Muleyfanatic
Active member
Nice lookin rifle.
Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle test drive
- Thread starter Big Fin
- Start date
dustinf
Active member
Sweet piece.
drahthaar
Active member
All I can say is WOW! I really like that rifle! I would like it with the 2.5-8 x 36 a little more though. Great caliber, I hope it gets to put a big ol blackie down.
WapitiBob
Well-known member
That last group looks close to 1" with only 20 shots, factory ammo, and a 20" factory gun. I'd be pleased with it any day. Neither my factory Rem nor my $1100 Kimber could get close to 1".
OKED
Active member
Any idea on a price of this rifle? I think i may need one!
sbhooper
Well-known member
I hope that you mean when they were brand new!
Finally pricing and optics combos (not Leupold as shown on mine) now available for the Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle.
Featuring these great components on the Howa 1500 barrel and action:
5.7 lbs for Rifle Only
6.7 lbs for Scoped Combo
Available as Rifle Only or as a VORTEX Scoped Combo. (Mine has a different scope combo, for the obvious reasons)
Rifle Only - MSRP $1,199
Scoped Combo MSRP $1,499
UPC Item # Description
682146368901 HMR33143+ .308 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Only
682146368925 HMR33143+VX .308 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Talley Vortex Viper Pkg
682146368918 HMR36743+ 7mm-08 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Only
682146368932 HMR36743+VX 7mm-08 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Talley Vortex Viper Pkg
Limited Availability – starting in August 2014
Taking Orders Now .. Contact your Howa dealer for orders.
Featuring these great components on the Howa 1500 barrel and action:
5.7 lbs for Rifle Only
6.7 lbs for Scoped Combo
- HOWA 1500 - lwt 20 “ barreled action for reliable accuracy and strength
- CERAKOTE - Tough Barrel and Action for the ultimate weather and finish protection
- VORTEX Viper – 3-9x40 scope with BDC reticle
- Talley –1oz rings and base out of 7000 series alloy
- Pillar bedded –for maximum stability between the action and stock
- H.A.C.T. - Two Stage Match Trigger set at 3 lbs
- High Tech Ultimate LWT Stock –OD Textured finish. Superb Strength &
- Durability, unbelievably strong without excessive weight.
- Pachmayr – Decelorator butt pad
- ATI Ammo Boost – 5 rd detachable mag / traditional floor plate included in the box
- Initial Calibers Available - 308 / 7mm-08
Available as Rifle Only or as a VORTEX Scoped Combo. (Mine has a different scope combo, for the obvious reasons)
Rifle Only - MSRP $1,199
Scoped Combo MSRP $1,499
UPC Item # Description
682146368901 HMR33143+ .308 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Only
682146368925 HMR33143+VX .308 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Talley Vortex Viper Pkg
682146368918 HMR36743+ 7mm-08 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Only
682146368932 HMR36743+VX 7mm-08 Alpine Howa Mtn Rifle Talley Vortex Viper Pkg
Limited Availability – starting in August 2014
Taking Orders Now .. Contact your Howa dealer for orders.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
Not a bad MSRP for a rig with those components.
The prototype I was sent to test drive has been "driven." Lots of great results in the field; Mountain Goat, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, with more mule deer and wolves to come this season.
I was sent a .308 Win and I hope to get some "bench time" with that one. I am sure it will become as accurate my 7mm-.08 is. And given the weight, it will be a great elk rifle for the times I am interested in less weight in my hands.
I do have a question for you gun nuts.
I've always looked at the 6.5 Creedmoor as a great possibility built on the .308 Win case. Howa has started discussions about how well that chambering would be received by hunters. I love all that the .264 bullet has as options and performance. Yet, I wonder if hunters would opt for a 7mm-.08 over the 6.5 Creedmoor, and if so, reasons for such choice.
No right or wrong answers, just looking for feedback and input about the 6.5 as a hunting round from those who have used it for such.
Also, if you want to order one of the Alpine Mountain Rifles, the best place to find inventory is Davidson's Gallery of Guns.
I was sent a .308 Win and I hope to get some "bench time" with that one. I am sure it will become as accurate my 7mm-.08 is. And given the weight, it will be a great elk rifle for the times I am interested in less weight in my hands.
I do have a question for you gun nuts.
I've always looked at the 6.5 Creedmoor as a great possibility built on the .308 Win case. Howa has started discussions about how well that chambering would be received by hunters. I love all that the .264 bullet has as options and performance. Yet, I wonder if hunters would opt for a 7mm-.08 over the 6.5 Creedmoor, and if so, reasons for such choice.
No right or wrong answers, just looking for feedback and input about the 6.5 as a hunting round from those who have used it for such.
Also, if you want to order one of the Alpine Mountain Rifles, the best place to find inventory is Davidson's Gallery of Guns.
Has the Creedmore made the .260 extinct? I've always been a big fan of the .260, but it seems like everyone's going with the creedmore now. In my head the .260 was always the hunting round, and the Creedmore was the target round. Not sure if that's actually true of not, and they're essentially the same chambering.
If I were to splurge on one I'd probably go with a 6.5 caliber over a 7.
fishing4sanity
Well-known member
The 6.5 Creedmoor does have a rapidly expanding user group. The ballistics for both the 7 & 6.5 bullets are good, but I'd give the nod to the 6.5 in ballistics. That will probably be a "Ford vs Chevy" or "Ford vs Nissan" on ballistics superiority though. I don't want to advocate long-range shooting at live critters, but when it comes to steel targets at long-range I see a lot of guys using the various 6.5s. I'd like to see the Howa available in both chamberings, currently I don't have a 7mm-08 so if I buy a Howa Alpine it will be that just because I've got the 6.5s covered.
Randy- as a self professed non sniper (I think you have claimed that previously), how accurate was your Howa setup? I feel like my shooting abilities are similar to yours and wondered if you could add to your Howa endorsement.
I'm not the Randy you intended this for, and I am most certainly not the gun loonie/shooter that can give a fair analysis on a rifle, but when I borrowed Fin's Howa before the goat hunt, I was getting right at 1"-1.25" groups with the gun. My brother is much more of a range shooter than I and if I remember right he was able to shrink that group to just under an inch.
For how lightweight of a set up the gun is, I was very happy with it's accuracy. Out of my personal guns I need to go to my ten pound rifle to get better accuracy than that.
Fin also had a very nice scope and trigger on his, so I'm sure that didn't hurt anything.
I guess you will get differing opinions as to what defines "accurate." This rifle is easily under 1 MOA, which for the precisionists is 1.047" at 100 yards. All of that is based on bench shooting under ideal conditions. Groups of three will consistently hold at less than 1 MOA, even with the limited talent I bring to the trigger. Others have shot it and smile with the results.
I admit to not being a long bomber. Yet, I want my rifles/scope/ammo to provide the best possible performance to make up for my limited talent. This rifle is way more accurate than I am.
In my one "post-break in" bench session with the new .308 Win in this same Alpine Mountain Rifle, I put the first shot through a very clean barrel. The next two were touching each other. The next groups were all very tight; with tight being less than 1". Impressive to me, for a rifle at this weight and barrel length. I don't expect to have the same result as one could have with a heavy rifle built for the bench.
The prototype I've been using 7mm-.08 and has taken a Mountain Goat at 290 yards. Impact was maybe an inch or two from the hold. That was with a guest hunter on the trigger; Randy11. It took a pronghorn at 270 yards. Impact was as close to desired as my talent allows. It took a mule deer this weekend at 385 yards. Impact was about two inches high. All of those were under field conditions.
I suspect if people shoot one that is set up properly, they will be intrigued. The trigger is excellent. The balance is great, which is should be for a short action rifle.
We will have another guest hunter using it in Nevada next month. I suspect he will deliver similar results.
Not sure that answers your question. Since I do not proclaim to be a sniper-quality marksman, I usually don't go into the extreme detail that some of the really good riflemen can leverage for extreme accuracy. I can assure you that I shoot A LOT; ammo is free for me. It is as accurate as any rifle I have ever owned.
Edit: I see Randy11 was posting as I was replying.
belly-deep
Active member
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- Oct 31, 2009
- Messages
- 3,459
There has been a definite popularity surge in 6.5 mms.
Most of it seems to be fueled by the long range shooting crowd.
Personally, I don't see that particular rifle appealing to the 6.5 market. That's not to say it wouldn't ride the wave a bit, so to speak.
Personally, I think 6.5s are great. I own a couple of them, including a .260
But to me, that rifle has western hunting written all over it, which means elk and mule deer. In that case, I'd rather have a 7mm or 30 cal.
belly-deep
Active member
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Additionally, 20" barrel was a big mistake by Howa, IMO.
gman82001
Member
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2011
- Messages
- 357
.260 rem and I would of already bought it
belly-deep
Active member
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- Oct 31, 2009
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- 3,459
And Davidsons is listing a .243....
I think a 260 or the creadmore would be excellent!! There area lot of people who whish Tikka would offer a 6.5 in the T-3 light. Those folks could find what they are looking for in the Howa then. It would also make a nice deer, antelope round for smaller built hunters.
