.17 Mach 2 rifles?

D

DealHunter

New member
I finally found a stainless .17hmr revolver to go with my .17hmr Marlin/CZ but it got me thinking that I hadn't seen any ammo or firearms for the Mach 2 in a while now.

Is the little necked down .22 stinger still around and are they still making bolt guns for it? Savage and CZ made some at one point I think...
 
Losing ground by leaps and bounds. My 17M2 rifles are converted 10-22's and I don't keep up with the bolt action options.
 
For me, the 17M2 fills a niche not handled by anything else. When used as a varmint removal tool in tight locations, it has NO equal. Almost never passes through even smaller varmints, not excessively loud, and accurate enough to make hits @100 yards.
I've shot raccoons in barn rafters and traps inside barns w/o worrying about holing the building. Groundhogs inside buildings? Works great. Feral cats near houses? Doesn't overly disturb the residents. Squirrels in trees where a miss with a 22 might carry too far and hit unwanted targets? The tiny 17 grain bullet breaks up easily or just has so little residual energy as to be of little danger should it miss.
I bought 2 cases of ammo when I built the rifle(s) and ration it closely.
 
I sold my HMR rifles in favor of the HM2.

As said above it is a better small game round, and I enjoy it much more than the magnum version.

I believe Savage still makes their Mk II FV in .17HM2

I added a laminated stock to mine and like it a good bit.
 
Since you can't really reload for it, are you able to find ammo locally or only online?

My 17M2 rifles are converted 10-22's
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I didn't know the 10/22 could handle the bolt thrust and thought that was why they'd discontinued the 17hmr/.22mag versions....

I guess I always thought of the .17s as "bolt/lever cartridges" for some reason...
 
A standard 10/22 will not perform well with .17HM2 ammo, but if you make a few mods, it can run just fine.

Heavier bolt, stronger hammer spring are two mods that help a lot. Also facing the bolt to minimum head-space is a good idea.

Volquartsen built semis (based on the 10/22 design) in both .17HMR and .17HM2, as well as offering their 10/22 competition bolt specifically for the .17HM2.

Volquartsen .17HM2
17M2VQ.jpg


10/22 with VQ bolt and barrel in .17HM2
1017VQhbb.jpg
 
Been there said:
That would be a shame, the M2 fills the gap between the .22lr & the .22 magnum quite nicely.
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I've never understood just exactly where that gap is supposed to be. The 22LR is perfect for point-blank shots out to, oh, 75-90 yards, depending on quarry. The 22mag is good for point-blank out to 175, maybe 200.

The HM2 makes somewhere around 150 ft-lbs KE. 22LR makes between 120 and 190ft-lbs or so. The 22Mag makes somewhere around 300 ft-lbs, or a bit more.

The HM2 is faster and so carries a slightly better trajectory, but still only useful out to about 100 yards, maybe 120 if you stretch it, since the energy is all but identical to a 22LR. It's 3" low at 135, zeroed at 100 and carrying only 65 ft-lbs. The 22mag is carrying 2.5 times as much energy at that distance. It's not as if the 22mag ISN'T useful at 80-120 yards so there's really no "gap".

The 17HMR was clearly designed as a direct competitor to 22mag.

IMO, the only real reason for the HM2 is that they were hoping to capitalize on the success and popularity of the HMR, which may have worked except that it is a direct competitor to the most popular cartridge in the history of the world.

It really seemed like a no brainer to me. First time I ever heard of the thing, my thought was "What the heck are they thinking? You can't compete with the 22LR."
 
I have a friend that has a Bolt action Kimber in 17M2 . and it's about the finest squirrel gun you could ask for . It'll knock their eye out at 75 Yds. . Of course the limiting factor , with most guns , is the fella that's shooting it ! I'm not sure of the model number , it's Stainless with a synthetic stock , and heavy barrel .
 
I totally agree with Brian.

I see no gap.

You want quiet get Aguila SSS( Sniper sub sonic ) 60g bullet at 900 fps, 120 lbs of energy.

.22 hi velocity 36-40g bullet at 1200-1300 fps, 130-150 lbs of energy.

Hyper velocity 30-40g bullet at 1400-1750 fps, 150-205 lbs of energy.

.22 mag 30-50g bullets at 1700-2300 fps, 200-300 lbs of energy.

The mach2 is neat but a gimmick.

The .17 HMR does have a slight ballistic advantage over the .22 mag beyond 200 yards, but that's probably farther than you should be shooting a living creature with it anyway.

If I need more than a 22 mag I'll grab my .22 Hornet.

Boomer
 
''I've never understood just exactly where that gap is supposed to be. The 22LR is perfect for point-blank shots out to, oh, 75-90 yards, depending on quarry. The 22mag is good for point-blank out to 175, maybe 200.

The HM2 makes somewhere around 150 ft-lbs KE. 22LR makes between 120 and 190ft-lbs or so. The 22Mag makes somewhere around 300 ft-lbs, or a bit more.''

Sorry Brian, but I agree with Mobuck & 9x19 when it comes to a genuine gap-filler between the .22lr & ,22mag.
Your figures for effective distance work fine on paper but in the real world, on game, the .22lr is a 75yd proposition , .17M2 - 120yd & the .22magnum - 160yd.
Yes, we have all stretched out & shot them all at greater distances on stationary targets but it doesn't take much wind to make that impractical, when hunting.
Every year, 5 of us travel to a station in Central Otago for a week of Rabbit
erradication, we are not just there for fun but to do a job of work for the owner.
.22lr & 17hmr are of no use, as 80,000 to 120,000 are shot there each year & the rabbits are too weary to sit any closer than 100yds or hunker down untill you almost on top of them. Wind off the Southern Alps, swirling in the gullies pushes the high velocity, light 17hmr bullets all over the place. We use 17MK2 ,.22MAG .222 & .223. & shotguns
Last trip, we took 1791 rabbits in 4 days.
 
If the HMR is of no use, the HM2 shooting the same bullet slower is of no use.

The 22 might be limited to 75 yards, which was in the range I gave, but the 22mag or 17HMR pick right up at 75 yards. There's no "gap". Anything you could use the HM2 for, the HMR or Mag would do just as well and most of it better.
 
In my experience with both cartridges, I think the .17 HM2 is a better small game round at all ranges than the .17HMR.

I found I simply have no use for the HMR, but the HM2 will stay with me as long as I can find ammo. I'm down to less than 6,000 rounds.
 
Sako Quad -->http://www.sako.fi/sakoquad_features.php

Burris also make their Fullfield II scope with color coded turrets that match all 4 rimfire cartridges.

One rifle, one scope, 4 cartridges. It's a pretty neat idea.

Looks like a good survival/shtf rifle. I think everyone needs a good rimfire. Why not one that has options.

Boomer
 
''If the HMR is of no use, the HM2 shooting the same bullet slower is of no use.''
Unless you subscribe to the falacious hypothesis that, a tiny bullet at higher velocity will be less effected by wind, I am at a loss to see your point.
 
What?

The same bullet fired faster (by the HMR) will be less effected by wind, therefore it is a better choice in wind than the same bullet fired at a slower speed by the HM2.

How could that not be true?
 
You've got it backwards Brian , the size of the cone of distubed air produced by the extra velocity means greater suseptability to wind.
That is why high velocity ammunition is not used by those who wish to win or be competetive at 75yd outdoor rimfire competitions. .22 Bullets exceeding 1100fps are more effected by wind.
 
You've got it backwards Brian , the size of the cone of distubed air produced by the extra velocity means greater suseptability to wind. That is why high velocity ammunition is not used by those who wish to win or be competetive at 75yd outdoor rimfire competitions. .22 Bullets exceeding 1100fps are more effected by wind.
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What you're saying is mostly true if the bullet goes trans Sonic or subsonic before it hits the target.

This is not as big of a problem with 22mag and both 17's because they stay supersonic much longer then the .22 LR.

If you're arguing over fractions of an inch in a competition this makes a big difference, but if you just need to shoot minute of rodent it's not that big a deal.

The .22 LR has killed many a vermin at well over 75 yards.

Boomer
 
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