[bobs'36]

i'm just getting back into varmint shooting, i hear a lot about the .17hrm, which is supposed to be more accrate the rim fire .17 or the center fire?

[Caliche]

There are several different cartridges that you have kind of glossed over in your description I think. Here is a quick rundown:

17 Mach 2 - Necked down .22 Stinger Rimfire to a .17 caliber, 17 grain projectile. Cheapest of listed rounds.

17HMR - Necked down .22 Magnum Rimfire to a .17 caliber, either 17 or 20 grain projectile. More powerful slightly longer range than 17 Mach 2.

17 Remington Fireball - Necked down .221 Rem. Fireball centerfire cartridge to accept .17 caliber, either 20, 25 or 30 grain projectile. More expensive than the rimfires, but reloadable and higher performance.

Another choice for varminting would be the .204 Ruger centerfire cartridge. Extremely good performance, very popular right now.

One thing to note, these are all relatively new cartridges and may or may not be around as much in 10-15 years. I would say for cheap varminting out to 150-175ish (This is a very technical measurement) yards, the .17 HMR would be your best bet. The .204 Ruger, however, is a very impressive round.

[skullcrusher]

Welcome to the forum, bobs'36. You might want to stop by the introduction thread and say hello. Lot's of good people here and a wealth of info.

Now, if I were in the market for a .17 HMR, I would seriously look at the Savage rifle. Those accutriggers are just dang sweet. Different stocks to pick from, including a very nice thumbhole stock. I'm just sayin'.

[Caliche]

I actually have a Savage 17HMR, I really enjoy it. I can elaborate if you'd like me to push the maker I chose

[dnthmn2004]

Had a Savage 93R17 and it was a very nice rifle. I moved and had no practical use for it anymore, otherwise I would still have it. The trigger is pretty hard to beat for a factory job.

[dls56]

I bought a Savage .17hmr package deal just to see if it would work better than a .22 on groundhogs. It really out performed the .22 and I upgraded to a Cooper then sold the Savage to a friend for what I'd paid for it. I shot him a test target with the Savage that was making me wonder if I shouldn't just keep it.
I use a .204 Ruger (Savage model 14) on varmints also, it's a great cartridge and rifle.
I'd bet a dollar to a dime that both these calibers are going to survive.

[Caliche]

Originally Posted by dls56

I bought a Savage .17hmr package deal...
I use a .204 Ruger...
I'd bet a dollar to a dime that both these calibers are going to survive.

I agree, seeing how popular both calibers are. I made that comment mostly because of the .17 Mach 2( which is also a great cartridge but for some reason is loosing popularity). A lot of the American makers are dropping out of production for some reason.

[gadrooning]

I've got a volquartstein 17hmr with a carbon barrel. It is by far my most favorite rifle. Very interesting bullet. The gun itself can outshoot my abilities any day of the week. I personally haven't shot anything larger than a rabbit with it, but a couple of my friends coyote hunts with it. It definately does the job.

[Dgunsmith]

I have tried them all in 17HMR and in my shooting them I found the CZ rifles to be the most accurate and consistant for this round.

What ever they do...they do it very well. I fired 10 rounds @ 100 yards you could cover with a dime.

[gloks4life]

i'm also looking into a 17 and for the money, I have almost decided on a mossberg 817,around $200 nib is just plain cheap.good luck on your purchase!