Bill: Welcome to the forum!
I'm intrigued that someone else has some experience with the .308-length Howa Golden Bear. I'm equally intrigued that Charles Daly was apparently, at least at some point, involved or potentially involved with their distribution. The D-H .308 which I own has no Charles Daly markings, only "Dickson-Howa" and "Golden Bear". It has skipline checkering and rosewood contrasting grip cap and fore end that mimic the Sako Deluxe stock, but it has no floorplate engraving on its aluminum floorplate and has a plastic buttplate instead of a rubber pad like a Sako Deluxe. It is quite clearly a Sako-inspired design, but equally clearly unique is not a direct copy of any existing Sako. Ironically, being just a tad longer and larger in diameter than the L579 it would have been a perfect action for the Short Magnums like the .300 WSM, etc. It was just 30 years or so too early for them.
I'm intrigued that someone else has some experience with the .308-length Howa Golden Bear. I'm equally intrigued that Charles Daly was apparently, at least at some point, involved or potentially involved with their distribution. The D-H .308 which I own has no Charles Daly markings, only "Dickson-Howa" and "Golden Bear". It has skipline checkering and rosewood contrasting grip cap and fore end that mimic the Sako Deluxe stock, but it has no floorplate engraving on its aluminum floorplate and has a plastic buttplate instead of a rubber pad like a Sako Deluxe. It is quite clearly a Sako-inspired design, but equally clearly unique is not a direct copy of any existing Sako. Ironically, being just a tad longer and larger in diameter than the L579 it would have been a perfect action for the Short Magnums like the .300 WSM, etc. It was just 30 years or so too early for them.