Detachable box magazines seldom appear in my dreams, but the trend to polymer boxes has a lot to recommend it. Polymer is lighter than steel, quieter and rust-free. In my experience it’s more durable and at least as reliable. The Mini’s box snaps easily and securely in place and doesn’t move when seated. Inexplicably, the box floor rattles against the box.
Permit me a little whining. The jutting mag box prevents hand-around-the-balance-point carry, and digs your back when the rifle is slung. The forward magazine latch protrudes 3/8 of an inch and releases with just one pound of pressure (imagine the howls from safety patrons if this rifle had a 1-pound trigger!). Using a Howa so equipped on a hunt, I thrice dropped magazines when my gloved hand brushed the latch.
The Mini’s magazine holds 10 rounds in a staggered stack. It’s easy to load when removed from the rifle. Cartridges slide from the polymer follower as slickly as sausages down a hound’s gullet. I can’t get this Howa to stall, feeding and firing a wide variety of loads, and deliberately varying cycling speed. Ejection is quick and smart.
At the range, I bore-sighted the Mini, then fired at 35 yards to ensure my bullets would strike near point of aim at 100. I dug out five boxes of factory loads, with bullet weights from 40 to 75 grains. While Howa doesn’t specify twist rate in its specs for the Mini, it does recommend a twist of 1-in-9 for the .223 Rem. with 53-grain Hornady bullets, and a spin of 1-in-12 for 32-grain Hornadys in the 204 Ruger. The wide range of weights in .223 is a test for any barrel; seldom does a twist rate fast enough to stabilize 75-grain bullets excel with 40 grainers.
My 100-yard groups stayed close to an inch with bullets up to 69 grains in weight, and I got sub-minute knots with Hornady’s 40-grain V-Max. The best accuracy came from Black Hills ammo loaded with 62-grain Barnes TSX bullets. I’m well satisfied by precision that keeps bullets in coyote vitals to 400 yards and in prairie dog ribs to 200. That’s good accuracy for a lightweight 20-inch barrel, tighter than I can hold from field positions.
The Hogue stock seems, at first glance, a bulky handle for the dainty action and slim barrel. It’s easy to control, however, and the comb is proportioned for aim through a low-mounted scope. The broad forend is flat enough for shooting over a rest, but comfortable in hand.
In sum, the Howa Mini is a well finished, smooth-cycling rifle. Its excellent trigger helps you tap accuracy that hovers at a minute of angle with a wide range of bullets. The rifle alone retails from $608, the package, with Nikko Stirling scope, from $724. For more information contact Legacy Sports, Dept. OT; Tel.: (800) 5-LEGACY; Web: www.legacysports.com
