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HOWA .308


t.t

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I purchased a Howa 1500 varmint in .308 with a Boyds thumb hole stock. With a 24" heavy barrel.

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I tried to make 155gr amax bullets work through it with a lot of head stoving momements :blink: with varget powder at 44.5gr i managed to get a group of 0.24" @ 100 yds. This i thought was awesome!! so i chrony'd it and got 2740fps with 4 out of 5 duplicate speeds :)

just getting better so i thought. Then decided to test it at range.

i collected all my data and set out my targets, 100YDS still awesome 200 yds not to bad with just over moa but out to 350 yds well in a word shite!!! i put this down to my ability on the day.

at the next go when i set out my targets and went to fire my 3 shots at 100 yds I found my zero had moved??? was even worse the futher I went. I needed to think about this.

After reading alot about rifles etc reloading bedding etc etc on this and other sites i got intouch with Ronin on here to see if he would bed my rifle and he agreed. So off down the road to see it would improve my factory stick. Had a good natter with Andy and learnt abit more. When I got my rifle back and a great job was done by Andy on my rifle. i decided to go for a different bullet and my choice was the berger vld 168gr.

now went through the process of working up a load for my rifle but hit a problem with the OAL of my rounds as the were having to be seated well back off the lands because of my mag length. I made them max length i could to fit in the mag to see if i could get a group as did not really want to single feed.

To my amazment i got a 3 shot group of 0.440-.308=.132 well chuffed!!!

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With more bullets made up back of to the fell where i shoot to chrony and try at range. The chrony went an average of 2639fps with a diff of 30fps between HI and low velocity then zero'd the rifle and got all my data together. i shot a clay at 505 yds with my second shot so things were lookin great but had no time to try outat range on paper.

Today i went back out with the rifle to test on paper out to 350yds. with target boards out and ranges confirmed the 100yd was smack on! so no movement on my zero :) now out to 350yd a 3 shot group give me a group of 1.58" in a wind of 3-7mph

A factory rifle now shooting sub 0.5moa simply amazing, just need to get back out and try even further now.............

I'd like to thank Ronin for making such a great job on my rifle and for his advice Cheers my friend much apreciated.

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nice looking rifle there mate.im hearing alot of good things about the howa's. looks like u have a good one there. Where u from in cumbria?

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Hi,

 

I'm not surprised about the Howa. I supplied 3 to the OSM at Bisley a few years ago (.223/.243/.308), stainless varmint models. The .223 and .308 will shoot sub moa with cheap surplus ammo. The .243 will shoot sub 1/2 moa with handloads, look out for it on the McQueen firing line during the Imperial. The only modifications needed were a bit of trigger tuning and the fitting of bipods and some cheapish Deben scopes. The only fly in the ointment was dealing with Highland Outdoors, they have to be one of the most difficult suppliers within the gun trade. Best of luck and plenty of fun with your new acquisition,

 

Alan

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without wanting to highjack the thread, isn't this testament to the improved manufacturing techniques and materials that modern rifles as made with and from? My (uneducated) guess would be that in a few years (if not happening already), well made factory rifles will give performance capable of challenging that of a much more expensive custom rifle...

 

best wishes,

 

Finman

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without wanting to highjack the thread, isn't this testament to the improved manufacturing techniques and materials that modern rifles as made with and from? My (uneducated) guess would be that in a few years (if not happening already), well made factory rifles will give performance capable of challenging that of a much more expensive custom rifle...

 

best wishes,

 

Finman

 

It is already happening now, issue is as with all mass manufacture you get a few wrong uns- less common were there is a real person checking, double checking and taking thier time over things

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