Recommend a .17HMR rifle

Seeing all the fun discussion you guys are having with the .22 thread, I thought I'd jump in with a question of my own (without hijacking the previous one).

We've got a severe problem with gophers in SW Saskatchewan. BTW that "gophers" not "golfers" for you Caddyshack fans! Richardson's ground squirrel is the actual name but gophers is the common word. The reason they are a problem is that they create holes and mounds that cause havoc with farm machinery. The are actually going to let the farmers go back to using poison for these pests. Poison was outlawed years ago because it is a non-discriminate solution. The poison also works on other small animals and gets into the food chain and kills other animals that prey on the gophers like owls, falcons, fox, etc.

So with all these little critters hanging out, I am going to volunteer (like many others) to walk out into the fields and do a little target shooting and population control. A .17HMR is probably the best ticket for the fun-factor although not as cheap as using a .22LR What would you recommend for a rifle? Is there a take-down version on the market? FYI, a rim-fire rifle can have any size magazine here.

Secondly, I am left-eyed and right handed but I prefer to handle a rifle as a lefty so a right handed bolt action is awkward to use. So either a semi-auto or a lever action is the preferred type. What type of round is preferable - a fragmenting 17gr bullet or a 20gr?

Can't add much, but I am interested to see what you find. I only recently learned of this round, but it sounds like a good deal.

Here is an example from CZ that is available in both .17 calibers.

Good luck

PS They also show some .17 in left hand bolt action.

i have no firsthand experience with the .17, but if the price of ammo is anything like what the place we "worked" at in wyoming last year charged, i couldn't afford to shoot it...

I have a Ruger 77/17 All Weather. I'm in Pennsylvania and hunt ground hogs. The 17 grain Hornady V-Max bullet is better in my opinion than the 20 grain bullets because they literally explode on impact and do not richochet. To spare you the gory details the 17 grains produce MUCH more damage than the 20s. All bullet weights are very sensitive to wind drift and the maximum range for both weights are about 300 yards. As far as guns go any of them are accurate as heck. H&R makes or used to make a single shot break open rifle in this caliber and can be taken apart if needed. I'm not sure if anyone makes a lever action in this caliber. Ruger may make a semi-auto version. Not sure if anyone else does. Personally I love the caliber. Not very loud, extremely accurate, no kick, and good range. Hope this helps.

Just visited with a friend that has a rifle in both .17HMR and .17 MACH 2. He said go for the .17 MACH 2 as it leaves less of the gopher to have to pick-up. He loves both and both are from CZ.

Sorry, I can't be of more help. Let us know how it works out

Any particular price range?

Since you are a decidedly left handed shooter a lever gun might be a good option for you, as it can be shot by both left and right handed shooter with ease; and it will probably be easier to re-sell than a left-handed bolt gun, if you ever decide to sell it. It's also faster to cycle than a bolt gun.

Ruger has a lever gun .17HMR, the Ruger Model 96/17M. It uses a rotary magazine similar to the 10/22, which is very nice.

Ruger 96/17

Henry also makes this neat .17HMR lever gun with a normal tube magazine:

http://www.henryrepeating.com/h001v_varmint.cfm

H&R (NEF) also makes a nice heavy barreled .17HMR single-shot break action. It's supposed to be extremely accurate and the price is very good at less than $180 sticker.

http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Rifles/sportster.asp

Remington also make an autoloading .17HMR rifle, the 597 Magnum LS HB.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/rimfire_rifles/model_597/model_597_magnum_LS_HB_specs.asp

Finally, If you are dead set on a left handed bolt gun, Savage makes a left-handed heavy barreled gun that is supposed to be extremely accurate as well. The price isn't half bad either.

http://www.savagearms.com/93r17glv.htm

Desperado-I think that you have the two calibers mixed up the 17 mach 2 travels at around 2,000 fps, the 17 hmr zips out around 2,500 fps. The hmr does more damage. It literally blows small animals apart.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time today. Yes I did reverse the order.

Generally, if my mouth (or keyboard) is in gear, I am about to put my foot in it.

Basically, when I buy a gun, I look for a great adjustable trigger. It doesn't matter how great the rest of the gun is if the trigger sucks. I have a Gamo target pellet pistol that is incredibly accurate, in part because of the barrel and the fact that it is very low recoil, but primarily because the trigger is adjustable down to a light pull and breaks crisply. Same goes with the older Beeman Weihrauch (sp) pellet rifles (R1, R7, etc). The have a superb Rekord adjustable trigger that makes an immense difference in how well you can shoot them. So, might I suggest in your search for a good .17 cal rifle, or any rifle (.22 or otherwise), that you try to get one with a high-quality adjustable trigger, if such a thing is possible these days. I shot my bro's Savage .17 cal rifle awhile back in Iowa in the course of controlling some of his ground squirrel problem. It was a very good gun for the money, and we were able to get 1 inch groups at 100 yards in a high head wind. The Savage came with a scope, which is necessary for this rifle IMHO.

while there is no doubt that a quality trigger is a joy to use, i believe that an experienced shooter can overcome a poor trigger. a friend once bought several of those norinco copies of the m1-a. really rotten two stage trigger, a ton of creep in it, rough as a cob. military peep sight. shooting chinese steel cased .308 ammo in it, we were both knocking down rams on s sillouette range shot after shot, that is something like 500 meters...

Adjustable triggers and fancy firearms are really great, if one has two valid skill sets.
1.) Obviously is the ability to employ said weapon properly as mentioned in OBG's post regarding M1A knock-offs. (BTW Good shootin')

2.) One must be skilled at adjusting said trigger mechanisms. (Or employ a competent gunsmith) I have personally witnessed several PPC and IPSC competitors end up with a full-auto 1911 government model due to unskilled hands tinkering with John Brownings finest creation.

My favorite butt whipping I ever received was during run-ups for the junior olympics in trap and skeet. I stood on the line with my finely tuned 1968 model Winchester 101 ready to do battle with the best in the state. Along walks up a young man with a Savage single shot 12Ga. In my mind I laughed and thought it was time for someone to learn from his betters. Someone did. I still think my father has the picture of that young man, his Savage single 12 and the trophy my snotty nose thought was mine.

Don't get me wrong, Every firearm I have except the Glock's have the finest triggers (and everything else) I could afford, but there is a reason for the word RIFLEMAN. The man is in control of the rifle and their destiny.

"...1968 model Winchester 101..."

Good choice! mine has 28" full/mod barrels, bought at the rodman naval stn, canal zone, bx.

many years ago i outshot much older guys shooting high dollar guns with my winchester mod 37 single shot 12ga.

there is no doubt that knowing YOUR particular weapon makes a hugh difference...

"... mine has 28" full/mod barrels,...."

Any trouble with the extractors/ejectors? Admittedly my 101 has really been used, but I have had to have them replaced previously and it is time again. They let the empty fall underneath them occasionally instead of ejecting them. It is a real pain to get the empty out once that happens. I don't even know if parts are going to be available if I do try to get it repaired. It now sits in retirement. Also had to have the barrels re-soldered as the bands between them were coming loose. This is a gun that once got over 1,000 rounds per week, so some wear was expected.

"..Any trouble with the extractors/ejectors?..."

nope. when i first got it i was shooting A LOT of trap, plus dove, quail, and pheasant hunting. never got to 1k rounds a week tho. i reloaded, so i held my hand close and had the empties ejected into my hand...

The hand close is EXACTLY (I reloaded then also) how the problem started. I would have my hand too close and the empty would rebound back at the ejectors. As they wear out they get lateral play in them and the hull (brass and all) ends up under the ejector.

Parts were almost impossible to find in 1990, so I am sure those remaining (if any) are prized possessions ($$$$$). Sounds like the old girl is going to become a vault queen.

I have a Henry Lever Action 17 HMR and it is - by far - my favorite small game gun, the most accurate of my rimfires and the easiest to handle. If it were legal here, I could DEFINITELY take a deer via a head shot with it because I'm so confident of shot placement and speed to target with it.

For small game, especially groundhogs, it's a fantastic round. I've done some farm clearing myself and just sitting in a chair and with a scope and some patience made a dozen kills in no time at all, all across the fields from 50 yards out to about 175 yards.

"...take a deer via a head shot..."

having never shot one, i have to wonder, would the little bitty .17 bullet penetrate the skull, or just blow away a lot of skin? i would think that a skull would be different than a grounhogs body...

At 2,500 FPS, at about 60 yards, the .17 hits HARD. I've fired into a range of objects for fun and I'm very sure that a deer skull would present absolutely no problem for it.

This idea of taking a deer or larger game with a 17 or even 22 round is just silly. Sure, there are those 1 in a million shots threaded right through the animal's eye socket, but for day in day out game taking a 17 or 22 just doesn't cut it.

When making a firearm purchase decision consider what the weapon is good for, not what it can do in the hands of an Olympic caliber shooter on a good day.

Though I would never try it the 17 hmr would probably kill a deer at close range. You should see what it does to a ground hog skull. And they make any shooter look good. I'm no sniper but I can cover 10 shots with a dime at 100 yards and a quarter at 200. They are tack drivers.

What other types of rimfires rifles do you own or have handled? My experience is limited to a .22 and a air rifle (I don't know the brands).

Your Henry - is that the Varmint Express or a Golden Boy? Iron sights or scope? From what I hear, the Varmint is easier to add a scope, something low powered like a 3-9x. What do you shoot 17 gr V-Max or polytipped or the 20 gr? Presumably the polytip would have the least penetration but the most "splat" [for lack of a more technical term :)]