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View Full Version : What 17 HMR?



44man
04-09-2007, 07:55 AM
I am thinking of buying one, maybe a Marlin. What has proven to be the most accurate rifle on the average?

Buckshot
04-13-2007, 02:25 AM
..............I don't own a 17 or a 22mag. I would go check out Rimfire Central. I don't know if a concensus can be found there or anywhere really. I have a friend with a Savage hvy bbl in 22LR with the Accu-Trigger, and know another guy with the same type but in stainless and both are superbly accurate rifles. Even with bulkpack ammo (for the most part). My friend Larry bought some Aguila 40gr RN sub-sonic target ammo at the last gunshow (I think it was $14/brick) and it was about all you could ask for.

Doesn't answer your 17 HMR question though :-)

..................Buckshot

357maximum
04-13-2007, 04:18 AM
I have experience with both the marlin and the savage in both 17 and 22mag...either are great, but I personally prefer the savage with the accutrigger...but....My 22 mag is a marlin 882 ,it was the second one I owned...it is just one of "them" guns that shoot well out of proportion for their price. The first one was good too, but I a had a stupid moment and traded it...it was soon to be replaced...I missed it right quick when it was gone.

The following is my opinion and it is based on what I do with a rimfire.....flame me if you must:.....Personally I see the 22 mag as a more universal caliber, but the 17's are ok too, especially if you only intend to take headshots or are shooting starlings or something tiny...the "POOF" is rather nice, and watching the "POOF" through the scope somehow satisfies some primal urge inside of me[smilie=1:

. I have seen the 17HMR fail to GetRdone on foxes shot in the boiler room when a rib was struck, I have never seen a 22mag fail in a similar respect. In fact I would not hesitate to broadside shoot a whitetail with a 22 mag softpoint..if it were legal and was the only gun available.....the same cannot be said for the 17HMR....you would have to shoot a deer in the ear canal for it to work with any reliability. I am not reccomending either for deer, but I know what the 22 is capable of from alot of second hand knowledge on deer(at one time it was legal here)before my time though), and a ton of first hand knowledge on many woodchucks/fox/coyote.

If you do buy a 17HMR check out the BSA sweet 17 series scopes...they sure make long distance squirrel/birdie poking easy...as long as it is calm out. These scopes are underpriced a bit in my opinion...

Mk42gunner
04-13-2007, 01:31 PM
One of the guys that worked for me in Fallon had a Savage befor they out the accu trigger on rimfires, it shot well after a trigger job. My best friend has had one of the Marlins for a few years now and it is a lot better gun for about the same price.

Personally I believe I would go with a CZ for my first choice and a Marlin for my second.


Robert

rockrat
04-13-2007, 02:03 PM
I can only relate my NEF gun. Tried the Hornady and Remington ammo and about 1.25" groups. Tried the Speer stuff that is not supposed to be as accurate, and got a group you could cover with a dime. All at 100 yds--5 shots.

schutzen
04-13-2007, 05:08 PM
I have a Savage 9317VBSS and it is awesomely accurate. It's a pleasure to shoot, but the range is limited, 100-150 yards depending on the size of the target. Coyotes, out to 100 yards. Crows, 150 yards is no problem. The tougher the animal the closer you need to be. It also looks great next to the Savage 12BVSS in .223. They make a very good pair for varmit hunting.

T-Bird
04-13-2007, 05:38 PM
I don't condone this, but I personally know 2 people who have killed 100lb. does cleanly with a .17HMR. Carefully selected neck shots is the method. So far not one has run at all.One of the 2 has killed 2 with 2 shots, the other has killed "several."They have used the 17gr Hornady, I think.I'm not about to try it! Shoot straight, T-Bird

Curly James
04-14-2007, 11:01 AM
At my club we hold a fun match called extreme rimfire. It is rimfire rifles shot at 200 meters at scaled down steel silhouettes. I prefer the .22 mag in a Marlin 882 just for the bullet weight on the steel rams. My buddy uses a Marlin in .17 HMR. I was spotting for him one day while practicing and watched him shoot a five shot group at 200 meters that could be covered with a 50 cent piece. There was no wind, when there is wind that little .17 bullet becomes a major challenge at 200 meters. Heck, when there is wind, any rimfire bullet becomes a challenge at 200 meters. By the way, He was one of two perfect scores, with 40 for 40, in the 2nd match we shot, unfortunately for him the other guy was an old time bench rest shooter and was shooting an old Remington target rifle with diopter sights. My buddy was using a scope in his shiny new Marlin. They had a shoot off of ten rounds at those tiny little steel chicken targets at 200 meters. The old guy hit 8 out of 10. My buddy managed 5 of them. He said his cross hairs nearly blotted out the chicken. As far as hunting goes, my buddy took two hogs (smaller ones) with the rifle last year. My other hunting buddy took a hog with his .22 magnum. All of the hogs died, but I still feel like the .17 may be a little light for something that size. Take care, CJ.

Calhunter
04-14-2007, 01:51 PM
I have a Marlin. Shoots great. Hornady and Federal ammo shot 1/2 inch groups at 100yds. I read some reviews where they had said the magazine on the marlins fit too loose and they were experiencing feed problems. I have never had this problem although the mag does seem a little loose. It basically comes down to what you prefer. The savages and the marlins are both great guns and you can't go wrong with either.

:drinks:
Calhunter

dk17hmr
04-14-2007, 02:57 PM
I have a Savage, one of the first that came out, it has made it to Montana on a p-dog and rock chuck shoot. I killed a medium size chuck at 210 yards with 1 hollow point, and p-dogs out to 250 yards..many shots fired but I did get a head shot.

I have a 8-32x scope mounted on it which is way to much scope for the hunting I small game hunting I do but it really brings a squirrels head in close for an eye shot.

Great guns them Savages

44man
04-22-2007, 08:16 PM
Thanks for the responses, I got a little scared off with the prices. I have to hold off a while. I have the Savage .22 mag now and like it, just wanted to see how the others shot. My friend has a license and his price for the Marlin is $300 out the door.
I have heard that CZ makes a super accurate .22, now I would like to know more about their .17.

twoworms
04-23-2007, 10:07 PM
I have a Marlin, it shoots very well at 100 yards. A friend and I both shot two groups each one day just before it got dark at 100 yards with little to no wind. All 4, 3 shot groups ran under .50"ctc. Not bad for a factory gun rimfire ammo.

Tim

Blackwater
04-24-2007, 12:45 AM
From the friends' guns I've seen, and the followup contacts with others that have purchased them at the local gunshop, it really seems to depend on which gun you buy as much as the brand name. That's between the Savage and the Marlin. Only one CZ has gone out, and the feedback from it was accompanied with a big smile. I don't think it was any more accurate than the Savages or Marlins, though. There've been many reports of dime sized 5-shot groups at 100 with all of these brands. The Savage doesn't look as nice, but with the Accu-trigger, it's very "shootable." The Marlin looks a bit better, and the CZ even better yet. So far, I haven't heard of ANY .17 HMR that didn't shoot extremely well. I have to admit, I didn't think this little round would be significant, but I think it's the amazing accuracy these guns have shown that's helping it take the shooting world by storm. Only bad thing I've heard is that it's not very semi-auto friendly, but I think that'll be solved with a little time, too.