Sounds like a perfect way to get yourself a new mountain rifle.
I might have to get one in 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm-08 for the “wife”
Howa Superlite
- Thread starter timberman56
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I might have to get one in 6.5 creedmoor or 7mm-08 for the “wife”
Caseknife
Well-known member
Mine in .308 with handloaded 130TTSX at 2950 has recoil, but not real substantial. The Banish 30 takes the majority of that away. Great price at Brownells right now.
Buds has them for $909 free shipping. Not sure what shipping is from brownells
Caseknife
Well-known member
Probably more than $20. Get one, you'll like it, or the wife will
4ohSick
Well-known member
I think mine is going to be for my daughter due in February. I'll just have it nicely broken in by the time she's ready for it. Really torn between the 7-08 and the manbun though - leaning creedmoor due to factory ammo selection and availability. Tough to sell the wife on a rifle AND a reloading set as a 0th birthday present
I think mine is going to be for my daughter due in February. I'll just have it nicely broken in by the time she's ready for it. Really torn between the 7-08 and the manbun though - leaning creedmoor due to factory ammo selection and availability. Tough to sell the wife on a rifle AND a reloading set as a 0th birthday present
Maybe the reloading set is a birthing gift to your wife? Is that a thing?
4ohSick
Well-known member
Well I pulled the metaphorical trigger and will now be counting down the minutes until I can pull the literal trigger. Went with 6.5 Creedmoor from Brownells. Free shipping and it turns out if you leave it in your cart for a couple days they send a discount code for an additional 10%. So $813.99 shipped plus the $50 my FFL charges for the transfer. Not bad if it's half as good as I hope it is, but I'll report back either way!
4ohSick
Well-known member
Picked my new 6.5 up from my FFL today - had to check the box because I thought it was empty! Talleys should come tomorrow and I’ll mount up the old 2-7x33 VXII (10oz) I had sitting around. It might kill me waiting til Friday to get to the range, but so it goes.
4ohSick
Well-known member
Back from a couple hours at the range with a review.
TLDR version: buy this gun. It’s still on sale at Brownells, so you basically can’t afford not to.
Long version:
I picked up the rifle Monday, Talleys arrived Wednesday and I had an older Leupold 2-7x33 in the safe. That may change but for now I’m happy with it. Scoped weight is 5lb 8.9oz. (!)
Fit & finish: Everything seems to be well-made and assembled. The action tang and bottom “metal” (poly) aren’t quite flush but it doesn’t look bad or catch on stuff. Barrel doesn’t seem to be perfectly centered in the barrel channel, but the dollar bill test confirmed it’s free-floated. I haven’t owned a huge variety of rifles, but the bolt seems slightly “grainy” feeling when cycled but still performs fine. The gun is small and crazy light; I’m into it, but it’s different than I’m used to.
Range report: I did the Howa-recommended barrel break-in with a box of Federal blue box. Cleaning 15 times and letting the barrel cool down between shots is a PIA but I’m helpless against the power of an instruction manual. I shot a few factory loads - Hornady Outfitter 120gr CX, Hornady Precision Hunter 143gr ELD-X, Federal Fusion 140gr, and Federal Trophy Copper 120gr. First group was ELD-X, just under an inch. Next 2 groups were copper and seemed worse, in the 1.5-2 MOA range and each had a flyer.
Brief segway - this is my first dance with a lightweight rifle. Recoil isn’t bad, less than my 10lb 7mm REM Mag, but it’s still there. After 20rd break-in and shooting my 270 and 7 Mag while the barrel cooled, my shoulder was getting a bit sore. The ultralight rifle is also definitely more prone to flyers if you let yourself flinch a bit.
I shot a group with the Fusions and it was right around 1 MOA. I’d really prefer to hunt copper bullets, picking a bunch of lead out of an elk shoulder this fall reminded me why. I shot another group of CX and it was a lot better, right around an inch. I put up new targets and adjusted my scope to get closer to my preferred zero and shot another group of CX and Trophy Copper. Both were slightly under an inch. I’m wondering if the bad groups at first were poor form or if the barrel needed to foul a bit more. Either way, I settled on Trophy Copper because I had enough remaining in the box to set my 250yd zero and hunt tomorrow. One more shot to confirm 2.8in high at 100 and then rung steel at 300, 400, and 500 with one shot each and I have 8 left for the unlucky bull I hope to stumble on tomorrow.
Summary: This gun is awesome. Shooting it is harder than a heavier rifle, but concerns about it being picky on ammo were unfounded. The barrel heats up fast, but it will be a great hunting rifle for the majority of my hunts which involve a lot of miles on the boots and the rifle often never leaving my shoulder.
TLDR version: buy this gun. It’s still on sale at Brownells, so you basically can’t afford not to.
Long version:
I picked up the rifle Monday, Talleys arrived Wednesday and I had an older Leupold 2-7x33 in the safe. That may change but for now I’m happy with it. Scoped weight is 5lb 8.9oz. (!)
Fit & finish: Everything seems to be well-made and assembled. The action tang and bottom “metal” (poly) aren’t quite flush but it doesn’t look bad or catch on stuff. Barrel doesn’t seem to be perfectly centered in the barrel channel, but the dollar bill test confirmed it’s free-floated. I haven’t owned a huge variety of rifles, but the bolt seems slightly “grainy” feeling when cycled but still performs fine. The gun is small and crazy light; I’m into it, but it’s different than I’m used to.
Range report: I did the Howa-recommended barrel break-in with a box of Federal blue box. Cleaning 15 times and letting the barrel cool down between shots is a PIA but I’m helpless against the power of an instruction manual. I shot a few factory loads - Hornady Outfitter 120gr CX, Hornady Precision Hunter 143gr ELD-X, Federal Fusion 140gr, and Federal Trophy Copper 120gr. First group was ELD-X, just under an inch. Next 2 groups were copper and seemed worse, in the 1.5-2 MOA range and each had a flyer.
Brief segway - this is my first dance with a lightweight rifle. Recoil isn’t bad, less than my 10lb 7mm REM Mag, but it’s still there. After 20rd break-in and shooting my 270 and 7 Mag while the barrel cooled, my shoulder was getting a bit sore. The ultralight rifle is also definitely more prone to flyers if you let yourself flinch a bit.
I shot a group with the Fusions and it was right around 1 MOA. I’d really prefer to hunt copper bullets, picking a bunch of lead out of an elk shoulder this fall reminded me why. I shot another group of CX and it was a lot better, right around an inch. I put up new targets and adjusted my scope to get closer to my preferred zero and shot another group of CX and Trophy Copper. Both were slightly under an inch. I’m wondering if the bad groups at first were poor form or if the barrel needed to foul a bit more. Either way, I settled on Trophy Copper because I had enough remaining in the box to set my 250yd zero and hunt tomorrow. One more shot to confirm 2.8in high at 100 and then rung steel at 300, 400, and 500 with one shot each and I have 8 left for the unlucky bull I hope to stumble on tomorrow.
Summary: This gun is awesome. Shooting it is harder than a heavier rifle, but concerns about it being picky on ammo were unfounded. The barrel heats up fast, but it will be a great hunting rifle for the majority of my hunts which involve a lot of miles on the boots and the rifle often never leaving my shoulder.
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Caseknife
Well-known member
Love mine, you do have to hold on to them when shooting. Can't just rest it on bags and caress the trigger, the rifle is so light that it will move under recoil before the bullet exits the barrel. Kind of the same thing happens with hand guns, faster ammo will hit lower on the target because it gets out of the barrel sooner. A slower bullet spends more time in the barrel and recoil/barrel lift has more affect on bullet impact. That is my experience anyway.
What @Caseknife said. Gotta tame that free recoil. I put my left hand over the scope right above the rings to brace the rifle against whatever I’m shooting off of. Tightened those groups right up.
Mallardsx2
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Do these guns come with a radial muzzle brake? I read that they did but I have not seen one.
Ron spomer just released a video where he did several adjustments when sitting at the bench. Squared up or angle to to stock, holding pressure on forend or letting it just sit on the rest. Of the 5 groups he shot, the 2 best were him holding tight the for end. I normally shoot squared to buttstock but use my left arm to adjust the bag that supports the stock. Ill have to try using force on the for end to see if it improves my groups.
Caseknife
Well-known member
2.85" is max mag length, think I load to 2.82" for a little clearance.
They do not come with a brake, just a cap on the 1/2-28 threads.
They do not come with a brake, just a cap on the 1/2-28 threads.
In addition to holding onto the forend as mentioned, I find making sure both heel and toe of the stock is supported goes a long way to preventing vertical fliers.
For me, I have tended to throw shots low when the toe of the stock isn't in good contact with my shoulder. Pulling your firing side elbow in toward my body seems to alleviate this. You can also sort of shrug your shoulder, which I've noticed Spomer due in one video shooting his NULA in 284.
For me, I have tended to throw shots low when the toe of the stock isn't in good contact with my shoulder. Pulling your firing side elbow in toward my body seems to alleviate this. You can also sort of shrug your shoulder, which I've noticed Spomer due in one video shooting his NULA in 284.
I haven't fired a superlite and can't comment on stock ergonomics but would weigh in to say ergos go an awfully long way to making recoil manageable and comfortable.
The worst recoiling rifle I've ever owned was an old Stevens 200 with their plastic stock, which left me bruised and was hard to get through sight in at the bench. It was chambered in 270, not exactly known for being a heavy recoil affair.
I now own a Forbes 24b rebarreled to 9.3x62, which weighs 6lb 10oz with scope. Although it does have a brake, I have no trouble firing 30-40 rounds from the bench. I have fired it without the brake and recoil is noticably firmer but not terrible.
The stock Mel Forbes designed is very similar to the one used on Forbes rifles and really goes a long ways to managing recoil. I
f the new super light stock ergos are anything like the Bansner use on the alpine, there should be no problems with recoil.
The worst recoiling rifle I've ever owned was an old Stevens 200 with their plastic stock, which left me bruised and was hard to get through sight in at the bench. It was chambered in 270, not exactly known for being a heavy recoil affair.
I now own a Forbes 24b rebarreled to 9.3x62, which weighs 6lb 10oz with scope. Although it does have a brake, I have no trouble firing 30-40 rounds from the bench. I have fired it without the brake and recoil is noticably firmer but not terrible.
The stock Mel Forbes designed is very similar to the one used on Forbes rifles and really goes a long ways to managing recoil. I
f the new super light stock ergos are anything like the Bansner use on the alpine, there should be no problems with recoil.
Mallardsx2
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2015
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Ordered one in 7mm-08 for my wife for Christmas. I’ll report back on how it shoots.
Hope you like it - I sure like my Alpine in 7mm-08. I was glad to see it added to superlite offerings and I think it was a smart move.
Despite ammo sales, 7mm-08 might be the easiest chambering to sell in anything lightweight. Go try to find an Alpine, Fieldcraft or NULA in 7mm-08 sometime!
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