The Howa M1500 Mini Action Excel Lite is a bolt-action rifle built on Howa's mini action and chambered in 7.62x39mm. It pairs a 20-inch barrel with a lightweight Excel Lite chassis stock and a fully adjustable length of pull. This package ships with a Nikko Stirling GamePro riflescope mounted at the factory. 
 

Key Specifications 

• Brand: Howa 
• Model: M1500 Mini Action Excel Lite 
• Caliber: 7.62x39mm 
• Action: Bolt Action 
• Capacity: 5+1 Rounds 
• Barrel Length: 20 in 
   

Detailed Features 

• Mini-action bolt sized for the shorter 7.62x39mm cartridge for compact, efficient cycling. 
• Excel Lite chassis stock with a fully adjustable length of pull and an oversized pistol grip for a tailored fit. 
• Ships with a Nikko Stirling GamePro optic mounted and ready to shoot without buying glass separately. 
• 5-round detachable magazine for quick reloads in the field. 
• Lightweight, rigid chassis build aimed at general-purpose range and field use.

Howa's M1500 action has a strong reputation for out-of-the-box accuracy, and the Mini Action Excel Lite carries that reputation into a lighter, chambering-specific package. Owners regularly mention the smooth bolt throw and a trigger that needs little to no work compared to other factory rifles at this level.

The Excel Lite chassis with its adjustable length of pull gets good marks for letting shooters of different sizes get a consistent fit, and the factory-mounted Nikko Stirling scope means the rifle can go straight from the box to the range without extra setup. Some owners eventually upgrade the glass, but few complain about the included optic's usefulness for getting started.

Value is where the Mini Action Excel Lite tends to win people over: a bolt gun, chassis stock, and mounted scope in one package undercuts building the same setup piece by piece. A handful of owners note the chassis feels a bit plasticky compared to aluminum options, but most consider that a fair trade for the price.