I'm in the process of building a rem 700 and now my howa 1500 in 30-06 has got me wanting to improve on it also. So my question is has anyone built a howa 1500. I would like to maybe change the caliber to a more flatter trajectory cartridge. I'm going to order a new barrel for it but I'm curiouser to hear what other cartridges I can change to with the least amount of Smith work. There's ton of information on rem 700 but not much on the howa 1500, I did notice that it does not have a removable recoil lug,it's machined into the action. I would like to improve on this rifle and make it a more precision medium range hunting rifle. Any info is much appreciated. I'm not looking to shoot a mile with this gun but I would like a 1000 yard and under rifle.
howa 1500 build
- Thread starter harleybug
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Dr. Vette
Well-Known Member
Least expensive?
1. Buy a Howa 1500 or Weatherby Vanguard in .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag. I see the Howa is available with a fluted barrel. If nothing else, that looks cool.
2. Restock into a Bell & Carlson Medalist or upgraded stock of your choice.
3. Consider a Timney trigger to replace the factory trigger.
4. Go shooting.
You can spend a lot more money on rebarrelling your Howa, but they are so darned accurate with factory barrels that unless you have a burning desire to add 2 inches or more to the barrel length I wouldn't spend the money. But, that's me.
You can do the same tricks to your current .30-06 and have a rifle easily able to do 600 yards. If that works for you, then try for a larger caliber. Every Vanguard I own easily shoots Sub-MOA with factory loads, and I would have no problem shooting them to that distance.
I customized one in .30-06 by having it Cerakoted and swapping the trigger, and it's very accurate with factory ammo. Hopefully it's as good or better next year when I work up a load for it. That may be a great place to start for you as well.
Good luck with your rifle.
1. Buy a Howa 1500 or Weatherby Vanguard in .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag. I see the Howa is available with a fluted barrel. If nothing else, that looks cool.
2. Restock into a Bell & Carlson Medalist or upgraded stock of your choice.
3. Consider a Timney trigger to replace the factory trigger.
4. Go shooting.
You can spend a lot more money on rebarrelling your Howa, but they are so darned accurate with factory barrels that unless you have a burning desire to add 2 inches or more to the barrel length I wouldn't spend the money. But, that's me.
You can do the same tricks to your current .30-06 and have a rifle easily able to do 600 yards. If that works for you, then try for a larger caliber. Every Vanguard I own easily shoots Sub-MOA with factory loads, and I would have no problem shooting them to that distance.
I customized one in .30-06 by having it Cerakoted and swapping the trigger, and it's very accurate with factory ammo. Hopefully it's as good or better next year when I work up a load for it. That may be a great place to start for you as well.
Good luck with your rifle.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
Least expensive?
1. Buy a Howa 1500 or Weatherby Vanguard in .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag. I see the Howa is available with a fluted barrel. If nothing else, that looks cool.
4. Go shooting.
You can spend a lot more money on rebarrelling your Howa, but they are so darned accurate with factory barrels that unless you have a burning desire to add 2 inches or more to the barrel length I wouldn't spend the money. But, that's me.
You can do the same tricks to your current .30-06 and have a rifle easily able to do 600 yards. If that works for you, then try for a larger caliber. Every Vanguard I own easily shoots Sub-MOA with factory loads, and I would have no problem shooting them to that distance. Good luck with your rifle.
Not much to add. Only I would start with an optic of enough quality that I'd transfer it to the next rifle.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
The first cartridge that comes to mind is the 280 rem or 280 AI both will fit your action without any modifications and will out distance the 30/06 (Its parent case). The 280 AI will best the 7mm Rem Mag with the right barrel and load combination .
You will have to find a good smith that will do metric threads (The action has metric threads)
but we have guys like Shortgrass that are sponsors on this site that can do and are set up to do
metric threads.
There are other cartridges that will interchange without any action work listed at the top of this Gun smithing section that has more information.
Hope this helps
J E CUSTOM
You will have to find a good smith that will do metric threads (The action has metric threads)
but we have guys like Shortgrass that are sponsors on this site that can do and are set up to do
metric threads.
There are other cartridges that will interchange without any action work listed at the top of this Gun smithing section that has more information.
Hope this helps
J E CUSTOM
Dr. Vette
Well-Known Member
The B&C will bed a lot easier and better than the Hogue stocks.
On my two with Hogues, I bedded just the recoil lug as well as under the rear action screw. You can't bed to the rubber material, so there is not much sense in doing a full action bedding. Having said that, the accuracy with each of these rifles is good. It's worth doing if you're going to use the 30-06 for a starter rifle, but not worth it if you're going a full 1000 yards. For that I would swap to a stiffer stock.
Hired Gun
Well-Known Member
JE, I think you are about due for a new lathe. On mine, it's the flip of a switch like any other thread.
The Howa/Vanguard is a superior design in every way except for the trigger. The built in lug is a good thing. A 280Ackely would be cool but there is nothing wrong with the 30-06 for what you are looking to do.
The Howa/Vanguard is a superior design in every way except for the trigger. The built in lug is a good thing. A 280Ackely would be cool but there is nothing wrong with the 30-06 for what you are looking to do.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
Buddy, are you right !!!!!!!
I wished I had one that could do both without changing gears and not being able to disengage the half nut once you start.
When I was a lot younger, I used a Lathe that had two lead screws and all I had to do was engage one or the other. (One was inch threads and the other was metric) but now that I am retired I cant justify buying a lathe that cost as much as a diesel truck.
I would entertain donations though. Ha Ha.
Thanks Hired Gun, you made my day.
J E CUSTOM
jw308
Well-Known Member
So I was talking to some guy on another forum about changing the threads on the action to inch threads?!...
I wouldn't think this would be a good idea?! Wouldn't that weaken the action? I'm not sure what the major diameter is, but I would think that if one did this it would or could be real bad.
The guy claims to have done this on more then one rifle.
What do you gentlemen think?
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
If you are talking about removing the original threads and re threading it to an inch thread
I would think that It might weaken the receiver ring two much.
I think there is a better way to change the thread pitch without removing more than.008 to .010
thousandths of the original threads (I have yet to try it but like everything else, In theory it should work. if I get a chance I will try it and report my findings to this site.
The best way is to get a lathe that will cut the metric threads or find someone that will/can do
metric threads.
J E CUSTOM
jw308
Well-Known Member
I can cut metric threads gun)
gun)
Hired Gun
Well-Known Member
I think anyone that would remove the original threads of an action only to rethread in inch threads is an idiot. Even if there was plenty of meat to do it. Why? There is nothing wrong with metric threads that are in there. Metric threads are a non issue. Next subject.
J E Custom
Well-Known Member
+1
The only reason I brought it up was to enlighten some, that lots of rifles/actions now days have metric threads and if the barrels ever need replacing in may not be easy to find someone in there area that can/will do metric threads.
"BUT" If we buy American Made products This would not be a problem.
Just an old Vet talking.
J E CUSTOM
