Ruger 77/17 17 WSM

[Mike in Oregon]

Is anyone shooting the above rifle? If so, what kind of accuracy are you getting? Do you like the 18.5-inch barrel, or should one hold out and try to find a used 24-inch?

 

[AndyA]

I have one and really like it. I bought it used and it came with one of those rubber slide on tuners. Accuracy isn't very good unless you sort ammo by base to ogive. I found a length that it liked and now modify the ammo to get to that length.

 

[Hal]

Andy A
How and what do you use to modify the ammo length?

Thanks
Hal

 

[PGW Steve]

I bought a walnut 24" when they first came out and it shot terrible. I bedded, changed the trigger to a Jard, recrowned and it was still unacceptable. I then threaded and chambered a .920" straight Lilja 1-9 onto it and it shoots incredible with the 20 and 25 grain. It's one of my favorite rimfires, and is the first I grab for gophers and magpies.

 

[Mike in Oregon]

Andy A
How and what do you use to modify the ammo length?

Thanks
Hal

I wanted to ask the same question!?

 

[Mike in Oregon]

I bought a walnut 24" when they first came out and it shot terrible. I bedded, changed the trigger to a Jard, recrowned and it was still unacceptable. I then threaded and chambered a .920" straight Lilja 1-9 onto it and it shoots incredible with the 20 and 25 grain. It's one of my favorite rimfires, and is the first I grab for gophers and magpies.

Okay, the accuracy I heard was pretty poor early on. I do not want to gamble and have to put a grip of money into something such as you did. After all that work, what kind of groups you getting sir?

 

[1raggedhole]

I have an early one with 24” barrel. Like all 77 rimfires, first remove the stock bump under the barrel, at end of stock. This free floats the barrel and is the single best improvement. I then stoned the trigger using the method found on Rimfire Central, and now its a dreamy 2#. Unfortunately, the ammo is the weak link. Keep trying until you find a good lot and buy as much as you can. Mine will shoot most everything under 1”, and its killed thousands of prairie dogs.

 

[68Hoyt]

Andy A
How and what do you use to modify the ammo length?

Thanks
Hal

I am interested as well

 

[AndyA]

Sorry for the delay, I travel for work.

To modify for too long ones, I use a Lee 17 Hornet seating die that I cut off short. For the too short ones, I collet pull the bullets using a modified 5.7x28 shell holder.

 

[Flatlands_Outdoors]

Any more recent reviews on the new ones Ruger has been pumping out?

 

[Barrelhorses]

WhoTeeWho on YouTube had a 77/17 17WSM blow up on him. I don't know if it was a rifle issue, ammo issue or user error. The rifle literally blew up. I'd probably skip the 17WSM and go to a 17 Hornet if a 17HMR won't do what needs done.

 

[20 TAC]

I’m about 300 rounds into 17 WSM ownership, with a Winchester XPert. Friend has one of the early Ruger 77/17 24” models and it is very accurate, rimfire ammo considered.
Every time I hit something with the 17 WSM, I’m surprised at how it seems to punch above its weight class. If Tikka were to ever build a WSM in the T1X, I’d have 2 purchased immediately.

 

[B23]

To modify for too long ones, I use a Lee 17 Hornet seating die that I cut off short. For the too short ones, I collet pull the bullets using a modified 5.7x28 shell holder.

That is very surprising you are able to seat them deeper or pull them at all because Winchester puts a fricken death grip crimp on the 17 WSM ammo no to mention those little 20gr Vmax bullets are so thin it's nearly impossible not to damage the bullet trying to pull them or seat them deeper.

I've done more testing/investigating with 17 WSM ammo then I'd ever willingly want to admit and with regard to consistency the OAL base to ogive is where this ammo suffers the most.

The 17 WSM is still my favorite rimfire but geez it sure would be nice if Winchester would produce a better more consistent product instead of the crap they've been making since the 17 WSM came out. Honestly, it's actually quite remarkable any of these 17 WSM rifles are capable of shooting even half way decent with how much variance is in the OAL of this stuff.

 

[cclfn]

I will throw my 2/10ths of a $ and hope I don't have a problem like whoteewho had. I have one of the original 77/17 WSM with the 24" barrel. I also lucked out and got in on a property settlement were they had to quickly convert property into cash for a legal reasons, and picked up about 3,000 rounds of the American Eagle ammo for very short cash. I am still shooting that ammo and it is a scourge on sage rats. I fussed with the stock, free floating and bedding. Dropped in a Jard trigger and that thing now shoots like a laser (adjusted for faulty ammo occasionally) , dismantling sage rats at 300 yards at times. This is always a surprise to my partner spotting the misses which is often required with windy conditions. I had it threaded for a suppressor but that is the part I don't like as that makes it a 30" barrel. I thought about putting another barrel on it but it shoots to well. I have instead purchased a new 18.5" threaded option now offered by Ruger. I will fuss with the stock, change the trigger, put a couple hundred rounds through it and report on the results. I am sure it will handle better and hopefully it will shoot almost a well as the original version.

 

[AndyA]

link please to the 18.5" barrel. I could only find complete rifles for 1300+