How many people are happy with their Howa Mini?

[Te Hopo]

Curious regarding barrel removal or replacement. I have a 6.5 Grendel in 20”. I would prefer the 16” and two different smiths stated they could not remove my barrel without cutting the action or the barrel? Is this the case. So I need to buy a 16” and trash the 20”? I was planning on cutting the 20” to 16” and it appears that is not possible at this time. Suggestions are appreciated.

Sounds like you need to find a decent smith, any gunsmith worth their salt should be able to either remove the barrel or else do a chop and thread with the stripped action still attached.

 

[Stocky]

Most probably could headspace. They are well made. But, no prefit barrel maker I know makes shouldered prefits for Howa.

Carbon six makes prefits in the Savage style. If you go to their page and look at the contour, it doesn't have a shoulder. Looking at the contour link, it shows Savage, Remage, etc. which uses a barrel nut.

I see that now. Hardy here in NZ for Howa 1500 prefits. I just purchased an overrun in the contract to use as a donor for something else.

 

[Orchemo]

Anyone have a mini action with the EXCL chassis? I already have a 6ARC with a Pendleton stock - shoots great but curious about a HB in the chassis

Thanks

 

[UnckleBob]

Mine is new to me, but I like it so far. I loaded up 30 more rounds for my next range trip.

 

[Nomosendero]

Has anyone here bought a Mini in 22ARC ?

 

[The Guide]

Has anyone here bought a Mini in 22ARC ?

Yes.

Jay

 

[dsotm]

Very happy with my 6 ARC. Shoots under MOA with Hornady Match. Need to work up my own load though.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Has anyone here bought a Mini in 22ARC ?

bought a barreled action from Brownells and dropped it in my takeoff stock from my 6.5 Grendel mini. Decided to try an ARKEN EPL 4 4-16 scope.

Shoots 77TMK hand loads just over 3000fps.

Haven’t group tested/tuned it yet. Playing with it at 100 yards untested it shows accuracy potential.

 

[UnckleBob]

I am on a hunt right now. It carried well, but I am definitely get flush cups installed so I can carry it flat with the bolt away from my body.

No shot on day one. M

 

[bnsafe]

so if your buying one, 22 inch sporter or 20 inch heavy barrel??? Im leaning towards the heavy barrel in 6 arc tho its hard not to do the 22 arc. I bought the stocky blem hunter on the black friday deal in the heavy varmint version. hoping I wont have clearance issues with a heavy barrel.

 

[Schroedernd]

I’m very please with my Howa Mini 6mm ARC. I got the barreled action with the 22” sporter barrel from Brownells and put it in a Bell and Carlson M40 stock. I highly recommend the clamp on oversized bolt knob from Legacy Sports. It makes cycling it much better.



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Any idea what the recommended torque is for the bolts in the m40 stock?

 

[The Guide]

Any idea what the recommended torque is for the bolts in the m40 stock?

I've done 45 in/lb on plastic bottom metal and up to 65 on metal bottom metal.

Jay

 

[General RE LEE]

Any idea what the recommended torque is for the bolts in the m40 stock?

Might want to double check but I think the chintzy plastic bottom “metal” is a recommended 35 in/lbs. I do whatever Howa recommends. The stock is irrelevant.

 

[Kyguy]

Howa changed their torque specs a couple of years ago. It used to be 55 in lbs, and the bottom units were splitting regularly. They changed it to 35 inch lbs and the problems pretty much went away. Bell and Carlson recommends 65 in lbs for most of their stocks, as does HS Precision and most other companies that use bedding blocks. The reason being that metal to metal fit requires more torque to keep the action from moving in the stock from shot to shot, especially given that the lug area tends to be generous in bedding blocks. Glass bedding helps. If you're using the factory plastic bottom unit, you will crack it if you go much past 45 in lbs. Just spend the $150 to upgrade to a metal unit and that's one less component to fail in the system, especially with aftermarket stocks with bedding blocks.

 

[nortac]

I've got the 20" Heavy Barrel in 6.5G. It's a hammer. Slaps 5" steel with authority at 600 yards with ease.
6 shot group with 1st shot after clean barrel.

 

[jjwise97]

I was waiting until after this hunting season ended so I could get a little more use out of mine. I have a Carbon Stalker in 6ARC. Shooting 95gr TTSX handloads at 2920 out of a 22” barrel. With a Leupold VX Freedom 3-9xCDS the whole setup weighs just under 6lbs and recoil is still non-existent. Without doing any real tuning for accuracy I’m shooting 3 shot groups consistently at .9”. I replaced the factory bottom metal and DBM with a Jefferson’s hinged floorplate which I like a lot better because I often carry my rifles with my hand wrapped around the bottom metal. The action isn’t super smooth but not the worst I’ve had by any means.

Unfortunately I still haven’t had the chance to shoot a deer with this round, after two seasons of using it every deer I’ve shot has still come while carrying a different gun. I did shoot a bobcat with it but that’s hardly comparable. I have no concerns about shooting a deer or antelope out to 400yd with this setup though. Hope this helps for anyone looking to do something similar.

 

[TheGDog]

Welp, they dropped down their prices on the Howa Mini in .223 Rem, so Daddy picked up that and a Ruger LCP Max. Wanna see if I can maybe encourage Mama to be better about bringing along that LCP MAX when she goes on hikes with her girlie friends.

And for the .223 Rem? I didn't have two of 'em in bolt guns. I only had a Rem 783 and an AR. But one thing about the 783 that bugs, is that the safety DOESN'T lock the bolt shut! So if you're not constantly tapping your outside hand to double-check that the bolt hasn't started rotating open.. you can find that when you go to reach for that rifle, that the bolt has opened-up and thus dropped-down and allowed the cartridge to fall out somewhere. It's a shame too because it does seem to be an accurate shooter.

So to have a 2nd .223 Rem bolt gun so I can go out with my son occasionally, and so I'll have a better safety that locks the bolt closed so the round can't fall out while doing the hike-in.

 

[TheGDog]

RE: Unboxing... .223 Rem Mini-Action :

I'm liking this trigger!
Doesn't have the "Zwip!" sound the Howa SuperLite's bolt makes upon actuation.
You CAN take it off safety quietly! (if you use two fingers on both side of the safety switch.)
Magazine holds 10rds! (We'll see if I like having a mag that hangs down below stock, I'm guessing they have 5-rd ones, and they'd probably fit more flush)

EDIT: Side note - The Ruger LCP MAX? The overall small form-factor is really exciting and nice for a sub-compact. But good grief they've made the trigger pull be long. Sights seem nice, though I'd have prefered a 3-Dot combat sight, but this set of sights is a decent 2nd place. In the box, came with pocket holster, and a finger extension floor-plate you can swap out on the bottom of their mags. (Was stupid easy to swap it out, also) Only 1 mag in the box :*( - Feels like this one will likely need a good 500-600 thru it before things "slick-up". Nicely easy to disassemble. Didn't even have to go over to Youtube for any hints on disassembly either.

 

[JFK]

Second time shooting the mini in 22 arc today. First time shooting some handloads I threw together last week.

This is with McGuire 71’s but the 80gr eldm’s weren’t much worse. Absolutely love this little gun.

 

[Stocky]

RE: Unboxing... .223 Rem Mini-Action :

I'm liking this trigger!
Doesn't have the "Zwip!" sound the Howa SuperLite's bolt makes upon actuation.
You CAN take it off safety quietly! (if you use two fingers on both side of the safety switch.)
Magazine holds 10rds! (We'll see if I like having a mag that hangs down below stock, I'm guessing they have 5-rd ones, and they'd probably fit more flush)

EDIT: Side note - The Ruger LCP MAX? The overall small form-factor is really exciting and nice for a sub-compact. But good grief they've made the trigger pull be long. Sights seem nice, though I'd have prefered a 3-Dot combat sight, but this set of sights is a decent 2nd place. In the box, came with pocket holster, and a finger extension floor-plate you can swap out on the bottom of their mags. (Was stupid easy to swap it out, also) Only 1 mag in the box :*( - Feels like this one will likely need a good 500-600 thru it before things "slick-up". Nicely easy to disassemble. Didn't even have to go over to Youtube for any hints on disassembly either.

They don't make 5s people cut down 10s to make 5s. The only factory 5s are 10s with an internal stop for legal purposes. If you ever play with the trigger run the bolt hard and check the pull. They have a nasty habit of falling into a "second safety" that results ins a super heavy and gritty 2 stage.