Thanks to the courtesy of Dr. Adinolfi, owner of Fulpa, we tried a recent Japanese product Howa for which the Monza-based company takes care of the import and distribution in Italy: the dutiful and heartfelt thanks also go to the Fiorentino armory in Chivasso (TO) which has made available the weapon equipped with optics Yukon Jaeger. We have already had the opportunity to try other products of the historic Japanese company, now has 111 years of activity, always conducted with that maniacal attention to the whole as to the detail typical of the spirit of the operators of the Rising Sun: in every situation we have verified and appreciated the technique and execution which then translate into excellent results on the shooting counter. So let's look at this substantial rifled rifle.
The design has set itself the goal of a competitive quotation for the North American market and the goal is achieved with a set of techniques and processes superior to what can be expected from this level. Some elements of Mod. 1500 reveal the continuation of consolidated and successful realities present in the Remington Mod. 700: we obviously appreciate this choice which has been providing respectable results for many decades. The cylindrical structure of the castle offers the right rigidity together with a linear and low cost execution: the front round ring is matched by the sturdy rear bridge with two diameters and between the two apical elements there are the sides of considerable thickness. In the ring there are mortises for the two closing wings and the thread in which the barrel is screwed, on the caps there are the threaded grains for mounting the optics according to Remington specifications for which the market offers with abundance bases and rings of different types and prices. On the right side there is the ejection window with dimensions that make every maneuver practical and quick without however subtracting too much material useful for the rigidity of the complex, inside the sliding millings of the fins are made with the right one equipped with a rib guide and sliding so as to prevent skidding in the stroke of the shutter which results in speeded up and linear. The force discharge prism is obtained by milling from the ring block, without interruption and, inside, it bears the thread for the front Allen joint between the mechanics and the stock: a slightly more expensive choice, but certainly a lot technically valuable.
The shutter is obtained from a solid alloy steel by means of tool processing: it has a cylindrical body and the classic two opposing fins on the head, set back by a couple of millimeters from the face, in turn lowered, in which the rectified hole appears of the firing pin, the elastic pawl of the ejector and the extraction nail with the foil base, borrowed from our Mod. 91 rifle, and the nail with good hooking arc and reliable strength. In the rear area you can appreciate the handlebar with its personal lines and characterized by the arm with a prismatic and then round section, with a rounded upper part so as not to get too close to the optics, the round pear knuckle for easy use, the profile of the base ring which, with the shutter closed, occludes the space behind the rear bridge: the apical cap also copies this profile, revealing attention to even the smallest details. The rod of the firing pin shank protrudes in the center, indicating the armed mechanism. For fans of that technique exalted by the historic Mauser K 98 we point out how the shutter and handlebar are made from a single block: things can be done in different ways, perhaps without sacrificing yield, but this practice has its own reason, like the clock. mechanic who ticks while the others don't. By pressing a small button the shaped sheet, protruding to the left of the tang at the apex of the castle, the shutter can be removed.
The intended use requires the floating assembly of the barrel and considerable dimensions with a cylindrical section with a slight taper culminating in the muzzle in the diameter equal to 21 mm over a length of 61 cm, in theory a little reduced to best squeeze the speed potential and therefore energy of the cartridge .300 wins. Mag., practically irrelevant given the loading with lively propellant and the results of the chronograph, all adequate for the purpose of shooting constancy and accuracy. Certainly the vibratory rate and heat dissipation are well studied as evidenced by the shooting tests. The six-star right-handed rifling with the classic 1:10 "pitch, made with the cartridge chamber according to the roto-hammering procedure, has mirror-polished surfaces and sharp edges: the excellent execution makes shells free of any defect following firing . The egress of the ribs is protected by a conical cylinder lowering on which the regular blackening star indicates a high level work. As a corollary of what has been highlighted, we point out that the company is still the supplier of choice to various manufacturers for rifled barrels with quality certified by the ISO 9001 system.
The trigger package screwed under the castle includes the bridge and the guard with the base plate recessed in the stock: here is the second Allen key for the joint between the two components of the weapon. The wide rifled trigger, also made of steel, allows you to master the trigger with the said high potential HACTMatch in which a reduced pre-stroke leads to the pressure point for the release which takes place cleanly and without the slightest opposition by applying a traction of about 1490 g, with waste within 80 g therefore with appreciable constancy. Bringing this shooting value to around 900 g would be further favored, but even so the results are certainly not lacking, thanks precisely to the constancy and sharpness. The safety is activated by a lever located to the right of the castle, behind the bolt handle: everything is perfect except for a limited thickness that is not appreciated by the thumb. For the rest, this particular determinant offers only positive factors such as the noiselessness proof against deer ear, the ease of operation when in the tappet, the tranquility offered by the three positions for which one is released by extracting the chambered cartridge without danger or trouble, or proceeding along the journey with the firing pin, handlebar and trigger locked in complete reliability. The 3-shot fixed magazine consists of the sheet metal box embedded in the barrel within which the lifting sole moves by the W-spring embedded in the shaped bottom on which the company logo stands out: a small button placed in the front prong of the guard and an internal pin allow the '' opening for quick removal of unused cartridges.
The rifling is a part of conspicuous responsibility to achieve certain results, but the stock is no less important: here the House has chosen with great caution a solution from Hogues, the US company specializing in these components which has a technology of superior quality and extensive production that allows us to limit sales prices to very affordable values. All to the delight of fans. The set-up, explained in very short terms, sees a synthetic shell into which a fiberglass frame is lowered that functions, always simplifying the reasoning, as an integral bedding. The results are there to demonstrate how the complex works and also very well. The classic lines coded for shooting see straight axis with high nosepiece and back to properly position the eye in the scope, wide and medium arched pistol with enlarged section towards the guard for a stable strong hand posture, wide and flat shaft for stable support on the tripod of the shooting range or on the backpack: the weight of the shotgun without accessories equal to 3,610 kg still allows an arm shot, even these occurrences occur, using the section of the forend to tighten with the weak hand and appropriately direct the shot: the gripping surfaces are studded with highly effective non-slip papillae and the pad in soft rubber, with high energy absorption, stabilizes contact with the shoulder by cushioning the recoil. To finish we observe the availability of the two pegs to which to attach the belt-holder t-shirts.
During the day spent at the Carrù shooting range (CN) we found a favorable climate with little wind, cool and clear air. Settled on the counter we appreciate the optics Yukon Jaeger 3-12 × 56 with ballistic reticle and ¼ MOA shots, without parallax correction: you will not miss it, but the focus will be revised as the magnification changes, a factor to keep in mind on the hunting ground. The third turret regulates the lighting which causes only annoyance to our eye: we keep it off.
Let's try the cartridges Winchester Super X with traditional Soft Point bullet both in the 150 grs and in the 180 grs versions: we appreciate how well everything is well adjusted to provide pleasure in the various movements by inserting the cartridges in the magazine, maneuvering the bolt, placing ourselves in the tappet. We have already given the technical notes of the shot and here we positively evaluate the yield on the field: at 100 m the 150 grs bullets give a group of three shots in 20 mm, those of 180 with a first group of 24 mm, a second of 16 and a third 19 mm also useful for verifying an average V / 3 equal to 912 m / sec, which is certainly not cheap.
Let's move on to 300 meters without bothering to carry out the new centering, interested in checking the shot pattern especially with the 180 grs bullet, the most suitable for the caliber and purpose of the shotgun: first shot a little higher right, second just lower and third, in the hole of the second with obvious difficulties in determining it in the long run. The measurement between the centers gives 11 mm or 0,13 of MOA: for sure it was a good day also for the shooter, but evidently the long distance is best mastered by the shotgun, cartridge and optics triad. The satisfactions can take the appearance of small holes very close in the cardboard of a target and means like this Howa Varminter Hogues, together with the Yukon optics and the always reliable Winchester Super-X cartridges, allow this to be achieved.
Thanks to Dr. Adinolfi of the Fulpa company in Monza (www.adinolfi.com), to the owners of the Armeria Fiorentino in Chivasso (TO) (011 910 1346 - [email protected]), to Giorgio Rosso and Kevin Ballauri of the Carrù polygon (347 96 92 677) for the courtesy and availability that allowed us to carry out the test.
Data Sheet
Manufacturer: Howa Precision Rifles & Barreled Actions for Legacy Sports International - Reno - Nevada (USA)
Distributor: Adinolfi (Fulpa Group) Monza - www.adinolfi.com
Model: 1500 Varminter Hogue
Type: ordinary repetition sliding swivel bolt-action rifle
Castle: closed ring and bridge; long measure
Shutter: with two flaps on the head with lock in the castle - integral cylinder and handlebar
canna: in carbon steel - conical cylinder profile - 61 cm long - 6 lines 1/10 "pitch
Percussion: firing pin inside the shutter with helical spring
Supply: fixed magazine with pivoting lid - 3 + 1 cartridges
Triggering device: HACT extension two-stroke with single trigger and adjustable weight
Extractor: hook with leaf spring
Ejector: with elastic button in the bolt head
Line of sight: not provided - 4 threaded holes on the castle for optical bases
Safety: three-position knurled key on the right of the castle
Stocking: Hogue with internal fiberglass frame inserted in the single external piece in green synthetic material - pistol grip - soft rubber butt plate - t-shirt pegs
Finishes: burnishing of metal parts
Weight: Approx. 3610 g without attachments and optics
CALIBRO: .300 Wins. Mag.
Optical: Yukon Jaeger 3-12 × 56 with illuminable point and turrets equipped with internal graduated references and 1/4 MOA clicks
Distributor: Adinolfi (Fulpa Group) - www.adinolfi.com
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