What can you build for 8 ft/lbs of recoil energy? A tale of two builds, CZ vs RAR.

[Stinky Coyote]

My two lovely's completed and compared.

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[Makepeace2000]

That’s a really cool comparison. And I would think the Howa Mini 20” should slot right in between.

[Stinky Coyote]

I have the howa 20" lightweight and 22". The lightweight is around 2503 fps last chrony session. It's currently in a milled out mdt chassis (7.0 oz lighter than original) running mft battlelink minimalist butt stock and a 13 oz leupold in talley's, it's about 6 lb 10.5 oz from recollection as it sits. The kids shoot it, it's a tack driver but i hate the magazine and as soon as kids out grow needs for adjustable stock i'll probably sell it. It's been a killer for sure but mentally i'm done with howa. Have to say my fav might be the little RAR but i'm more of a blue collar guy so it's no wonder i lean slightly to it over the flashier CZ in that amazing carbon barrel.

[rcook10]

Stinky, have you tried the bdl bottom metal for the mini? it really change my mind about them.

[Stinky Coyote]

There’s no bottom metal in a chassis. I never ran it as regular stock, the overweight Tupperware is still in the box. I’m a detach mag guy. It’s the magazine that has ruined it most for me. A 10 round ar Grendel mag is about same size and reliable. So much excess fat on the cheap magazine it’s laughable combined with nose down cartridges on the shot. Fail squared.

[Oz judge]

There’s no bottom metal in a chassis. I never ran it as regular stock, the overweight Tupperware is still in the box. I’m a detach mag guy. It’s the magazine that has ruined it most for me. A 10 round ar Grendel mag is about same size and reliable. So much excess fat on the cheap magazine it’s laughable combined with nose down cartridges on the shot. Fail squared.

Is the howa mag that bad ?

[Stinky Coyote]

I have a cz and a ruger now. The Howa is in chassis lightened and adjustable butt stock to fit kid’s, I will likely sell for another ruger and chassis it for that adjustability to fit all size shooters. Wish the ruger ranch was available before the Howa I could have saved some time and money. I would not go down the Howa path again now that ruger Americans ranch available.

[tdbru]

OJ,
for as nice an action as the Howa has, the tupperware stock and the tupperware magazine were a huge disappointment for me. and i'm not the only one. Jefferson Outdoors makes a nice flush bottom metal and Bell and Carlson make a nice synthetic stock that is rigid. however by the time you buy those two items, your little inexpensive howa is now very expensive. but i do like it. i've heard good things about the Oregon gunsmithing bottom metal too, though no firsthand experience as i went with the JO offering. of the three actions, i like the howa action the best. but like most things, the other offerings have pluses too.
-tdbru