.17 Hmr

[Keb]

P-Dogs Yesterday in sunny western Colorado 17HMR

I shoot off sandbags and a San Angelo portable bench.

I get maybe 1,000 prairie dogs a year, and yesterday was really enjoyable as I made a whole bunch of kills at 150 and more. There were several head shots at 260 yards measured back from the dead-dogs back to my Subaru (gun wagon) using the Nikon RF. There was no wind.

I use a Savage just like the one in post#3, with a BSA Sweet 17 40mm range turret scope.

So, do not doubt the ability to make your 17HMR reach out well past typical rimfire range.

 

[Keb]

PS I got all the p-dogs in that 30 acres except one at short range where I forgot to reset the target knob down from 230 yards. So those long shots were not just the "lucky" shots among many. The temporary escapes were on hills that could not be ranged with the laser due to the flat angle and tall weeds.

I started the season with expectations of using 2 different 223's and had 1200 rounds of 223 ammo ready to spend..... I hardly touched it because of the 17HMR

 

[Macchina]

I was going to buy one until CCI released V-Max .22 Magnum rounds. The new V-Max bullets come out of the .22 at 2200 fps (versus 2500 fps of the .17). They are balistic tip just like the .17, and I can shoot the 1/2" dot out of my targets at 50 yards. They are 30 grains instead of the .17's 17 grain, so terminal perfomace is excellent. Not to berate the .17, but it was the V-Max bullet that made it so good, not the caliber.

 

[obxned]

I would be a lot more interested in one if the ammo wasn't so expensive.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Here's my Cooper .17:



To the poster who's buddy had a gun stolen and replaced it but the new one wasn't accurate; have him try a different scope, some BSA's have had serious problems.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Wow, nice wood! (One of many things two gunnies can say to each other with a straight face.)

 

[Shawnee]

Have seen four deer shot with a 17 HMR - one shot each - and every one died without taking a step.

Neighbor can shoot deer on crop damage permits through the Summer on his 1000 acres. His rifle is a Savage, heavy barrel, target stock with an 18x - 36x scope.

One of the deer was only 60 yds. but the other three were 80-90 and he put his shot more or less through the eardrum on them all.

Also saw his .17 decapitate two large woodchucks, each at about 90 yds.

With all that said... one of my sons just killed two grown hogs with one shot from his .204 Ruger at about 75 yds. Not a planned event by any means but certainly effective.

 

[Tomcat47]

Just bought a Marlin 917V, Simmons Blazer 3-9 X 50 optics and nice camo sling, and two boxes V max for $250.00 Thought it sounded fair? Never shot one....dont even know what its worth actually, but looks like a good purchase for the gun safe, and I am headin home for the holidays and just so happens there is a coyote problem there...dad is having a fit out of them, they are killing everything, chickens, goats, small dogs, cats etc.

???? any coyote takers with the .17 ? Want to make a good quick kill. I have a .223 I was planning on using until this showed up.

 

[Twud]

I bought my Savage on a lark. For $225 how good can it be? Bought some CCI, Remington and Hornady ammo to try out and all three shot great. It's shooting around 3/4" off the bags and is responsible for the demise of 6 groundhogs.
I haven't done much plinking with it, but it does sound like a good idea.
I've got a cheapy Simmons on it and it's not bad.
Great round, no recoil, cheap to shoot with moderate report.

 

[YodaVader]

I guess cheap to shoot is all relative , but the price of the ammo has kept my Tundra Stocked 17V sitting in the safe for long while now.

 

[rangerruck]

To Tomcat, have no fear to take coyotes with the 17; neck , side or front chest shot. I have done it many times; A dude I talked with once, is a sherriff out in W. columbia or some other town west of Houston. part of his job is to cull varmints wherever he sees them. he uses the 17. He told me all his coyote shots this year have been one shot kills, with his longest shot being 160 yards!!!
Now I would be a little scared to pull off that long a shot, but out to 100 yards, I would have no probs punching a coyotes ticket with the 17.