Howa M1500 Mini Fence Line 6.5 Grendel 20" 5rd Prairie Reaper Rifle

6.5 Grendel started life as an AR cartridge, but it makes a lot of sense in a short bolt action: efficient, mild in recoil, and throwing 6.5mm bullets that hold their speed better than their case size suggests. Howa's Mini action is sized for cartridges this length instead of stretching a standard receiver around them, which shortens bolt throw and trims weight from the rifle a shooter actually carries.

The Mini Fence Line is set up for ranch and varmint work, the sort of shooting that happens between chores rather than on a planned trip. A 20" barrel keeps the balance forward without making the rifle long, and a 5rd magazine holds enough for a stand of coyotes. Prairie Reaper is the trim this configuration wears. Between the cartridge and the short action, this is a rifle that reaches farther than a 223 will while staying easy on the shoulder over a long afternoon of shooting.