Howa Mini Rifles, Builds, and Upgrades

[J_Jacobson]

I normally purchase a piece of dowel in the diameter needed for the required clearance, then just wrap sandpaper around that.

 

[KyleR1985]

I’ve got the 16” 6Dasher mini home and ready for load development. Cleaned chamber and barrel, next up is getting action cleaned and degreased and an optic mounted properly.

I’ll go shoot and fire form enough virgin brass to start load development, and see what things look like before I bed the action.

Was hoping I’d have another few thousand 95TMK by now to kill this barrel with. Will probably save what I have for now and pick another bullet.

Gun looks to be around 7.5lbs all in with aluminum bottom metal, optic, suppressor, and an extra thick limb saver recoil pad I used to get some LOP. I was shooting to land between 7-7.5lbs.

I’m waiting on a hinged metal to get made up - this should save a couple ounces and make it a lot cleaner for the hunting I’ll do with it. Only 4 fit in the magazine anyway.




Has anyone broken down mini bolt completely and polished the cocking piece, cocking ramp, etc to improve heavy bolt lift after (dry) firing?

Anyone replaced the firing pin spring with a lighter one?

I lightly sanded the two surfaces without complete disassembly, brake cleaner several times to clean as well as possible and then greased everything. Cycled it a couple hundred times, cleaned and added a little valve compound to the cocking piece/ramp, then cycled another hundred. Cleaned everything up then a little more grease. Doesn’t seem to be much different.

I’ll keep cycling it and hope for improvement. That spring sure seems like it’s way oversprung.



I’ll start a separate thread on the Dasher setup, but a little taste:

Varget, brass fire formed in another gun chambered by same reamer, 16” barrel:

87Vmax, 35gr - 2965 fps
95TMK, 34gr - 2815 fps
105 HPBT, 32.5gr - 2700 fps

I haven’t found a single post about anyone using Lever in a dasher, if I can’t get Varget to do what I want I may go chase a little more speed. Goal was 2800 with the 95’s, so may not need to press on the gas.

 

[Randy11]

Does anyone have an recommendation for a factory .223 load that their heavy 20" barrel likes?

I've tried a half dozen or so cheaper match loads, and im consistently getting 1.5" with all of them. I'm trying to decide if it needs bedded.

 

[The Guide]

Does anyone have an recommendation for a factory .223 load that their heavy 20" barrel likes?

I've tried a half dozen or so cheaper match loads, and im consistently getting 1.5" with all of them. I'm trying to decide if it needs bedded.

Black Hills 5.56 77tmk shoots great in mine. The AAC 5.56 77tmk and 5.56 75gr Sabre Blade Black Tips also shot well.

Jay

 

[Qholum37]

Does anyone have an recommendation for a factory .223 load that their heavy 20" barrel likes?

I've tried a half dozen or so cheaper match loads, and im consistently getting 1.5" with all of them. I'm trying to decide if it needs bedded.

My Grendel was shooting the same and bedding it tightened groups way up!

 

[Randy11]

Black Hills 5.56 77tmk shoots great in mine. The AAC 5.56 77tmk and 5.56 75gr Sabre Blade Black Tips also shot well.

Jay

You're shooting 5.56 in a .223? I thought it was only okay the other way around? Does that not apply to bolt actions?

 

[The Guide]

You're shooting 5.56 in a .223? I thought it was only okay the other way around? Does that not apply to bolt actions?

Correct. In an AR-15 I run a Wylde chamber to be able to run any 5.56 or 223 ammo. Bolt action rifles seem to be able to run either as there is no chance for over gassing. I know Howa Mini Actions and Tikka actions with 8 twist barrels have had little to no issues with using 223 or 5.56 ammo.

Jay

 

[KyleR1985]

I didn’t take pictures after fully finishing all the edges around the bedding to make smooth transitions. So it looks a little messy in the last picture.

First bedding job came out pretty good though, I think.

I opted to tape the bottom and sides of the recoil lug for relief. And to bed under chamber and action flat behind the recoil lug.

I ended up having to relieve the front of the recoil lug recess as well after the fact - it was just too hard to get the action in and out of the stock.

Wiped everything down and got it all clean, and torqued up action screws with blue loctite with Jefferson bottom metal for mags.

Gun feeds, chambers, and extracts 6dasher rounds with no modification to the 6ARC mag.

Waiting on scope hardware to arrive and I’ll get that mounted. Hoping to fire form some virgin brass this weekend!

 

[Kaleb]

I put tape on the bottom of my recoil lug too out of habit. Then remembered it’s a Howa and went back and bedded under. It needs to bottom out since the action screw goes into it.

 

[KyleR1985]

I put tape on the bottom of my recoil lug too out of habit. Then remembered it’s a Howa and went back and bedded under. It needs to bottom out since the action screw goes into it.

That’s why I bedded underneath the chamber as well. Based on my admittedly ignorant gunsmithing, it feels like I’ve accomplished the same thing.

That said, if this doesn’t do what I want I’ll gouge it out and pillar bed.

Feels rock solid though.

 

[hereinaz]

Is it worth even mounting the action to the stocky stock just to see if it shoots, or just bed it as soon as I get it and be done with it? Almost going to the later, almost seems like everyone has to bed a stocky to get it to shoot correctly?

I avoid the problem with most Howa by tightening the rear screw so the action is flat, then bring the front tight, and work them up together.

It is definitely a problem if you torque the front first to pull it down and lever the rear up.

Doing this takes a Howa from 2 moa to half moa. Maybe I will do a video to show how to make your Howa suck eggs, lol.

Bedding can help with the problem too.

 

[hereinaz]

I’ve got the 16” 6Dasher mini home and ready for load development. Cleaned chamber and barrel, next up is getting action cleaned and degreased and an optic mounted properly.

I’ll go shoot and fire form enough virgin brass to start load development, and see what things look like before I bed the action.

Was hoping I’d have another few thousand 95TMK by now to kill this barrel with. Will probably save what I have for now and pick another bullet.

Gun looks to be around 7.5lbs all in with aluminum bottom metal, optic, suppressor, and an extra thick limb saver recoil pad I used to get some LOP. I was shooting to land between 7-7.5lbs.

I’m waiting on a hinged metal to get made up - this should save a couple ounces and make it a lot cleaner for the hunting I’ll do with it. Only 4 fit in the magazine anyway.




Has anyone broken down mini bolt completely and polished the cocking piece, cocking ramp, etc to improve heavy bolt lift after (dry) firing?

Anyone replaced the firing pin spring with a lighter one?

I lightly sanded the two surfaces without complete disassembly, brake cleaner several times to clean as well as possible and then greased everything. Cycled it a couple hundred times, cleaned and added a little valve compound to the cocking piece/ramp, then cycled another hundred. Cleaned everything up then a little more grease. Doesn’t seem to be much different.

I’ll keep cycling it and hope for improvement. That spring sure seems like it’s way oversprung.



I’ll start a separate thread on the Dasher setup, but a little taste:

Varget, brass fire formed in another gun chambered by same reamer, 16” barrel:

87Vmax, 35gr - 2965 fps
95TMK, 34gr - 2815 fps
105 HPBT, 32.5gr - 2700 fps

I haven’t found a single post about anyone using Lever in a dasher, if I can’t get Varget to do what I want I may go chase a little more speed. Goal was 2800 with the 95’s, so may not need to press on the gas.

I modified the cocking ramp on a full size 1500 and polished it. I also ground on the firing pin to change timing and reduce the compression.

Rifle cycles like a champ and sets off primers 100% so far. Also had firing pin reduced and bushed for small rifle primers.

 

[KyleR1985]

Just gotta go pick up DD Wolfhunter. 7.5lbs and as much powder as you can fit in the mini action! 6dasher, 16” barrel

 

[hereinaz]

Just gotta go pick up DD Wolfhunter. 7.5lbs and as much powder as you can fit in the mini action! 6dasher, 16” barrel

View attachment 859635

Love the mini going big!

My 6 BRA was awesome, and then I downsized to a 22 BR.

 

[Stocky]

I avoid the problem with most Howa by tightening the rear screw so the action is flat, then bring the front tight, and work them up together.

It is definitely a problem if you torque the front first to pull it down and lever the rear up.

Doing this takes a Howa from 2 moa to half moa. Maybe I will do a video to show how to make your Howa suck eggs, lol.

Bedding can help with the problem too.

What torque specs do you run?

 

[Stocky]

Another barrel to try. Actually the original barrel off this action.

 

[Te Hopo]

What are you testing with this one bro?

I'm heading to Chris's tomorrow to spin the 223AI barrel on.
I spent today making up a few loads with fireformed brass and 75BTHPs, 75ELDMs and some 55SPs just for shits and giggles.
Man I love how long the Jefferson bottom metal is.


Oh and the one on the right us a subsonic with a 55gr minus the soft point, these work bloody good on camp raiding possums

 

[Stocky]

What are you testing with this one bro?

I'm heading to Chris's tomorrow to spin the 223AI barrel on.
I spent today making up a few loads with fireformed brass and 75BTHPs, 75ELDMs and some 55SPs just for shits and giggles.
Man I love how long the Jefferson bottom metal is.
View attachment 860295

Oh and the one on the right us a subsonic with a 55gr minus the soft point, these work bloody good on camp raiding possums

Just seeing if it will shoot the 75 ELDs with this barrel and going to test whether slimming it down made it unusable (took 5.5ounces of the contour). I have a hardy barrel to put on eventually but want to see what happens when i contour it super skinny. May play with tensioning the barrel in a Carbon Sleeve to see if there are any effects.

 

[UnckleBob]

View attachment 860294
Another barrel to try. Actually the original barrel off this action.

Does Howa keep tolerances close enough for pre-fit barrels or do you need a custom barrel spun up? Barrel Nut?

 

[waspocrew]

Does Howa keep tolerances close enough for pre-fit barrels or do you need a custom barrel spun up? Barrel Nut?

I've only seen Howage (barrel nut prefits). So far, I haven't been wildly impressed with the accuracy of my 6 ARC. Granted, the wind was pretty horrible at the range on Friday (could see the reticle moving around due to the gusts).

Planning to keep working up some loads and if it's not producing, I'll go with an aftermarket barrel.