36 http://www.riflemagazine.com Rifle 305
and some sources indicate that a
hammer-forged barrel’s life expec-
tancy is comparatively long.
Legacy Sports recommends
a barrel break-in procedure for
the Model 1500, which is usu-
ally beneficial for hammer-forged
barrels. In short, Legacy suggests
firing the first 10 cartridges with
jacketed bullets and cleaning the
barrel between each shot using a
commercial bore cleaner such as
Lyman’s Butch’s Bore Shine, Bore
Tech Inc. Copper Remover or Mon-
tana X-Treme Copper Killer. Use
only a soaked patch rather than a
wire brush. In essence, we are try-
ing to “season” the bore. Allow the
barrel to cool between shots. After
the first 10 shots, two shots can be
fired consecutively and the barrel
cleaned, which is repeated for the
next 10 shots. This will help with
the burnishing process. Again,
keep the barrel cool. According to
Legacy Sports, “If the barrel is al-
lowed to heat up during 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.”
The two sample Howa Model
1500 rifles used here displayed ex-
cellent machining and uniformity,
which is not surprising. Howa is a
major manufacturer in Japan that
makes a wide variety of products
including heavy equipment and ve-hicles. In an effort to keep costs in
check, the barreled action’s finish
is matte, but nonetheless attrac-
tive. It is nonreflective and practi-
cal for hunters.
As its name implies, the Legacy
Sports Howa Model 1500 Hogue
rifle features a textured Hogue
over-molded stock in classic style.
It features dual aluminum pillar
bedding blocks and a soft one-
inch-thick recoil pad that is gen-
erously large to disperse recoil.
The barrel is free floating.
The two-stage trigger pull was
2.8 pounds and broke cleanly with
only modest after-travel. As of this
writing, I have not attempted to
make any adjustments, as the fac-
tory screws are set with locking
compound.
The two most common after-
market additions to bolt-action
rifles are usually the stock and
trigger. While the factory installed
versions are good, there is a broad
selection of improved products
available. For instance, Stocky’s,
Bell & Carlson, H-S Precision and
others offer a variety of custom,
high-quality stocks for the Howa
1500 that will fit a specific hunting,
target or tactical application. Tim-
ney, Rifle Basix and other manufac-
turers offer adjustable replacementThe test rifle’s muzzle was threaded to accommodate optional barrel devices.Legacy
Sports
Howa 1500
Two guard screws secure the hinged
bottom metal to the action and stock.In the rear position, the safety locks
the bolt and prevents firing; the
middle position prevents firing but
allows the bolt to be lifted to remove
a cartridge from the chamber; the
forward position is “fire.”
Howa 1500 Hogue
Rifle Specifications
Action: Turnbolt, twin front locking lugs,
90-degree rotation
Bolt: Forged, one piece, countersunk bolt
face, plunger ejector
Extractor: Rotating, AR-15 style
Floorplate: Hinged
Calibers: .308 Winchester (tested), .223
Remington to .300 Winchester Magnum
Barrel length: 20, 22 and 24 inches
(.308 Winchester, 24; .223 Remington, 20)
Barrel diameter: .835 inch as tested
(also available in lightweight version)
Barrel: Cold hammer forged, threaded
with protector
Finish: Blue or CERAKOTE
Stock: Hogue, pillar-bedded overmolded,
one-inch recoil pad
Trigger: Two-stage HACT
Trigger pull: 2.8 pounds
Safety: Two-position
Magazine capacity: varies by cartridge
Accuracy guarantee: Sub-MOA three-shot
groups with premium ammunition
MSRP: $569