OK I got an education on my post about the 17HMR. Now, what about this Mach 2. What is it good for? Anyone own one?
Thanks, peter

I do not have one yet. I am trying to find a ruger single six with cylinders for both the mach II and the mag. The mach II is basically good for anything you would use a 22 for but you gain some distant. The mach II shoots way flatter. The cartridge is simply a 22 necked down to 17. Well actually a 22 stinger necked down. The 22 stinger is a slightly longer case than a standard 22 long rifle. The big problem with the cartridge is it produces a lot of pressure and an odd pressure curve making it unsuitable for semiautos. There are after market kits for 10/22s however. They give the 17 mach II barrel and the key item is a heavier bolt. Due to possible cycling issues manufacturers seem reluctant to bring the mach II out in a semi. Which is the staple of the rimfire market. So you are limited to either a bolt or a lever action. So I don't see this being all that popular or longlived cartridge. Especially considering the cost of ammo about 5 to 6 bucks a box. I am also planning on having a barrel made up for my ruger 96/22. This is lever action based on the 10/22 design. Being a lever gun I would not have to worry about cycling issues. It would be another nice easy switch barrel toy. I would probaly never use the 17 mach II to hunt with. I don't need to shoot squirrels at a hundred yards with expensive ammo. I can shoot them at 50 yards with cheap 22 ammo.

Thanks! Look's like a good summary.
Peter.

While the 17HMR has proved one of the most successful and innovative cartridges in a long while, the mach 2 never really got off the ground.
It"s just not enough of an improvement on the 22LR, especially when you can have an HMR.
A mate of mine who is a gun dealer bought one(a mach 2) for stock over a year ago. He offered it to me for trade price recently just to get rid of it, and he has sold a ton of HMR"s.
I might be tempted to buy an HMR, but I would"nt give a mach 2 cupboard space.(someone will probably come along now and say they have a mach 2 and it"s great!)
good shooting

so neither of you have one?I think it will be great for shooting varmints out to 150 yds or so.

quote:

Originally posted by jb:
I think it will be great for shooting varmints out to 150 yds or so.

That's what the .17HMR is for. The .17 mach2 is kinda bla really. Yes it shoots flatter than .22LR, but so what.

I have a Magnum Research 17MII in their lightweight rifle.

It is my truck/ATV gun for varmints around the preserve. It has dispatched several feral animals, racoons, skunks, and fox so far. Out to 100 yards, it's great. If I get beyond that, my Volquartsen 17HRM comes into play. I have connected on varmints out to 287 yardswith the heavy barrel Volquartsen. Not something I'd try with the Mach II.

Yeah, the Mach II is not much more than a flatter shooting .22 LR, but it does its job very effectively.

Next year PD shooting in MT, the Mach II will be he gun that travels with me for walking about and truck duty as it's a lot lighter and shorter making it easier to carry and shoot while moving about.

Good luck.

Mike

hmmm ..sighted in at 100 yds it(17 HM2) only gets 3/4 " above line of sight(LOS).Then at 150 its only 4 1/2 " low.
compared to 2 3/4" above LOS and 10 3/4" low at 150 for a similar sighted 22lr.
the 17 hmr figures are .1" above LOS and 2 1/2 low at 150.
the 22 mag figures are 3/4 "above LOS and 5 1/4 low at 150.
seems useful to me
I'll be using it on crows and whatever vermin I can this weekend up in my home town of walker in northern MN.
In between fishing and scouting for bow season.

I bought a Savage MK II GVL for sniping Starlings. I installed a Barska 6x24x50 with the supplied rings and a Harris bi-pod. I put on a recoil pad and painted (yes, painted) the stock with a textured light green paint.

It puts then virtually in the same hole at 35 feet and I'm just waiting for spring and the annual Starling migration.

It should be a little more fun than the Armalite AR-15 Predator or the Remington BDL in 30-06. I used target grade ammunition with both, but a 125 grain spitzer with the Remington.

I really like the Savage. What recoil? What muzzle blast? What loud report? Oh yea. With that Barska scope it's like looking at an airplane. How can you miss?

Regards,

Eric