Howa VS Tikka

[vonb]

Have both. Howa is robust action that is a great budget rifle. Not quite as smooth or accurate as the Tikka but is second best.

 

[KenLee]

That's how I feel about every Rem700 safety I come across. They feel like Dollar Tree safeties haha.

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

Except a dollar tree safety wouldn't cause random rifle firing, causing people to be maimed and killed

 

[Old Dog]

Someone said something about a build on a Winchester.

My poor man's Winchester M70 build. Rifle was a gunshow pick up in 225 Winchester Krieger 24inch Barrel in 6CM. It had a cheap plastic stock on it but I was just about out of money at that point however my smith had an old wooden stock that in his words 'was solid but looks like crap' so he bedded it into that and I gave it the paint job. Has a 10x SWFA scope. By far the most accurate rifle I've ever shot.

 

[Marbles]

You have a rec for a polishing compound? I couldn't resist cerakoting my Tikka bolt and action and it's a little sticky now. Any other tricks? I know.

I had LRI cerakote my Tikka actions only, they felt the same to me when they came back, both smooth. The 223 has been shot a lot, and the action is very smooth, when I pick up the 308 it now feels rough. 200 rounds of Wolf steel cased ammo I needed to burn up helped, it is dirty and the gritty carbon in the action probably acted like polishing compound.

I would go with green honing compound mixed with grease if I was going to try something specifically. Probably better just to shoot it a bunch, or cycle it a bunch while watching a spaghetti western.

 

[ElPollo]

You have a rec for a polishing compound? I couldn't resist cerakoting my Tikka bolt and action and it's a little sticky now. Any other tricks? I know.

I use Flitz.

 

[Vern400]

A smoothed up Howa is very smooth - just a little time with some 400 or 600 grit sandpaper. The new Howas I’ve seen lately are pretty smooth.

The machining accuracy on Howa’s has always been quite good - some gunsmiths who work on them a lot say the bore/bolt/barrel threads/receiver face are noticeably more in line compared to other major brands, but I’ve never measured one.

I don’t buy the bolt binding argument - use a good PTFE lubricant and you’ll never have problems.

I'd like to know what PTFE lubricant you're talking about. I have a brand new Howa 1500 that I've been working up loads for. It belongs to a family member. The bolt is easy to lift, but holy smoke. Periodically it won't come back. I've had to bang the butt on the bench while pulling the bolt. It's definitely not a pressure, cartridge, headspace problem.

 

[TaperPin]

I'd like to know what PTFE lubricant you're talking about. I have a brand new Howa 1500 that I've been working up loads for. It belongs to a family member. The bolt is easy to lift, but holy smoke. Periodically it won't come back. I've had to bang the butt on the bench while pulling the bolt. It's definitely not a pressure, cartridge, headspace problem.

Milcom TW25B is highly recommended by custom action makers, and gunsmiths. It may seem pricy for a little tube, but it only takes a little.

 

[Te Hopo]

My Howa .223 wasn't the smoothest when I got it, and rather than sitting there with sand paper I just got a heap of ammo, went to the range a few times and used it.
It's pretty damn smooth now

 

[Packmansion]

If tikka made a true long action, it would be game over for everyone else.

 

[Pilsner]

A smoothed up Howa is very smooth - just a little time with some 400 or 600 grit sandpaper. The new Howas I’ve seen lately are pretty smooth.

The machining accuracy on Howa’s has always been quite good - some gunsmiths who work on them a lot say the bore/bolt/barrel threads/receiver face are noticeably more in line compared to other major brands, but I’ve never measured one.

I don’t buy the bolt binding argument - use a good PTFE lubricant and you’ll never have problems.

750 and 1k grit jewelry compound is the ticket along with a decent Western

 

[Pilsner]

I swapped out the barrel on my Howa 270 for a 6.5-284 Norma.
Added a Stocky's stock and a CF barrel
My first 3 shots went into 0.22".
5 went into 0.25"
I quit shooting them to frame that target (and before i could F it up! Lol).
Heavy as shit
The McMillian stock is heavy but does well for recoil (adds weight) otherwise is worthless

 

[Hoopleheader]

A smoothed up Howa is very smooth - just a little time with some 400 or 600 grit sandpaper. The new Howas I’ve seen lately are pretty smooth.

The machining accuracy on Howa’s has always been quite good - some gunsmiths who work on them a lot say the bore/bolt/barrel threads/receiver face are noticeably more in line compared to other major brands, but I’ve never measured one.

I don’t buy the bolt binding argument - use a good PTFE lubricant and you’ll never have problems.

The last thing I’ve ever worried about is the bolt binding on me.

Snow in an unprotected bore, a general feeding issue (I found the DBM REM 700 to be unreliable in picking up a round), sure.

The bolt not going home is not in the list of things to really worry about, but I guess is a good reason to buy a tikka, or as I mentioned in the .223 thread, a sharps falling block.

 

[Sixpack]

Iv’e had two Howa’s and two Tikkas, still own one of each. I’ve got an 80’s era Weatherby Vanguard in 25-06 I received from my dad. It is a tank but smooth with a fair trigger. It’s always been picky about ammo and only so-so accurate. The other was a cerakoted Howa in 308. It also was heavy with decent accuracy but I hated the safety and trigger! Didn’t care for the Hogue stock either so it went down the road.

My current Tikka is a blued 308 cup back to 20” with LOP shortened to 13.5” with a Limbsaver. It is much more accurate, lighter, and generally better in everyway.

As a side note, I have a BACO Winchester M70 Featherweight 308 that is a true SA that feeds just as well and is just as slick as the Tikka. I put it in a McMillan stock and added a Timney trigger. It’s not quite as accurate as the tikka but is very consistent around 1” or just over.

Food for thought but new production it’s Winchester and Tikka for me!