Hi! I left a while ago but I'm back! I was interested in a bolt action in 17 HMR. I was looking at the Savage thumb hole bolt. But i was considering either the thompson encore with a barrel from Bullburry. But the problem with Bullberry is a $550 price tag to add to my encore and a four month wait. I don't mind the money as much as the wait! I was also concidering a cooper with a stainless barrel, seeing that I love stainless guns. Any thoughts about choice, max. distance for the 17 HMR, and any exp. with accuracy and hunting.

You gonna shoot it or look at it??? Go get you a SAVAGE or a MARLIN or a CZ or whatever in 17HMR and you won't be sorry!! I've owned or put together for others, 32 different 17HMR's by MARLIN, SAVAGE, CZ, RUGER, NEF, REMINGTON, TC Carbine and there is one identifying quality in the chambering...............ACCURACY!! NONE, not one, of these rifle were not capable(ad performed as such!) less than 1" groups(5 shots) at 100 yards!! Most amazing cartridge I've ever dinked with! Range for groundhogs? My longest witnessed, one shot kill was 236 yards but I don't recommend it for those ranges! It is a spectacular little weopon on groundhog sized critters out to 150 yards and the accurracy of the cartridge lends itself to quality glass and the ability to place the shots in THE HEAD AND THE NECK of the vermin!! Shoot one in the guts...........it's going to crawl off........same as with a 243 or a 308 or 30-06 or whatever!! DO NOT GUT SHOOT VERMIN!! The 17HMR is a fun gun for varmint hunting! Shoot em, kill em and don't have to pick up brass!! Go get yourself a Savage or the Marlin and don't look back!! GHD

Plenty of good rifles in that caliber...

But the caliber doesn't do a thing for me..

too expensive to shoot...

little creatures just fall over...and that is about it..

I'll take a hand loaded 223 any day...even a downloaded, handloaded 223 is a better round and usually cheaper to shoot...

the 17 HMR is WAAAAAYYY over priced in my book...

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:

too expensive to shoot...

the 17 HMR is WAAAAAYYY over priced in my book...

Seafire is 100% correct,

But, on the other had if cost were the only issue this would be a very boring hobby. It's a neat little cartridge albeit without any real niche (IMHO). But I'd venture that most cartridges fit into that category.

Lots of fun, relatively accurate, but @ $12.00-$13.00/box (50), I really can't shoot mine nearly as much as I'd like...


Hank

My partner and I've been having a ball with our .17HMRs, both Savages (his in right, mine in left, bolt). I must be lucky, I've been able to pick up ammo for about $10.00 a box. Now that is more expensive than when it first came out, I will agree. Its just, for those shots up to 150-175yds, its great. No loading or anything. Of course I spend many a night on loading .223, .22-250, .22BR, and .243 for those little critters.

i'm a sucker for nice wood & found a cz with an exceptional piece, it's a good gun, but i prefer the winchester lowall. with the price of the ammo however I also bought a mach 2. right now (at least a week or 2 ago) bill hicks had mach 2 ammo for 2.95 a box. at 2.95 vs 9.00 i bought enuf mach 2 to last me awhile. there is a difference between the 2, but not all that much to pay another $6 a box for ammo. just something else to think about.

I'm not worried about the cost of the 17HMR ammo! I have a 22k Hornet,a 223 rem, a 22BR, a 6mmBR, and a 243AI. I'm looking at the 17HMR so that if I have to use it in a pinch,don't want to reload and i'm in a bunch of 200yd - 300yd fields i can just pick it up and go! What i want is to know which is the most accurate out of the Savage,Marlin,CZ or the cooper? And what kinds of groups can i expect out of them at 100yds.

If you are replacing a .22 centrefire with HMR or looking to blast varmints into small pieces you will probably be disappointed.

If you are looking for a second rifle for closer in or just a real fun gun and recognise it is not a 1/4 mile rifle you will love it. Its flat shooting within its effective range, mild report and almost all rifles in the caliber seem very accurate out of the box. No need to save empties either, just shoot it! If you factor in your time its cheaper than shooting reloaded centre fire.

Have a look at www.rimfirecentral.com

I have a .17HM2 which is even smaller and it is my first choice for small game as its such a fun gun. A bit like some guys prefer their .22 Hornet to everything else they own (have 1 of those too and a .17 Hornet wildcat).

I really like my savage, but it was a real toss up with the Marlin. At the time Marlin was not drilled and tapped I don't think, so that was the thin deciding factor. I don't think you need to spend big bucks for a great gun in these. It may be wiser to save that cash for other project you do. It's great for farm yard and simi-populated areas. I much prefer the Hornady 17 grains myself. It's a good bump over the 22 LR on varmints. They are not too usefull in the wind though. My next step up is a 22-250 which is really a different thing all together. It always gets a big fight going on which is better, the 17 HMR or 22 mag. Good excuse to get both so you can judge yourself

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Pep:
I'm not worried about the cost of the 17HMR ammo! I have a 22k Hornet,a 223 rem, a 22BR, a 6mmBR, and a 243AI. I'm looking at the 17HMR so that if I have to use it in a pinch,don't want to reload and i'm in a bunch of 200yd - 300yd fields i can just pick it up and go! What i want is to know which is the most accurate out of the Savage,Marlin,CZ or the cooper? And what kinds of groups can i expect out of them at 100yds.

Joe,

back east there, you are probably not getting a fraction of the number of shots off that we do out west here...

if you are not going to be doing volume shooting.. as we can get off 400 to 500 shots in an afternoon out this way at times.. then the 17 HMR might be just the ticket for ya..

It would make a dandy squirrel round, or for taking 2 or 3 shots an hour.. if you shoot a box of 50 rounds in a couple of times out in the field and it lasts you that long, then $10 to $12.00 a box isn't that bad really...

As far as the best for accuracy... well it is definitely an accurate little cartridge.. and ANY of the top quality rifles made for it are going to do the accuracy of it justice...

I own two Marlins, with stainless barrels.... and one Ruger Heavy Barrel, stainless in 17 HMR.. and then a New England Break Open single shot...All are tack drivers...

However, if I was in the market for one, and was looking at the best bang for the buck... only the New England would make my list...

The Ruger compared to a CZ, the Ruger is way over priced for what it offers versus the CZ.. I have a CZ in 22 Long rifle... for about 60% or less of the cost of the Ruger you can get a real nice CZ... and it will have a better trigger than the Ruger.. My Ruger was gotten when they were a lot cheaper, like I paid $425.00 for mine.. now they are up around $600.00 which is ridiculous...

The CZs are around $300.00 to $375.00 depending upon model..I'd go with a CZ hands down..

The Marlins are also nice rifles.. especially the stainless and gray laminate stocked ones...and now they have a better trigger and are drilled and tapped for Scope Bases..

Locally they sell for $289.00... However, they also sell locally for $299.00 a Savage with a Thumbhole Laminate Stock, with AccuTrigger and are drilled and tapped and have scope bases as part of the setup...for $10.00 more.. That is an awful lot of 'extras' for a mere $10.00 over the Marlin...

I have to admit, if I was going to stay interested in the 17 HMR..I'd sell the Ruger, and buy me a CZ.... AND.... a Savage Thumbhole Model as well.... both together are the price of the Ruger alone.....

Savage and Marlin also have cheaper models.. but for an extra 'C Note'... you sure can pick up a lot of extra fancier good looks...

hope this may help you a hair or so....

cheers
seafire

I have a Marlin 17HRM bolt action, and it stays home when I am on ground squirrel hunts.

I have a friend with the same model and he uses it all the time.

My 17HRM has problems finding a niche in my arsenal:
1) high cost of ammo at 21 cents/ shot + shipping
2) slow feed rate into bolt action
3) range is mediocre

The 223 Blue Dot hand load has a niche:
1) As little as 8 cents per shot
2) slow feed rate
3) long range

The 10/22 has a niche
1) 2 to 8 cents a shot
2) hand crank magazine loader works with gloves
3) puffs of dust show point of impact and follow up shot with 14" of windage and elevation happens a second later.

I hope I don't insult anyone, but I'm still waiting for an answer! A friend of mine bought a savage 17HMR thumb hole and only tested it out to 50yds. He claims some groups of 5 shots under a dime. I guess I could not wait for an answer from someone who took the time to shoot some groups from a Savage, Marlin, cooper, Ruger, or other maker. So I could not wait! I went on the word of my friend, who I spoke to at 5:00pm, on 05/10/07, and ordered two Savages in stainless thumbhole 17HMR for myself and my hunting partner(30-45 day backorder). I figure if it does not live up to my expectations, I will send it to Scott Null of Savage Gunsmithing and make him do an action job, replace the trigger, which I'll do anyway! and recrown the barrel. Any body having actual shooting stats on the Savage or other make, ie 100yd groups and average hunting shots, please feel free to let me know. MUCH APPRECIATED! PEP

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
My 17HRM has problems finding a niche in my arsenal:
1) high cost of ammo at 21 cents/ shot + shipping
2) slow feed rate into bolt action
3) range is mediocre

Calibers have niches based on personal requirements in my view. The .17HMR became indispensible to me where land owners allow only rimfire. Having since employed the .204 Ruger lately for most hunting, the .17HMR is useful where said rimfire is required.

A lot of fun in my view for reduced range squirrel hunting to say conservatively 100 or so yards. Remarkable power and accuracy in a little package!


.17HMR Cooper with USO 3.2-17x44 SN-3 EREK

Pep, we all got carried away variously bragging and bagging the calibres and ignored your original question!

Check out rimfire central in my post above.

Almost all HMR's seem to shoot below 1 minute of angle so at 100 yards you should get groups unde 1" as long as minimal wind.

I shoot HM2 in a Marlin so cant comment on your choice of rifle or max range but from what I have seen you should have a varmint range of well over 150 yards, some say 200 yards and some even say 300 yards. IMHO 200 would be at the outer edge but realistic.

Check out an aftermarket trigger from Rifle Basix at www.riflebasix.com

I have on on my Marlin and it is excellent and easily fitted in about half an hour.

Well DMCI...

with a rig like that, I am sure the cost of ammo is of no consequenct to yourself...

throw that out of the mix, and get yourself a setup like that... and one would love whatever it is chambered in...

Even tho I am sure many of us admire your Cadillac Rifle... some of us have to live with a little more economy in our lives... NOT WILLINGLY....

But I for one, would be a private showing of your arsenal would be as wonderful as a trip to the Winchester Museum in Cody Wyoming.... I can't have any of those rifles.. but they are inspirational to admire..