Houge/Howa 1500, 20" heavy barrel w/ 1-10" twist, Nikko 4-16x42 scope.
Angeles Ranges
Temp- 75-80f
Wind- 1/4ering rear, 10-15 gusts
Elev- 800'
Hum- 20%
Ammo: Fed Gold Medal Match 168gr.
Bench fired from bipod, no bags.
Price: $569.00 sans bipod.
Mods: comb lift made of sneaker insole and packing tape.
Code name: "Shorty"
*
Stock: frustrating- it's a piece of Tupperware. The Reticle moves with one's heartbeat. Very difficult to get groups. Takes a bit to get used to it but it can be worked around.
Trigger: Snaps like glass after first stage take up. I'm guessing 3.5#?
Action/Feeding from mag: 10pts.
Scope: clear, precise, great focus, turrets have mushy click at first that crispens up with use. Turrets need minute indexing- only has indexes on dials tops.
Recoil: meduim/heavy for a 9.5# gun. Decent pad.
Blast: mild- no brake.
(cont:)

I grew weary very fast of friring one, cooling, cleaning etc. So after 10 I stepped it up to two for 5 strings then stopped cleaning and shot 3 shot strings to try and get a feel for it. The stock is very flimsy and really bonces around and it was all I could to to get it on target- it's really bad.

I came to terms with it after 20 rounds or so and got more confident. At 100y the bipod was either too all or short so I gave up on groups and doped my first 200y shot and got on steel with it. Then centered same and doped the 300y pig and was ramming it in the eye, ear and plastering it in the head at will w/ no misses.

Feeds very nicely from a full mag and I even shot a full one just for kicks w/o any malfunctions. The wind came up and caused the swingers to swing- it was getting tricky but I was nailing the small diamond @ 300y at will and was getting very confident with this package. (see pic I took through spotting scope of small swinger- hit it on the swing- pwang!!!)

There's zero parallax in the scope too, really nice touch, and the saddle and eye piece fast focus are noice too. The flip-up scope covers are a nice touch but I've never used them before- the front one cuts down eye relief and kept hitting me in the glasses then it would whip back and slap me in the head, funny really- I poppe it off and issue over. The front one is nice but needs some stickum as it wdill work off the end of the bell under recoil after 20 rounds or so, no biggie there. The sneaker insole comb lift worked a treat as well.

No rounds hit the dirt all day. I shot 40 rounds and after 2 rounds of trap Sunday my new shoulder was shot out.

Here's some pics of groups I tried- best 3 and 10 round groups I could muster...there's WAY more in this rifle than I can give it and with a Bell and Carlson stock it'll do it- this gun is a tack-driver. Buy one.

Overall for the money I give this rilfe a 10+....and, there's room to grow as there's plenty of aftermarket stuff for it too. But it came range ready I can now hold my own with it even though it has a duplex reticle (miss my mil-dot's!)- it came complete, glass, rings and a one piece base. What a hunny of a package well under 600$ w/ enough left over for ammo!

Lil sucker barks and has a lot of bite- the 300y swinger would wrap and flap for a long time after whacking it- man that fealt great.

I'm looking forward to working up some loads for it and getting more trigger time. Once I settle down and learn to relax more, as the stock demands 200% from me, I'll bet it's at a least 1/2 ,maybe 1/4 MOA shooter easy w/ a good stock and triggerman. As you can see a lot of my shots were going in the same hole on the 100y x 10 target and only my heart beat and a wobbley fore end was keeping it from being monster accurate w/ factory ammo- the Howa is a proven barreled action so no suprise there. I hope I can find a load it likes at home! Even with some wind the 168gr SMK factory loads were spot on past 200y w/ no flyers and I grew more confident each round. I'd have tried for 4-5-600y dope but I was shot out so, next time. Man, what a package. I'm very, very satisfied.

Shorty didnt draw as many lookyloos as this one though....he was killing it @ 600y, but with a lead sled who can't! Nice shooter and a good gent. I'm not sure if it's an M1A or a 14 civi or a variant or...the new SA M1's look like 14's to me so...forgive me there and I didnt ask and I was busy doin' my thing. Feel free to correct me. Nice shooter none the less!

So anyways long weekend for this ol HuntingNut. If you have an ???? just let me know. It's nap time.

Thanks gang!


-k.

glad you had a great day at the range with your new buddy, stovey! So which B&C stock are you going to get?

thats great that she is working for you. take care of that shoulder and enjoy the honeymoon.

stovepipe wrote:

The flip-up scope covers are a nice touch but I've never used them before- the front one cuts down eye relief and kept hitting me in the glasses then it would whip back and slap me in the head, funny really- I poppe it off and issue over. The front one is nice but needs some stickum as it wdill work off the end of the bell under recoil after 20 rounds or so, no biggie there.

Nice set-up. Have fun. I can't help you with the rear lens-cover issue, but a wrap or two of electrical tape around the bell of your scope should make the cover body a tighter slip fit on the front one. Should be enough to stay put without having to glue it.

Enjoy, and keep those pictures coming!

slimjim wrote:

So which B&C stock are you going to get?

#2998 or 6560 in OD w/ black spider webbing.....or maybe the grey one, or maybe the black one!

Uhg...great....choices!

Stove, try to have your cover flip to the right instead of up. I too had problems with my glasses and the flip-cover, but turning them to the right solved that problem.
(and putting there a sticker with a smiley makes it more user-friendly or put a sticker with a graph showing distances and corresponding mildots can also be a great help when memory is getting older)

Yeh- I tried to change the rear flip up, 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, sucker kept whapping me, it was funny as I was "who the hell keeps swatting me?" I thought I was getting smacked with a shell casing or something. Plus it cut down on eye relief at max power. No biggie, they pop on and off super easy. Dope on the scope is a good idea and this scope needs it as there's no mil-dot's for hold over. At 100y zero I could hit the 200y pig no problem holding over with the fat part of the verticle duplex reticle but I only did it twice and didnt get accurate data for that. I saved all my scope dope for this factory load so I can stick it on the tube anytime. Handloads are next. Neat gun, weeee!

Oh- another thing I dont miss over El Kabong- that insane over-pressure wave that braked barrel has. Normally after two boxes from the braked 300mag my sinus is toast over the next 2-3 days from that blast wave. Not anymore, I feel great! Forgot why the 308win is so popular. It's easy to shoot but it's lethal to waaay out there.... great caliber. I'm glad I got this lil shooter and didnt start that .338 LM project I was thinking of starting and now I have 3 .30cal's that can share the same bullet if need be.

Nice looking setup you got Stovey, looks like a good shooter too.

Hmmm ..... I think you should paint it a purrddy silver color !!!

WWWHAAAAAT?

Hmm...I get it....funny.

Oh man here we go....

Silvery Gray perhaps !!!

Now THAT was funny.....!!!

Just cuz yer insecure with your rifle painting abilities, dont mean I am!