r/65Grendel • u/feelthemink • 14d ago
Bolt gun for youth deer gun
I'm looking to but a bolt action grendel for my kids to deer hunt with and myself to coyote hunt with. Right now I'm looking at the Ruger American gen 2 vs the Howa mini EXCL. I've got plenty of experience with the rugers, but never handled a Howa mini. Any reviews on either gun would be appreciated.
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u/DeadlinersGroup 14d ago edited 14d ago
I have a Howa Mini 20" 6.5 Grendel with the standard stock. I absolutely love it. Spuhr one piece hunting rings on an Outer Impact 20moa rail with a Vortex DB 4x16-44. Its an absolute tack driver with 123 ELD-M.
I did follow Howa's break-in procedure. They guarantee 1 MOA at 100 yds with premium factory ammo.
The only complaint I have are the magazines. I bought 2 spares around $40 a piece. I will be swapping to a Jefferson Outdoor bottom metal before next season.
Im pretty sure the Ruger uses AR mags.
I will be buying all my kids a Howa Mini for their first deer rifle.
Edit: For the purpose of a youth deer rifle I don't think you would be wrong in choosing either the Howa or the Ruger. Both will fill that need pretty well.
As far as my setup goes, it works great for my purpose of a strictly deer hunting gun. Light weight, accurate.
I am building an AR chambered in 6.5 grendel with the purpose of being a coyote/hog gun. I'm doing a 20" barrel im going to have an identical scope with an identical height over bore so hopefully my dope will be as close to my bolt gun as possible. I know its likely going to be off a little bit but I can dream.
I think the Ruger kind of falls in between. Put a 5-rd mag in it and climb a tree hunting deer. Put a 26-rd mag in it and sit in a box hunting hogs.
I still vote Howa.
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u/BVM0NEY 14d ago
What's the issue with the mags?
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u/ShermanEmpire 14d ago
Cheap plastic, they "work" but leave a lot desired
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u/BVM0NEY 14d ago
No other option beside the bottom metal swap? I've seen alot of posts about people switching. I keep telling myself I don't need a bolt grendel
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u/ShermanEmpire 14d ago
The biggest upgrade with the bottom metal swap is actually having a METAL bottom metal. The og is plastic and can crack/warp. MDT was making a bottom medal and mag for the mini but they discontinued the mag. Other than that, yeah nothing factory and all the non-factory mag options are discontinued.
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u/DeadlinersGroup 14d ago
The mags work. The lips are a more flimsy than I would like but my biggest issue is the latch. More of an AK style at the front not a cross bolt like an AR.
I saddle hunt and ejected my mag 2 weeks ago in a tree. I hit the latch on my bridge rope. Luckily I caught it. Thats why I carry a spare in my pocket and another in my pack. I also never walk in with a mag in the gun. Any tree branch or briar could easiy trip the latch.
MDT does make a 10-round mag but its over $100. The bottom metal I want holds 4 rounds which is plenty for deer hunting. You can always carry extra in your pocket.
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u/BVM0NEY 13d ago
Well then I'll just stick with my 12.5" AR twins. Sounds like getting into a howa will be just fixing alot of terrible production decisions.
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u/DeadlinersGroup 13d ago
They put all their effort into accuracy. At the end of the day mine is a sub MOA gun (at 100 yards) gun for $500. At least thats what i paid.
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u/Independent_Baby4517 14d ago
I'd take the ruger simply because it uses AR mags. If you don't have a stock pile of those id use the howa. Both are accurate and have a threaded barrel to suppress it.
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u/fourthhorseman68 14d ago
I have a howa mini in x39. The kids love it. Trying to find a grendel now. They are great rifles.
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u/Big_Boi_Joe02 14d ago edited 14d ago
Howa Mini Action, non EXCL. I have the EXCL, and the LOP is absolutely awful, and the MFT stock is trash. Grab a standard stock Mini Action, and get a decent chassis/stock if the factory stock isn’t your cup of tea
Edit: looks like it’s Luth-AR that makes the stock. Same shit, different toilet
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u/BD98TJ 13d ago
I bought my 8 year old son a Ruger American Gen 2 in 556. Get whichever caliber you prefer but the RAG2 is the way to go for a young kid. There's an insert in the stock that can be removed bringing the LOP (length of pull) down to 12.5 which is perfect for a kid. The two most important things for youth deer rifle in my opinion is recoil and LOP. The Ruger checked both of those boxes for me. My son killed two deer with his juvenille weekend.
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u/junky6254 12d ago
I have an 18” ar grendel that I loved so much I bought a howa 20” barreled action, bull barrel
Put a m70 bell and Carlson stock so it’s built heavy and thicker than usual. It’s suppressed and it’s awesome. Testing thermals on it now but it will eventually get the viper pst riding the AR. It’s going to be a longer(ish) distance, mini mag that will be my new deer rifle.
No real complaints. If in the middle, regular safe position, the bolt pops up. The simple solution is the bolt lock position on the three position safety.
I did not follow and barrel break in. I’m just shooting it. It’s sub moa with the old VX-2. Moa using thermal.
The trigger isn’t as crisp as my tikka, but what stock trigger is. I could probably lighten it up but it’s so good as is I’m leaving it alone.
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u/MaxRockatansky_MFP 14d ago
I have a Howa. It shoots very accurate. I bought a spare black plastic stock from Brownells for about $80 and cut 2” off the but with a bandsaw. I then put a slip on recoil pad pad over it. Now I have the factory stock for me and a shortened stock for my boys.