Thread: Howa Mini owners opinions

Originally Posted by Hiawatha

I have posted on this in other threads. I have a mini stainless 7.62x39. Have killed a lot of big game with it and out to 250m. I would pick that every day over the blackout but if you want to use subbies then go blackout and use Le Highs. Trouble then is the twist rate though in the factory offering I think. I use the 123gn SST. Great little bullet at slower speeds. Mine is a 14 inch barrel in a CF stock. Weight all up is under 5 pounds with scope and ammo. I run a Leupold 1.5 - 5 x20. Great wee scope. Rifle shoots sub inch at 100m. The Howa minis are let down greatly by the magazine and the terrible big heavy Hogue stock. Fix these and you have a great wee rifle. If you don't you may as well carry around a standard 308 as there is no advantage in having the mini. Howa have taken an awesome concept that could have been the modern Sako vixen and cheapened and stuffed it. As I said I have a CF stock and I cut the magazine down to 3 shots and the release down too. It works really well. The ali chassis options aren't light either. I am going to buy a floor plate. Hope this helps.

Cheers

@Hiawatha

Why would you pick the 7.62x39 over the blackout? I thought their supersonic ballistic performance was pretty similar?

The Howa 300 blackout is 1:7 twist from what I have read so I thought that would be fine for 120ish grain supersonics out of something like a 12" barrel? or are you meaning the twist rate in the 7.62x39 is an issue?