Howa Randy newberg 6.5prc

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Jul 13, 2019
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Location
Commifornia
My brother got a new Howa Randy newberg carbon stalker in 6.5prc topped with a leupold vx5. With dnz game reaper 1 piece scope mounts on top.

Was out visiting him and told him I’d help get it sighted in.


Shot 20 rounds of hornady eld x. Never shot more than 4 rounds at a time. Best grouping was probably 3 inches. Obviously I’m going to try some different ammunition. We just really wanted these to work because they have shown great results on elk.

One thing I am questioning is that the guy at sportsman’s who mounted the scope for Him, didn’t torque it down very evenly. One side of the rings are about maxed out while the other side is obviously more open. He doesn’t own the necessary equipment to torque everything or else I would have fixed it for him. Which is why he had sportsman’s do it.

Has anybody bought one of these? What ammo shot well?
 
Based on the description you shared, your brother should take a trip to your place and remount the scope properly. I think that a good torque wrench, some levels and degreaser are a sound long term investment that won't set him back too much. Wheeler sells kits that contain most of the essentials. Can't speak to the particulars of that rifle and cartridge combination.
 
If you don’t torque the Howa right, it causes problems, because the front recoil lug has the action screw. If you pull it down, it lifts the rear. You need to torque them slowly together and keep it flat.

Definitely don’t trust gun counter dudes.
 
If you don’t torque the Howa right, it causes problems, because the front recoil lug has the action screw. If you pull it down, it lifts the rear. You need to torque them slowly together and keep it flat.

Definitely don’t trust gun counter dudes.
I kind of told him that, but also he isn’t very mechanically inclined lol.

Ok I was also suspecting the action screws being that it was a new rifle. I think I’ll just buy him the wheeler kit that I have as a gift and FaceTime him through the process of fixing everything lol.

He lives in another state so I’m not much help usually.
 
Maybe I’ll have him try all the above and buy one more box of the eld x. He really wanted to shoot that bullet based on all the reviews of how well it works on game.
 
Does your brother have an internet connection? Have him join here and post in this thread. He can get walked through step by step on getting the rifle solid.

He’ll need about 12.00 in tools and 10.00 in consumables and an afternoon.
 
Eld-m(urder) bullets are extremely effective.

Vx5 scopes are highly suspect. He be way better off returning or selling that and buying literally any swfa.


 
The eld m bullet expands in hunting situations? The “match” on the box led me to believe it was for plinking steel
Match bullets kill as well or better than "hunting" bullets in my experience, and many others on this site. Plenty of evidence here too. My wife uses a 65prc with 140 Berger hybrids, it leaves a highly impressive wound channel, in fact it's too much at times. Putting together a 6cm for her.
 
The eld m bullet expands in hunting situations? The “match” on the box led me to believe it was for plinking steel
I see you only spend a reasonable amount of time reading threads on here. You need to step that up to excessive amounts of time. ;)

Maybe the rifle just doesnt like that ammo or the action needs to be properly torqued. Check for barrel contact on the stock too. Then I would suspect the scope.
 
I see you only spend a reasonable amount of time reading threads on here. You need to step that up to excessive amounts of time. ;)

Maybe the rifle just doesnt like that ammo or the action needs to be properly torqued. Check for barrel contact on the stock too. Then I would suspect the scope.
Wife thinks I spend enough time as it is lol.

Yeah I told him it was probably the ammo but I didn’t like the way the rings were torqued down. I’ll tell him to try the eld m. He already said he was gonna buy a wheeler kit that way he can check the torque on his action. And release the rings/ tighten back down evenly.
 
For the PRC I would also run the 147ELD-M.
But not torquing the scope or action down will screw things up quick.
You can mount the scope easily with out any fancy tools.
Do some reading there are multiple ways to do it. I have passed on using levels for the scope itself and started doing the light through the Objective and a Plum Bob for most all of mine I have done recently.
 
Just a reminder - your brother spent 3-4 times on that box of ammo, what the tools and consumables needed to properly set up and assess his rifle costs.

Please tell him not to spend another 60 bucks on a different box of ammo without knowing his rifle is assembled correctly. Unless he has a stake in hornady. In which case, fire away!


This is not internet cowboy advice. This is critical thinking and deductive reasoning procedure. His rifle is compromised. Does that mean it’s assembled incorrectly? Nope. It means it’s probably assembled incorrectly, and - most importantly - he doesn’t KNOW if it is or isn’t. Which means he could spend the next years dumping hundreds of dollars into ammo and never getting what he wants from the gun and not knowing why.

This isn’t a matter of opinion.

Get to which bullet kills critters deader after the rifle delivering them does the same thing every time. Whether that’s .5 moa or 4 moa doesn’t matter. He can’t assess that until he knows for sure that the rifle is assembled correctly.
 
Just a reminder - your brother spent 3-4 times on that box of ammo, what the tools and consumables needed to properly set up and assess his rifle costs.

Please tell him not to spend another 60 bucks on a different box of ammo without knowing his rifle is assembled correctly. Unless he has a stake in hornady. In which case, fire away!


This is not internet cowboy advice. This is critical thinking and deductive reasoning procedure. His rifle is compromised. Does that mean it’s assembled incorrectly? Nope. It means it’s probably assembled incorrectly, and - most importantly - he doesn’t KNOW if it is or isn’t. Which means he could spend the next years dumping hundreds of dollars into ammo and never getting what he wants from the gun and not knowing why.

This isn’t a matter of opinion.

Get to which bullet kills critters deader after the rifle delivering them does the same thing every time. Whether that’s .5 moa or 4 moa doesn’t matter. He can’t assess that until he knows for sure that the rifle is assembled correctly.
Yeah he ordered the torque wrench for redoing the scope. He is going to check and eliminate action screws.

He picked up a box of eld m and federal fusion. Next time out he will have all factors eliminated besides the scope itself. I think/ hope next trip out he will not have issues
 
Yeah he ordered the torque wrench for redoing the scope. He is going to check and eliminate action screws.

He picked up a box of eld m and federal fusion. Next time out he will have all factors eliminated besides the scope itself. I think/ hope next trip out he will not have issues

Torque wrench is kind of useful.

More useful is taking the entire rifle apart and cleaning it properly. Including action screws, action holes, action itself, holes for mounting rail or bases, rings, ring screws, ring holes, all of it.

All of it degreased and completely free of any grease or oil or lubricant of any kind, before starting reassembly.

Then reassembling with the thread locker of choice.

And reassembling taking special note of the goofy Howa design of putting action screw in bottom of recoil lug. And bringing the action screws up evenly so as not to seesaw on front recoil lug.


After all of this, a torque wrench might be useful.
 
Update.

Pulled action screws off and retorqued. Then loosened the scope ring screws. Evened the gap on each side and torqued back down.

Went out and shot the hornady eld m. Didn’t have enough time to try another ammo as time wasn’t on my side but the Eld m were just as inconsistent as the eld x. Next trip gonna try a box of federal 140gr. Eventually will find the ammo this rifle likes
 
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