Critical life decision, need advice :)

[Dogbrain]

Hi guys,

Long time lurker, first time poster, and amateur 204 enthusiast...

At a critical juncture... I have a howa mini in 204 hvy barrel. Solid shooter with careful handloads EASY 3/4 MOA rifle, have gotten tighter pretty regularly. That being said, it is bone stock. Im looking at adding the oryx chassis or boyds laminate. It has the bottom plastic, so boyds + DIP probably needed. Bottom metal seems to be sold out everywhere, so leaning towards the oryx. When considering the cost of the oryx and the limitation of the 20" barrel and #6 profile (thinnest hvy I've ever seen), contemplating the following:

1) go with oryx, have a nice compact decent shooter, but not able to take full advantage of speed potential.
2) sell it, start over with a Savage 12 FCV or similar as a base model and upgrade from there.
3) Build an AR upper w/ 24"+ barrel and keep Howa mini as a walking gun. I have a lower with very nice Giselle 2 stage.

Roughly speaking they are probably similar in cost. Admittedly, my attention on the Howa mini has been limited to a couple hundred rounds, and quick load development - 29.5 CFE, 39 SBK. As a result, maybe I haven't been overly impressed with the rifle because I haven't invested enough time in the relationship...

I go on an annual PD trip, so volume shooting is a key component. A bit of coyote hunting.

What do you all think?

[dsandfort]

A "critical lif decision". Huh.

[jsh]

I have three minis. One in an Oryx chassis, one in a Boyd’s pro varmint with magazine bottom metal and one in a B&C stock with flush bottom metal.
I like them all with the provarmint 222 being a favorite.
The B&C rig is a 6.5 Grendel and is a lite, short handy rig.
The Oryx chassis, this took a while to grow on me. The action to my way of thinking sets way to low in the chassis. I had to put a riser on the scope just to get it up high enough to get a decent cheek weld on the stock. The adjustable cheek piece, I have no idea why it is even adjustable as it is still higher than I prefer.
This was originally a 223 that didn’t perform as I expected it too. I got a barrel and a nut from Preferred barrels in 22 Nosler. It fills the chassis better length and diameter wise, balance is good.
Chassis is ok. I will admit this is my very first chassis, I had to see what all the hype was about. It is a different platform and I have found it to be a new learning curve on what it likes on the bench.

[Bill K]

JSH: How is the Preferred Barrel, from them ? I just order one up in 22PPC for a mini action. First time I order a barrel from them. If you don't want to post your thoughts here, PM me. Thank you. Bill K

[jsh]

Bill, I got a three groove 1-8” twist for the 22Nosler. It is shooting as good as a CBI barrel in 6BR. Cleans up easily too. This was for the Howa Mini, so I got their nut, it is a cleaner look than some others I have seen.
Buddy bought one in 22BR Norma. It cleans easy too. It is shooting as good as a Cooper I have in 22BR.

I am fixing on ordering a 22BR Norma from them in the near future as well.

The only thing is the way they label the chamber and twist. It kind of wraps around the barrel in several bands. It’s cosmetic and does mark the barrel well, I can live with it.

[Bill K]

Thank you. I am getting the pre-fit for my Mini and also ordered the barrel nut, so glad to hear about it also. Now I just have to wait for them to deliver and they do advise it could be upwards of two months.. But I am not in a hurry and it can be a summer project as well as a winter one.

[Dogbrain]

I have three minis. One in an Oryx chassis, one in a Boyd’s pro varmint with magazine bottom metal and one in a B&C stock with flush bottom metal.
I like them all with the provarmint 222 being a favorite.
The B&C rig is a 6.5 Grendel and is a lite, short handy rig.
The Oryx chassis, this took a while to grow on me. The action to my way of thinking sets way to low in the chassis. I had to put a riser on the scope just to get it up high enough to get a decent cheek weld on the stock. The adjustable cheek piece, I have no idea why it is even adjustable as it is still higher than I prefer.
This was originally a 223 that didn’t perform as I expected it too. I got a barrel and a nut from Preferred barrels in 22 Nosler. It fills the chassis better length and diameter wise, balance is good.
Chassis is ok. I will admit this is my very first chassis, I had to see what all the hype was about. It is a different platform and I have found it to be a new learning curve on what it likes on the bench.

Appreciate the response! Sounds like you prefer the DIP + Pro Varmint over the Oryx. Are you able to see any performance benefits?

[BackStabber]

You can buy a complete upper from white oak armament for $830. You could get 24" or 26" .204 1-10 twist and it shoots lights out 32 grain V-Max

[jsh]

That’s a fair chunk of change. I don’t think I have that in a rebarreled bolt gun.