Howa M1500 Fence Line 6.5 CM 22" Scorched Earth Camo Rifle

6.5 Creedmoor took over because it does two jobs at once. It shoots flat and holds its line in wind well past where a 308 starts drifting, and it does that without beating up the person behind it. That combination made it the default answer for anybody who wants one rifle for steel on the weekend and elk in October. Howa builds this one on a 22" hammer forged barrel, threaded at the muzzle, with Flat Dark Earth Cerakote over the barreled action and a fixed synthetic stock in Scorched Earth Camo.

Howa guarantees the rifle will group inside 1" at 100 yards, and the HACT two stage trigger gives a shooter a fair chance of actually holding to that standard. Bolt throw is 90 degrees, the bolt locks up on dual lugs, and a spring loaded M16 style extractor handles the empties. The three position safety allows unloading with the safety on, or locks the bolt down when the rifle is riding in a truck across broken ground. The receiver is drilled and tapped for bases, so a scope goes on without drama. The Howa 1500 action dates to 1979 and the design has not needed much fixing since, which is most of the reason these rifles have the reputation they do among people who shoot groups instead of reading about them.