Big boom,LITTLE GUN

[yotekiller]

Is 17hmr the best caliber to come out in a long time,if you take a liken to small calibers?

22 mag is my fav of all time and they say it is better,does anyone have experience with it?The 17hmr

[Tony]

I would like to try one but they are hard to come by.I was at the local dealer Saturday and asked about getting one and was told that it would probably be about 6 months .He said he has been able to recently get one marlin and one ruger in but it was not easy.He said he could put my name on the waiting list but it was already a mile long.He said the cartridges are even harder to find.The guys who bought the rifles he did finally get can't shoot them because he hasn't been able to get any cartridges.I grew up shooting the 5mm Rem Rimfire Magnum and this seems to be very comparable so I think I would really like it.

[VinVega]

Around here the cartridges are easy to find, just go to a gun store and you got them. As far as which is better between a 17hmr and 22mag? It's like which is better between .30-06 and .270. Just can't make any decision because both have the exact same shell and powder charge, just a little difference in bullet diameter. Both will serve the same purpose, so you'll do well with whichever you choose.

[Basswipe]

17 HMR is a pretty wicked little round. Whether it's better than .22 WMR depends on the individual. I've shot a lot of both and my choice as to which one I take out depends on what I plan on shooting. It's kind of like the "what's the best deer rifle" argument.

17HMR is still a novelty to a lot of people. Eventually the novelty will wear off and availability shouldn't be an issue anymore.

[ksp965]

Hate to say it, but go to Wally World. They seem to have plenty of the .17 caliber guns. I was looking at a neat little Remington Semi-automatic this weekend. Short stock though.

[Basswipe]

As far as I know the Remington is the only Semi auto 17HMR on the market. It was the first semi auto to come out.

[Multidigits]

There's a drop in barrel available for the 10/22 that should make a nice piece. Cost is about $150 or so.

[pb]

That little Remington semi auto Model 597 is a nice little rifle. Bought one several years ago in 22 mag and liked it so well I recently bought another in 17 HMR. Both shoot great, though the 17HMR is a little more accurate at 100 yds. Don't like the plastic mags that came with the 22, though the 17 had a metal mag which was better.

[ksp965]

I reckon that Santa may just have to bring me one so that I can find out for myself.[;)] Now, what so you suggest for a scope?[?]

[Big58cal]

I just got a Marlin Model 17VS in the .17 HMR a couple of weeks ago. I've got a Simmons Aetec 3.8x12 X 44 mm scope with the variable objective. It's stainless with the heavy barrel and a laminated wood stock. It shoots like a dream and is really pretty! The day I got it (and only day I've had to shoot it), there was a really bad cross wind blowing (about 20-25 mph). At 55 yds, I got a 1/2" group. Moved the target back to 100 yds and the bullets only dropped less than 1/4". The group wasn't that great at 100, but I think the wind had a lot to do with it.

It's a sweet little gun. I can't wait until I've got a chance to really sit down with it and see what it will do. All totaled between the gun, scope, scope rings, and 2 boxes of cartriges, it came to less than $450.

[pb]

The Simmons aetec should work well. I have a BSA sweet 17 on a NEF and it does what they say it will. The Rem. 597 17 has a Simmons whitetail hunter 3x9 and it is doing less than 1" @ 100 yds. Would go with a 3x9 or higher power up to 12x.