Howa Mini Action Rifle

[Phaedrus/69]

Does anyone here have a Howa Mini Action rifle? Howa has always made nice rifles but the newest offerings in the Mini have me excited (namely 7.62x39 and 6.5 Grendel). I've been thinking of a 6.5 CM but really the 6.5 Grendel is probably a better choice for me. I don't hunt but I want something to plink with and to dip my toes into the world of med/long range shooting. The Grendel is less potent than the Creedmoor but also less recoil and carries plenty of oomph for 500 yards and less. Another big difference that interests me is the fact that you can get steel cased 6.5 G ammo for around $.20 a pop! The steel cased Wolf stuff probably isn't anywhere close to match grade but a few reviews indicate that it shoots under 2 MOA in the Howa; plenty good for plinking.

The Mini in 7.62x39 is also appealing, for similar reasons. It would be a good hunting round for anything I might hunt (with hogs or mule deer being the upper end) and a good round for killing pop cans since there's a metric crapload of dirt-cheap steel cases import ammo for it. The reviews claim it's a pretty accurate rifle with brass cased high quality ammo, too.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I have a Mini in .223. Several others here have Mini's also. I don't hunt anymore and I'm limited to a 220 yard range so a Grendel wouldn't do me a lot of good. The .223 works best for me because I reload and range brass is free. If I had a 500 yd range I would have a Grendel for sure. I see several companies offering the rifles or upper conversions from 5.56 to Grendel. It won't be long until every AR rifle mfg will offer a Grendel and brass will be littering the range like 5.56.

Depending on where and what you hunt either the 7.62 or the Grendel would be my choice. If it were hogs and whitetail I would go with 7.62. If mule deer I would buy a Grendel.

The rifle I purchased is a solid no frills 1 moa shooter with my loads. The stock is ugly as sin but works because it is cut to allow the barrel to free float. The forward magazine catch will drop your mags shooting from a bag if you bump it. They need to fix that. I put a Harris bipod on mine so I don't have that problem anymore.

These are nice rifles for the money. Go buy yourself one and be happy.

 

[Newtosavage]

I think the hardest thing for you will be to choose which caliber. I don't see how you can go wrong with either. For me it would be easy since I already have a 7.62x39, so I'd get the 6.5!

Good luck and let us know how you like it when you get one!

 

[CB900F]

Phaedrous;

I have no experience with the Howa mini series, but did have a Charles Daly (Zastava) mini-Mauser. That gun went down the road because the rear bridge was unable to adequately support the bolt when the bolt was all the way to the rear. That meant that the bolt was not always able to properly pick up the new cartridge out of the magazine. This resulted in many-many fail to feeds & jams.

I'm not saying the Howa has that problem, but I'd certainly check for it before I laid my money down. It's a real PITA situation when it happens. In my case, the gun that replaced it was a CZ527, but that gun is available in left hand bolt & I don't believe the Howa is. Or at least wasn't at the time. Otherwise the Howa certainly would have been in contention as a replacement.

900F

 

[bikemutt]

Phaedrous, I've got the mini action in 6.5 Grendel, I really like it so far. I've kinda gone over the top with mine.

MDT LSS chassis
Timney trigger
Sent to Long Rifles, Inc. to have barrel threaded.
APA Little Bastard 6.5 brake.
It's wearing a Hawke Sport Optic 5-30x50 scope in Vortex rings on split Rem 700-style mounts.

I'm still working up hand loads for it, the signs are encouraging. If I do my part sub-MOA is common. Here's a picture of the beast.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

That's a beauty! Does it run well? Does it feed reliably from the magazines?

 

[bikemutt]

That's a beauty! Does it run well? Does it feed reliably from the magazines?

It runs like a Swiss watch

It feeds every round I've run from the magazine, including my reloads which are SAAMI specification maximum COL of 2.260".

The only issue I had was the combination of MDT chassis and Timney trigger required using a Dremel to grind out a small area inside the chassis so the safety lever functioned properly. The chassis by itself works fine with the OEM HACT trigger, the Timney is designed for the full size action so there was a small area of interference. I never did try the Timney with the OEM stock to know if it would have safety interference issues.

As far as barrel threading goes, Long Rifles, Inc. did have to make a mini-action specific tool in order to remove and reinstall the barrel. That added a bit of time for the procedure but now they have the tool their threading turnaround should be no different than for any other barreled action.

I think Warne makes a one-piece scope base for the mini-action, I just couldn't find one for sale anywhere which is why I went with a two-piece. Any two-piece compatible with the Howa 1500 action will work.

 

[CoalTrain49]

Bikemutt

That stock should keep the bags off of your mag release.

My next mod will probably be a new stock. I like Boyds Hunters as I have one on my Ruger. I'm not sure they have built any for the Howa mini yet, I'll have to call them to make sure.

It would have been nice if Howa had offered that Grendel with a varmint barrel. I guess that's what I want in my next rifle, a heavy barrel.

I like what you did to your rifle.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Nice! Have you used any of the cheap steel cased ammo in it or do you only run brass? It seems like just for plinking the Wolf stuff would be a good option.