Seekins Precision Havak PH-1 Review Coming!

[Matt Cashell]

Roksliders,

I recently received the Havak PH-1 from Seekins Precision Chambered in 300 Win Mag.

I am excited to get this thing in the woods. I had to rush to make Rokslide's Bear Camp with this rifle, but I got the scope mounted up and zeroed for Hornady Precision Hunter 200 ELD-X factory ammo.

I only shot a few rounds, but it kept them under a minute at 100 yards right out of the box. The plan is to handload 212 ELD-X over H1000 for the deer and elk season. I am excited to see what kind of groups I can wring out with a little load tuning.

Post any questions you have for this review on this thread, and check back often!

 

[danmayland]

Roksliders,

I recently received the Havak PH-1 from Seekins Precision Chambered in 300 Win Mag.

I am excited to get this thing in the woods. I had to rush to make Rokslide's Bear Camp with this rifle, but I got the scope mounted up and zeroed for Hornady Precision Hunter 200 ELD-X factory ammo.

I only shot a few rounds, but it kept them under a minute at 100 yards right out of the box. The plan is to handload 212 ELD-X over H1000 for the deer and elk season. I am excited to see what kind of groups I can wring out with a little load tuning.

Post any questions you have for this review on this thread, and check back often!

That’s a sharp looking rifle Matt!! What does it weigh scopeless?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Matt Cashell]

That’s a sharp looking rifle Matt!! What does it weigh scopeless?

It is 7 pounds 12 ounces with the magazine, bolt, and ATC brake installed.

10 pounds 5 ounces all dressed up with the Nightforce ATACR 4-16x50 and Seekins 4 bolt rings.

 

[OLI62]

Matt, any updates? How's the comb height on the Seekins stock?

 

[Matt Cashell]

Matt, any updates? How's the comb height on the Seekins stock?

Shooting pretty good with factory ammo so far. Beginning load development with 212 ELD-X now.

Comb height allows for a tight cheek weld with the ATACR and Seekins low rings.

 

[wind gypsy]

I just picked up this same rifle, hopefully start breaking her in tomorrow with Berger 215s and h1000. I have plenty of 212s on hand too so I'll be following your results!

The comb height seems to be great for low ARC 30 mm rings. That is an improvement over the original models with game warden stocks.

View attachment 73361

 

[carter33]

Torn between this or a nosler m48 western for a new .300 win mag and primary hunting rifle. Can’t wait to hear more on this rifle as it may sway my decision. Have seen both in stores but need to get back in and handle them both as well. Curious about the magazine, is it easy to accidentally bump the release? I have an external mag box on my current rifle and I wouldnt say it’s easy to hit but almost lost it in my last hunt climbing up thick brush on a high grade slick slope.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I haven’t had any trouble with accidental mag drops. In fact, it takes some effort to get the mag out, empty or loaded. It is getting smoother and easier to seat and remove as the carbon fiber magazine “breaks in.”

 

[carter33]

Any thoughts on how it would be as an all around hunting rifle for everything from moose to goat and even sheep compared to a more traditional style hunting rifle (asking about the stock mostly)? If I do wind up with one it will most likely be my only higher caliber rifle for at least a year or two up here in AK.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Any thoughts on how it would be as an all around hunting rifle for everything from moose to goat and even sheep compared to a more traditional style hunting rifle (asking about the stock mostly)? If I do wind up with one it will most likely be my only higher caliber rifle for at least a year or two up here in AK.

I think it would work fine as an all-rounder. It is longer and heavier than I would like for a goat/sheep hunt, but certainly isn’t a deal-breaker.

The Havak is really suited to LR shooting. It is just begging for a good dialing scope, and the whole package ends up a bit heavy.

The stock is really nice. Not too different from a sporter when sitting and standing, while being much better suited than a sporter for prone shooting.

 

[wind gypsy]

I think it would work fine as an all-rounder. It is longer and heavier than I would like for a goat/sheep hunt, but certainly isn’t a deal-breaker.

The Havak is really suited to LR shooting. It is just begging for a good dialing scope, and the whole package ends up a bit heavy.

The stock is really nice. Not too different from a sporter when sitting and standing, while being much better suited than a sporter for prone shooting.

I concur with all of this. It is a little chunky at almost 8 lbs with the muzzle brake (brake adds 3 or 4 oz).

This stock is great - light, stiff, i like the grip angle and palm swell. It is a little thick and doesn't feel as nice carrying as a thin traditional sporter but I doubt it would be a discomfort. I bet you could open up a channel big enough for a proof sendero light contour if needing to rebarrel and lose weight down the road.

The action is a bit rough, mine is smoothing up a bit with minimal use but its not great. I did notice the shoulders on my brass moved 0.015" forward on the first firing. I've never seen that much brass growth but I've also never loaded for belted magnums and think this may be more common with them.

The typical bottom metal release used on tactical rifle DBM is a deal breaker for me on a hunting rifle because of accidental mag drop concerns. This bottom metal and mag are very well designed IMO.

First 25 rounds did not impress in the accuracy department but that could have been a few things:
-I did exactly zero brass prep and noted that the necks were pretty dinged up when I loaded up the next batch
-I didn't have a great target, it was blowing 25+ and the target was moving a bit
-Not used to shooting this gun, might have been me

Hoping to give it another try tomorrow with neck sized brass (albeit next to no neck tension because .335 is the smallest bushing I had and it only gave norma brass about 0.0005" tension. Didn't have time to wait for the smaller bushings to show up..

 

[wind gypsy]

Got another 30 rounds through it on Saturday. I could get it to print a bughole and then next group would open up to a little over an inch. Like mentioned earlier, still room for improvement in my loading process but wanted to get the barrel through it's first 100 rounds and get some brass fireformed.

I swapped out the seekins brake for a area 419 hellfire and it made a big difference in recoil reduction. The ports in the seekins brake are 90 degrees so might be a little quieter and less prone to blow debris back towards the shooter. I'm wearing ear pro regardless so i'll take the reduced recoil. Recoil was a bit much for me to spot impacts with the seekins brake, was no problem with the hellfire.

 

[Kingston]

Matt, What height rings are those?

 

[Matt Cashell]

Matt, What height rings are those?

They are lows. Bolt clearance is really tight.

 

[Ens Entium]

Any update on how the rifle's performing? Thinking about a 6.5 Creedmoor with Vortex AMG as a medium weight hunting rifle.

 

[wind gypsy]

Got almost 100 rounds through mine and have not found an acceptable load with 215 bergers or 212 ELDx. I'm about to pull the new LRHSi off and put a different scope on just to validate that the scope isn't the issue.

I've seen lots of good reports on the 6.5s with these. I was a bit worried with the deep spiral flutes on a 300 WM, hopefully things get better and my worry is unfounded.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I am still working on a 212 ELD-X load. I am getting consistent MOA accuracy, but I think I can do better.

It shoots everything pretty well, but I am still looking for that “wow” load.

It also seemed to be tightening up as I go.

 

[Ens Entium]

thanks for the update guys!

 

[Kingston]

Thanks. I’m considering the ATACR 4-16x42mm F1 and thinking I could get away with 34mm APA lows at 0.856”.

It doesn’t sound like the bolt handle will clear.

 

[wind gypsy]

Shot mine some more today. The wind was whipping and I was not doing great shooting with several fliers I know were on me. Tried some Hornady precision hunter 200 gr. and grouped mostly very tight with an occasional flyer opening up groups to a little under MOA. ES was 62 FPS though which is too much, avg speed was 2958 which is a nice improvement over the 2850 on the box. Not sure if 85 degree temps have anything to do with that.

212 eldx handloads were still pretty disappointing accuracy wise.

The bolt cycle continues to smooth out, is is pretty close in feel to the r700 custom I was shooting next to it.