17 m2 joke

[sharps]

Was out today with 2 buddies with brand new 17M2 Savages and what
a joke.........they barely kill P-dogs at 75 yards,blow around in
moderate wind and make the most un-impressive kills I have ever seen and I guide P-dog hunts......High percentage of crawl off cripples and I was totally disgusted with the performance....at any
range at all guessing was the mode of shooting and crap house luck
resulted in hits at over a hundred yards......good for 25 yard drive-bys but as any form of a serious hunting rifle this caliber
is a waste of good money...........Ron Oates/Montana Outiftters

 

[Forum Boss]

With a jacketed bullet with ballistic tip, and nearly twice the velocity of a 22 LR, we thought the 17 Mach 2 could have excellent potential as a target round. Problem is, Hornady set the OAL spec too short,as a compromise to work in the Ruger 10/22) and the manufacturers are NOT producing straight ammo. The recent stuff we tested was quite disappointing. OAL varied from 0.979 to 1.000". Total Indicated Run-out, measured just ahead of the bullet ogive, is averaging .004+. Here's the result of a recent sort of 300 Eley 17 Mach 2 cartridges:

 

[Flybuster]

First off, what type of ammo were you shooting. I haven't had problems like this.

I hunt mostly ground squirrels which are even smaller than your prarie dogs. The ammo I most use is Hornady V-Max. No crawl offs, that I can ever remember.

I have tried Eley just not on squirrels yet, it shoots faster and has less wind drift. But, even if you can't dope the wind you can still spot your own shot and correct, very easily.

I'm running a bushnell 4.5-14x on my custom 17M2. It shoots great, cheap to shoot and I don't have to reload! I have shot squirrels out to 144 yards.

 

[tuck2]

I limit my shots at prairie dogs to 80 yards where the 17 Gr V Max bullet has about 100 ft/lb of energy when fired from the 17 HM2 rifle. The 17 Gr bullet fired from a 17 HMR rifle has about 100 ft/lb of energy at 150 yards. There is no spltter factor with the 17 grain bullet when the bullet drops below 100 ft/lb of energy. For spring prairie dog pup shooting the only rounds I use are the 17 rimfire rifles. I get far more shots using a low muzzle blast rimfire rifle than when using a center fire rifle. Later in the summer I switch to 17 Fireball, 221 Fireball, and 204 Ruger rifles. I live in prairie dog country and go home when the wind is over 10 MPH. I have accurate rifles so I dont gut shoot them so they can get back into their holes.

 

[rstreich]

Even the 17 HMR is lousy on prairie dogs. I always have one along, however, but I only take head shots with it. It just doesn't have the energy to kill an adult prairie dog quickly.

 

[DogBuster]

Do not sell the M2 short...I thought the same thing when I first used it....mine is a heavy bbl SS Savage w/laminated wood stocks..Rifle Basix trigger..Nikon 4-14 BM...Eley ammo works best...2150 fps...smells good too....I use mine from a portable table set up...solid rest...take only head or upper chest shots..DOA...no question...here's one at 155 yds....

 

[Preacher]

I've shot Crows out to over 80 yards all winter with my 17M2 TC Contender, and never had one fly off from a hit, Gray Squirrels out at least that far and no run offs either.
13 Striped Chipmunks out as far as I can see them, and no run offs there either.....

 

[Flybuster]

Nice shooting guys,

Preacher,my M2 has been known to shoot a crow or two. I vividly remember shooting one out of a tree from the kneeling position a 100 yards away.
I've even shot a couple of rockchucks with it. Really one of my favorite short range guns.

 

[DRGreysun]

Hey Sharpy,

If your 17M2 won't shoot give this a try: ROTFLMAO!

D R

 

[Markbo]

Yeah... those .17HM2's really suck, huh? And they are soooooo inaccurate! Just look at mine!

Couldn't even make 5 shots a round hole at 50 yards!

 

[gunnut606]

But if you ever hit a crow with a 50gr Vmax from a 223 or 22-250
there is nothing left from the crow to take picture of, and that where
the fun is, not just plain killing them.

 

[Austin]

never shot a 17 m2 but shot a 17hmr.wasnt impressed passed 100yds.my buddy has both and and he swares by them both,frankly i sware at them.