Howa 1500 308 accuracy issue

[wwbrown]

I have tried to reproduce the capability of wide range accuracy that the 175 FGMM offers and never have although I can get the same velocity out of the 175 g SMK. When Federal ran Lake City the M118LR rounds had identical components except for the brass and did not possess the wide range accuracy that the FGMM did. Federal's brass is softer than Lake City, alot softer some of the softest brass out there and that may be part of the key to its accuracy.

The M118LR brass is good stuff, I have 7 gallons of it from the same lot number that I shot about 10 years and have a fair amount of experience reloading it. One thing I don't do is reload the FGMM brass as I find it too soft, I have tried reloading it to match FGMM but blew primers out on reloads 2 or 3 with moderate charges. All of my data is based on the brass of 10-15 years back so possibly things have changed since then.

 

[Wyo37]

It's not sexy, but a 1.5" gun can kill a lot of critters to waaay out there.

Plus after you get some rounds down the barrel it might tighten up

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

I doubt they honor that being the first rounds are tubbs lapping rounds. They may, but I'm sure if they know that part of the equation, they won't. I always thought that those were a last resort and I personally would not start with them on a barrel break in.

Howa has their own break in on the barrel. Which I did with mine. Sure didn't seem to help anything. lol

HOWA RIFLE RECOMMENDED BREAK-IN PROCEDURE

Please do not sight-in and or group the rifle during the break-in procedure.
For the first ten shots we recommend using copper jacketed factory ammo. Clean the oil and powder residue out of the barrel before each shot using a commercial bore cleaner with an ammonia content. After firing each cartridge, use a good bore cleaner (one with ammonia) to remove fouling from the barrel using only a soaked patch. We do not recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated.
For the first ten rounds, clean and let the barrel cool between each round fired using a patch and rod only.
Following the initial ten shots, you then may shoot 2 rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots. This is simply insuring that the burnishing process has been completed. In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed due to the manufacturing process.
To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will impede the steel's ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make the barrel "walk" or "climb" when it heats up in the future. If you take a little time in the beginning and do it right, you will be much more pleased with the performance of your barrel in the future.

 

[rafterjg]

Im just grasping at straws here but how is the scope parallax? If the parallax isn't set right it can be extremely difficult to shoot decent group.
Are your groups round? Are they stringing from side to side? Or vertically?

Groups jump all over depending on what load and bullet. I didn't have any vertical or horizontal strings. I have checked parallax by pulling head back and moving my head around to see if crosshairs shift

 

[rafterjg]

My personal experience with harmonics. 222 Sako Riihimaki had it shooting 0.018 groups @ 100 yd. It was varmint barrel with beaver tail stock and was barrel heavy and would dump itself off the hart rest. I decided to add weight in the butt end, sooo I removed butt plate drilled the hole for a glass cigar tube full of 7 1/2 shot which weighed 1#. Went to hell, ruined,, 2" groups. Took the tube out filled it with hot paraffin, wrapped it in newspaper until tight then poured wax over that, butt plate on and bang right back to where it used to be and shooting house flies every shot at 100 yards. I'm just sayin it's important. That Sako was free floater and action was set in epoxy with zero slack anywhere, glued in...

I felt that the gun was pretty heavy up front and the lop was pretty short so I took my waterjet and cut a 3/4" spacer for the back since MDTs shim kit is just plastic. I like the feel now but it also hasn't changed the groups.

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

Groups jump all over depending on what load and bullet. I didn't have any vertical or horizontal strings. I have checked parallax by pulling head back and moving my head around to see if crosshairs shift

Did you register your gun with Howa ? And did you perform the break in on the barrel as they suggest ? If you decide to send to Howa. I suggest not mentioning the Tubbs process or hand loads . Just saying

 

[rafterjg]

Some barrels are hummers and some are bummers. The percentage of bummers goes up dramatically with factory rifles. Not sure if howa has any accuracy guarantee. I would measure the distance to the lands where you are at saami coal. You know it doesn't shoot there. Load to max mag length or barely touching lands. Then back off in .020 to about.120 see what happens. Use whatever load shot the best. The 168 smk is known to be accurate.

I have gone for .030 off to 0.60 with 168s thinking it would tighten up. If I take it out any longer that .030 I start having feeding issues.

 

[marksman1941]

I may have missed this, but have you tried another scope?

 

[rafterjg]

Did you register your gun with Howa ? And did you perform the break in on the barrel as they suggest ? If you decide to send to Howa. I suggest not mentioning the Tubbs process or hand loads . Just saying

Yes I have registered the gun. And I will tell as little as possible lol. But since it was a barreled action and not a full rifle I don't know how they would address this one.

 

[cajun]

Also I've looked at the tubbs as a last resort thing. I pretty much break in new barrels like howa mentioned.

 

[rafterjg]

I may have missed this, but have you tried another scope?

I have not tried another scope but have verified the yetis that's on it. Shooting one shot move 20 moa left the 20 down 20 right etc to make sure when I get back to zero it's still shooting in the same spot

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

Yes I have registered the gun. And I will tell as little as possible lol. But since it was a barreled action and not a full rifle I don't know how they would address this one.

Perhaps they may just want the action back. Call them & discuss it.

 

[Wyo37]

Have you tried factory ammunition?

 

[M1A1ABRAMS]

Have you tried factory ammunition?

From OPs original post, I bought factory 150,168 and 178gr ammo and put it to the test and can not get anything under 1.5" groups and that's with 168gr.