What's With 17cal Varmint Guns?

[markT]

Looks great!! Well done sir!! I use a very similar set up.. jack with towel under 1/4" aluminum plate. Extremely fast vertical adjustment. And horizontal is simple. ( like yours) apologize for beer can. It was my friends.

 

[martini]

Quick sight adjustment is very important. A couple of the guys I shoot with think it high humor to explode a PD about the time I'm getting ready to sent.

It evens out.

Randy

 

[Randall Hardy]

Looks great!! Well done sir!! I use a very similar set up.. jack with towel under 1/4" aluminum plate. Extremely fast vertical adjustment. And horizontal is simple. ( like yours) apologize for beer can. It was my friends.

I really like this idea, I've been looking at changing my front rest for shooting PD's. When we get back I'll have to do some playing around with this. Thanks for sharing, PS The beer can is for engineering inspiration. I've heard.

 

[Randall Hardy]

We leave in 2 weeks, all of us bring 17 HMR's with us. We use them mostly for quick close shots off the quads.
We bring larger calibers for the bulk of our shooting. Most of our day is spent in one spot shooting off benches so as everyone has said the shots get longer with the day. For me if I had to bring only 1 gun I'd probably stay with my 22-250. Factory ammo available easily if the shooting gets really good.
With whatever you decide to bring it is always fun and relaxing. Good luck. Randy

 

[martini]

Small car scissor jacks are readily available from Atwoods, junk yards, and auto supply stores. Look for one that that has the least play in the mechanism. For the last one I constructed from a Ford Focus jack after I totaled out the car, I affixed a base of 1/4" metal with flush mount screws to the bottom and a flat top that fits the bags I used by drilling and tapping four holes in it so the bolts didn't protrude onto the surface. A plastic bathroom faucet know was glued to the long bolt to make it easy to turn. The one in the picture was made by welding (not by me) a bottom plate and flat top to the jack. I did add the oversize walnut knob for easy adjustment and painted it sky blue so it wouldn't stand out against the sky.

Btw, I was a metallurgical engineer until I retired a couple of years back. Frankly, dead varmints are all the inspiration I need. I've shot everything from my 5# 17M2 to my 24# heavy match rifle off this rest.

Randy

I really like this idea, I've been looking at changing my front rest for shooting PD's. When we get back I'll have to do some playing around with this. Thanks for sharing, PS The beer can is for engineering inspiration. I've heard.

 

[Tommie]

With the wind to your back, 175 yards is a chip shot with a 17 HMR. My record is 283 yards.

 

[Randall Hardy]

With the wind to your back, 175 yards is a chip shot with a 17 HMR. My record is 283 yards.

Great shooting, I had to many less than desirable hits beyond 150 yds. I pretty much sit with my 250 or 6br. Shot a 22 hornet for a few years that was alot of fun as well

 

[markT]

I used a Porsche 944 all aluminum car jack. Light weight. Little play. I did add an external guide rode and bearing from Pacific bearing.
A friend copied mine ( I have a law suit against him) and used a bronze bushing.
Kidding about the law suit. Good luck with your build.

 

[JSH]

Played with the 17 Remington and 204 Rugers in the wind last week.
Had a couple of spotters and we were all pretty happy with the performance of the 17's with 20 grainers, and the 20's with 32's. Most of the shots fell between 250-350+. Wind was steady 12-14.
Then switched to 25's and 40's. Drift was less but not as drastic as I had been led to believe. Majority of dogs were all pups.
As usual I opted for accuracy over speed, but went with highest speed with best accuracy.
First time I ever took a 17 or 20 of my own, I am a believer in both now.
The 17 Remington went about 25-30 rounds before I decided it needed cleaning after 35. I brush and some wipe out, I was back in business.
The 204 went about 75 or more rounds before I thought it could use the same treatment. It has been shot a bit more though. The 17 is just getting broken in.

I am extremely pleased with the out come of the two. Thanks to all of the many folks that have helped me here and several other sites.
Jeff

 

[JSH]

markT care to give details on the "wedge" on that forend.
Have the same and still trying to decided if I like it or not.
Jeff

 

[markT]

JSH, yes I glued up some maple and fastened it to the forend. I added steel weights inside the stock to add weight. I think it was like 1 1/2" x 3/4" bar stock. (not sure) It fit in the pocket of the stock perfectly and gives a place for the wood wedge to screw / fasten into. I have 4 of those stocks and love them. I shoot a 6BR with 87 gr Vmax and the recoil is tamed and I can see every shot.

 

[sscoyote]

I just use 22 LR anymore as a walking system. But if I were ever to build another colony varmint rifle it'd be a 223 8T and shoot any of the bigger polymer-tipped bullets from 69 TMK on up for the most "bang for the buck" to maybe 500-600ish yds. Fact is, if I could ever convince some company to reintroduce the greatest AR-15 system ever, the AR-15 VLD magazine, that's would I'd opt for over anything probably.

 

[GrocMax]

If you liked the 32g 20 cal, you'll LOVE 39g-40g.

Played with the 17 Remington and 204 Rugers in the wind last week.
Had a couple of spotters and we were all pretty happy with the performance of the 17's with 20 grainers, and the 20's with 32's. Most of the shots fell between 250-350+. Wind was steady 12-14.
Then switched to 25's and 40's. Drift was less but not as drastic as I had been led to believe. Majority of dogs were all pups.
As usual I opted for accuracy over speed, but went with highest speed with best accuracy.
First time I ever took a 17 or 20 of my own, I am a believer in both now.
The 17 Remington went about 25-30 rounds before I decided it needed cleaning after 35. I brush and some wipe out, I was back in business.
The 204 went about 75 or more rounds before I thought it could use the same treatment. It has been shot a bit more though. The 17 is just getting broken in.

I am extremely pleased with the out come of the two. Thanks to all of the many folks that have helped me here and several other sites.
Jeff

 

[JSH]

If you liked the 32g 20 cal, you'll LOVE 39g-40g.

Factory barrel CZ 527 with the 204.
I have not played with OAL yet to tweek loads. A lot of jump, which from what I have read sounds normal for factory chambers.
The 32 gave a lot more splat factor than the 40's at least with the Vmax. I have some Sierra 39's and Berger 40's to play with later as time allows.
Jeff

 

[GrocMax]

Factory barrel CZ 527 with the 204.
I have not played with OAL yet to tweek loads. A lot of jump, which from what I have read sounds normal for factory chambers.
The 32 gave a lot more splat factor than the 40's at least with the Vmax. I have some Sierra 39's and Berger 40's to play with later as time allows.
Jeff

The CZ 204 is a 12 twist, which can be marginal for the longer 40's. Never hurts to try though. Fun factor is important. For a budget short range PD bullet the Dogtown/VNE 34g 20 works quite well.

I want a 17HH 527 bad.

 

[B23]

Factory barrel CZ 527 with the 204.
I have not played with OAL yet to tweek loads. A lot of jump, which from what I have read sounds normal for factory chambers.
The 32 gave a lot more splat factor than the 40's at least with the Vmax. I have some Sierra 39's and Berger 40's to play with later as time allows.
Jeff

If your CZ 527 204 is anything like the one I have, the bullet will, literally, almost fall out of the case before you reach the lands and unless you plan to single feed them, that is well beyond mag length.

The good news, even though you can't reasonably reach the lands, these CZ 527 204's, mine is a Varmint model, shoot extremely well. I restocked mine into a Boyd's laminate then had it bedded. It shoots the Hornady Superformance 32gr Vmax ammo into tiny little groups and is a honest 1/2 inch gun. Shooting it suppressed is soooo much fun.

 

[moorepower]

I just got back from a PDog hunt. Last year my .17HH was my go to gun out to about 275yds. The wind was light and it was fantastic. This year my shots were mostly from 250 to 550yds with my longest being 562yds., my new personal best. It was shot with a Savage LRPV, that has been trued with a Shilen Select match 1-10 shooting 40 grain Vmax bullets at 3800fps .020 off the lands. Its a tighter chamber that will still chamber Hornady factory 40 grain .010 off. The towns were so flat that it was nearly impossible to laser the shots because the laser would jump 75 yards with just a twitch. The .204 shoots flat enough that I got many more first shot hits, then the .223. If I had one rifle to take, and did not shoot as fast as I could pull the trigger, it would be the .204 . My Shilen barrel will go 100 rounds before cleaning, an at that point it has very little copper. Run the ballistic calculations and you will see that you have to run the 53Vmax 3800 in a .22-250 to beat the drift/drop of the .204 with 40 grain at the same speed, and alot less heat in the barrel

 

[Tommie]

I just got back from a PDog hunt. Last year my .17HH was my go to gun out to about 275yds. The wind was light and it was fantastic. This year my shots were mostly from 250 to 550yds with my longest being 562yds., my new personal best. It was shot with a Savage LRPV, that has been trued with a Shilen Select match 1-10 shooting 40 grain Vmax bullets at 3800fps .020 off the lands. Its a tighter chamber that will still chamber Hornady factory 40 grain .010 off. The towns were so flat that it was nearly impossible to laser the shots because the laser would jump 75 yards with just a twitch. The .204 shoots flat enough that I got many more first shot hits, then the .223. If I had one rifle to take, and did not shoot as fast as I could pull the trigger, it would be the .204 . My Shilen barrel will go 100 rounds before cleaning, an at that point it has very little copper. Run the ballistic calculations and you will see that you have to run the 53Vmax 3800 in a .22-250 to beat the drift/drop of the .204 with 40 grain at the same speed, and alot less heat in the barrel

Nah. Everybody knows those dumpy .22 cals are So Superior to the 20 cals.