Howa Scout Rifle 308 Win 185 Barrel Review

Chris Parkin presents an in depth review of the Howa heavy barrel .308 Winchester rifle

Howa GRS 308 - Credit: Archant

Pros

Fantastic ergonomics for a `tactical` rifle parcel

Well counterbalanced weight for the specifications with good optional accessory bundle

Howa triggers are definitely improving

Well cut crown and muzzle thread in 5/8 UNF

Well cut crown and muzzle thread in five/8 UNF - Credit: Archant

Cons

Activeness screw tension is critical; I just don't like the Howa recoil lug/inlet/spiral's design conflict

Opinion

Every bit a factory rifle package this gun has few, if any, equals at this cost, and is definitely worthy of experimentation with handloads and additions of the magazine conversion. Experiment with the activeness screws for best results and proceed notes of the applied torque.

AimZonic moderator was quite heavy so calmed the muzzle well - Credit: Archant

Specification

Model Howa Heavy Barrel 308 in GRS Berserk Stock

Calibre 308 Winchester (204 up to 338 bachelor in two action sizes)

Magazine Capacity 5 circular floorplate (five or 10 circular detachable mag an option)

Barrel, 610mm/24"5/8" UNF (i in ten" twist rate)

Length 1110mm/43 ½"

Weight 4.6kg

Length of pull 340-366mm/ 20mm cheekpiece aligning

Trigger pull 1400gr/ 3lbs two-phase with three position safety (non-adjustable)

AimZonic moderator was quite heavy and so calmed the muzzle well - Credit: Archant

Contact

Highland Outdoors

0845 099 0252

SRP for burglarize, stock, AimZonic Triton 42s Moderator package

£1433.97

The action bridges each have two threaded mounting holes either for a rail or separate bases

The action bridges each have two threaded mounting holes either for a rail or split bases - Credit: Archant

Optional Magazine Conversion Kit £52.99

Five or 10 circular polymer magazine £79.99

Prvi Partisan 168gr BT match ammunition £75.00 per hundred; Sierra, Ramshot and PPU reloading components as well from Henry Krank & Co. world wide web.henrykrank.com 01132 569163

QR sling studs for a Biathlon style sling

QR sling studs for a Biathlon manner sling - Credit: Archant

IN Particular

I similar the fact that you accept the ability to build a Howa rifle set-up exactly as you want it to exist. Whether it is a sporter in .204 Ruger for vermin command, deer stalking calibre in 7mm-08, or perhaps a .338 for African game – choose your calibre, stock and barrel profile, in either black chrome/moly or stainless steel, and simply bolt information technology together. As well as modest synthetics, walnut and laminates, Highland Outdoors is now offering the full range of composite stocks from GRS, which includes the latest Berserk injection-moulded polymer unit. The Berserk brings all of GRS'due south class-leading ergonomic builds downward in price and weight by a couple of hundred pounds and grams; treatment the gun becomes a real intermission from the norm.

Too as push-button adjustable rummage and recoil pad/length of pull, the GRS trademark is their canted and start grip. As well equally the tactile finish moulded into the surface of the polymer from stop to end, rubberised panels are added at the grip and fore-end, the sometime of which not only adds warmth and tactility but a palm swell, too. Outset with a 'pollex-up' position when prone is a keen starting time when shooting with precision rifles, but the grip here is reminiscent of target pistols – it fits your hand so well that hardly whatsoever pressure is needed to retain information technology securely in your hand through the firing bicycle. There is no actual palm shelf, but the palm dandy fills your manus so perfectly that the weight of your hand disappears anyway. Meliorate still, to my mind, is that 'thumb-up' gives the fastest bolt-cycling position, every bit extended commodities handles volition flick open to a higher place your fingertips as your manus lofts from the grip; the Howa's 70mm-long ball-tipped bolt handle with twin-lug 90-caste elevator is in perfect harmony. Adjustable length of pull through a 26mm/1" range allows the soft prophylactic Limbsaver recoil pad to found well and command recoil assuredly, without being too squidgy or slipping around in your shoulder. There is an underside barrel hook assuasive the non-firing hand to both back up elevation aligning, and retain the gun in your shoulder through the recoil and return cycle. Twin side-mounted QR sling studs are fitted, to allow a Biathlon sling to hold what may go a heavy gun flat onto your back, and a regular stud is fitted to the fore-stop for bipod mounting. The butt is fully floated and remains then from all positions. The beavertail fore-end is both tactile and rigid. Yes, this stock is a cracker, and for decumbent sporting shots its lighter weight, at seemingly no compromise in stability, makes it a not bad selection for any burglarize.

Howa's heavy stainless barrel is 610mm long with a 5/viii" UNF threaded muzzle. It shows a recessed crown within its 21mm/0.83" bore, and the work is of a high standard, without marks or obvious tool chatter. Highland as well supplied an AimZonic Triton 42S (compatible with this and the .30 cal bore) for the test to reduce noise and recoil. Case extraction and ejection are easily handled by the button-feed bolt with claw extractor and plunger ejector betwixt the open up-topped activity bridges of the superficially cylindrical, only actually apartment-bottomed, action. Two pairs of spiral holes spike Remington 700 profiled bases, and the gun arrived with Weaver style fitted, making scope mounting straightforward. A rails is also on offering, which is helpful for the improver of night vision kit. Twin lugs give the commodities a 90-degree elevator. Although some may say 60 is better, ninety is generally lighter and causes less gun disruption, which I feel is beneficial on a burglarize intended for precision prone – less endeavor is less likely to upset whatsoever rest equipment in use. Enough of primary extraction force is on offering with even stout factory ammo easily broken free of the chamber walls. The bedchamber seems accurately head-spaced; no issues were institute when re-using fired cases. The gun volition load from the five-shot floorplate mag or, depending on calibre (small .223 based cases will tend to be fiddlier), from single rounds dropped into the magazine well. A take hold of is sited on the front of the trigger guard to drop spare ammo complimentary from the bottom of the gun, although information technology did demand a firm tap to make sure information technology fully re-engaged when clicked back up. The commodities is well finished, matt in surface preparation and all steel. There is no specific artsy action indicator at the bottom of the shroud, but the rear of the firing is tactile, and obviously recessed when fired. A bolt-removal button sits to the left of the rear action tang.

For my hands, the reach to the 7mm-wide, vertically-ribbed trigger blade was perfect, so information technology sat very comfortably with the vertical grip of the burglarize. It's a two-stage trigger, and then the first 5mm or so of travel are light until you come up against the second stage, which is crisp and breaks at a predictable and consequent 1400g/3lbs. The bolt locks when the right-side pollex safe is pulled fully rearward. 'Condom' with commodities operation is enabled on the eye detent. Fully forward allows the burglarize to fire, merely the heart position is a fleck like shooting fish in a barrel to skip over, and so you really need to 'feel' for it. The trigger is blocked by the rubber and, although it could technically be adjusted, the screws are encapsulated by a large white blob of sealant to discourage whatever tampering. This is a fairly good trigger for the price and one of the few two-phase units around on a factory centrefire (although they are very familiar to the air rifle and military machine worlds). It is a definite improvement over Howa triggers of old and felt a lot better than i I used a couple of years ago too, so perhaps factory tolerances take improved or settings have been more carefully adapted when setting them up.

With a one in 10" twist rate and 24" length, the barrel is well specified for a .308 gun more than suited to target and longer range operation. That length of tube will generate plenty of velocity and, more importantly, y'all tin can actually shoot any weight of .30 cal bullet from it with ample stability, even over 200gr (past which fourth dimension the case chapters will really be starting to limit powder volume to get the all-time from annihilation). I like 150gr for general use in .308, with 175/180s for longer range shooting, but I consider anything beyond nearly 800 yards to exist stretching a .308 for its all-time performance, unless it has a long (26") butt. The flip side is that a .308 shows adept barrel life, modesty with reloading/armament costs, and shows better bullet trace through the air compared to its more 'slippery' competitors. This is kind of a catch 22; information technology'southward harder to shoot a 'manifestly Jane' .308 'through' the wind, only you will learn more while experimenting, and information technology all adds to the fun. I started out zeroing the rifle with 168gr PPU match armament, just found the gun was struggling to print amend than a two-inch group at 100 yards, until I remembered an issue with my own personal Howa from eight or 9 years dorsum – activity spiral tension was a business organisation.

Although flat bottomed, the Howa has a recoil lug machined as part of the activeness, which is nifty, just the front action screw threads into that lug and not into the activeness base itself. At present, the lug projects nine.11mm from the activity'south base, notwithstanding the stock'south lug pocket is over 10mm deep (I have institute this on all Howas). And so, when y'all carefully torque your action screws to, say, 65lbs/in or 7.4Nm, the action and stock are placed under stress and will effectively curve to close the 1mm gap, rather than coming to a difficult stop (equally it will when the activity screw enters the bottom of the action directly). I don't actually like this aspect of the Howa's design, as elsewhere all other manufacturing tolerances are similar to what can be expected with their own inherent limitations. I had my gun synthetically bedded to minimise the trouble, and it helped massively, only information technology is worth spending time having a play with the applied torque and doing your very best to retain it if the gun and stock are parted, because yous will lose zip. This stress is easiest to detect when you slacken off simply the front action screw and watch the barrel rise (or preferably non) from the fore-end channel of the rifle. Some may disagree with me here, just I know what works for me and, withal again, this path yielded results. I wasn't surprised to discover the gun delivered with the front screw actually slightly loose.

Anyhow, with a fleck of playing around washed, the operation improved rapidly with the 168 and 150gr softpoint PPU, only I quickly moved over to hand-loaded armament (of known 'average' recipes) to discover the gun improved however once more, and showed a item liking for my Sierra 175 Matchking load using Ramshot TAC in PPU brass. This held five shots within one MOA at 100 yards, and performed besides every bit I could hope of myself on my usual tennis brawl exam at 400 yards. I shot the gun mainly demote-rested, which isn't my favourite position, even so it is important to note the recoil grapheme of the gun; from an un-softened rest on a concrete bench information technology was very linear with none of the expected bounce. I was using a 6-9" Harris bipod and, with the moderator or without, you felt the pressure wave from the gun's recoil directed very centrally into your shoulder pocket. I normally utilise a rubber mat in such situations, only with a difficult or soft hold the GRS stock actually impressed in that respect. Shooting decumbent was equally pleasant on the range, but my preferred surface is always grass, anyway; it actually calms all the recoil and dissonance from any gun. Adjusting length of pull and cheekpiece height on the Berserk stock really allowed me to experiment with recoil control and with assessing the movement in the aim indicate of the scope, after each round was fired. I think this stock really makes the rifle polish. Internally information technology shows adept rigidity, and the action inlet itself has harder portions inserted at main bearing points, as well every bit metal pillars to surround the action screws. Still, it is sad to encounter this effort essentially wasted; the forepart at least has fresh air between the stock and recoil lug, and so in that location is hardly much point having an incompressible colonnade. I don't call up anyone wants a recoil lug in hard contact with the base of operations of its recess, but with the Howa activeness you are in a bit of a catch-22 situation. I always check this anyway, but the Torx heads on the action screws were actually loose on delivery, and non everyone volition have admission to this tool. I have spoken to several gunsmiths about stock inlets and bedding of rifles. It is always engineered into the design of whatsoever gun and stock, some meliorate than others. The general suggestion – which most will agree on regardless of tolerances, mitt synthetic bedding jobs or design – is that the bottom of the lug shouldn't impact the base of operations of its pocket. With the Howa, y'all take no choice, and I was warned many years agone that, when slackened off, whatever barrel that rose out of the channel by more than 0.001" or then when the front screw was slackened was likely to be a trouble. Here, sadly, that held true, and not anybody has a torque wrench to apply their difficult-earned settings afterwards whatever maintenance. I tried it with the Howa and, even with my high-quality Wiha wrench, I couldn't get closer than a ii" return to nix.

Mag feed is one area in which Howa has put some existent coin into evolution and, unlike the countless cloned floorplates that utilize Accuracy International AICS magazines and well-nigh mandatory re-inletting, Howa has adult a more than compact magazine in v- and x-shot capacity that fits inside a floorplate design. This is minimal enough to slot straight into the factory floorplate's recess, and I would, without hesitation, come across this fact solitary as ane that swings things back in Howa'due south favour. My personal dislike of the recoil lug/spiral design bated, with some care the Howa shot well in the finish, and is a peachy toll for such a consummate package. I really liked the stock, and I call back we are seeing the time to come; serious design and manufacturing quality from GRS will make other constructed designers wake up to the rigidity on offer, which, in this case, made a solid platform upon which to tweak the 'parent' rifle.