You guys with all this talk about the 17hmr have got me thinking I may need to get one. I was wondering which brand has a good bang for the buck. Does anyone have a savage?? I wanna get one but I want good accuracy without spending a fortune. Which brands have you guys had good luck with.

hey cowboy i bought a NEF single a year ago , have had a ball with it , very accurate an paid150 for it new

I have two .17HMRs. A Marlin and a Savage. The Marlin is a touch better shooting with Hornady ammo, the Savage is more tractable all around, it likes everything, it just doesn't shoot quite as well with the Hornady ammo. The Marlin will shoot 5/8" with the lot of ammo it likes best, the Savage will shoot everything into 1 inch. The stocking of the Marlin fits me better than the cheesy plastic on the Savage, that may have some bearing on my abilities to shoot it better. My advice would be to buy the Savage with the wooden stock, get the heavy barrel, too, it's light enough, and shoot the hell out of it. I love 'em! Made some 250 yard shots on PDs last summer in SD, with great conditions, and it worked well. Put lots of scope on it, it deserves it, and you can see better. I currently have a Burris FFII on mine, with the Ballistic Plex reticle, and it is the real deal, and lots of fun.

Have a Cooper 17hmr, expensive and shoots very well. Also bought a CZ 452 American and after some minor trigger work (change the spring is all) and float the barrel, it shoots right with the Cooper. Both rifles like the Hornady ammo best and easily hold 1/2 to 5/8ths of an inch at 100 yards. Having worked on many of the 17hmr's on the market, I'd recommend getting the CZ over all others if staying within a budget. One item that helps this caliber quite a bit is a good lapping job as many of the low cost (and high cost too) rifles have bores that benifit from doing it. Good Shooting - RIC

CC, Probably in my estimation the SAVAGE will give you the most bang for the buck! I own(or have owned) no less than 10 17HMR's to date! I got the first one of the MARLIN VS's to get to this area and have shot countless groundhogs and crows with it out to 217 yards! The thing that astounds me is the inherrent accauracy of this little pill! Makes no difference if the NEF, Marlin, Savage, or CZ or Ruger.....find one that doesn't shoot sub MOA at 100 yards!
I saw a great number of 17's today at a gunshow in Roanoke, VA and the Savage can be had in SSHB for 230.00 or less. The MARLIN VS will cost you $275.00 or so. The Savage clip extends below the stock a little bit less than the Marlin and makes it easier to carry (clip doesn't dig in your shoulder as bad). The Laminated SAVAGE HB is pretty tough to find but the laminated stock is built up more than the synthetic and the clip protrudes the least of all!! Whatever you get, it will shoot!! GHD

I picked up a Remington 597 magnum. $325 new. It has the laminated stock and feels like a real rifle. It's not the cheapest 17hmr out there. but it is a better choice for me.

It is an autoloader. I will use it mostly for shooting Jack rabbits in the west desert. A fast 2nd shot at a jack bouncing through the sagebrush is way more important than sub MOA groups to me.

At the range I shot all 4 ammos. They all shot 1" to 1.25" groups out of a new barrel at a 100 yards. Which is probably as good as I shoot anyway.

[ 10-26-2003, 17:30: Message edited by: Painted Horse ]

I too have a NEF and paid 139 for it a year ago. GREAT rifle!!!! Only drawback(if you could call it that) is it is a singleshot