Howa/ruger/CZ pros and cons

[Redleg11B]

Had the option for a Ruger Predator or a Howa Mini with the sporter barrel. I would have preferred an 18" midweight threaded barrel on the Howa action. Trigger is better on the Howa too. I had a Ranch 5.56, and while handi, I was also not a fan of the magazine protruding. The 7.62x39 Ruger Ranch I had with 5 round mini'30 mags was nicer in that regard. In fact, I hadn't even run rounds through the factory Howa mag before I ordered a Jeffrson Outdoor hinged bottom metal conversion. I am very happy with it. I like the stock on the Ruger better (thinner and slightly more rigid).

I had a CZ527 in 22 Hornet, and one in 223. I loved the set trigger, hated the mags. They were good rifles, but weren't perfect enough to keep when the chips were down years ago.

Wish list to do it again: 18" threaded 5/8x24 barrel, BDL floorplate from the factory or a reliable flush fit DBM, more rigid stock (wood and a matte stainless action and barrel would be perfect).

[Stinky Coyote]

Browning perhaps? Lets go. Be nice to see some quality options other than these three we fight over now. Be nice to see first stainless one.

Ruger, bolt doesn't lock down on safe. Otherwise it's perfect for the money, no smithing required, the working mans option. Shoot good, robust, good trigger, good stock good bottom end/magazine (and two options to boot -AR/Mini).

Howa, 3 position safety and bolt locks down, same with CZ bolt locks down on safe. The CZ safety backwards from recollection. Howa safety knob itself is stamped with no grip, it's awful. The push feed is okay but needs light tension from round underneath to feed and eject smoothly. It's scaled nicely but can't get stainless and the stock, and the bottom plastic and horrendous magazine are Mattel plastic garbage that doesn't suit the quality of metal at all. To get a howa the same all around as the ruger you need to replace stock and bottom end...then value is completely lost as it costs way more than ruger.

The CZ is a gem that only wears in, but my American needed pillar bedding, then polish the action with cycling and jb bore compound, then polish feed lips of magazine, and the cz is annoyingly short on rear of action so short eye relief scopes look best on it, the howa almost the same, leupold 4x33 is short enough, but the 3-9x33 ultralight is perfect, also was hard to find low enough rings for the cz, I think it was Warne or millet had the lowest 'medium' of all the mediums. Love the cz American but it took the most work and thought to set up properly, the highest quality one and worthy though...still no stainless.

The ruger ends up being my winner by a lot of defaults when choosing from the 3. It offers most function and value with least amount of fuss, literally out of the box kitchen table build, maybe polish bottom of bolt yourself and take a couple coils off the spring of the AR mags as bolt actions don't need that extra pressure the gas guns like. Just minor to help snickity snick up that feeding a bit on the first rounds from the mag.

But a ruger Hawkeye stainless (walnut with red recoil pad), or like their old m77 boat paddle 7.62x39 stainless with better stock than boat paddle and in grendel are things I dream about. Also sako XS action, again, stainless finnlight or carbon would be others I've dreamt of in grendel.

And if browning wants to see it's first green from my wallet...build the nice x-bolts off that .223 length action and the hunting models I've seen with the bronze cerekote and those little carbon stock bad boys...yup, that would get my attention.

Kimber montana variants in stainless be nice one in grendel with shortened action, actually be perfect but can't see them going shorter than a standard short action. Do they have .223's?

20" pipes please. If you do the theme for this cartridge do it all the way through. Legacy sports with the howa mini couldn't get anything right, can't even bring stainless to maybe the largest market for rifles going yet offer it in markets they must only sell so few (Australia etc.), would like to see them disappear from this earth for their ineptness lol.

Detach mags, if browning may be able to get 5 in the flush rotary eh? That'd be sick. Sako 85 XS would easily see 5-6 in their flush fit amazing magazines. Can't see sako playing but that really would be the pinnacle, they have sweet actions and bottom ends and finish/fit/detail at the top of food chain. So I hope who you're talking to offers that next level of rifle quality over the stuff we're getting now. The 6.5 Grendel is a worthy cartridge!

Won't be interested in anything savage and pretty sure Remington is dead right? Stainless 700's or 7's on the .223 length action would be a volume builders option back in the day but feel like they are dead. Don't know enough about barret field craft but thought I saw they were gonna release one at shot show one year, nice little stainless number, got excited about that then military contracts took over perhaps and they got too busy fulfilling those to carry on?

And tikka t3x lite stainless would be sweet also, whatever formula they have is a good one! Just can't hold breath on the fin's to get with cartridges in timely fashion. And the super short case in the full length action is annoying, I've had several .204's but the long blocked magazines just don't work for the shorties, awesome rifles for longer cartridges.

Whew, that was a mouthful. Hope that helps.

edit, when people new to game ask advice on what to get for all round hunting set up, rifle/scope/cartridge...I tell them tikka t3x lite stainless in 6.5 Creedmoor, Trijicon accupoint 3-9x40 green (either mil or duplex). Likely the most future proof buy once and never need anything again set up. try to develop something that could earn that sort of recommendation I guess

[Stinky Coyote]

A few years ago, before George Floyd, Covid, BLM riots all over, I had a really funny feeling it was time to start doing some buying. One of my "PPE" buys was a Ruger Ranch in 6.5 Grendel. I restocked it with a Boyd's AT-1 stock. It took some modification to work like they said it should. I had to buy longer bolts, the ones they sent would even reach the action. I had to open up the barrel channel so it would free float, rework the mag release and adjust the comb of the stock so the bolt would open, all of which Boyd's said I was wrong on.

In the end, I ended up with this. I had also purchased four 200 round plastic ammo cans of the Hornady American Gunner ammo. 123 Match HP, which they no longer make. I have only shot this ammo out of it and am just getting around to reloading for it. I hope the 3 pictures show up.

With factory ammo, it will shoot 3/4 MOA groups all day long, 5 round or ten round groups.

Love the gun, will take standard A/R Grendel mags, have a whole bunch of 25 rounds that work off of this gun, no issues but too cumbersome with long mags. Only issue now is all the sharp corners in the stock and mags, not a comfortable gun to carry.

Also purchased 2 more in 5.56 and 300 BLK, with the same stocks, I am a glutton for punishment, in different colors. All Mag loaded rifles in my safe are color coded with magazines for easy grab and go.[ATTACH=CONFIG]19525[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]19526[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]19527[/ATTACH]

Ya I learned the Boyd's lesson also, put the factory stock back on and sell that one. They are tanks. I put one zombie green 'AT-One' like that on my cz to fit the kids at one point, it came in over 3/4's lb heavier than the factory stock...total tank, chunky, sharp edges everywhere. My poor wallet. I still have it I think, it's brand spanking new, up in Canada though. Good for the bench rigs, American inlet though.

Or, go mdt chassis, 2 point sling, strike industries buffer tube, magpul ctr butt stock, magpul moe-k grip, add 3 slot rail for the baldr o-light mini light/laser, and a much lighter optic to have your zombie defence set up much better than the Boyds option and that Hubble telescope. You'll be right around 8 1/4 lbs all up if you only add a 1" tube scope in the 3-9 range, you can ditch the rail for talley rings and save 2 ounces. Ask me how I know all this? the pistol grip chassis are made for two point sling carry, it's very AR esq. just not semi-automatic but sure looks like an AR.

[JASmith]

Encourage a 2.4" (or a tad longer) magazine with the SAAMI throat.

- - - adds a huge amount of flexibility!

[SDguy]

I have only tried the CZ 527 bolt action & have loved for a lot of years now. With CZ 527 off the market there is defiantly room for another option. Not sure what to think on the 600. History has not been kind to the CZ600 thus far, IMHO.

Longer mag would defiantly have potential benefits. Not sure which would sell better 6mm ARC or 6.5 Grendel. Why choose, lets see both

[kmon]

A build on one of the mini-Mauser actions is cool for a control round feed guy. I thought about going that route for my one boltaction Grendel before anyone was manufacturing them but went with CZ 527 in 7.62X39 rebarreled with an Obermeyer 22 inch barrel, if I ever replace that barrel it will be with 18 or 20 inch tube.

Of the current basically 2 choices I would am not sure as I like some things about the Ruger and Howa but have some dislikes as well and doubt either would see much use without modifications.

Something on a Kimber 84 with the action shortened by about .4 inch and throated like Mr. Smith said would be sweet.

At one time it was common for gunsmiths to take 2 rifles and make a longer action from 2 Mausers or 03s when they were cheap for longer cartridges and were left with short pieces of 2 actions. I have one made from part Mauser and part 03 sized perfectly to work with Remington 788 Mags for the 44 Mag. Neat light weight little rifle for short range hunting. These days I see "custom" rifles that are more or less high end action from a manufacture that makes them with a high end barrel in an ordered stock and call that custom which I have been looked at strange for calling them kit guns.

[Sammy]

Few things to consider:

* Make it lightweight!
* 3+ lugs to enable shorter throws. 90-degree throws are old news.
* Control round feed
* integrated tang
* compatible with Remington 700 triggers.
* Accept STANAG mags. In other words: no proprietary magazines, pleeease!
* Howa Mini(or something else that's popular) dimensions so we can use existing stocks!
* no integrated piccatini but with the ability to mount scope rings or piccatini rails as needed.
* replaceable bolt face
* offer barrel length choices(16,18,20,24, and 26) and calibers(5.56, 6.5 Grendel, 6 ARC, and 6 Dasher)

If they did that, I'd buy at least three of them! 6.5 Grendel in 20" for hunting, 6 Dasher in 26" for competition, and 5.56 in 16 for truck/plinking gun.

[SDguy]

Ok Recently purchased my first Howa mini, happens to be chambered in 6mm ARC. Now I was a lot biased going in to this as I have favored the CZ 527 for a lot of years now. Suppose due to lack of a CZ527 on the market & just wanted to be able to compare with first hand knowledge. So How do I like the Howa?

While I'm of the opinion this is currently the best mini action bolt rifle currently on the US market offered as a new rifle. My experience with the Howa is mixed. Went in to this expecting issues with the Mag & that was easier to swallow when it happened as it was expected. What surprised me was the lac of focus on deburing the bolt face in the extractor groove location.I have contacted howa with no response as of yet. the way this bolt was shaving the brass was disgraceful IMHO. I have little doubt that I can fix the issue. Though I am very disappointed in how the ball was dropped on this one.

Early experience with the factory barrel is favorable. Seems to have real potential in terms of accuracy & the bore seems very consistent &easy to clean for a factory barrel.

[Stinky Coyote]

if Canadian market is fully considered, then proprietary magazines are good, like howa, even though I hate their magazine due to cheap and oversized plus had reliability issues for me, but for us if it's a magazine that is designed for and used in semi-auto anything then it's likely to already be banned or on the list to be, so hinged floor plate options and detach mag options proprietary like a lot of regular hunting rifles already do...

watch that action length regarding scope spacing, not hard to get too short and have scopes turrets bumping up against the front ring, and if chassis build also make sure the trigger reach is proper, ie; howa in a chassis your finger wraps half way around trigger...can only do howa with really long front to back AR grip (ergo slim with thumb tang is what I had to use), so get all the standard fits and measures and placements correct to most successful rifles