Anyone rebarreled a Howa?

[Justabirdwatcher]

I have a Howa 1500 Kuiu with the featherweight barrel that I wish was a little better shooter. I've tried quite a few different loads in it and I'm not real happy with the results (1.25-1.75" on average).

Has anyone here had a 1500 Howa rebarreled? If so, what was your experience?

Thanks.

 

[mtmuley]

Sell it. mtmuley

 

[Brandon270]

Sell it. mtmuley

Agreed, if you've checked scope/mount and action screws it's time to let it go.

 

[LuketheDog]

I have a Howa 1500 Kuiu with the featherweight barrel that I wish was a little better shooter. I've tried quite a few different loads in it and I'm not real happy with the results (1.25-1.75" on average).

Has anyone here had a 1500 Howa rebarreled? If so, what was your experience?

Thanks.

I have a Howa 1500, it shot pretty well when I first got it, then I put a good stock on it and it shot much better...

 

[RevJim]

My old gunsmith was always tinkering around with actions/barrels, etc. I traded him a rifle he was interested in and I got a Vanguard ( Howa action) reworked trigger, that he had rebarreled with a #4 Magnum Sporter (fluted) "Gain Twist" ( 30-10), 27", braked and chambered in 338 RUM. It had an inline magazine you loaded from the bottom ( drop the floorplate, dump them in) It was set in someone's laminated Wby style stock, Pepper, maybe one of "the ugliest" rifles I ever owned, but it shot like crazy! ha In fact, I called it "Ol Ugly". (eye of the beholder, right?) I ended up taking it to West Tx for Aoudad. I worked up a load with the 180NAB going 3500fps. Man it was flat shooting! I killed a 32" ram right at 250yds off (off shooting sticks, ala Africa) one and done. The outfitter was so impressed he offered me $1100 for it. I accepted, of course. ha

At one time ( if not now) I think they were "Metric" threaded actions, being made in Japan. Any gunsmith worth his salt can make about anything you want from a Howa, and shoot like you desire! Go for it Pard!

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

My old gunsmith was always tinkering around with actions/barrels, etc. I traded him a rifle he was interested in and I got a Vanguard ( Howa action) reworked trigger, that he had rebarreled with a #4 Magnum Sporter (fluted) "Gain Twist" ( 30-10), 27", braked and chambered in 338 RUM. It had an inline magazine you loaded from the bottom ( drop the floorplate, dump them in) It was set in someone's laminated Wby style stock, Pepper, maybe one of "the ugliest" rifles I ever owned, but it shot like crazy! ha In fact, I called it "Ol Ugly". (eye of the beholder, right?) I ended up taking it to West Tx for Aoudad. I worked up a load with the 180NAB going 3500fps. Man it was flat shooting! I killed a 32" ram right at 250yds off (off shooting sticks, ala Africa) one and done. The outfitter was so impressed he offered me $1100 for it. I accepted, of course. ha

At one time ( if not now) I think they were "Metric" threaded actions, being made in Japan. Any gunsmith worth his salt can make about anything you want from a Howa, and shoot like you desire! Go for it Pard!

I'm actually looking pretty hard at the pre-fit barrels, with a nut, so I can swap or replace later on if I decide to. There are now several barrel mfg's that make pre-fits for Howa. Haven't decided which one though. I like the stock and action so much that I'm willing to just replace the barrel. I don't really want to buy a whole new rifle.

 

[JLS]

Asking because I don’t know, but can you bed the action and add pillars on those?

 

[HandgunHunter]

A good quality laminated or fiberglass stock plus bedding will help a lot.

I have rebarreled a few.....won’t be doing anymore.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

A good quality laminated or fiberglass stock plus bedding will help a lot.

I have both.

Why won't you be rebarreling anymore?

 

[p_ham]

I have both.

Why won't you be rebarreling anymore?

On most American lathes, metric threads suck to cut.

 

[HandgunHunter]

I have both.

Why won't you be rebarreling anymore?

The truing process with those actions was a pain in the rear. Mainly just due to set up.

I don’t want to build special fixtures for an action I will rarely see.

Bedding and a quality stock should help shrink your groups. A new crown is also a plus.

 

[HandgunHunter]

On most American lathes, metric threads suck to cut.

I can just select the threads....metric or tpi

 

[p_ham]

I can just select the threads....metric or tpi

Mine too. It's a great option to have isn't it?

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

The truing process with those actions was a pain in the rear. Mainly just due to set up.

I don’t want to build special fixtures for an action I will rarely see.

Bedding and a quality stock should help shrink your groups. A new crown is also a plus.

Already have a quality stock that is bedded. The pencil barrel probably doesn't help though. I'm looking at a heavier profile fluted replacement barrel.

 

[iaengineer]

In a former job I had the opportunity to take apart and measure about every common gun. I was very impressed at the Howa the variations between rifles was by far the smallest of any production rifle at the time. I was also working on action wrenches and vises so I took the barrels off of most of them. All of the Howa's I could swap barrels and they headspaced perfect. If I remember right they even timed the threads the lettering even lined up. I remember I swap several onto my vanguard action and the lettering lined up. I have several barrels for my vanguard. I swap them all the time no ugly barrel nut I find most rifles shoot better with barrel snug instead of tight. I remember the first one i threaded on my old lathe. I had it really close and wiped out the thread on the last cut. Metric threads sucked on that lathe.

I always wondered why more people didn't build custom rifles from Howa actions. I would say re-barrel it. Unless something has changed with how they are manufactured in my opinion truing a Howa action is a waste of time.

 

[6mm Remington]

I feel that as others have suggested that if you have the action bedded and possibly pillar bedded as well, that would likely help. A gunsmith should be able to look at the crown also to see if it needs to be done and cleaned up. I had a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle in 280 Remington that typically shot into 3/4" groups at 100 yards. It was bedded and the trigger was adjusted by my gunsmith to a sharp crisp 3#. What I found with a light rifle such as this that is was very important for me to make sure that I used proper technique and follow through on my shots to get it to group tightly. The rifle shot very well, but it also required more out of me to make it happen. Make sure your form is good and is consistent between shots as to how you are holding the rifle and how tightly you are holding it. All of these will factor in to what kind of groups you will be able to get. Letting the barrel cool between shots was also important. I hope this helps.

You did not say what cartridge it is chambered for. I'm curious?

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

In a former job I had the opportunity to take apart and measure about every common gun. I was very impressed at the Howa the variations between rifles was by far the smallest of any production rifle at the time. I was also working on action wrenches and vises so I took the barrels off of most of them. All of the Howa's I could swap barrels and they headspaced perfect. If I remember right they even timed the threads the lettering even lined up. I remember I swap several onto my vanguard action and the lettering lined up. I have several barrels for my vanguard. I swap them all the time no ugly barrel nut I find most rifles shoot better with barrel snug instead of tight. I remember the first one i threaded on my old lathe. I had it really close and wiped out the thread on the last cut. Metric threads sucked on that lathe.

I always wondered why more people didn't build custom rifles from Howa actions. I would say re-barrel it. Unless something has changed with how they are manufactured in my opinion truing a Howa action is a waste of time.

Nothing you wrote surprises me. I believe from my casual knowledge of working on rifles over the years that Howa and Tikka are both made to very exacting standards considering their affordable price. I had a buddy who wanted to rebarrel his tikka. I happened to have a barrel vise and action wrench handy, so just for grins I spun on a barrel he bought for almost nothing off Ebay and it headspaced perfectly. Lettering didn't "quite" line up exactly but it was close. First group with that Ebay barrel was in the 0.75" range with ELD-X factory ammo. Cheapest barrel swap I've ever seen, aside I guess from some of the guys who do Savages.

Now that several companies are doing Howa/Vanguard prefits, I think I'm going to get a #3 contour pre-fit and have it fluted to save some weight. That way I can swap it with the barrel nut if I want to change calibers or barrel contours someday.

 

[Bubbs398]

I've owned close to a dozen Howa's and all of them shoot MOA or better with several 1/2MOA or better.

I bought a used Alpine model in 6.5 and was working through trying to find the factory round it liked.

I'm not yet into handloading but someday. Anyhow, I found it I'd say.


If it were me, I'd keep testing and rebarrel only if all else is exhausted.

 

[Justabirdwatcher]

I can get that kind of result with 3-shot groups from 120 TSX's. But I was hoping too find something that would carry a little more energy at 400+ in case I needed it someday.

 

[Bubbs398]

Gotcha. 143 eldx fared pretty well just under MOA for me. I still have others to try too.