I had never heard of a howa, but it was cheap so I bought a 243 and is this gun a pleasure to shoot. I am now shooting ground hogs @ 330 plus yds. I like the howa design so much that I am going to buy a .204 for shooting hogs and use the .243 for coyotes. Here is an example where you can still get quality without breaking the bank. I am not a professional hunter so there is no way I could justify spending a k or more for a rifle that I will use for target and varmits.