01-01-2020, 02:45 AM
hello jakeismydog2,
i happened to pick up an 22" standard barreled howa mini bolt gun. personally i like longer barrels for 2 reasons. most velocity out of any given load vs a shorter tube, even if the difference isn't great. second reason is reduced muzzle blast/noise. i've had enough hearing damage from firearms over my life. even though short barreled rifles are quite popular and quite handy, they have a lot higher dB level than a longer barreled rifle. big difference in noise between 16" vs 22 or 24". though noise does not equal recoil, excessively loud firearms may be more difficult for the kids to learn to shoot simply due to the noise. the Grendel is low enough recoil and the ammo is modest enough price wise (especially if you reload) that the kids can practice a lot, without breaking the bank. they'll discover the fun of shooting. like i did when i was a kid back when we were dodging T-Rexs. statistically, all else being equal (which rarely happens) a shorter barrel for the same diameter will be stiffer and "should" therefore be capable of slightly better groups. however i've found enough variation just in the barrels themselves that i think it would take a benchrest capable setup to see the accuracy difference just due to barrel stiffness differences between short and long barrels. and a whole lot better shot than i am to drive the rig. so don't worry a lot on barrel length. i have been pleasantly surprised on the HOWA design/construction. this mini being my first HOWA, i think it's quite thoughtfully designed with good (to me) features in the barreled action at the price point it carries. of course there are some price point compromises too, which i find are mostly in the stock and bottom "metal" which is plastic actually. yet in my mind it's a good value.
i think you'll have a ball with the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. it's (like many 6.5mm calibers) quite an on game performer despite it's diminutive size. but it does have limits like everything. you'll do well if you can get out and practice a lot so that you can shoot it well, and then respect the range at which you shoot game at. you'll need to make sure the range is close enough that at the impact speed expected of the bullet you use, you'll get some bullet expansion. this varies between different makes and types of bullets, so research that while you find a game bullet and / or load that shoots well out of your particular rifle.
one of the biggest factors in successfully taking game animals, in my opinion, is bullet placement. with good bullet placement, and with adequate impact velocities to go with it, deer can be successfully taken with a huge variety of calibers, 6.5 Grendel easily among the list. hit them in the hoof and even a 460 Weatherby won't bring game to bag. you get the idea.
i predict your on the verge of a lot of fun. enjoy.
-tdbru
i happened to pick up an 22" standard barreled howa mini bolt gun. personally i like longer barrels for 2 reasons. most velocity out of any given load vs a shorter tube, even if the difference isn't great. second reason is reduced muzzle blast/noise. i've had enough hearing damage from firearms over my life. even though short barreled rifles are quite popular and quite handy, they have a lot higher dB level than a longer barreled rifle. big difference in noise between 16" vs 22 or 24". though noise does not equal recoil, excessively loud firearms may be more difficult for the kids to learn to shoot simply due to the noise. the Grendel is low enough recoil and the ammo is modest enough price wise (especially if you reload) that the kids can practice a lot, without breaking the bank. they'll discover the fun of shooting. like i did when i was a kid back when we were dodging T-Rexs. statistically, all else being equal (which rarely happens) a shorter barrel for the same diameter will be stiffer and "should" therefore be capable of slightly better groups. however i've found enough variation just in the barrels themselves that i think it would take a benchrest capable setup to see the accuracy difference just due to barrel stiffness differences between short and long barrels. and a whole lot better shot than i am to drive the rig. so don't worry a lot on barrel length. i have been pleasantly surprised on the HOWA design/construction. this mini being my first HOWA, i think it's quite thoughtfully designed with good (to me) features in the barreled action at the price point it carries. of course there are some price point compromises too, which i find are mostly in the stock and bottom "metal" which is plastic actually. yet in my mind it's a good value.
i think you'll have a ball with the 6.5 Grendel cartridge. it's (like many 6.5mm calibers) quite an on game performer despite it's diminutive size. but it does have limits like everything. you'll do well if you can get out and practice a lot so that you can shoot it well, and then respect the range at which you shoot game at. you'll need to make sure the range is close enough that at the impact speed expected of the bullet you use, you'll get some bullet expansion. this varies between different makes and types of bullets, so research that while you find a game bullet and / or load that shoots well out of your particular rifle.
one of the biggest factors in successfully taking game animals, in my opinion, is bullet placement. with good bullet placement, and with adequate impact velocities to go with it, deer can be successfully taken with a huge variety of calibers, 6.5 Grendel easily among the list. hit them in the hoof and even a 460 Weatherby won't bring game to bag. you get the idea.
i predict your on the verge of a lot of fun. enjoy.
-tdbru