Thread: howa mini vs howa 1500 observations 223rem

I bought a new howa mini light weight profile toward the end of last year, immediately hated the factory stock but stuck with it for a while, factory 20" barrel shot very very well with fiocchi 55gn sp chrono'd at 2863fps (S.D of 20fps over about 20 shots) shot well under MOA 3 shot groups, but just couldn't get on with the chunky factory stock and lack of anything that wasn't a chassis or more than than the cost of the original rifle frustrated me.
So I sold the mini and bought a cancelled export order Howa 1500 fitted with a ridiculously long 1:8 twist 26" Hardy match barrel in a Walnut stock. It was cheap and Hardys were actually really great to deal with, I shot the un suppressed 26" barrel at the range just to check accuracy, it didn't disappoint shooting multiple 1/2" 3 shot groups consistently. I never bothered to chrono the ammo with the barrel at 26" as I never intended to use the rifle at that length or unsuppressed, I only shot it to check accuracy before chopping and threading the barrel.

So my observations after docking the match barrel to 20" and suppressing is that the same ammo (same batch, same box even) shoots at 2953 (SD of 20 over 9 shots) similar weather both days and both the mini 1:8 twist lightweight barrel and the Hardy 1:8 twist match barrel docked to the same length using the same suppressor shoots the same ammo 90fps faster, no complaints here, I know all barrels are different and some are faster than others but is this within the expected range ?
Happy accident on my part just curious, and really wishing I had chorno'd the barrel at 26" just for a reference point.
chrono is a magneto speed so lighting is not a variable.

That nicely finished and lapped match barrel will likely be the source of the the higher speed. My reasoning for this is that my 243 has a Truflite ultra match and it provides speeds it shouldn't, 95 grain Nosler BTs at 3100fps from 20 inch barrel. That's my theory anyway

The manufacturers vids on lapped barrels vs unlapped from Bartlein, Hart, Shilen etc convinced me to never buy an unlapped barrel again.
The lapped barrel is smoothed and trued from new and giving full velocity to a point that the unlapped barrel hopefully attains after 100 shots. The cost of those 100 shots ($200) plus the depreciation on the barrel ( $700 fitted / 1000 shots = $.70 each ) plus time comes out at at least $400 bucks to achieve a result that is hopefully as good as the lapped barrel and likely not.
So the original rifle would likely speed up to a similar point as the lapped one had it been kept.

I saw that on TM would have been a great buy

Originally Posted by trooper90

I saw that on TM would have been a great buy

Pretty sure they had more than 1, I rang Hardys and bought directly from them for cheaper than on trademe. Did not ask for a discount that's just what they invoiced me.
Pretty pleased with it.

How much was itr??

Originally Posted by tac a1

How much was itr??

I'd have to check but $1100-$1125 rings a bell, I think they have dropped the price on trademe now also

Man I saw that rifle on trademe just after I purchased a howa mini 223 from taihape sports but with a hs precision carbon stock .really nice stock at 485 grams but I paid 1900 for the setup and saw that hardy one after . And wished I had bought that instead absolutely beautiful rifle good score. I think the only thing I have ever seen of hardys that's cheap. He has a tikka magnum bolt on trademe for 1200. Which I think is thievery . Good score on that rifle and I bet it's really nice now at 20 inches

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Originally Posted by Phill243

Man I saw that rifle on trademe just after I purchased a howa mini 223 from taihape sports but with a hs precision carbon stock .really nice stock at 485 grams but I paid 1900 for the setup and saw that hardy one after . And wished I had bought that instead absolutely beautiful rifle good score. I think the only thing I have ever seen of hardys that's cheap. He has a tikka magnum bolt on trademe for 1200. Which I think is thievery . Good score on that rifle and I bet it's really nice now at 20 inches

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That is definitely thievery. I bought a tikka bolt thanks to a tip from a forum member - $800, plus it came with a free rifle, suppressor and 2 boxes of 270wsm ammo!

Haven't really got any other threads for this rifle so I'll update progress here....
Took the 1500 to the range with me today with a couple of stubborn rifles that have been causing me a bit of self doubt....
I have recently re scoped the 223 changing from a 4-16 Nikon Monarch to a 2-7 vx1 Leupy so although this rifle is a known submoa shooter it needed sighting in.
What can I say I suck at bore sighting 1st shot 6+" right of the bullseye but roughly the right height adjusted left approximately 7" and put another round down range hitting just right of the bullseye, next adjustment approximately 3" up, I say approximately as I've never used a friction dial leupold before and they are a little bit different to put it mildly
Shot hit just over 2" high of the bull (my zero is 3" high at 100y) so adjusted another inch higher and put 5 rounds down range.
Not supprisingly it stacked 5 rounds into a tiny (sub .3") group however slightly too high and the true group was slightly to the left of center.
I adjusted those out the put 5 rounds in the center of a 3" gong at 100y to confirm. So impressed with this rifle shooting so well with "cheap" factory ammo.
Certainly does wonders when your having self doubt.

What ammo where you using and what is the mpb range having it 3" high at 100?

Originally Posted by blip

What ammo where you using and what is the mpb range having it 3" high at 100?

Fiocchi 55gn soft points @2953fps