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2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

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ditto1958
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2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by ditto1958 » Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:25 pm

A buddy at the range has a .308 bolt action rifle, a Howa 1500 Lightning. It's an inexpensive rifle with a black Hogue synthetic stock. The action, however, is said to be the same as a Weatherby Vanguard, but at a substantially lower price.

I shot it for a bit, and it's pretty nice. Has a good trigger, and seems to be very accurate. Since it's primarily a hunting rifle, with a slim barrel, it tends to shoot some flyers if you don't letmit cool down after a few shots.

Back to accuracy, I shot a group from sandbags at 100 yards. My first two shots hit less than an inch apart. My third shot, I couldn't see where it hit. I stared through the spotting scope, focusing and re-focusing, and finally decided I must have missed the paper. So, I sent a fourth shot downrange, which naturally was a flyer that missed by about an inch and a quarter.

When the range went cold, I went down and got my target- and was reminded about why I don't like shooting groups. When I looked at the target, it turned out that my third shot did not miss at all. It went right through one of the first two holes! So I had unknowingly shot a sub-1 inch three shot group. I think I may buy the rifle from my buddy. :)
Last edited by ditto1958 on Thu Mar 02, 2017 9:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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RetiredSeabee
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Re: 2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by RetiredSeabee » Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:11 pm

Having seen your targets before a sub inch group doesn't surprise me at all.
Load on Sunday and Shoot all Week.......okay it's a Mare's Leg I will reload on Wednesday. ;)

ditto1958
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Re: 2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by ditto1958 » Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:49 pm

RetiredSeabee wrote:Having seen your targets before a sub inch group doesn't surprise me at all.
You only get to see the good ones. A lot of other ones go straight to the burn barrel! :)

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Sir Henry
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Re: 2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by Sir Henry » Mon Feb 27, 2017 10:56 am

ditto1958 wrote:
RetiredSeabee wrote:Having seen your targets before a sub inch group doesn't surprise me at all.
You only get to see the good ones. A lot of other ones go straight to the burn barrel! :)
I like how you think. I've found that my shooting is much better if I shoot first and then draw the target.
Hi, my name is Gene and I'm a Henryholic from Wisconsin.

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Henry88

Re: 2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by Henry88 » Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:14 am

In a world where 5 shot groups are the norm, are we actually at the point where we take a 4 shot group forget the flyer, and catagorize the remaining three shots as a sub one inch group :lol:

Just kidding, so please no offense :D

By the way, I don't like groups or bathroom scales either.........

Dennis H

Re: 2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by Dennis H » Tue Mar 07, 2017 7:03 pm

That's an action that's been around a long time. Was Weatherby, then smith, then Weatherby, and now Howa as well. I have several smith 1500's, good solid workin guns!

ditto1958
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Re: 2/23/17 Howa 1500 Lightning .308

Post by ditto1958 » Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:44 pm

I'm getting tempted to get one.

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