Commercial .17 caliber market: Saturated?
- Thread starter Tommie
- Start date
I got a Ruger 77 17 model 17 WSM. Out of the box 100 yard accuracy was less than expected. There was wood barrel contact along the left side of the barrel. The trigger pull was at five pounds. Im going to glass bed the action, free float the barrel, try to adjust the trigger pull or get a new trigger and get some washers to install into the bolt. Im going to group the ammo by weight . A accurate 17 WSM rifle should make a fine prairie dog shooter. Im a 17 caliber fan and have the other factory rim and center fire rifles.
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
Tuck, From what I've read and researched, the rifles are ok but the ammo is substandard with large variations in powder weight and subsequent wide variations in velocity. A shooting buddy is on his third after returning the first two. He tried all the tricks and at best it's still an inconsistent 1 moa rifle at 100 yds. Good luck with your modifications & please post your results.
Day dreaming here but the market keeps putting out larger bore hotrod cartridges like the RUM's and Noslers we may see an opportunity for the .17-204 to get picked up? That may drive interest and we could see the big manufacturers start spinning up 30gr offerings. Would like to see Nosler or Sierra start producing something in the 30gr class.
First got hooked on the .17 Remington after spending time with Dad shooting 40gr bullets out of the 22-250 and got a need for speed. Will never forget sitting in 5th grade history class reading a reloading manual, daydreaming about vaporizing PA groundhogs internals with a 25gr bullet moving over 4000fps. Took about 4 years to get one, lots of reading Precision Shooting magazine, Benchrest Primer and a full summer of fighting that old 700 BDL to shoot the way we wanted but it was a journey I'll never forget.
I'll wake up now and continue being a .17 nut regardless of what the market does or what happens with .20 cals. Something special about hydrostatic shock that keeps me interested.
First got hooked on the .17 Remington after spending time with Dad shooting 40gr bullets out of the 22-250 and got a need for speed. Will never forget sitting in 5th grade history class reading a reloading manual, daydreaming about vaporizing PA groundhogs internals with a 25gr bullet moving over 4000fps. Took about 4 years to get one, lots of reading Precision Shooting magazine, Benchrest Primer and a full summer of fighting that old 700 BDL to shoot the way we wanted but it was a journey I'll never forget.
I'll wake up now and continue being a .17 nut regardless of what the market does or what happens with .20 cals. Something special about hydrostatic shock that keeps me interested.
17 nut here myself.. and much like the thread starter, it all started with Ackley manuals.. Rem 700 in 17 Rem since the 80's, still shoots great. Savage 17 HMR - love it, also just picked up the Savage A17.. sweet shooter so far. Been a lot easier to find HMR ammo around here than it is 22 mag or LR..
I am a confirmed 17 cal loonie also,
started in the late 70's with a A&M 17 Javelina, in a small Sako action.
Here is some info/facts,
that I have found on the 17 WSM ammo, chamber spec's and fired brass results etc, see info here,
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589864
+ other info posted.
IMHO,
There is just TOO MUCH slop (as found from measuring 5000+ rounds
of ammo/fired cases), all 3 brands, Win, Hornady and Fed, between,
the ammo and chamber spec's.
From what I have found, the ammo makers and SAAMI spec's were not on the same page.
I just received my custom PTG reamer ground to fit the ammo spec's,
and in the process of finish building the rifle, attempting to find a single stack mag for the conversion now.
Can't wait to finish it and report back.
Tia,
Don
started in the late 70's with a A&M 17 Javelina, in a small Sako action.
Here is some info/facts,
that I have found on the 17 WSM ammo, chamber spec's and fired brass results etc, see info here,
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=589864
+ other info posted.
IMHO,
There is just TOO MUCH slop (as found from measuring 5000+ rounds
of ammo/fired cases), all 3 brands, Win, Hornady and Fed, between,
the ammo and chamber spec's.
From what I have found, the ammo makers and SAAMI spec's were not on the same page.
I just received my custom PTG reamer ground to fit the ammo spec's,
and in the process of finish building the rifle, attempting to find a single stack mag for the conversion now.
Can't wait to finish it and report back.
Tia,
Don
Rickie,
Here is a photo of the 17 WSM, 5mm Mag and 17 HMR,
the 17 WSM is the largest case.
see info here,
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=588943
I also have a photo of a 17 WSM case sized to 20 WSM/5mm on this site also.
Tia,
Don
Here is a photo of the 17 WSM, 5mm Mag and 17 HMR,
the 17 WSM is the largest case.
see info here,
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=588943
I also have a photo of a 17 WSM case sized to 20 WSM/5mm on this site also.
Tia,
Don
i have only 2 17's, one i have not shot yet.
my first was a 17 Ackley Hornet, I love that little cartridge. it is about perfect for little ground squirrels, and it has popped about 700 of them over the last couple years.
my second, has my first batch of test loads in the block. upper receiver is in the vice with the barrel ready to go in. 17-223 its primary target will be coyotes and fox with an occasional bobcat.
i like oddball stuff, mostly because not everyone has one.
my first was a 17 Ackley Hornet, I love that little cartridge. it is about perfect for little ground squirrels, and it has popped about 700 of them over the last couple years.
my second, has my first batch of test loads in the block. upper receiver is in the vice with the barrel ready to go in. 17-223 its primary target will be coyotes and fox with an occasional bobcat.
i like oddball stuff, mostly because not everyone has one.
swd
Silver $$ Contributor
I've owned at least 7, 17 center fires. There just a ton of fun to shoot. A buddy and I went rock chuck hunting last year, he had never shot a 17. After a few shots with my 17 Rem he's building one too. As far as the market being saturated with cartridges, I don't see the need or room for any more, but we sure could use a better variety of rifles. If they could ever get their act together with good 17WSM ammo and rifles it would/could be a great one.
I sure wish Remington would build a Model Seven in .17HH!!! They useta make a Seven in .17FB, wouldn't mind having one of those, either!
Been holding out on buying a CZ in .17HH, just can't like the rifle for some reason? I know they shoot & everyone I talk to seems to love 'em! That size case would fill a niche between the hmr and a hotrod .17 centerfire. If I lived in p-dog rich AO, the .17HH would be a 'must have'...
My hotrod is a .17Predator, rifle built by Greg Tannel. Now that I've converted it to feed from a detachable, center feed magazine, I've fallen back in love with it! That rifle is soooooo accurate, and those nasty lil' cases feed like butter now...
30gr Kindler Gold @ 2.215" in an Accurate .223 mag. Runs 4070 fps, give or take...
Been holding out on buying a CZ in .17HH, just can't like the rifle for some reason? I know they shoot & everyone I talk to seems to love 'em! That size case would fill a niche between the hmr and a hotrod .17 centerfire. If I lived in p-dog rich AO, the .17HH would be a 'must have'...
My hotrod is a .17Predator, rifle built by Greg Tannel. Now that I've converted it to feed from a detachable, center feed magazine, I've fallen back in love with it! That rifle is soooooo accurate, and those nasty lil' cases feed like butter now...
30gr Kindler Gold @ 2.215" in an Accurate .223 mag. Runs 4070 fps, give or take...
What coonhunter said
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
Wow an old thread revived.
I thought no as mentioned above, some cartridges are doomed when the gun writers knock them right off the bat.
Being a newbe to sub 22's, I have learned a lot in a short time.
CZ 527 in 17 HH was my first. I read everything I could get my hands on, I took into consideration from all with hands on experience. Not from what one has heard.
I eased into it with caution, working up loads at a slower pace. I took heed of watching for early pressure issues and did no try to duplicate factory ammo speeds. I chased the accuracy. I won't say it was a pleasure to work with, but yet when I understood it, it was. A little darling for sure.
A 204 take off savage barrel came to me. So I swapped it around. Before I got any loads worked a CZ527 came into this also. More reading came about. I worked up some ladders for both. The 32's were said to work well in most all twist, but wind played hell with them. I worked with both 32's and 40's. Leaned towards the 40'smfor the most part, but the 32's found their way into the mix.
Both bullets shot well from both rifles. Once again, accuracy before speed. Put to the test in the field. The 32's were not near as bad as I was led to believe, though the 40's did perform in the wind by a bit better. I was pleased with both out to 400ish.
Another 17 entered. Yet another CZ 527, in 17 Remington. Being born in 1963, and interested in guns as long as I can recall. I remember the 17 Remington being spoke of for a long long time. However, I don't recall it ever being spoke of in nice words. I took all of that for the gospel until last year. Maybe I got luck or other folks were unlucky. None the less this 527 just loves 25 grain Vmax with a helping of 8208 or CFE 223.
Once again, I chased accuracy rather than speed. I did get lucky and got the best of both worlds. I backed it off a bit and kept the accuracy. 50-75 rounds at a sane rate of for showed no drop in accuracy. Wipe out in the bore every night and all was great the next day.
I have decided to give the 17wsm a try. The HMR is the little darling, but after having shot it and a 22 mag side by side on the same day I will not waste my time on a HMR.
I will give the WSM a try. It may or may not satisfy my needs. I will give it a fair shot. A new barrel along with some changes may or may not happen. Depends on how the stock barrel works. Time will tell.
Is the market saturated, I don't know. But the 17 rimfires can stand some cleaning up.
I thought no as mentioned above, some cartridges are doomed when the gun writers knock them right off the bat.
Being a newbe to sub 22's, I have learned a lot in a short time.
CZ 527 in 17 HH was my first. I read everything I could get my hands on, I took into consideration from all with hands on experience. Not from what one has heard.
I eased into it with caution, working up loads at a slower pace. I took heed of watching for early pressure issues and did no try to duplicate factory ammo speeds. I chased the accuracy. I won't say it was a pleasure to work with, but yet when I understood it, it was. A little darling for sure.
A 204 take off savage barrel came to me. So I swapped it around. Before I got any loads worked a CZ527 came into this also. More reading came about. I worked up some ladders for both. The 32's were said to work well in most all twist, but wind played hell with them. I worked with both 32's and 40's. Leaned towards the 40'smfor the most part, but the 32's found their way into the mix.
Both bullets shot well from both rifles. Once again, accuracy before speed. Put to the test in the field. The 32's were not near as bad as I was led to believe, though the 40's did perform in the wind by a bit better. I was pleased with both out to 400ish.
Another 17 entered. Yet another CZ 527, in 17 Remington. Being born in 1963, and interested in guns as long as I can recall. I remember the 17 Remington being spoke of for a long long time. However, I don't recall it ever being spoke of in nice words. I took all of that for the gospel until last year. Maybe I got luck or other folks were unlucky. None the less this 527 just loves 25 grain Vmax with a helping of 8208 or CFE 223.
Once again, I chased accuracy rather than speed. I did get lucky and got the best of both worlds. I backed it off a bit and kept the accuracy. 50-75 rounds at a sane rate of for showed no drop in accuracy. Wipe out in the bore every night and all was great the next day.
I have decided to give the 17wsm a try. The HMR is the little darling, but after having shot it and a 22 mag side by side on the same day I will not waste my time on a HMR.
I will give the WSM a try. It may or may not satisfy my needs. I will give it a fair shot. A new barrel along with some changes may or may not happen. Depends on how the stock barrel works. Time will tell.
Is the market saturated, I don't know. But the 17 rimfires can stand some cleaning up.
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
saturated or not (I think we forget just how niche or interests are here and what "average" means) I just wish the stupid companies that introduce these cartridges would support the poor guys who bought the guns and now can't find brass for them. 17FB is only ten years old and has been dead five.
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
Some 17FB brass has become available. I snagged two bags from Cabela's but yes, one has to stockpile it when they do make a run of it.
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