Howa Mini Rifles, Builds, and Upgrades

[Te Hopo]

I feel like I'm really coming to grips with the new to me Stockys VG stock, more comfortable when prone and felt recoil is smoother.
Just what I was hoping for, its much easier on my pretty wrecked shoulder

 

[Flymost]

Is that the new Sonicore suppressor? If so, how do you like it?

 

[Te Hopo]

Is that the new Sonicore suppressor? If so, how do you like it?

You asking about mine above?
Its a Nielson Sonic 35 running 2 baffles instead of the 5 it came with, that keeps it less than 3" in front of the muzzle.
Its compact and very effective.

I also have a 2nd one currently on a .243 running all the baffles.
Even though its rated for 243, I feel its marginal in performance and will switch to something slightly larger like a DPT suppressor

 

[BigWoods]

You asking about mine above?
Its a Nielson Sonic 35 running 2 baffles instead of the 5 it came with, that keeps it less than 3" in front of the muzzle.
Its compact and very effective.

I also have a 2nd one currently on a .243 running all the baffles.
Even though its rated for 243, I feel its marginal in performance and will switch to something slightly larger like a DPT suppressor

To @Flymost 's question then - I believe that's essentially the same design that Lyman imported, so that should be a really good endorsement for the Soni core line. @Te Hopo is in NZ so he has a whole host of affordable cans available to him already....Spoken by a jealous American.

 

[hereinaz]

I shot my Howa mini and another for a customer this weekend. I haven’t shot my 22 BR for a year or so, and other than in and out of the safe, it didn’t get manhandled.

It started shooting 3” groups, which I knew was screwed up. I took it out of the stock, retorqued it carefully. The zero moved about 2 inches and it went back to shooting sub MOA.

Every time I get any Howa that does not shoot, just reseating it in the stock and carefully torquing both action screws at the same time fixes it. If we torque the front action screw too hard too early, it can lift the tang. That adds stress to the receivers.

I am going to permanently bond my action to the stock cause I am done with this…

 

[Bratch]

I shot my Howa mini and another for a customer this weekend. I haven’t shot my 22 BR for a year or so, and other than in and out of the safe, it didn’t get manhandled.

It started shooting 3” groups, which I knew was screwed up. I took it out of the stock, retorqued it carefully. The zero moved about 2 inches and it went back to shooting sub MOA.

Every time I get any Howa that does not shoot, just reseating it in the stock and carefully torquing both action screws at the same time fixes it. If we torque the front action screw too hard too early, it can lift the tang. That adds stress to the receivers.

I am going to permanently bond my action to the stock cause I am done with this…

Is this how you’re still working the screws on your Howas?

Thread 'Action Screws matter: how do you tighten?'

Oct 29, 2023

I know with the factory Savage and Howa rifles that I have had, the action seating and action screw torque can make a huge difference, especially in factory stocks. I learned a torque of about 40-50 in front and 25-45 in the rear worked well.

Howa has the action screw in the recoil lug, and I saw that torquing it first almost always put stress on the action. So I changed my process to torque all rifles.

1. start to snug front action screw and barely snug the rear. Leave it loose enough for the next step, but snug so it doesn’t rebound.
2. Bump the stock on the recoil pad so that the...

• hereinaz
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Firearms

• 

I was reading last night on bedding and trying to get a grasp on that process and came across that thread again, I’d used it in the past to help a 6.5cm and 22-250 and had forgotten about it.

 

[hereinaz]

Is this how you’re still working the screws on your Howas?

Thread 'Action Screws matter: how do you tighten?'

Oct 29, 2023

I know with the factory Savage and Howa rifles that I have had, the action seating and action screw torque can make a huge difference, especially in factory stocks. I learned a torque of about 40-50 in front and 25-45 in the rear worked well.

Howa has the action screw in the recoil lug, and I saw that torquing it first almost always put stress on the action. So I changed my process to torque all rifles.

1. start to snug front action screw and barely snug the rear. Leave it loose enough for the next step, but snug so it doesn’t rebound.
2. Bump the stock on the recoil pad so that the...

• hereinaz
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Firearms

• 

I was reading last night on bedding and trying to get a grasp on that process and came across that thread again, I’d used it in the past to help a 6.5cm and 22-250 and had forgotten about it.

Yes, that’s the way.

 

[Te Hopo]

To @Flymost 's question then - I believe that's essentially the same design that Lyman imported, so that should be a really good endorsement for the Soni core line. @Te Hopo is in NZ so he has a whole host of affordable cans available to him already....Spoken by a jealous American.

I looked up the Lyman Sonicore, mine is most similar to the Paradox OB, right down to the internal muzzle brake.

Mine is well north of 1000rnds 223 and 223AI, I very occasionally strip it down and give it a wipe down but it seems to stay generally clean.

 

[Stocky]

To @Flymost 's question then - I believe that's essentially the same design that Lyman imported, so that should be a really good endorsement for the Soni core line. @Te Hopo is in NZ so he has a whole host of affordable cans available to him already....Spoken by a jealous American.

What we dont have though is the extreme top end performers. We have the company that started 3d printed suppressors over a decade ago but they arent particularly interested in making cans in the small size range. Id love to see some competition in our market unfortunately nothing from the development race in the states escapes.

 

[BigWoods]

What we dont have though is the extreme top end performers. We have the company that started 3d printed suppressors over a decade ago but they arent particularly interested in making cans in the small size range. Id love to see some competition in our market unfortunately nothing from the development race in the states escapes.

Yeah it's interesting how the $200 tax stamp had kept suppressors as a very premium market in the US and only now are affordable cans starting to come out. Hard to justify a %100 tax on anything.

Relatedly, I got my newly shortened and suppressed .223 to the range with the kids today. I tried several different 5 shot groups (too cheap for the 10rd Rokslide standard) and without too much effort (and some distraction from the kids), several different factory loads went right around 1.25". Pretty happy with that and I expect with some more concentration I can improve that a fair bit.

Of interest, I tried both my ab a-10 in 7.62 and my b&t TiGer 22; to my ear, the latter sounded better. The ab will likely be mounted for higher volume range time, but the b&t will be on there in the fall.