17 HMR on a budget

H

hornetguy

New member
Ok... I'm cheap.

correction... I'm on a limited budget. :o

I want to get a .17 HMR for a minimal amount of money. I've always liked (and wanted) a Marlin, but I'm curious if there are any rifles out there that are competitive with the Marlin in accuracy that are, um.... cheaper.
I have heard a little about the Mossberg bolt action for about 165 bucks, which sounds appealing. I also have seen a Savage for around 200 bucks.
I'm looking for opinions.. who has one that they like, and why? I really want a small, light rifle for carrying/plinking. If it will shoot close to MOA, that would be just about perfect.
fire away.... :D
 
Really i think it all in what brand you like. They all shoot good with most shooting well under moa. As for me i have the savage with out the accutriger because like you im on a buget and i like adding things like trigers a such. Anyway the savage shoots submoa with any thing i load in it and was cheap. :D
 
Like you the .17 HMR has found it's way onto my short list of gun wants...okay up into the upper part of the long list :D.

I've also looked into the Mossberg, but hard to find much on it. However, I did find a buddy of mine who's friend has one. So I scheduled a range trip with them one time and got to watch the .17HMR by Mossberg get it's new scope sighted in. I'll admit once dialed in that thing was hitting dimes from a prone position at 50 yards 9 out of 10 times...with the 1 out of 10 hitting withing a cm it seemed!

Like stated, almost every gun is going to give you accuracy in this caliber, more about brand loyalty if you have any.
 
I went with the Marlin because it takes the same mags as my Marlin 22 mag. Fitted it with a new Boyds stock. Really like the way it shoots.
 

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suggest looking around for a used one, locally or on Gun Broker ...

I personally have no interest in the cartridge, as it's too close to my 17 K Hornet, & being a "big time" reloader I can't reload them, plus they cost more than most rimfires to shoot...

I did build a custom rimfire rifle on an old full sized Marlin bolt action... I chose 17 Mach 2 for the cartridge & relined the original 22 barrel... outfitted it with a cheaper BSA Sweet 17 scope & believe it or not, I can shoot rabbit sized groups at 200 yards with it, after I blackened the yardage markings on the scope knob, & remarked them to work with my rifle...
 
I have a Marlin 17HMR with the heavy barrel, and what a hoot to shoot. Accurate as the day is long. I also have a Mossberg 17 HMR.

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You can probably do better than $165 on the Mossberg. I occasionally see them on sale for $130-140.
 
I bought a rossi single shot 17HMR for less than $100 new and added a 3x9 scope and this little puppy is a tack driver. Not fancy but effective.
 
suggest looking around for a used one, locally or on Gun Broker ...

I personally have no interest in the cartridge, as it's too close to my 17 K Hornet, & being a "big time" reloader I can't reload them, plus they cost more than most rimfires to shoot...

I did build a custom rimfire rifle on an old full sized Marlin bolt action... I chose 17 Mach 2 for the cartridge & relined the original 22 barrel... outfitted it with a cheaper BSA Sweet 17 scope & believe it or not, I can shoot rabbit sized groups at 200 yards with it, after I blackened the yardage markings on the scope knob, & remarked them to work with my rifle...
Click to expand...

I've thought long and hard about the .17 K-Hornet, as I already shoot the .22 K-Hornet. What kind of velocities are you getting with yours?
It seems like the "niche" I'm trying to fill right now is pretty much the rimfire .17, for range, muzzle blast, etc... if I was not concerned with that, I'd get a barrel for the Contender carbine in .17 K and be done with it. Cost of rimfire vs. slightly loaded down K-Hornet would probably be about a wash, and labor would be definitely in favor of the rimfire.
I am currently trying to finish up an old Stevens Favorite rebarrel project in the .17 Mach 2.. but they moved the machine shop at work to a different building, and I'm having trouble finding time to sneak in to finish it. The shop manager is sort of a PITA, but the foreman says I can come do it whenever I want. :cool:
 
i love the 17........i got a savage with the accutrigger thats a tack driver. I wouldnt be afraid to get the marlin either. I picked up a deal on a henry golden boy in 17 that i just got outfitted with a scope, thats going to be my new small game woods gun, although i dont expect to get the same accuracy out of it that i do the bolts
 
+1 on the Savage 93.

I bought the kit with the 9x scope for $230 locally.

I took it to the range and have it sighted for 100 yds. I could cover my groups with a nickel, heck, probably a penny, but I didn't have one to see.

Awesome rifle.
 
Hornet... if I didn't have the TC barrel already I'd have bought a Remington bolt action in 17 Fireball... way easier to reload no fireforming ( when I was playing with the 17 K Hornet, was during the primer shortage, & I was feeling pretty badly towards the lil 17 having to use 2 primers ( with a fire forming load ) to get one good load... BTW the fire form loads were still pretty accurate, just not as hot as I could load the blown out case...

I never did get any through my chrony, before I shot it with my 38 S&W snubbie... just need to fix the wire... but haven't gotten that done yet...

more on my custom Marlin 870 in 17 Mach 2... here

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=385231
 
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