Howa Mini Rifles, Builds, and Upgrades

[Te Hopo]

The Jefferson Outdoors bottom metal allowed me to load 75 ELDMs well out and still feed perfect.
In fact I'm impressed with hos well the Mini feeds the AI, my mate has a Rem 788 in 223AI and he's so fed up with feed issues that he's gonna take it back to regular 223

 

[Te Hopo]

I tested some Hornady 75ELDMs and 55SPs at 75m.
Just a quick session to sight in and see what grouped decently for 5 shots.
No chronograph at the mo, I'll get that sorted in the next couple months.

The ELDMs look like they're gonna be my choice as they're cheap and freely available.
This is the projectile I'll be focusing on for my main hunting load in the future.
I got a bit too excited and definitely slapped the trigger on the last shot


And the 55s showed real promise which is good as I have 600+ to get through.

 

[Stocky]

I tested some Hornady 75ELDMs and 55SPs at 75m.
Just a quick session to sight in and see what grouped decently for 5 shots.
No chronograph at the mo, I'll get that sorted in the next couple months.

The ELDMs look like they're gonna be my choice as they're cheap and freely available.
This is the projectile I'll be focusing on for my main hunting load in the future.
I got a bit too excited and definitely slapped the trigger on the last shot
View attachment 863586

And the 55s showed real promise which is good as I have 600+ to get through.
View attachment 863587

I'm seriously jealous. Having a bloody mare with this mini and 75s 3 barrels all hate them.

 

[Te Hopo]

I'm seriously jealous. Having a bloody mare with this mini and 75s 3 barrels all hate them.

I've never had a centerfire that showed this sort of accuracy potential, and especially not in a rifle that weighs 2.6kg.

My mini is an early one so the stock barrel was a 1-9, best it seemed to group anything was a realistic 1.2-1.5moa.
Perfectly fine for hunting

 

[Stocky]

I've never had a centerfire that showed this sort of accuracy potential, and especially not in a rifle that weighs 2.6kg.

My mini is an early one so the stock barrel was a 1-9, best it seemed to group anything was a realistic 1.2-1.5moa.
Perfectly fine for hunting

My kimbers have more or less always been around moa shooters for 10 rounds. I really just want a 1-1.5moa with the 75 at 2700ish to be happy. The latest barrel is a hardy and is worse than the factory barrel.

 

[SwampThing0331]

Took the factory 6 arc barrel off today. What a battle that was. Barrel vise, action wrench, cheater bar, heat, PB Blaster, impact. Nothing would budge it. Finally had to do a relief cut in the barrel with a hack saw.

Thankfully, the new Carbon Six barrel went on without issue and headspaced correctly. I still need to open up my Stocky’s for the wider profile, then range trip to see how it shoots.

 

[Bratch]

Sorry if I missed it in the 29 pages, is there a recommended action torque for a Stocky’s with a metal (Jefferson) bottom metal? I keep seeing 35# for the plastic bottom.

 

[Te Hopo]

Took the factory 6 arc barrel off today. What a battle that was. Barrel vise, action wrench, cheater bar, heat, PB Blaster, impact. Nothing would budge it. Finally had to do a relief cut in the barrel with a hack saw.

Thankfully, the new Carbon Six barrel went on without issue and headspaced correctly. I still need to open up my Stocky’s for the wider profile, then range trip to see how it shoots.


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I wonder if there's a bit of a difference between the stainless and blued barrels, I watched my gunsmith take my original stainless barrel off after I'd given it 24hrs with Penetrol and it went pop real easily.

Sorry if I missed it in the 29 pages, is there a recommended action torque for a Stocky’s with a metal (Jefferson) bottom metal? I keep seeing 35# for the plastic bottom.

My original manual stated 55#, Legacy changed their manuals when it was found that was cracking the plastic, the new torque recommendation is now 35# as you say.

When I got the Jefferson and Stockys I bumped mine right up, I use 50# now

 

[SwampThing0331]

I wonder if there's a bit of a difference between the stainless and blued barrels, I watched my gunsmith take my original stainless barrel off after I'd given it 24hrs with Penetrol and it went pop real easily.

I read the blued barrels are harder to remove. Something about how they seal the threads so the blueing process doesn’t end up corroding them. Not sure if that’s true.

When I got mine off, the threads were soaked in PB Blaster. It wasn’t helping. I also read that some guns give up the barrel easy and others hold on to the bitter end. I have another mini that’ll need the factory barrel off eventually. I’m hoping that one will be easier.