Howa 1500 mini barrel cut?

[natebonebusta]

Does the 22” have enough diameter to thread at 18.5? I thought I checked with my gunsmith and he said he couldn’t do it. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t find one who can, just asking.

I chopped my Ruger Predator down to 18” by hand with a hacksaw. Then roughly squared it up with a file, you can plainly see with the naked eye the muzzle is not on a 90’ angle. Got tired of filing it by hand! Figured it was close enough and I’d try it, if didn’t shoot I could always clean it up some more. I cut a new crown with a brass slotted screw head in a drill and valve lapping compound and it still shoots great. Who knew? Lost about 25-30 FPS per inch.

If I live long enough to get my cans out of jail, I’m going to have it cut down to 16.5” and threaded professionally. Probably only shoot 90 TNT’s out of it. Guessing easily around 2750 fps and maybe close to 2800 on a good day should be doable with H335 and maybe even Benchmark.

Playing around with some more numbers on Strelok @ 2500 FPS w/120 Gold Dots. 2500 should no problem with Leverevelution and closer to 2600 might even be attainable in an 16” barrel suppressed bolt gun.

300 yds/ 1964 FPS/ 1028 FPE

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2600 fps pushed those numbers back another 50 yards.

I’ve yet to check with my smith. I’m gonna run h335 an Xterminator to test for the 95gr vmax bullets and try benchmark with 123 eldm or sst’s whichever I can find. I can get by with 22” but it’ll be like having a Shepard staff out in the woods with the suppressor attached.

I’m not brave enough to go it with a hacksaw, but good on ya for trying and having success.