So you want a .17 hmr...

[NorthBorder]

Yeah, I think I do. I've never shot one, possibly never even handled one. But I watched a few youtube videos and thought that this little round may be just what I could have a lot of fun with making little groups of little holes in paper at longer distances than a 22lr is capable of. That would be my primary focus. Secondarily, when I have the opportunity to travel over the divide to the plains of Montana it would be a killer round on gophers.
So, I'm thinking of a Ruger RPR in .17 hmr or possibly a Savage 93r of some flavor with a heavy barrel. Possibly a CZ. Something in the $500 or under range, and a good 4-16 scope. I'd like to hear your comments and advise, experiences, etc. So, please tell me.
Thanks in advance

 

[BreechFace]

My CZ 457 varmint bull barrel 17hmr will stack them in there.



I'm not a fan of Savage extraction, so I would skip that. Although they are usually very accurate.

Another consideration is the Bergara, they have a steel barrel and carbon fiber barreled version.

Tikka also chambers a 17HMR.

As far as the 17HMR as a cartridge, it's so fun. Take out the close range whistle pigs, squirrel, ground hogs, prairie dogs; then they think they are smart and out of range step up to the 17HMR. A good hit at the neck will take a head clean off a whistle pig/ground squirrel. I spent time with my 17HMR protecting almond orchards from ground squirrels in college next to a dairy. Talk about a fun afternoon.

 

[someguy2800]

17 hmr is great fun. I really enjoy shooting steel with mine from 200-300 yards. Mine is a Lithgow LA101

 

[vanfunk]

I too have been intrigued by the 17HMR since its introduction, mostly just for fun. I am watching and waiting for a CZ 457 with gorgeous wood to show up at my LGS, then I might pounce on it. I have a spare Vortex Venom and rings to put on it already, lol.

What about cleaning? I have heard some talk about having to clean the barrel every 100 rounds (or less!) to avoid a rapid deterioration in accuracy; can any owners here comment on that?

 

[BreechFace]

17 hmr is great fun. I really enjoy shooting steel with mine from 200-300 yards. Mine is a Lithgow LA101

How do you like your Lithgow? Are these even still imported anymore?

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I have 2. A Savage 93 heavy barrel. And a RAR. I only cleaned them 1 time so far. It was after a 100 round break in.

 

[3Crows]

I love 17 HMR in my Savage A17 and Marlin .17. It ia a very accurate round. Unfortunately all the rimfire guys complain there is no premium match version but neither is there in .22 Magnum from which it is derived. It is great fun to pop golf balls, eggs, ants at 100 yards . And the 20 grain bullet is adequate for coyotes.

 

[Varminterror]

this little round may be just what I could have a lot of fun with making little groups of little holes in paper at longer distances than a 22lr is capable

So, I'm gonna start here - Stuff gets REALLY wild for 17 HMR in the wind at long-for-rimfire distances. The 17HMR often ends up with as much or MORE wind drift than the 22 LR, so when we start talking about 300-500 yard shooting, it's not really very different to keep either of them on target. So you might not need to buy a new rifle, except for the fact you want one.

If I were buying today, NOT buying a bespoke or custom rifle, it would be a CZ457. I have also had a Savage 93 and a Marlin 917 in 17HMR, and they both shot very small (my only 17HMR left is a 6" Taurus Tracker revolver, and I absolutely love it). But the CZ, on average, should outshoot the rest of the market. I did scope install on a customer RPRR, and test shooting to zero, it certainly kept pace with the Marlin and Savage I had. If I didn't get the CZ, I like the Savage 93R TRR-SR and the BTVSS over the RPRR

For small varminting, the 17HMR is a ball. Those little smart bombs DO pop a bit more violently than 22LR's on impact, so within the range where we can keep the wiffle balls flying well enough in the wind, it's an absolute ball.

 

[someguy2800]

How do you like your Lithgow? Are these even still imported anymore?

I don't think they are being imported anymore. I love it with the one caveat being that the factory trigger stunk. It had about a mile of sear engagement and has no provisions for adjustments. I have the equipment to grind sears though so it was a pretty easy fix for me. The centerfire actions have really nice triggers from the factory that are adjustable for sear engagement, overtravel, and weight, but the rimfire's have a very simple trigger with no adjustability besides changing springs. Considering what they cost the trigger as it came was an embarrassment, but nothing some smithing doesn't fix.



It shoots a little under and inch at 100 yards with 20 grain CCI or Hornady, and also the 17 grain TNT. It does not shoot well with 17 gr Vmax. The black center dot on the target below is like 3/4". I get about 100 fps faster velocity than listed on the box with most ammo so it seams to be a pretty fast barrel. The barrel is threaded but its a weird thread pitch, I think its 1/2-20 or something like that.



I actually like it so much I have 3 of the centerfire LA102's. One in 308 which is my current favorite rifle, one is 6.5 creedmoor, and one which I pulled the barrel off of and am planning to rebarrel in 338 weatherby RPM.

 

[someguy2800]

Unfortunately all the rimfire guys complain there is no premium match version

I've seen that said a lot and I always say that as far as rimfire ammo goes, all 17hmr ammo is premium match ammo. Maybe they could tighten up the ES a bit, but the wind dispersion is typically a much bigger challenge for me than vertical dispersion with the lil 17 bullets. I don't know if the twist rate is too slow, but I really wish they would make a 25 grain vmax 17 hmr loaded to like 2000 fps. That would buy like an extra 100 yards before it goes transonic and would do a lot better in the wind.

 

[BreechFace]

I don't think they are being imported anymore. I love it with the one caveat being that the factory trigger stunk. It had about a mile of sear engagement and has no provisions for adjustments. I have the equipment to grind sears though so it was a pretty easy fix for me. The centerfire actions have really nice triggers from the factory that are adjustable for sear engagement, overtravel, and weight, but the rimfire's have a very simple trigger with no adjustability besides changing springs. Considering what they cost the trigger as it came was an embarrassment, but nothing some smithing doesn't fix.

View attachment 1247530

It shoots a little under and inch at 100 yards with 20 grain CCI or Hornady, and also the 17 grain TNT. It does not shoot well with 17 gr Vmax. The black center dot on the target below is like 3/4". I get about 100 fps faster velocity than listed on the box with most ammo so it seams to be a pretty fast barrel. The barrel is threaded but its a weird thread pitch, I think its 1/2-20 or something like that.

View attachment 1247536

I actually like it so much I have 3 of the centerfire LA102's. One in 308 which is my current favorite rifle, one is 6.5 creedmoor, and one which I pulled the barrel off of and am planning to rebarrel in 338 weatherby RPM.

View attachment 1247538

They look like nice rifles, how's the accuracy been on the 308 and 6.5CM?

My CZ is the opposite, it'll shoot 17gr like a house fire, but 20gr's are 1.5+MOA

 

[someguy2800]

They look like nice rifles, how's the accuracy been on the 308 and 6.5CM?

My CZ is the opposite, it'll shoot 17gr like a house fire, but 20gr's are 1.5+MOA

I still havn't shot the 6.5 creedmoor, but the 308 shoots really good. The 17 shoots everything i've tried except the 17 gr vmax.

 

[Turkeytider]

All kinds of high volume fun at the range . Shooting at a 2” gong at 200 yards is quie a challenge but lots of fun.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

My CZ 457 bull barrel 17hmr will stack them in there.

View attachment 1247477

Same with my 457 Varmint.

 

[.308 Norma]

I'd like to hear your comments and advise, experiences, etc. So, please tell me.

My own .17 HMR is one of those NEF "Handy Rifles" (with a heavy barrel) that were around for a while. It wears a fixed 4X Weaver, and I can really make a mess of a starling in the currant bushes 30 yards from the rear deck with it. However, starlings in the apple tree 80-90 yards from the rear deck are relatively safe if there's a wind - which is almost a constant in this part of Idaho.
I've never used my .17 HMR on the ground squirrels my wife and I kill hundreds of every spring over on our friend's ranch. I'm pretty sure it would work well on them. However, even though I don't believe in "overkill," I just can't see burning through hundreds of relatively expensive ammo (compared to .22 LR ammo) 2 or 3 times a week to kill ground squirrels 5 to 50 yards out. I mean, there's not a doubt in my mind, my .17 HMR would work on ground squirrels at those ranges, it just seems like it would be a lot of fuss (and noise) compared to shooting them with .22 LR rifles. We even shoot them with our .22 LR handguns once in a while - if they're close (like 15 yards or less).

 

[bigchicot]

Don’t overlook the Tikka T1x.

bc

 

[hunt127588]

Go Tikka T1x or a CZ. If you go with the Savage 93R17, know that the magazine takes a little tweaking to stay up tight against the receiver to make it feed positively. Otherwise, they are superbly accurate.

 

[mingo]

I'm seriously looking at the new savage lever action (savage revel dlx) that
is supposed to have a smooth as butter action. The deluxe model has nice
walnut and is a little more money. Available in three calibers.

 

[horsemen61]

Tikka T1x but the Hunter model for the wood stock

 

[Turkeytider]

Go Tikka T1x or a CZ. If you go with the Savage 93R17, know that the magazine takes a little tweaking to stay up tight against the receiver to make it feed positively. Otherwise, they are superbly accurate.

Agree on the 93R17. Once I negotiated the magazine, great fun out to 200 yards. Came with a Vortex 2-7x scope, so it would probably do better with at least a little better glass.

 

[deerslayer303]

17hmr is an evil little round. Here in SC we used to be required to only use rimfire at night to hunt Coyotes. It was a blast putting the little 20 grain pill in their think tank. 127 yards was my longest kill and 15 yards is my closest. I would mostly try to get them in under a 100. I hit the switch on the 17 and they hit the dirt. When they lifted the rim fire requirement for night hunting yotes. I got rid of it. Probably should have kept it. Great round

 

[jmorris]

I have a CZ 455 with both barrels. Some day I might try the .17 HMR, I probably would have already but I have a .22 hornet I rarely use and the .22 lr barrel pokes holes in paper and knocks down steel, well enough.

 

[MrShooter]

I have the Ruger RPR in 17hmr and I really like it. At 50 yards it's more accurate than I am and it's well built. It is a bit heavy, but for bench shooting it's perfect. The action is smooth and in 500 rounds not a failure. There's something about those tiny bullets flying so fast, and the damage they do to cans and jugs of water is super satisfying. If I were to add another I'd be tempted by the Henry that has a stock with a higher comb.

 

[7mmRLC]

The wife and I both have Savage 93's. Her's is the pretty SS one and mine the Bi Mart special.

 

[dh1633pm]

I made it a point to have at least one rifle for all the rimfire calibers. For 17 I had a Savage and it was excellent. Sold it to a co-worker who wanted it. I then got a Steyr. Its a great shoot. I think I like the speed over a 22 LR. I think the options for rifles is pretty nice. Can't go wrong with the Savage. I think Steyr had issues with their toggle action (the one I have). I haven't had a single issue. No longer for sale from what I can tell.