Howa Mini Rifles, Builds, and Upgrades

[nortac]

Anyone have experience with a swfa 3-9 on one of these rifles having interference with the bolt handle. Bases will be Burris 2pc pic, swfa 3-9, and want to run warne mountain tech lows. Anyone run this combination that can say if it works with nothing hitting?

I can't speak for the SWFA but I have an Arken on mine and the bolt is close. If you're finger is in the wrong position it can bite. Otherwise it's not an issue but something to consider depending on how low you mount.

 

[General RE LEE]

Coming out soon apparently, quite heavy but then again it is a target stock, looks like it'll be a nice stock to use
View attachment 991831

Woah, thanks for posting this. Consider me very interested.

 

[BigWoods]

Well I have my first suppressor (AB A-10) sitting in jail to go on my .223 mini. I'm intending to have the 22" barrel cut down to 16" or 17" soon.

Does anyone know if the barrel at 16" has enough meat to be threaded to 5/8x24?

 

[FSB12B]

Whats the consensus for factory barrel accuracy? Picked up a used 6 arc in a vg stockys. I got 2.5 moa factory eldx, bedded lug/tang got that down to about 2 moa tried a handload with good components and got it down to about 1.75 moa just curious if I'm chasing my tail to try different reloading components

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Not what I wanted to read as I’m looking for a 6/22 arc combo for the 2 kids. Didn’t want to have to tinker with them too much.

 

[The Guide]

Not what I wanted to read as I’m looking for a 6/22 arc combo for the 2 kids. Didn’t want to have to tinker with them too much.

It has been my experience that stocks have a huge part in the accuracy potential of a Howa Mini Action rifles. The factory stock is pillar bedded and can be very accurate. The Bell and Carlson stocks have a mini chassis and are my preferred aftermarket stock due to stiffness and feel. My experience with Stockys VG for the Howa Mini Action has shown that the stock is "squishy" in reference to the action feeling solid when torqued down as compared to the factory Houge stock (which typically needs the barrel channel clearance for free floating) and the B&C stock options. The Stockys would be an excellent option if it came pillar bedded instead of their current AccuBlock bedding system. Your mileage may vary...

Jay

 

[NuclearTsunami]

I've been very interested in a 6mm ARC bolt gun for a while now, possibly a gas gun at some point too. Mostly as a hunting rifle for my wife and for me with limited coyote/predator hunting.

I've sort of seen hit and miss accuracy reports with the Howa mini's. Some shoot great and others people seem to be stuck in the 1-2MOA category. It seems to be its generally the standard/lightweight barrel having the issues, just from the anecdotal notes I personally have read.

Is the carbon fiber barrel more accurate, how about the heavy steel barrel version?

Thoughts on the accuracy of the Howa carbon fiber and heavy barrels vs the ruger american gen 2 ranch barrel (16")?

I don't care too much on the velocity front as long as the gun is accurate.

 

[65Remmy]

Hello all, I have a Howa walnut stocked 6 ARC heavy barrel and I am starting to reload for it. I am fairly new to reloading and was wondering, can I use Varget under an 87 gn V-max bullet? if so where do I start load work up? The Hornady loading manual doesn't list it. so I'm just wondering if I can use a powder that I currently use in another rifle? I also have some 8208 xbr. Thanks for any help that you can give.

 

[The Guide]

Hello all, I have a Howa walnut stocked 6 ARC heavy barrel and I am starting to reload for it. I am fairly new to reloading and was wondering, can I use Varget under an 87 gn V-max bullet? if so where do I start load work up? The Hornady loading manual doesn't list it. so I'm just wondering if I can use a powder that I currently use in another rifle? I also have some 8208 xbr. Thanks for any help that you can give.

Using the Google search engine, type in the following term exactly.... 6mm arc bolt gun load data ... The first 2 results will be PDF's with load data from Hornady and Sierra for 6mm ARC bolt action rifles with pressures up to 62k psi vs the 52k gas gun load data. It has the information you are looking for.

Jay

Varget data doesn't show up until the 100 grain and up loads. It may be too slow for that weight bullet.

 

[braydencase7]

Not what I wanted to read as I’m looking for a 6/22 arc combo for the 2 kids. Didn’t want to have to tinker with them too much.

I worked up a diffrent load and retourqed my action screws and my most recent 5 round group was .5 inch at 100.

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[FSB12B]

I worked up a diffrent load and retourqed my action screws and my most recent 5 round group was .5 inch at 100.

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That’s reassuring. 22” or 20”?

 

[braydencase7]

That’s reassuring. 22” or 20”?

20

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[tall]

Well I have my first suppressor (AB A-10) sitting in jail to go on my .223 mini. I'm intending to have the 22" barrel cut down to 16" or 17" soon.

Does anyone know if the barrel at 16" has enough meat to be threaded to 5/8x24?

What’s the outside diameter of your barrel at 16 inches?

When my 22” pencil barrel was cut down to 16” the gunsmith threaded it 1/2x28. There was not enough meat for a solid shoulder with 5/8x24.

This diagram shows TBAC’s minimum recommended outside barrel diameter for different threads. Granted, guys cutting down and threading Tikka factory barrels have less than .725OD. It’s been a couple of years since I measured them both but the Howa mini pencil barrel is skinnier than the Tikka.

https://thunderbeastarms.com/pdf/TBAC_Centerfire_Rifle_Thread_Guide.pdf

 

[huckfin]

Just picked up my first mini action, 6.5 grendel, pencil barrel, factory stock & bottom metal. I have already ordered a stockys CF blem and JO hinged bottom metal. I'm going to try factory hornady 100gr eldv with a box velocity of 2730, has anyone shot this combo, if so what kind of accuracy and velocity did you experience.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Well I have my first suppressor (AB A-10) sitting in jail to go on my .223 mini. I'm intending to have the 22" barrel cut down to 16" or 17" soon.

Does anyone know if the barrel at 16" has enough meat to be threaded to 5/8x24?

It does not, even my 11” needed a collar added per my gunsmith.

 

[SUD1988]

I was wondering how the cheek weld is on the stockys VG stock when running a pic rail and low rings? I have been running the DNZ rings, but I stripped some bolt heads. I like the low form factor of the DNZ rings, but I don’t know if I can get replacement bolts.

On a side note. The rustoleum automotive paint pen locks screws up like a mother. I broke my last set of DNZ rings after using that paint pen on my bolts because the heads stripped also and I had to drill the bolts out to get them off. Luckily I hadn’t used as much paint pen on these one.

 

[Terrapin]

Here’s a set I designed specifically for my Howa Mini with the VG stock. This is with my Nightforce SHV. The bore centerline to scope centerline is 1.75 inches. I also have a “low” model that is .100” lower.

Excuse the crappy pictures, I was showing a buddy what a SWFA 3-15 would look like and weigh

on a mini

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[BigWoods]

@tall & @Ferrulewax - Thanks for the input! Yeah I spoke to the smith and through the .644" diameter would be just enough for the threads, there would be no shoulder left. 1/2x28 it is!

I'll order either a thread adapter from Down Range Products or a 1/2x28 direct thread adapter from Resilient Supressors. As this will mostly live on the Howa Mini and see occasional use on my wife's Superlite. I might put in on my Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39 - but I also don't want to foul it up with dirty burning powder; but that would be the only reason to keep the 5/8x24 threads on it. Any advice on the matter?

 

[UnckleBob]

Just picked up my first mini action, 6.5 grendel, pencil barrel, factory stock & bottom metal. I have already ordered a stockys CF blem and JO hinged bottom metal. I'm going to try factory hornady 100gr eldv with a box velocity of 2730, has anyone shot this combo, if so what kind of accuracy and velocity did you experience.

Where did you order the JO Bottom metal from? The last I looked, they were out of stock.

 

[KyleR1985]

Took the 223ai 16.5" Mini to the range yesterday.

I loaded 77tmk and 88eldm over Lever and 8208xbr in LC and Lapua brass, cci 450 primers.

I loaded each bullet/powder/brass combo across three different versions of sizing:

- fired, chamfered deburred lee collet die neck sized LC brass
- fired, chamfered deburred lee collet die neck sized Lapua brass
- fired, full length sized, chamfered deburred LC brass

Total of 60 rounds, plus 20 AAC 77tmk factory loads.

Nothing shot over 1" for 5. And I had no trouble chambering any of the rounds, including the fired/neck sized rounds. The 88's shot slightly smaller than the 77's. I basically shot as fast as I could as I had limited range time.

77's over lever shot 2800fps, 2675fps over 8208xbr
88's over lever shot 2700fps, 2575fps over 8208xbr

Loads were warm for sized standard 223, but seemed mild for forming.


I picked two cases that were fired/neck sized, 77 over lever to measure capacity after forming. The LC brass measured 32.8gr, the Lapua measured 31.8gr. The shoulders on the Lapua didn't look super sharp - thinking they may need another round of fireforming for full capacity.


Gun is plenty accurate to hunt with fireforming loads. And at just under 6.5lbs scoped and suppressed, I was still able to spot shots. There's no recoil, its so fun to shoot.

I broke the gun down and cleaned it. I'll load up 30 of the 77/Lever combo to hunt with late season if the chance arises, and load up the formed brass so I can get to range again to see what kind of velocity I'll see from the extra capacity.

Pretty happy for a 250.00 barrel to shoot this way.

 

[4090Sharps]

Took the 223ai 16.5" Mini to the range yesterday.

I loaded 77tmk and 88eldm over Lever and 8208xbr in LC and Lapua brass, cci 450 primers.

I loaded each bullet/powder/brass combo across three different versions of sizing:

- fired, chamfered deburred lee collet die neck sized LC brass
- fired, chamfered deburred lee collet die neck sized Lapua brass
- fired, full length sized, chamfered deburred LC brass

Total of 60 rounds, plus 20 AAC 77tmk factory loads.

Nothing shot over 1" for 5. And I had no trouble chambering any of the rounds, including the fired/neck sized rounds. The 88's shot slightly smaller than the 77's. I basically shot as fast as I could as I had limited range time.

77's over lever shot 2800fps, 2675fps over 8208xbr
88's over lever shot 2700fps, 2575fps over 8208xbr

Loads were warm for sized standard 223, but seemed mild for forming.


I picked two cases that were fired/neck sized, 77 over lever to measure capacity after forming. The LC brass measured 32.8gr, the Lapua measured 31.8gr. The shoulders on the Lapua didn't look super sharp - thinking they may need another round of fireforming for full capacity.


Gun is plenty accurate to hunt with fireforming loads. And at just under 6.5lbs scoped and suppressed, I was still able to spot shots. There's no recoil, its so fun to shoot.

I broke the gun down and cleaned it. I'll load up 30 of the 77/Lever combo to hunt with late season if the chance arises, and load up the formed brass so I can get to range again to see what kind of velocity I'll see from the extra capacity.

Pretty happy for a 250.00 barrel to shoot this way.

Is that the “hurried dad at the range” routine? Cause if so, I can relate!