04-05-2016, 08:21 PM
I had the opportunity to test a Howa pre-production model with a light weight 20 inch barrel. I am impressed. It appears very well made and just what I have been looking for in a Grendel chambered bolt rifle. It arrived with the Nikko Stirling 3x9 scope and tipped the scales at just under 6 3/4 lbs. with the scope and magazine. The trigger has no creep and broke cleanly and consistently at 2 lb. 10 oz. give or take an oz. or two. The Hogue stock looks well made, free floats the barrel and is pillar bedded. It has a recoil pad, sling swivel studs and a 3 position safety. It comes with one 10 round magazine. The action cycled smoothly and fed, chambered, fired, extracted, and ejected both Lapua and Hornady brass without hesitation. I believe the rifle comes without the scope or with it as a package. My only complaint was that the magazine release was very easy to engage by accident and I dropped the magazine several times by accident. When I receive my rifle I will shorten the release arm by half to two thirds and I think that will fix the problem. Legacy is aware of the problem.
I have had an AR in 6.5 Grendel for several years and love the round. Very accurate and shoots out of a standard AR size rifle. My interest in a bolt gun is to have a very lightweight rifle which shoots the same round. That is the reason I am going with and wanted to test the 20 inch lightweight.
Velocity with Hornady Amax was just under 2500 fps. on a 70 degree day. 2470- 2490 fps.
I shot the rifle out a window, off a shelf over my loading bench with a jury rigged rear support. I believe the rifle will shoot better off a proper bench with solid rear stock support. I got a 5/8 inch group at 100 yards and think the rifle will do better. My range is limited to 300 yards but I could keep rounds on a 6x6 inch head of a steel torso target with a hot barrel at that distance. I shot 4 or 5 rounds at the head, two at the body of the torso and then shot several at a 12 inch circle all without cooling or cleaning the barrel. I was firing as fast as I could while really trying to take the time to hit. I might have missed one of the head shots but hit all the rest. I might mention I had a little gusting wind. I also fired rounds with Lapua brass and Ballistic Tip bullets and they shot about the same as the Hornady rounds. You can load one round at a time after the mag runs dry by tossing in single rounds on top of the mag.
I can't think of anything I would change about the rifle. It is very well thought out and of high quality. I had never shot a Howa action before but I am now a fan. The rifle scope package is a deal. You would have to spend a lot more money on a scope to do lots better. I think with the included scope in the package deal it is a solid shooter out to 500 or 600 yards unless you are really trying for tight groups. I think with the right scope and shooter it is a 1,000 yard rifle. Very good for a lightweight rifle. Due to the wind I did not get to really see if the groups shifts when it got hot but I do know it shoots close enough when hot for it not to make a difference on what I did. I am going to install a Leupold VX-6 2x12 on mine.
I have had an AR in 6.5 Grendel for several years and love the round. Very accurate and shoots out of a standard AR size rifle. My interest in a bolt gun is to have a very lightweight rifle which shoots the same round. That is the reason I am going with and wanted to test the 20 inch lightweight.
Velocity with Hornady Amax was just under 2500 fps. on a 70 degree day. 2470- 2490 fps.
I shot the rifle out a window, off a shelf over my loading bench with a jury rigged rear support. I believe the rifle will shoot better off a proper bench with solid rear stock support. I got a 5/8 inch group at 100 yards and think the rifle will do better. My range is limited to 300 yards but I could keep rounds on a 6x6 inch head of a steel torso target with a hot barrel at that distance. I shot 4 or 5 rounds at the head, two at the body of the torso and then shot several at a 12 inch circle all without cooling or cleaning the barrel. I was firing as fast as I could while really trying to take the time to hit. I might have missed one of the head shots but hit all the rest. I might mention I had a little gusting wind. I also fired rounds with Lapua brass and Ballistic Tip bullets and they shot about the same as the Hornady rounds. You can load one round at a time after the mag runs dry by tossing in single rounds on top of the mag.
I can't think of anything I would change about the rifle. It is very well thought out and of high quality. I had never shot a Howa action before but I am now a fan. The rifle scope package is a deal. You would have to spend a lot more money on a scope to do lots better. I think with the included scope in the package deal it is a solid shooter out to 500 or 600 yards unless you are really trying for tight groups. I think with the right scope and shooter it is a 1,000 yard rifle. Very good for a lightweight rifle. Due to the wind I did not get to really see if the groups shifts when it got hot but I do know it shoots close enough when hot for it not to make a difference on what I did. I am going to install a Leupold VX-6 2x12 on mine.