When this rifle became popular last year, I ended up finding a Marlin Stainless 17HRM at a local shop. It was listed in their book but the counter people did not know the difference between the 17HRM and the 17 Remington which they already had out. They had it for 3 months.
I put an older silver 4 x 16 Tasco on it and took it over to the range.

A group of older guys I know were finishing up a 22match. They are out there shooting Anschutz 22s with $500 to $1,000.00 scopes. I let a good friend of mine shoot the first shots out of it, because he wanted one so bad. I let 4 of the other guys shoot a string of 5 rounds also.
They went thru the first box of ammo that I had.
Found out from the guy at the counter of the store I bought it from, five of them came in during the next 24 hours and ordered one.

Bought one for a dear friend in Billings who desperately wanted one. He loves it.

Was at another store and they had just gotten in a New England handirifle in 17. Synthetic and heavy barrel with scope bases already on it, $109.00. Knew if it did not shoot, could easily make money on that one.

Saw one of the new Ruger heavy barrel, gray laminate stock ones in a shop the day it came in in Roseburg Oregon. Bought that for $459.00.
What a beautiful rifle.

My doctor friend wanted to buy my Marlin so I bought the Ruger, as I liked it even better.

Then a handicapped friend of mine wanted one, but she being handicapped does not have a lot of money. I had a Marlin 22 Mag heavy barrel I bought several years ago. This thing grouped like a 12 gauge shotgun. I just set it in my safe in frustration. I pulled the stock off of it to save on shipping costs and sent it to Marlin, with a target with a 6 inch group at 50 yrds and told them that this was a good group out of the rifle.

I told them about my friend who was handicapped and told them I would like them to put a 17 barrel on it instead, as I would like to give it to my handicapped friend. Marlin not only put a new barrel on it, but also did a great trigger job on the rifle and put a new Laminated Wood Stock on it and shipped it back with a picture of the one hole target group they shot.

I called them up about what was the bill, and the tech who worked on told me that Marlin hopes my handicapped friend enjoys it.

MY doctor friend and I and our handicapped friend were scheduled to go out Ground Squirrel shooting on March 2nd in Lakeview Oregon. The handicapped friend had to cancel out, due to illness and snow canceled the trip to Lakeview.

My doctor friend tho, wanted to try a 17 so bad for squirrel, he asked could we got try it on coyotes instead. So we went up into the cascades on March 2, 2003.

I set up the Ruger for Dr. Miller with a 4 x 16 mildot BSA scope for him to try. We had also scraped up 7 boxes of ammo for everyone. I had decided to just let my friends shoot it.

All three rifles are tack drivers and all have excellent triggers. My doctor friend was 61 but he was excited as a 10 yr old kid to try out the 17 HRM.

At our first stop he told me he wanted to try and use a shotgun with a short barrel he had, because he had seen it used on a video called "Kids hunting Coyotes" and wanted to test it out. Then he wanted to spend the rest of the day with the Ruger 17.

At the time we were scheduled to meet back at his truck, I heard a shot go off.

I waited at the truck, assuming he had shot his first coyote. When he had not returned in 20 minutes I went to look for him. An hour later I found him under his camo blanket behind some bushes. When he had bent over to pick up his electronic caller, he did not break open his single shot shotgun which had no safety. It went off killing him instantly.

All three of my 17s sit in the back of my gun safe. I don't know if I will ever use them, maybe save them and give one to my son and one to a nephew,,when I get over this.

Doctor Miller was a great friend to me and others. I will remember the 17HRM as a round that excited a semi retired man and turned him into a 15 yr old kid on his first hunt.

God Bless You Damon, whereever you may be, and I hope you are out there having a blast with a new 17 HMR.