Thread: Howa 1500 vs. Tikka T3

Originally Posted by Nick-D

The biggest issue with the howas is the sloppy pos houge stock that comes with them. The tikka stock is nothing flash but at least it's a rigid plaform.

Wish howa would go to an in house halfway stiff stock, like weatherby does for the vanguards

Howa internationally (Legacy Sports) has massively increased the range of stocks you can get now, because of this kind of feedback. Unfortunately, Outdoor Sports NZ who import Howa here are so far behind the game, and totally useless to boot. I've tried to source alternative Howa stocks through them, what a run around.

I own two Tikkas and two Howas. I put a Boyds stock on my heavy barrel Howa Varminter, and put the varmint channeled Hogue stock on my Howa .243 so it has masses of clearance now and is a fantastic shooter. Not that it was at all a problem with the original Hogue stock.

If you're very cautious and take your time, it is easy to open up the forend channel on sporter Hogue stocks. Just use a very sharp scalpel and a steady hand. No brown ale or Steinies before the job.

I can't split the performance of the Tikkas and the Howas. Both varmint contours shoot tiny little groups (Tikka Super Varmint .223 and Howa Varminter 6.5CM). Both carry rifles are perfect for what I want to do with them (Tikka Stainless Laminate .308 and Howa Sporter .243).

Yes the Howa stainless isn't as rust resistant as the Tikka stainless but a simple coat of CRC Long Life sorts that out. Last time I mentioned oiling my stainless rifles for protection on here I got reamed by a couple of you, you are more than welcome to have another go if it makes you feel better. Yes the Howa action is rougher than the Tikka's, but a simple process of working the bolt repeatedly with fine valve grinding paste sorts out the Howa, particularly around the bolt lugs.

I bought a Howa Mountain Rifle 7mm08 2nd hand which was cheap as chips from an American colleague departing for home, it is a brilliant wee rifle. Contrary to some of the flack I got last time I mentioned it (see above) it doesn't rust and its not stainless, its cerakoted carbon steel. And it shoots just as well as my sporter weight .243.

At the end of day, it'll be down to the deal on the day. If I could get a wider range of stocks for Howas I think I'd just buy another three or four of them for the price of one overvalued Sako 85 with its daft recoil lug. Sako should have just stuck with their design that Howa copied, the L579!

Originally Posted by Flyblown

Howa internationally (Legacy Sports) has massively increased the range of stocks you can get now, because of this kind of feedback. Unfortunately, Outdoor Sports NZ who import Howa here are so far behind the game, and totally useless to boot. I've tried to source alternative Howa stocks through them, what a run around.

I own two Tikkas and two Howas. I put a Boyds stock on my heavy barrel Howa Varminter, and put the varmint channeled Hogue stock on my Howa .243 so it has masses of clearance now and is a fantastic shooter. Not that it was at all a problem with the original Hogue stock.

If you're very cautious and take your time, it is easy to open up the forend channel on sporter Hogue stocks. Just use a very sharp scalpel and a steady hand. No brown ale or Steinies before the job.

I can't split the performance of the Tikkas and the Howas. Both varmint contours shoot tiny little groups (Tikka Super Varmint .223 and Howa Varminter 6.5CM). Both carry rifles are perfect for what I want to do with them (Tikka Stainless Laminate .308 and Howa Sporter .243).

Yes the Howa stainless isn't as rust resistant as the Tikka stainless but a simple coat of CRC Long Life sorts that out. Last time I mentioned oiling my stainless rifles for protection on here I got reamed by a couple of you, you are more than welcome to have another go if it makes you feel better. Yes the Howa action is rougher than the Tikka's, but a simple process of working the bolt repeatedly with fine valve grinding paste sorts out the Howa, particularly around the bolt lugs.

I bought a Howa Mountain Rifle 7mm08 2nd hand which was cheap as chips from an American colleague departing for home, it is a brilliant wee rifle. Contrary to some of the flack I got last time I mentioned it (see above) it doesn't rust and its not stainless, its cerakoted carbon steel. And it shoots just as well as my sporter weight .243.

At the end of day, it'll be down to the deal on the day. If I could get a wider range of stocks for Howas I think I'd just buy another three or four of them for the price of one overvalued Sako 85 with its daft recoil lug. Sako should have just stuck with their design that Howa copied, the L579!

Yeah man, they are awesome rifles. I had a 6.5 Swede howa in a boyds stock that was an awesome shooter. To heavy for a bush gun though. Like 4.6kg with can and scope.

If they could nail the stock they would be imo, hands down the best value rifle out there. Also I much prefer the floor plate mag setup of the howa over a single stack dbm of the tikka for general big game hunting needs. Hate dropping the mag in the bush to top it off