I recently purchased a Howa Mini 300 blackout barreled action and installed it into a Boyd's Prairie Hunter stock. The inletting on the Boyd's Stock is a little lacking with incorrection height of the stock for the action screws. As it came, the bottom metal (plastic) aesthetics looked good, but when I bolt it all together, the magazine set too low. I have 1 box of Hornady SubX ammunition and the edge of the jacked would catch the bottom of the feed ramp and jam.
I first glass bedded the front receiver ring and a small portion of the barrel shank. Then I relieved stock material from the bottom metal intel for the BM and mag to sit higher. I glass bedded the BM into the stock with the magazine in place to get the correct height for the BM/Mag assembly. As it sits now, the magazine very lightly drags on the bottom surface of the bolt. The Howa mags are center feed and it feeds the NOE 311-247 boolits with the cup point (sharp edge and 0.200 meplat) very smoothly with absolutely no hiccups. I have cycled Lehigh Defense Controlled fracture bullets as well and they also feed smoothly.
This is by far the best feeding bolt action 300 BLK that I have shot. I have had a CZ 527 and also have a Rem 700 staggered box feed. Neither compare to the Howa for ease and smoothness of feeding the wider meplat boolits.
As far as accuracy, the verdict is still out. I have some load ladders ready to go, but haven't been able to shoot yet due to the rain and bad weather.
I wish that Howa had not used plastic for the BM and magazine, but it is functional. There are aftermarket suppliers of aluminum BM, but the Howa mags are proprietary and not exactly cheap.
Anyway, I was impressed with the ease of feeding. Having encountered problems before with other platforms, I just thought I'd share my experience so far with the little mini action bolt gun.
Brad
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