.17hmr discussion

[gamecock257]

Probably going to be picking up a Savage or Marlin .17hmr soon. Just wondered if anyone had any experience with these guns. I've never shot one, but hear they're deathly accurate to around 200yds. Ill mainly use it for cheap target shooting, but ill probably pop some small varmints with it occasionally. Will be getting a Nikon Monarch scope probably 2.5-10x42 for it, since I'll be able to use that as a deer rifle scope later.

Really wanted to buy a Remington 700 sps tactical and use it as a hybrid target/deer gun but .308 disappeared and never came back around here, Internet prices are ridiculous too. Plus I think I can get 500 rounds for the .17 for a little over $100.

Any thoughts/suggestions/comments?

 

[J Everett]

I had a Savage 93 and it was excellent. It was from the early days of the HMR, though, before Savage introduced the Accu-trigger rifles, so I sold it with the intent of buying another one with the Accu-Trigger, but I never got around to it. It's one of my all time favorite rounds. The only time it's no fun to shoot is in a cross wind. The bullet is so light that any breath of cross wind is difficult to compensate for. Not impossible, but difficult. My dad has a Henry lever in .17HMR, and it's good fun to shoot too.

 

[jmnielsen]

i've got a marlin with bull barrel and 17hmr cabelas scope. To see how accurate it was i put a spent .223 cartridge on a fence post 100yds away, laid prone with my bipod, and shot it off on my first shot. Put a hole right through the center of it. My buddy couldn't believe it so he asked me to do it again, and i did. They are amazing guns, absolutely love shooting them. I use it mainly for squirrel and rabbit because i like to eat them, and shotguns get bb's everywhere, and you can get a head shot 9 out of 10 times.

 

[gamecock257]

I've decided to pass on buying a .17 right now. I know I'd have a ton of fun with one but I need to get a deer rifle and scope this year, so I need to save that money.

 

[J Everett]

That's a fair trade off. The .17 is fun but it's not much good for anything bigger than coyotes. I mean, you could kill a deer with a head shot, sure, but it wouldn't be certain. I've never really been into deer hunting myself. My dad was, and I used to enjoy the hunt itself, but to tell the truth I'm not crazy about venison, and it seems wrong to me to hunt solely for sport and not for the combination of sport and food. But I have been wanting to get a nice medium to long range bolt action, say .308 or .280, just to rebuild my long range shooting skills. When you get your new deer gun, show it off. I'd love to see what you get.

 

[Coloxt]

I have a savage with a bull bbl and its freakin sweet and accurate

 

[gamecock257]

Yeah. I was gonna get the .17 mainly for punching holes in paper. Maybe shoot some rabbits and squirrels with it too. You can't legally hunt with anything less than .243 in SC, and the only rifle I have is a .223. Thanks for the info anyways

 

[Acasper708]

I've been wanting a .17 for a while. I grew up shooting my dads .22lr and loved it. It was super accurate. But would like something different. .17 fits that bill.