Anyone seen/handled the Howa mini xcl lite?

[Frankr]

Howa Mini EXCL Lite – Legacy Sports International

The Most Trusted Name in the Shooting Industry

www.legacysports.com

Seems like a great set up in 6.5G for a youth deer rifle. Thinking of picking one up for my boy this year.

Don’t know the weight but 699.00 Msrp means it should be an awesome price for a bolt gun in a chassis.

 

[trob_205]

I’d like one in 300 AAC!

 

[Nukes]

Here a different chassis option mentioned on that usually worthless infomercial site:
"The Heatseeker chassis is compatible with AR-15 grips, buffer tubes and stocks. One of the key features of this chassis is that when the barreled action is installed, the bore axis is in-line with the stock axis and the bolt runs in-line with the buffer tube axis, not over it. That allows using standard AR-15 stocks without a need for a cheek riser. …"
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...eatseeker-chassis-for-howa-1500-mini-actions/
Even less info here: http://sharpsbros.com/heatseeker-chassis-14-carbon-fiber-hand-guard/

Both Howa and Sharps Bros. commit a frequent sin, concealing the actual weight of the chassis.

 

[trob_205]

Here a different chassis option mentioned on that usually worthless infomercial site:
"The Heatseeker chassis is compatible with AR-15 grips, buffer tubes and stocks. One of the key features of this chassis is that when the barreled action is installed, the bore axis is in-line with the stock axis and the bolt runs in-line with the buffer tube axis, not over it. That allows using standard AR-15 stocks without a need for a cheek riser. …"
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...eatseeker-chassis-for-howa-1500-mini-actions/
Even less info here: http://sharpsbros.com/heatseeker-chassis-14-carbon-fiber-hand-guard/

Both Howa and Sharps Bros. commit a frequent sin, concealing the actual weight of the chassis.

View attachment 7132560

Holy LOP

 

[Nukes]

Digging deeper I found some negative reviews attached to this video:


"I have Howa Mini-Action 20 inch #6 contour barrel in 6.5 Grendel. The 5 round 7.62x39/6.5 Grendel magazine is unreliable. I get 1 to 2 failures to extract almost every time I load 5 rounds…"

"I've had a ton of issues with my Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel..it came from the factory with a cracked trigger guard/magazine assembly right where the rear action screw goes making it impossible to achieve any kind of torque setting...the barrel was touching the stock from the chamber all the way to the end of the forend...the bolt was hard to open and close for the first 50 rounds but has since gotten a bit easier...haven't had any feeding issues but the magazines feel very flimsy and load weird...you have to push the front of the cartridges down at a weird angle in order to slide another cartridge over the top of the bottom one...biggest issue with the mags are they cost $45 and are only five round capacity...the magazine release is in a bad location as I've accidentally bumped the latch and had my magazine fall out on the ground... perhaps they just need a stiffer spring on the mag catch?...the rings that came with the Nikko Sterling scope are garbage and somehow came loose after 50 rounds forcing me to re-zero on my second outing with the rifle...ended up having to glass bed the rear Tang and recoil lug to make this rifle shoot to my expectations"

 

[Frankr]

Here a different chassis option mentioned on that usually worthless infomercial site:
"The Heatseeker chassis is compatible with AR-15 grips, buffer tubes and stocks. One of the key features of this chassis is that when the barreled action is installed, the bore axis is in-line with the stock axis and the bolt runs in-line with the buffer tube axis, not over it. That allows using standard AR-15 stocks without a need for a cheek riser. …"
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog...eatseeker-chassis-for-howa-1500-mini-actions/
Even less info here: http://sharpsbros.com/heatseeker-chassis-14-carbon-fiber-hand-guard/

Both Howa and Sharps Bros. commit a frequent sin, concealing the actual weight of the chassis.

View attachment 7132560

Saw that but it looks like the lop will be too long for him and it’s a little too ugly... I can do ugly for him just not too much ugly lol

 

[Frankr]

Digging deeper I found some negative reviews attached to this video:


"I have Howa Mini-Action 20 inch #6 contour barrel in 6.5 Grendel. The 5 round 7.62x39/6.5 Grendel magazine is unreliable. I get 1 to 2 failures to extract almost every time I load 5 rounds…"

"I've had a ton of issues with my Howa mini in 6.5 Grendel..it came from the factory with a cracked trigger guard/magazine assembly right where the rear action screw goes making it impossible to achieve any kind of torque setting...the barrel was touching the stock from the chamber all the way to the end of the forend...the bolt was hard to open and close for the first 50 rounds but has since gotten a bit easier...haven't had any feeding issues but the magazines feel very flimsy and load weird...you have to push the front of the cartridges down at a weird angle in order to slide another cartridge over the top of the bottom one...biggest issue with the mags are they cost $45 and are only five round capacity...the magazine release is in a bad location as I've accidentally bumped the latch and had my magazine fall out on the ground... perhaps they just need a stiffer spring on the mag catch?...the rings that came with the Nikko Sterling scope are garbage and somehow came loose after 50 rounds forcing me to re-zero on my second outing with the rifle...ended up having to glass bed the rear Tang and recoil lug to make this rifle shoot to my expectations"

Interesting. With it being a different chassis I wonder if they have the same issues. Also I wonder if the magazine issues are just for 6.5G or also with the 300blk and 223 (note: I am still waiting to see the 1:8 twist 223 barrels they keep saying they will start using).

 

[Hyperionx92]

Howa Mini EXCL Lite – Legacy Sports International

The Most Trusted Name in the Shooting Industry

www.legacysports.com

Seems like a great set up in 6.5G for a youth deer rifle. Thinking of picking one up for my boy this year.

Don’t know the weight but 699.00 Msrp means it should be an awesome price for a bolt gun in a chassis.

Just got mine in from my local dealer and the mini excl lite is a hard reinforced polymer chassis not aluminum and the ergonomics are horrible if you get the folding stock configuration as far as the length of pull. I'll probably remove the folding stock adapter to see if it feels better but the forend flexs more than I'd like because its thinner. Haven't put any rounds through it yet but I will probably end up ordering a heatseeker or another oryx chassis for it.

 

[hereinaz]

Get a barreled action from Brownells, at least the heavy barrel action is on sale. I got one yesterday.

Also ordered a Pro Varmint Boyd's stock. Its such a light and low recoil rifle that the colored laminate is fine.

If it isn't light enough, I will drill and router the stock. Of course, I am rebarreling to 22 Grendel for a little more velocity as well.

This rifle is gonna be a super light weight backpack gun for me.