mount setup that's up to you too. enjoy the new mini Howa.

in my opinion the mini howa barreled action is the best of the mini bolt guns in 6.5 Grendel. the bottom "metal" however leaves a LOT to be desired. of course that's just my opinion.

-tdbru

[mafbloggerdanny]

I had problems with my 300 win mag because I used a 20 MOA base and was trying to zero at only 100 yards but my scope didn't have enough adjustment range to zero at only 100 yards. I had my elevation completely bottomed out and I was still hitting way high at the top of my target. I could have tried to set my zero at 200 or 300 yards and that would have worked or just buy a scope with more adjustment so I opted to get a new scope instead. I don't think a 20 MOA rail/base is ideal unless you plan to shoot out past 300 yards most of the time. But like others said, if you buy a higher quality scope that has lots of adjustment then you can compensate for that 20 MOA, but the adjustment is one of those annoying details that some scope manufacturers try to hide. I was using a Nikon scope that cost about $400 and I thought I was getting good quality and I didn't pay close attention to the adjustment range because I thought for the money I'm shelling out it has to be good. I was wrong. Pay attention to details when you're shopping!

Since you area already halfway into taking those screws out you might as well go all the way and I suggest you get a 0 MOA base. I just don't see the point of 20 MOA base unless you REALLY think you're going to be shooting out way long range a lot. But I think a lot of shooters set their rifles up thinking they're going to be shooting at 1000 yards and it's a fantasy they just end up at the range shooting 100 yards like most people end up doing.

[tdbru]

Check out Leupold. they always have had more than enough internal travel for 20MOA mounts/rails. I've got one of the FXII 4x33's on a 40MOA rail and it zeros just fine at 100. Leupold has and still does sell 20MOA "LR standard" bases. it would be dumb of a manufacturer to sell bases that their scopes couldn't handle, in my opinion. Probably why I've never had an issue with a 20 MOA mount / rail with a Leupold scope. And Leupold publishes the internal travel for each scope. check in the specifications. some have more, some less, but the specs are there for all to see.

-tdbru

[wreckster84]

Rings just showed up today, remounted the Vortex 4-12x40 for now. Will look at scope upgrade later but for what I have in it, I think it'll work nicely for whitetail.

[tdbru]

wreckster84,
here's a thought for whitetail hunting. once you insert the mag, run some duct tape across the bottom of the mag and up the sides to the top of the stock so that the mag is duct taped to the stock. you likely will not need more than 5+1 anyway, per deer, and the duct taped mag might help prevent inadvertent lost mags when out in the woods. just a thought. simple and cheap. when hunting is over, peel the tape and there is no permanent alterations. nice looking rig. good luck.
-tdbru.

[Laman]

If youu will do the modifications to reduce the depth of the magazine and shorten the mag. release, it makes the rifle much more user friendly. Those mods. are easily found on this site or youtube. I used my Mini extensivley last season in that configuration without any magazine drop incidents, in fact I began to enjoy the removable mag. for its ease of unloading the rifle. I am going to one of the floorplate mods. this season however primarily for the aesthetics of a slimmer profile.

[cwlongshot]

DUCT TAPE???? REALLY???? Come on... REALLY??? I dont think so.

DIP also sells a modified mag release that changes orientation and eliminates the inadvertent depressing of the mag release.


Duct tape REALLY???

As for the base. Do you understand the reasoning behind needing/wanting it? When you need to shoot at extreme distances your scope can run out of "up" adjustment. What this base does is in effect borrow or "steal" adjustment range from the other side Or the "down side" of the strada line... What it does at 100 or shorter distances is NOTHING INVISABLE! Its a Scope base. Plain and simple. Are ya gonna pull that 8cyl out cause ya only drive around town @ 35 mph??? NO ya just gonna drive!!

Stripped screws are bad for sure.

Good luck with your new Howa. I have same gun and she shoots under moa out past two hundred with a couple Loads and bullets. Auto Comp, Bench Mark and RL15 are favorites. And the cheap 123 SST & the 120 Gold Dot are stellar. But the 130 Sierra HP GK is a silent performer! I have a friend that loved the 129 accubonds and Benchmark.

The howa will allow longer oal and esp with that gold dot I have past 2700 fps. With zero pressure signs. BUT BUT BUT, know that is BEYOND design perimeters for use on game. I shot a very large deer with these broad side NEVER HIT A BONE. BULLET DID NOT EXIT!! On snow he went a ways ZERO BLOOD after impact and just before I found him. ONE bullet "fail" dosent make it a rule and the deer was 260+ live weight...

CW

[wreckster84]