I'm hopeful too but in the meanwhile, I found someone else who does internal mag for these. Oregunsmithing seems to have a great product for the howa mini. I sent an email yesterday and hoping they reply sometime during the coming week.
- Thread starter stello1001
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I'm hopeful too but in the meanwhile, I found someone else who does internal mag for these. Oregunsmithing seems to have a great product for the howa mini. I sent an email yesterday and hoping they reply sometime during the coming week.
I recently bought a mini-action 223 and changed the bottom metal out to a D.I.P. aluminum bottom metal and installed the new mag release . I am pretty pleased with it as it changed the mag release orientation and the release spring is much tighter now . I had a mini-action in 6.5 Grendel and sold it as I hated the mag release and as my luck runs I wasn't aware I had options until after I sold the rifle .
I know you guys no longer have factory 6.5 grendel barrels around. But by chance, would either of you be able to give me some rough estimates on the factory barrel?
Particularly, I am asking about the 20inch threaded barrel. I know it says it is a "heavy" barrel but I believe it is only around .720" at the muzzle.
I am building my stock for it at boyds and just trying to make sure I get the right barrel channel opening.
I have a short action howa in 6.5CM with a heavy barrel and it is much more beefy than the one offered on the Grendel even though it's also described as heavy.
The option on boyds to go with a #6 heavy I think would leave me with a barrel channel to wide. I'm guessing #2 would be the right choice. Thoughts??
Yeah, there's no comparison between the 1500 action's hvy bbl and what Howa calls a hvy bbl for the Mini action. The 1500's hvy bbl is similar to a Rem sendero/varmint contour, but I'm sure that what they call heavy for the Mini is even lighter than what Bartlein sells in what they call Remington magnum sporter contour, which is what I used to re-barrel my Mini 6.5 Grendel, and which measures .674" at 24". The remaining Mini 6.5 Grendel rifle I have came with the std wt bbl, and is quite a bit lighter than the Bartlein. IIRC, I've never bought a Mini bbl'd action or rifle with their heavy bbl, so I can't give you any actual specs.
I've read the entire thread but I only saw one post with a light weight stock.
I'm a night hunter shooting 400yds and in looking for a solution to lighten up my Fat Amy. She is a factory 24" Howa 1500 KRG in 6mm CM. She sit's right at 15# ready to smoke with the thermal, can (13oz), and enclosed forend. I've carried heavier rifles but I'm doing this for recreational purposes now & feeling 80 years old carrying that rig and a call bag stuffed to the gills with a night's tools to a couple different sets isn't feeling so recreational lately.
I put the enclosed forend on because I intended to use it with my PVS30 & a day scope more often but that's a combo that weighs an additional 2# and is just not conducive to mobility. As it sits it's basically limited to a blind or single stand gun & that's not the way I would prefer to hunt.
Is there a 1500 pattern stock that has shorter LOP and adjustable comb height that can save me a couple pounds?
I've seen the Oregon Mountain Rifle carbon sleeved barrel on the last page and it's a consideration but I'm thinking it'd be economically more feasible to look for a way to save some weight with the stock first being that any barrel would take months to get.
I appreciate any pertinent input to lighten her up. If the answer is there is no way to drop 4# without spending $2k+ for custom work that's an answer too.
Thanks.
I'm a night hunter shooting 400yds and in looking for a solution to lighten up my Fat Amy. She is a factory 24" Howa 1500 KRG in 6mm CM. She sit's right at 15# ready to smoke with the thermal, can (13oz), and enclosed forend. I've carried heavier rifles but I'm doing this for recreational purposes now & feeling 80 years old carrying that rig and a call bag stuffed to the gills with a night's tools to a couple different sets isn't feeling so recreational lately.
I put the enclosed forend on because I intended to use it with my PVS30 & a day scope more often but that's a combo that weighs an additional 2# and is just not conducive to mobility. As it sits it's basically limited to a blind or single stand gun & that's not the way I would prefer to hunt.
Is there a 1500 pattern stock that has shorter LOP and adjustable comb height that can save me a couple pounds?
I've seen the Oregon Mountain Rifle carbon sleeved barrel on the last page and it's a consideration but I'm thinking it'd be economically more feasible to look for a way to save some weight with the stock first being that any barrel would take months to get.
I appreciate any pertinent input to lighten her up. If the answer is there is no way to drop 4# without spending $2k+ for custom work that's an answer too.
Thanks.
That looks very similar to one of the original Nosler model 48 actions that Howa made/make for them
The #6 contour is the correct choice for the mini action heavy barrel.
It is not a "standard" #6 as you would regularly think of but of the 3 options listed for the mini action that is the one to get.
The #2 is for the standard contour 22" barrel that is .568" at the muzzle
I'm looking at one of these chassis for my first gen mini action in 222 but my main concern was if the rear action screw is seated in the polymer of the trigger guard or the metal of the chassis itself. Have you had any accidental mag drops with how the release is molded?
I know they get a lot of hate for being flimsy, but the axiom is light weight and has an adjustable butt. I epoxied an aluminum strut in my fore-end & bedded with Devcon, IIRC it added about a pound and really helped stiffen it up, I bedded the PT&G BM as well.
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Sweet. How did the prefered end up, what was the wait time like?
Thanks,
The rifle shoots 3/4 minute but I feel like its got more in it. I am having pattern issues and think it may be the KRG bravo. I am working through it now.
For the barrel specifically I think I am satisfied but won't be sure until I get the group patterns sort out. Average SD's are 5.4 and es 14ish. But I regularly get 3.5 sd's and even had a 1.5sd and 3.5es last weekend!
Did you put the barrel on yourself? My factory Howa barrel shoots weird groups, under a minute but its almost like 2 separate small groups.
I put it on myself. Mine doesn't shoot weird groups it shoots inconsistent groups. Two in one hole then I get a poi shift and then 2 in the next hole. or 4 in hole then 5 will be off.
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I've seen this be from brass prep issues more than rifle issues where the rifle is in a chassis. Last time it was just needing to put the mandrel back into the sizing die to even out the necks. Once reinstalled and brass run through it again, split groups disappeared. YMMV.
I checked all my reloading gear, it all seems in order!
I bet it’s your KRG chassis more specificity the front action screw. I don’t like the floating piece that tightens up and mates everything together. I love the ergonomics of my bravo and my 6 creed shoots under 1/2 moa but I get a flyer from time to time.
Hopefully this makes sense!
I think you are right. but not the front action screw in my case. I stripped the front end to the chassis, inserted my action, and torqured down my front action screw. what i noticed is that with the action flat in the chassis i could push on the rear tang and it would bend downward towards the mounting surface. Then when I torqued it down I realized it was drawing the tang down pretty far. I think what is happening is when the rear screw is torqued down it is lifting the middle of the action off the chassis and reducing the surface area of the contact and therefore allowing the action to move, and poi to move. Additionally putting stress on the action!
My gunsmith says that the tang has to be bedded. Usually nothing else but the tang.
Whats a good mandrel to start with for 308?
The one that came in your die? All my expander mandrels are custom made.
Just using a RCBS full length sizing die. Don't have and never have used a mandrel. Are they .308 in diameter or slightly under?
There's usually an expander mandrel in the sizing die just above the decapping pin on the same stem as the decapping pin. It would normally be slightly under the bullet diameter.
Don't think I ever posted mine here. My 1500...Mini in .223.
Nice .lol when I first saw the photo I thought you had blowed up the rifle . the brown matches the deck pretty close .Don't think I ever posted mine here. My 1500...Mini in .223.
I bought a Howa in 2005.
I have not rebarrelled it yet.
I have rebarrelled Arisakas with metric threads [have to get my hands dirty switching gears in the lathe], but not the Howa... yet.
Metric threads is something I do not look forward to.
I have not rebarrelled it yet.
I have rebarrelled Arisakas with metric threads [have to get my hands dirty switching gears in the lathe], but not the Howa... yet.
Metric threads is something I do not look forward to.
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Metric isn't hard you just can't disengage the lead screw. You have to stop the machine and run it backwards while it's still engaged. I've done it quite a bit on Howa short ,long, and mini action and a few bergara b14r at our gunshop
What load & projectile you using?
Finally got it together. 16" .308
Very nice handy looking rig by the way.
With that short stout barrel, you may well get some very good results if you drop down to 110 grain projectiles loaded near max charge weight of H4198. Using H4198 will reduce the muzzle blast considerably as well with that short barrel.
I don't reload, so factory 175 and 168 loads.
Ahh, you should try it.
I get a great deal of satisfaction, not to mention the diversity you get from your rifle.
That short, handy rifle would do so well with 110's, 125's, 130's or 135's. Less recoil, flatter trajectory & with 135 grn sierra HPFB bullets, you can take hogs & deer with no problems.
If factory ammo wasn't so pricey, I'd throw all my reloading equipment away.
To me it's a tedious, mindless chore that needs to be done. Not something I enjoy.
If you weren't interested in reloading, you wouldn't know almost as much about it as I do.
I think your just being contrary, as usual.
Just because I'm knowledgeable about it doesn't mean I do it for my enjoyment.
Yeahhh I sold all my reloading stuff. My time is better spent buying ammo.
Hell, reloading is the only me time I get these days. Normally have a throng of pain in the ass kids or my wife rabbiting away in my ear. They hate being in the garage so they leave me the hell alone.
Where are you located? Crossroads precision in Victoria tx does them.
Short Action Customs
Finally have my grendel build finished
Howa Mini Action
28“ 1:8 twist Bartlein heavy varmint
6.5 grendel/ 264 LBC-AR chamber
Mdt oryx chassis
Jard 8oz trigger
Cabela's CX-PRO 5-25x56. Mil reticle
Leupold mk-ar mount
Caldwell bipod (bout to replace)
Getting avg 2714 fps with 130gr eldm, 30.2gr of h4895, cci 450 primers, and Hornady brass.
Beautiful gun, and awesome numbers!
With that load I wouldn't even try it in an ar though I'm running over 60k psi plus they're loaded to mag length of 2.330in and still highly compressed
300 PRC, Boyd’s Pro Varmint, Shilen 28”, ATS tuner, APA Fat Bastard, Vortex StrikeEagle.
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Always enjoy seeing Mini builds. Have you put any rounds on paper with it yet?
This was from the break in. The center 4 holes are two different 3 shot groups. The outer groups opened up but the barrel was getting hot because I wasn't giving it almost any time to cool, so I was still impressed. That was with handloads from the old barrel that I loaded years ago.
Out of curiosity; why .222 Rem instead of .223 Rem?
That's what it was when I originally bought the rifle and wanted to keep it the same. Always had better accuracy out of it and I have tons of brass for it. Didn't see any real benefits of going 223 as there's not enough of a velocity increase for the distances on the property for hunting.
I've often wondered how well the factory 222 bbls shoot - the Mini that I re-barreled for 20 Tactical was originally a 222, but since I had no brass, I never shot that bbl, just pulled it and set it aside. 50+yrs ago, a couple of high school buddies bought Savage 340 rifles in 222, and had pretty good results with then on prairie dogs. Back then, there were so many dog towns out here to choose from... Nowadays, I wind up shooting paper & steel with the two 20 Tac rifles I've built for myself...better than no trigger time, but not nearly as much fun as working over a big dog town.
I switched one of my HCRs into a hunting rifle with a Trijicon Credo. Gonna take it pronghorn hunting next year if I can get a tag.
