Modifing the Howa Mini plastic stock on my 6.5G

The howa mini actions are cool little rifles but in my opinion the factory stock is not in keeping with the mini theme.

While the factory stock is quite stiff, the forend is very wide and chunky as well as being a bit long.

The pistol grip is too long and chunky and the palm swell is all a bit fat for my liking.

I prefer stocks to be a bit slimmer and narrower etc, like a Rem model 7 or kimber.

Heres what the factory stock looks like.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...26224b83c1.jpg

A while ago id seen a chap on a yankie forum that had slimmed down the factory plastic stock, he used a rasp and a sander. He also cut the forend and sectioned a piece out to shorten it.

So i set about doing the same, i fitted a coarse sanding disc to the angle grinder and ripped into it removing the excess bulk on the forend and around the pistol grip area, i also cut a piece off the bottom of the pistol grip to shorten it up and reprofiled it a tad.

I then cut off the forend on the drop saw and cut a piece approximately 1.5-2 inches out of the forend.

I think drilled and pinned the forend tip back on and once it was aligned nicely bonded in back on with Araldite.

After curing for a couple of days i then finished smoothing the forend out with a finer sanding disc to blend in the joint.

Then i finished it with a file to smooth it all out a bit more.

While at it i also drilled out and hollowed out the solid pistol grip solely to remove a bit more weight.

Im really happy with the form of it now, i think it looks heaps better and feels so much nicer in the hands.

To finish it off ill give it a sand by hand to get it even smoother then likely give it paint job i think, we'll see.

As a bonus there has also been a reasonable weight reduction of close to 200 grams.

The barrel is the standard 22", which I'll likely reduce to 18" when i get the muzzle threaded. It sounds like max velocity is achieved at around 16" with the 6.5 Grendel so im sure lopping 4" off it isnt going to hurt velocity too much.

Its been a fun little project and im quite happy with how its come up.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...499beb89db.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6eee21599b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fe13d35284.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8145ac4cf1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6361f25249.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2ff5999bba.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b390e0530b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...646a488f00.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...533887e104.jpg

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Nice!
Feel like doing this again @GWH ?, I will send you my stock! :yaeh am not durnk:

I think the missus 7.62x39 might be getting stripped this weekend after seeing this... well done GWH :thumbsup:

How does the grendel shoot - good thing with accuracy etc ? Knock the bigger animals over ok ?

@Ftx325 sure does!
My experience:
350m - Goats and Fallow
300m - Reds
250m - Pigs

Thanks @kiwi-adam , that's what I like to hear. Should be a good bush rifle then if it handles those distances ok. Thinking I will knock the barrel back to 16 as well...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kiwi-adam

@Ftx325 sure does!
My experience:
350m - Goats and Fallow
300m - Reds
250m - Pigs

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Yep id have to agree with this from my experience. I havnt shot any pigs but have shot fallow and a few reds.

Shot some reds at 400 and death was delayed. Shot a big red stag at 230 yds, hit him behind the shoulder, he was on flat ground and went about 70 meters from memory, he had a fair bit of damage internally, id say shot placement was more to blame than anything.

All animals were shot with 123gr eldm. Big exit holes on the closer animals.

Thanks guys... really appreciate the input. You probably saw and commented on my grendel thread too but I just want to be sure I am doing the right thing before I commit to spending way to much money on a custom grendel build that it's going to do the job as a close to medium range bush gun. I am considering going way over the top and replicating the howa mini chassis pic's from 55six and going whole hog with carbon Hardy barrel etc. Wanna be sure it's a keeper first as I usually go big bore but want to try small and light for a change.

Looks good. Much nicer then the original. I agree it's pretty big and clunky for a little rifle

I agree about the forend but like the shape and feel of the wrist as it is. The rifle is already quite light so it's more about ergonomics than weight I think. Both the grendel and the 7.62 x39 are kick arse cartridges for medium distances.

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Originally Posted by Ftx325

Thanks guys... really appreciate the input. You probably saw and commented on my grendel thread too but I just want to be sure I am doing the right thing before I commit to spending way to much money on a custom grendel build that it's going to do the job as a close to medium range bush gun. I am considering going way over the top and replicating the howa mini chassis pic's from 55six and going whole hog with carbon Hardy barrel etc. Wanna be sure it's a keeper first as I usually go big bore but want to try small and light for a change.

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Don’t do it.

Some might want to bash me over the head with a skillet but I think you would be making a big mistake with a big-money build mate. My reasoning is that the 6.5 Grendel is a neat little cartridge that has some good bullets available to it from the bonded through to the soft match type. But you cannot get away from the fact that it lacks ooommppfff.

These short Grendel barrels generate about the same muzzle velocity as what a 6mm Creedmoor generates as an impact velocity at 300m. You should run the numbers and have a really close look at the comparison with several different cartridge options before you commit to spending the big bucks on a rifle for which you would never, ever see a resale value close to what you spend on it.

My view is that the Grendel is a useful cartridge in cheap rifles for shortish range goats and small deer, but for a close range bush rifle where big animals are skittish and you may well have scrub etc in the way, then I would want something a lot more grunty. Likewise for the longer shots in the 300 meter range, you only need to be a couple of inches off with a slow cartridge like the Grendel and you are going to lose animals, and that is going to risk you falling out of love with it real quick.

At the end of the day the Grendel is just a modern cartridge with similar power to a 30-30 shooting a 150gr. Perfectly adequate close up in good conditions but not really a great all-rounder especially when the longer shots are tempting you to stretch it out a bit.

I wouldnt go dropping big money on a custom for short range either (oh wait I did in 300blk) but that was just a rebarrel due to lack of stainless options in the howa mini
if i could have gone factory stainless i would have been all over it, as the barrel cost more than the entire howa mini
you are unlikely to loose much on a howa if you decide to get one in the interim and sell later (gunsmiths are often booked 3-6 months in advance and christmas is coming)

Now where did I put that bloody skillet....? :XD:

Custom builds come from the heart not the wallet. If you want to chuck money at it, as you said it will be a keeper, go right ahead mate.

Yeah I agree with what Flyblown says, I could easily see myself with a 6.5G for fun but wouldn't want to spend big bucks as I'm sure the novelty would war off --- a soft loaded .260 in a short action (pick a brand you like, rem, sako, browning) will do the exact same job with the ability to be loaded back up to .260 speeds later on.

i recon if you have the money and thats what you want to spend it on go for it. Why would you want a custom rifle that someone else wants you to build....surley the grendel has enough power for bush work he says short to medium range. long range in the bush would be around 100m at a guess

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mathias

Now where did I put that bloody skillet....? :XD:

Custom builds come from the heart not the wallet. If you want to chuck money at it, as you said it will be a keeper, go right ahead mate.

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The custom thing is not really the issue. It's because the cartridge itself just isn't that great a choice.

For who

Uummm sorry if I've hijacked your thread @GWH... wasn't my intention.
I have all the same arguments rolling around in my head that all you fine knowledgeable gentleman have been putting forward. Those of you who have seen my other threads/posts know I like my big bore rifles. My current bush gun is the 45/70 sbl and if I know I'm shooting further l use my Hardy 338. I am a big fan of bang flop when hunting , especially in bush. But the 45 gets heavy lumping it around for days on end and is loud , the 338 is to long for pushing thru bush and its overkill. I really like the idea of the kiwi made howa mini chassis so have been thinking about one of those but I do have reservations about the calibre... Doesn't come across as a bang flop sized cartridge, especially as I went to local today and handled a round for the first time.
Geez she's a little one eh.... not quite what I had pictured in my mind. So now I am not sure again... I want to be confident of clean kills on reds and I didn't find that round very confidence inspiring after handling it to be honest.

whats your definition of short to med range

Up close and personal in the bush obviously but as mentioned possibly scrub between me and the prey... hence why 45/70... out to maybe 200 or so. Pretty tight bush in the areas in doc we go to. Most of our goat shooting would be no more than 50 which is obviously no issue but it's deer or even pigs that I want quick kills for , why I like the big boys calibres . That said I dropped a very large pig on the spot with my evil 223 at 80 mtr but also heart shot a littler one at 30 and it ran off and we never found it... and I didn't like that. But I wouldn't have shot a red with that rifle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Flyblown

Don’t do it.

Some might want to bash me over the head with a skillet but I think you would be making a big mistake with a big-money build mate. My reasoning is that the 6.5 Grendel is a neat little cartridge that has some good bullets available to it from the bonded through to the soft match type. But you cannot get away from the fact that it lacks ooommppfff.

These short Grendel barrels generate about the same muzzle velocity as what a 6mm Creedmoor generates as an impact velocity at 300m. You should run the numbers and have a really close look at the comparison with several different cartridge options before you commit to spending the big bucks on a rifle for which you would never, ever see a resale value close to what you spend on it.

My view is that the Grendel is a useful cartridge in cheap rifles for shortish range goats and small deer, but for a close range bush rifle where big animals are skittish and you may well have scrub etc in the way, then I would want something a lot more grunty. Likewise for the longer shots in the 300 meter range, you only need to be a couple of inches off with a slow cartridge like the Grendel and you are going to lose animals, and that is going to risk you falling out of love with it real quick.

At the end of the day the Grendel is just a modern cartridge with similar power to a 30-30 shooting a 150gr. Perfectly adequate close up in good conditions but not really a great all-rounder especially when the longer shots are tempting you to stretch it out a bit.

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Yep I fully agree with all of that. The 6.5G is fine for what it is, but there's no way I would go the whole hog and spend good money building a custom rifle chambered for 6.5G. It works fine and all, but it's marginal really, it really only has a bit more grunt than heavy bullets in a 223.

If you are starting from scratch I wouldn't limit myself by going with the 6.5G. It was designed to fit in AR's after all and give them more power than a 223 but in the same platform and ammo length.

I got mine to replace 243. The 243 probably has more power and range is a tack driver and is nicer that the plastic howa but for some reason I like the grendel more. It might be an old age thing but I find I tent to buy what I like more than what everyone else has. Cant see the grendel being a handicap at the ranges I shoot at. Be hard to see the 243 go but it's more what I like these days.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ftx325

Up close and personal in the bush obviously but as mentioned possibly scrub between me and the prey... hence why 45/70... out to maybe 200 or so. Pretty tight bush in the areas in doc we go to. Most of our goat shooting would be no more than 50 which is obviously no issue but it's deer or even pigs that I want quick kills for , why I like the big boys calibres . That said I dropped a very large pig on the spot with my evil 223 at 80 mtr but also heart shot a littler one at 30 and it ran off and we never found it... and I didn't like that. But I wouldn't have shot a red with that rifle.

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See if you can have a crack on a grendel. They are a great we gun. Remember they have a bullet that is over twice the weight of most 223 bullets and with the higher bc retain 1000ft lb to almost 400 yards. I love shooting mine. I think the other point is the tiny rifle and action you can get them in. That is where I see the big advantage over downloading a 260 or creedmore. Haven't shot my 08 or my 223 since getting the 6.5g

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ftx325

Up close and personal in the bush obviously but as mentioned possibly scrub between me and the prey... hence why 45/70... out to maybe 200 or so. Pretty tight bush in the areas in doc we go to. Most of our goat shooting would be no more than 50 which is obviously no issue but it's deer or even pigs that I want quick kills for , why I like the big boys calibres . That said I dropped a very large pig on the spot with my evil 223 at 80 mtr but also heart shot a littler one at 30 and it ran off and we never found it... and I didn't like that. But I wouldn't have shot a red with that rifle.

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They make a howa mini in 450 bushmaster mate

Correct but it doesn't really have the ballistics I was after...more a up close round..,may as well stick with 45/70 than spend money on a smaller version. I could just spend the cash modifying that for a can instead but again not quite what I want to achieve

I'm my opinion custom built rifles aren't really built around resale value either generally they are a personalised version of a similar factory rifle or in my case built for a caliber that isnt a factory option I've poured money into rifles that I'll never get the money back on but it's my money and that's how I want to spend it. It's a bit like people that we do work for they bring a vehicle in for modifications etc and you think to your self wtf would you want to do that for but it comes down to their money and they can spend it however they want.

Well put @northdude. Sums it up exactly. I like to personalize things and have stuff that's slightly unique and stands out from the crowd - for better or worse some would say depending on taste. Hence my leather stuff , and the mods to the sbl , and not 1 of my bikes has ever been factory. I like to play with things....
But I also want to know it will do the job required and fit my intended design brief.
I think the rifle l had hoped to build would certainly fulfill the physical requirements I would like , small, light,short and quiet...and cool looking in a kinda starwars way.
But the available calibre's for the mini which fit's that particular chassis I am not convinced will do the job the way I would like it done. I know shot placement, blah blah but that isn't always a luxury available in the bush where snap shots are sometimes required or shooting through the scenery. And always having big bores I think has me perhaps unnessarily worried about such a small cartridge doing the job efficiently

If its Bush work how does the x39 stack up

To be honest mate I have never used that caliber either but the missus has the mini in that. That said she only shoots goat's with it... assuming she doesn't claim that they are to cute that is. And I am always there with the 45 for the larger stuff but I am very aware of the noise now the rest of the family are with me and I am not that confident on longer shots with the 45 as that is not scoped to keep the weight down.
I am thinking perhaps I should just go the somewhat boring traditional rifle 308 bushpig style and be happy with that....with a 3x9 scope for longer shots. I would love another Hardy carbon like the 338 but the missus would slaughter me spending that much money. I know what I had planned to build would probably have been close to that when finished but could have done it in small increments and she probably wouldn't have noticed the total cost of the build and I could get away with it. But she knows what the Hardy are worth...
I would have snapped up the Hardy 7mm saum on here the other day and been a happy man but no one carries factory ammo and I don't reload.

For those who haven't seen it this is the chassis I keep waffling about...


Attachment 151015

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That I think is very cool....

It does look interesting but there appear to be a lot of sticky out bits to get tangled in scrub at every opportunity though.

@Ftx325 I have a .223 Bergara single shot you could borrow if you would like to try the calibre. Currently unscoped but I can find something to stick on the top.

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Originally Posted by ROKTOY

@Ftx325 I have a .223 Bergara single shot you could borrow if you would like to try the calibre. Currently unscoped but I can find something to stick on the top.

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Thanks for the offer @ROKTOY but have owned and handed in a 223 I used on goats and smaller stuff but again I wouldn't have used that for larger animals... not that it's not necessarily unusable on reds I just wasn't comfortable using it for that kind of sized animal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ftx325

For those who haven't seen it this is the chassis I keep waffling about...


Attachment 151015

Attachment 151016



That I think is very cool....

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Is that your mrs x39 I was contemplating a chassis for mine to get around the problem with trying to tighten the takedown bolts without squashing the plastic bottom metal but I think I've found a solution to that problem