.223 Savage or Howa?? - Page 2

Thunder-223 · 06-15-2007, 08:44 PM

I have the howa model 1500 lightning stainless in 223 and it is the best rifle that i have found to use. been consistantly nailing foxes and skippys at around 300 meters with 55 grain fmj reloads. nice and comfortable to carry and use beats my remington 780 22-250 hands down. only trouble is that everyone else wants to use it too and i nearly have to sleep with it on hunting trips

ArkansasHunter · 06-15-2007, 10:12 PM

If I were looking to buy one I'd check out the Ho's

ezearln · 06-15-2007, 10:16 PM

A.H. ! And yew a happily married off man and all...

ArkansasHunter · 06-16-2007, 10:40 AM

ezearln I've heard and read where dem HO's is fine pieces..lol and reasonabley priced...too. Weatherby likes one of them enough to put there name on it.

ezearln · 06-16-2007, 11:30 AM

well I reckon if'n yer happy wif a reasonably priced piece thats good nuff er me.

nzhunter · 09-01-2007, 05:23 PM

I have just bought a Howa Lightning S/S .223 for varminting and general use on our farm. At first glance I knew I needed to adjust the trigger so I have done that now and it lightened up nicely to about 2.5lbs. I am now going to see how it performs on the target and I am expecting to have to do a bedding job before I will get reliable sub moa accuracy.

I'll keep you posted!

Does anyone know the twist-rate on these barrels? I think it could be 1:12 but not sure.

rookie1129 · 09-02-2007, 05:26 PM

Stick with the savage. But if you do go for a used Howa be sure to see if the firing pin fits the hole in the bolt face properly. There should only be .001" or .002" clearance. The earlier Howa models had and extremly large firing pin hole and this caused problems. But its easily recongnizable.

Thunder-223 · 09-15-2007, 09:42 PM

The Twist rate on my Howa 223 Ligntning is 1:12 and is deadly accurate. as nzhunter said all you have to do is lighten the trigger pull a bit {about 3 minutes work} and these rifles are very accurate tack drivers. i shoot 0.5 moa at 250 yards with factory ammo and it never has been bedded or been anywhere near a gunsmith. Best thing is AU $40 per 100 rounds of military ammo {non corrosive} and brass casings not that steel sh*t that Wolf use

Shooter2 · 09-11-2008, 08:47 PM

I am not a crack shot but my brother shoots competatively. The last time he come up from GA I ask him to shoot my howa 1500 7mm. At 75 yards he was putting holes in holes with my howa. He couldn't believe a standard rifle could shoot that patern. I owned a savage 30 years ago and it was OK. I am sure the new models are better. However, if a howa 223 shoots anything like my 1500 you will not go wrong. As a matter of fact I came accross this article looking at howa rifles in the 223 cal.

bluealtered · 09-17-2008, 06:41 AM

The package savage .223 is a good deal, the scope on it will work fine out to 300yds. I have one and yes i have changed the scope to a 6-18x50, and yes it will knock down yodies at 500yds. I use a 50gr. jhp. off the shelf from wally world, federal value pack, blue box 200rds.

I am simply saying that the savage package rifle in this caliber with a 1/9 twist is up to that range shot, of course placement and bullet type make or break the shot at that range. (And luck sure doesn't hurt) blue

dek5.56 · 10-05-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midas

You really can't go wrong with either, I own both brands, and they are accurate rifles, and very reliable

I agree I also own both brands and love them both. I have a Howa in .204 with a heavy barrel and a .308 Savage heavy barrel with the accutrigger. Both shoot excellent.

I never used to buy good scopes to go with good guns that is a thing of the past now. I would definity save up for a good scope to put on either gun you decide to buy.

06-15-2007, 10:16 PM	#23
ezearln Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 3,175	A.H. ! And yew a happily married off man and all... __________________ "You can have my Freedom when I'm done with it!"

06-16-2007, 11:30 AM	#25
ezearln Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 3,175	well I reckon if'n yer happy wif a reasonably priced piece thats good nuff er me. __________________ "You can have my Freedom when I'm done with it!"

09-11-2008, 08:47 PM	#29
Shooter2 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1	HOWA I am not a crack shot but my brother shoots competatively. The last time he come up from GA I ask him to shoot my howa 1500 7mm. At 75 yards he was putting holes in holes with my howa. He couldn't believe a standard rifle could shoot that patern. I owned a savage 30 years ago and it was OK. I am sure the new models are better. However, if a howa 223 shoots anything like my 1500 you will not go wrong. As a matter of fact I came accross this article looking at howa rifles in the 223 cal.

06-15-2007, 08:44 PM	#21
Thunder-223 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bowra N.S.W Australia Posts: 126	I have the howa model 1500 lightning stainless in 223 and it is the best rifle that i have found to use. been consistantly nailing foxes and skippys at around 300 meters with 55 grain fmj reloads. nice and comfortable to carry and use beats my remington 780 22-250 hands down. only trouble is that everyone else wants to use it too and i nearly have to sleep with it on hunting trips

06-15-2007, 10:12 PM	#22
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,703	If I were looking to buy one I'd check out the Ho's

06-16-2007, 10:40 AM	#24
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,703	ezearln I've heard and read where dem HO's is fine pieces..lol and reasonabley priced...too. Weatherby likes one of them enough to put there name on it.

09-01-2007, 05:23 PM	#26
nzhunter Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 11	I have just bought a Howa Lightning S/S .223 for varminting and general use on our farm. At first glance I knew I needed to adjust the trigger so I have done that now and it lightened up nicely to about 2.5lbs. I am now going to see how it performs on the target and I am expecting to have to do a bedding job before I will get reliable sub moa accuracy. I'll keep you posted! Does anyone know the twist-rate on these barrels? I think it could be 1:12 but not sure.

09-02-2007, 05:26 PM	#27
rookie1129 Banned Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: south Louisiana Posts: 50	Stick with the savage. But if you do go for a used Howa be sure to see if the firing pin fits the hole in the bolt face properly. There should only be .001" or .002" clearance. The earlier Howa models had and extremly large firing pin hole and this caused problems. But its easily recongnizable.

09-15-2007, 09:42 PM	#28
Thunder-223 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bowra N.S.W Australia Posts: 126	The Twist rate on my Howa 223 Ligntning is 1:12 and is deadly accurate. as nzhunter said all you have to do is lighten the trigger pull a bit {about 3 minutes work} and these rifles are very accurate tack drivers. i shoot 0.5 moa at 250 yards with factory ammo and it never has been bedded or been anywhere near a gunsmith. Best thing is AU $40 per 100 rounds of military ammo {non corrosive} and brass casings not that steel sh*t that Wolf use

09-17-2008, 06:41 AM	#30
bluealtered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: outback oregon Posts: 28	The package savage .223 is a good deal, the scope on it will work fine out to 300yds. I have one and yes i have changed the scope to a 6-18x50, and yes it will knock down yodies at 500yds. I use a 50gr. jhp. off the shelf from wally world, federal value pack, blue box 200rds. I am simply saying that the savage package rifle in this caliber with a 1/9 twist is up to that range shot, of course placement and bullet type make or break the shot at that range. (And luck sure doesn't hurt) blue