WTS Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle 6.5 Creedmoor Package

[BigSky]

I am selling a very good condition Howa Alpine Mountain Rifle. Why "very good" instead of excellent? Well, there are a few scrapes in the stock. I bought this off of the used rack at Scheels about six months ago and know absolutely nothing about its history. So, I can't in good conscience list it as excellent or above. Until this past weekend, it has just sat in my safe. Once I decided to sell, I figured that anybody interested in it would want to know how it shoots. If you don't shoot with me regularly, you don't know my capabilities so my representation of a 1 MOA gun may be your 2 MOA gun or it may be your one-holer.

Anyway, I had one box of Hornady 147 grain ELD Match so we went to the range and shot those. My son (who just got out of the Army) shot a 3 shot group that was right at 1/2 inch. I told him to make it a five shot group. He did and it grew to a 3/4 inch group. Not wanting to be outdone, after the barrel cooled, I shot a five-shot 1 1/2 inch group. So much for not wanting to be outdone. He shot another 5 shot group that was right at one inch. Anyway, that's what I know about how it shoots with the two of us shooting Hornady match ammo.

I hastily put it together with a Howa 20 moa rail, some cheapo scope rings (I don't even know the brand) and a brand new Athlon Helos BTR Gen 2 AHMR2 FFP IR MOA scope. As you can see it has the DBM with the 5-round magazine. To complete this package I am also going to add a ten-round magazine and 200 pieces of once-fired Hornady brass. My price for this entire package is $1250 shipped and insured. I actually think that's a pretty good price for this package. I will sell the rifle alone, along with the 5-round magazine and nothing else for $875 shipped and insured. By the way, as cheapskate as it may sound, the Butler Creek scope covers will not go with this as I have several others of this exact same scope on which I need to use these.

 

[BigSky]

O.K. I took this package apart and put one of my most trusted scopes on it and headed to the range. Before I get to the targets. I have now removed rail, scope, and rings from the rifle. I found a brand new Howa BDL bottom metal set with spring and follower. Additionally I found the ten-round magazine. Now, the hinge on the BDL floorplate will not swing clear. to completely open. However, for firing and feeding, it functions perfectly. It catches on the inside of the well of the stock. I am not going to take a dremel to the stock as I would be fine using it if it never opened. However, if you feel you need to unload by dropping the plate, it appears to be a simple dremel job. I just won't do it. So, for the rifle with the detachable mag system, 5-round magazine, 10-round magazine and the hinged floorplate setup, I need $900 shipped and insured.

On to the group pictures. I believe I will show the good with the bad. Having put on a new scope and boresited it, I decied to try some handloads first. The is not a recommended load as you will see in the first picture. If you do buy this, do not use the following load: 130gr Sierra TGK in Lapua Brass with LR pockets. Primed with CCI 200 AND 42GR of H4350. However, you will also see the group, large as it is, is centered. So, I loaded up five rounds of Hornady Pecision Hunter 143 grain ELD-X, In the second picture you will see the first round low and right, away from the others. I made one adjustment, and fired the four-shot group you see.

BDL View

This is as far as it will open. As you can hopefully see, the hinge is stopped inside as the cutaway needs to be taken back for this BDL