Range Report Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

J

jimi

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 11, 2009
143
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38
Victoria, Australia
#1
hey everyone, just thought id put up the results of todays session out bush.

today was really just for load development, and the last bit of barrel break in, but wow was i happy by the end of the day!!!!

todays session put rounds 35-53 through the new barrel, and to be honest i really wasnt expecting much, maybe just more consistancy with my reloads than with factory hunting ammo that i have been using for barrel break in. with federal powershock ammo the new 223 was holding around 1 inch at 100 yards

these photos represent my load work up with
55gr Vmax seated at 2.300' which is about .04 off the lands as far as i can work out.
25.5gr - 27.5gr varget(ADI2208) in .5gr increments
federal brass FL sized
remington benchrest primers

suffice to say, i'll let the pics do the talking, but i do love it when you think after firing, 'hmm, are my eyes playing tricks on me or did that last shots hole just get a bit bigger.....???' hahahaha

IMG_0194.jpg


IMG_0195.jpg

(my secret bush shooting range)hahahaha i only just realised the little clearing i have made infront of my shooting position, what a great way to sweep up leaves.....

IMG_0196.jpg

poser shot with the targets.

IMG_0197.jpg

i think i might just have to load up a bunch at 25.5 and a bunch at 27.5 grains, because she aint gettin much better than that!!!!!!!!!
all are 3 shot groups, as like i said, it was just to get a rough idea for load development, so i wasnt going to burn up all my powder etc on dud combos that wernt accurate. but you all know the deal.

the reason there are 2 groups for 25.5gr is becasue i had 3 dinted cases after resizing, so i took a guess and loaded them with what i thought should be close to the accuracy load... guess i was right...

groups are as follows:

1) dinted cases/fouler shots - .287
2) .260
3) .919
4) .501
5) .488
6) .230

thanks guys, cant tell you how happy i am with this rifle.

take it easy, jimi
 
#3
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

hahaha mate you have no idea, in some parts of Australia dingos and feral dogs have a 400 dollar bounty on their heads!!!

cant wait to get this puppy out on friday night though and reduce the local fox, hare and bunnie population down some,

just finished loading up my accuracy load, so we shall see how it performs on live targets.

im setting up the ballistics info for it now and it looks good.....gotta love the ease of iphones, cheers guys, jimi
 
#4
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

I have had the varmiter in the laminate stock and it has been one of the most accurate guns I own. Actually I hate it because it is my cheapest gun in the safe, but out shoots my custome builds!

I have had the best luck with 40gr V-max with 28gr or W748. The W748 measures like water, you can dump and go with powder.

The other load that shoot really well was Blackhills 52gr bthp.

Lastly, this gun shot really well out of the box, but I want to screw with it (like a dumbass), It was my first attempt at bedding. Bedding looks like crap, but the first 5 shot group after bedding shot .194!! The flat bottom makes it pretty easy. Might want to give bedding a try.
 
#5
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

yeah i have been thinking about beadding for a while, especially since if i dont manually position the barrel in the barrel chanel after dissasembly, it will touch one of hte sides when torqued down. other than that there is no lateral movement in the stock and action, even when not torqued down at all... but it couldnt hurt...

im of two minds actually, first is to bed this stock and be done with the build after the trigger job and new scope,

the other half of me wants to get matching Wilddog stocks for this and my rem 700 sps tac in 308......but at $600-800+ aus each, i might only be able to convince myself to get one for the 308...but dammmmmmn they are so sexxxy i might just have to get 2.......

the problem is i really love the stock that came on my varminter, even though its not fibreglass or composite, it has a great palmswell, unlike the hogue on my 308...

well after the new nightforce on the 308, the new stock on it too, as well as a new scope for this howa, i just dont know........

jimi out
 
#7
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

hey,

any aussies out there.....?

what have you used with excelent results for bedding compound??

noone i talk to has heard of devcon or any of the others you guys have in the states, and now i wannna bed my howa for piece of mind. wish i had a bunch of spare stocks to work on so i could try all the different fibreglass resins etc in the auto shops...

i wonder how kitty hair (firbreglass reinforced auto filler) would go as a bedding compound, i have used it on my first car, hahaha, and it goes off like steel, but id imagine quite brittle.

thanks guys

cheers guys, jimi
 
#8
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

Howas are the best kept secret in the longrange world. Good for you on getting in on the secret.

Nice work and it will only get better after the bore gets lapped in a bit.
 
#11
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

well went out friday night with the boys to spotlight some of the nocternal varmints on a friends dairy.....

results???

great success!!!!!...

first kill for the rifle was a fox at just under 200y, headshot turned its skull to mush, my friend had the backup shot and took it as it was curling over from the shock of my hit and got a heart/lung shot with his 17hmr, while it was still in mid air, hahaha, im pretty sure the fox had a bad day. hahahahahaha i on the other hand had a really good day for some reason.......

same results on a hare, we pulled up a while away so i could see how the new howa went for longer shots, bout 350 ish....poor bugger didnt stand a chance, hehehehe

second fox was out at about 350-400 but my friend swore he could make the shot with his little browning tbolt in 17hmr......about 6 shots later after hitting it once, i told him i was taking the shot, and to stop pissing about, hahaha ipod told me about 18inches hold over, and was dead on.

overall had a great night, shot 11 rounds with 10 kills, the miss was a feral cat at about 10 yards running 3 to 9 oclock from us, and i didnt have time to turn down the focus or the zoom, hahaha, that cat definatly had a scare though, and im not sure if it will ever poke its head out of that hay shed again, lol

i bought the rifle with one real purpose, which was headshooting ferals under the spotlight, and i must say, i couldnt be happier, now that i have a load that shoots into that mythical .25's, (well once at least so far...) i think i will try some different pills, as i really want to check out the barnes varmint grenades.

in conclusion, get a howa...

im yet to hear of someone getting a dud... and i double dare you to find a brand around that price that can boast that claim, or a rifle above that price either for that matter.(within reason der)

thanks guys,

jimi
 
#12
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

oh yeah, also wanted to say i bought this rifle for another purpose, which was as a trainer for my 308 which gets its first run at deer season in 3 weeks, so friday night was also practicing freehand/improvised supported/leaning off tree's or 4x4 hood, etc etc with a heavy assed rifle (my sps tac is a tad lighter than the howa)

cant wait to get into the mountains now with the rem 700 slung over my shoulder!!!!! as im alot more confident of longer range, quick shots, which so often present themselves on deer,

anyway

cheers, jimi
 
#13
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

cheers mate,

i pick up a new present for my howa (and rem) tommorow...

the howa is getting a zeiss conquest in 4.5-14x50, with target turrets which i think will be the perfect match for the 223 as well as my intended targets which tend to only come out at night time, and at distances between 150 and 400m...

have been waiting on a stock that should be here in the next 30 mins.............so fingers crossed the courier doesnt get tired and go home early. hahahaha

cheers, jimi
 
#14
Re: Howa .223 varminter range report (pics)

Ha ha, my 1500 Varminter in .223 with thumbhole stock is also the cheapest and most accurate gun in my safe! It is like a lazer, shooting the 50 grn V-Maxs over 25.5 grns of Benchmark.

I only wish it had a faster twist rate so I could shoot heavier bullets.
 
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