Plinking rifle 17wsm

[OR_VARMINT_HUNTER]

Looking for something else to target shoot and plink and varmint with besides 22lr was thinking maybe 22 mag or 17hmr or 17wsm or 17 hornet any one shoot the new 17wsm? If so how do you like it

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[mjbskwim]

Looking for something else to target shoot and plink and varmint with besides 22lr was thinking maybe 22 mag or 17hmr or 17wsm or 17 hornet any one shoot the new 17wsm? If so how do you like it

If anyone ever makes a decent 17wsm then it might be fine,but the Savage is the only 'regular' priced offering out there.And that gun is terrible.
The bolt doen't slide or lock smooth at all.Probably the worst bolt I have worked.
The accuracy wasn't great.Not anything like the 17hmr. Now many said that's because of the gun.
There are a few big dollar guns in17wsm.One is a Winchester low wall and the other is an AR.I'd have to go to GB to find what the brand is.
I think the 17hmr is the way to go for rimfire.Savage and just about everyone else makes a good rifle in that caliber
And the 17 hornet or Remington are gaining popularity for varmints cause you get to see the destruction!(from a friend.lol)
But any 17 isn't that cheap to plink with.You can reload the centerfires,of course,but getting set up will be costly

 

[Don H]

Get a CZ 455 and barrels for .22/.17hmr/.22wsm. Great rifle and super accurate. .17hmr is great for sage rats too.

 

[IXFE]

My son and I shoot on a steel range where only rimfire is allowed. The range is 220 yards deep (there's a big gong at the back). We have a Marlin 60 (22LR) and a Savage 93R17 (17 HMR). They are both super fun on the steel targets that are < 100 yards, but they both drop too much to reliably shoot the steel all the way back. So for Christmas he asked for a 17 WSM. He told me, "Dad, I want to shoot biggest rimfire bullet available."

Despite all the negative reviews, we bought him the Savage BMag Target (stainless bull barrel). It came with a Bushnell Rimfire 4-12x40 scope. I mounted a UTG bipod to it, and we headed to the range.

It took us 6 shots to get it sited in. Then my first group of 3 shots was 1" at 100 yards with two of the holes touching (sorry, no pics). That was enough paper work for the day; my son was anxious to start taking out the steel. So I turned it over to him and he was hitting everything in site! That little bullet hits HARD! The extra velocity was enough to take down some of the steel targets that the 22LR and 17HMR would struggle with.

As his confidence grew I told him to go for that gong. Not knowing how much it would drop I told him to aim at the very top. Watching through a spotting scope, his bullet hit about 3" below the top of the freshly painted gong. I was amazed. So I told him, "just aim at the middle!" After that he started hitting small 4" steel squares out at the 200 yard line.... over and over again.

That's the most fun we've ever had at that rimfire range!

The only thing I don't really like about the gun is the bolt is a little rough (as reported above). I'm hopeful this will loosen up the more we shoot it. It's not that big a deal for me. I kinda feel like all < $500 bolts are crap...

I also don't love the cheesy plastic stock, but that's easy enough to fix. I'll be replacing it with a Boyd's now that I know we like the gun.

 

[DuneHopper]

I just a picked up a Savage-93R17-BVTS, with same as this one below.
This particular one new gets into the 500+ range with a scope and bi-pod.
My opinion is the 17wsm why powerful, is expensive so is the ammo at the point one would find more reliability and save allot of cash just going with a 223 CZ bolt action.
I like the 17HMR because ammo is everywhere. Its twice the FPS or more then a 22LR. The 22mag and 17hornet why good rounds are also pricey and hard to find. There are a variety of 17HMR's I like the version I have as its stainless steel even the magazine, ( which you can get in 10rds I did ) and bull barrel. The thumbhole is a nice add on and I am 6' 4" and find the reach is nice as well.
Suggestion look up these calibers on Youtube see them in action and see if its what you want.
Thats how I chose this one.

 

[mjbskwim]

Dunehopper's gun is a great 17hmr.My friend had 1 and he doesn't lie too much,lol.He said the thing was good out to 200 yards easy.
Now there is a guy up here that has a brother with a WSM that he says is golden. Smooth bolt accurate and all that. Hopefully more will try the caliber and more manufacturers will build the guns.Or Savage will just make a better stock for the Bmag?
I suppose it's expensive to tool up for a new caliber and not know if it will sell or not. The WSM ammo is kinda close to the 17 centerfire ammo in price and the CF guns are usually more accurate than what the Bmag has shown.
And with so many offerings in 17HMR tht are proven,it will be a long haul to get the 17wsm popular

 

[IXFE]

I really don't think you can knock the 17 WSM until you try it...

Remember the time you first shot the 17 HMR? You probably thought, "Wow, that's like a 22 on steroids!"

That's how you'll feel about the 17 WSM... only this time it's the 17 HMR that's on steroids. My son said it felt like a mini 223. I don't disagree.

I love the 17 HMR. But you can't ignore the charts. Would you rather have a bullet that drops 3" or 11" at 200 yards?

 

[mjbskwim]

I don't think anyone is knocking the round as much as the Bmags I have handled weren't very nice fit and finish. The accuracy some of the shooters got on you tube were horrendous. 2guys weren't getting better than a 2in group at 100 yards where the HMR was easily sub moa.
I'm sure with the $1500 Winchester low wall you can shoot flies on your target at 100yrds.And there may be a couple bmags that will do it. But until they come out with a nicely fitted 17wsm I'll sit on the sidelines.I mean 1 below the $400 range

 

[DuneHopper]

I really don't think you can knock the 17 WSM until you try it...
Remember the time you first shot the 17 HMR? You probably thought, "Wow, that's like a 22 on steroids!"
That's how you'll feel about the 17 WSM... only this time it's the 17 HMR that's on steroids. My son said it felt like a mini 223. I don't disagree.
I love the 17 HMR. But you can't ignore the charts. Would you rather have a bullet that drops 3" or 11" at 200 yards?
View attachment 270228

I personally wasn't knocking the 17 WSM, the stats are impressive. However the entry level was a tad higher then others that were listed. I was getting at by the time a person has got a top end 17 WSM a Top end 223 could just about be acquired. Like others I may be a buyer if things level out acquiring ammo is a big concern because I have not see any 17 WSM ammo with in 100miles and that alone concerns me. So agree its a great firearm, its just not very entry level or ammo friendly for me at this time. There is also the new semi-auto 17HMR by Savage I am sure will get thrown in the mix uses 2650FP 17HMR ammo and its pricey to.

 

[IXFE]

You guys are funny... One guy says it's too cheap the other says it's too expensive. I say be patient... More offerings will surely come.

As for ammo, Cabellas has tons of 17 WMR ammo for $16-$17 per 50, polymer tip. That's only a few bucks more than HMR ammo. It works out to $0.32/round. Polymer tip 223 is closer to $1/round.

If you don't like the plastic stocks, don't buy cheap rifles. You can't have it both ways. For $125 I'll be adding a laminate stock from Boyd's.

The bolt is "meh" but, once again, what do you expect from a cheap rimfire piece? I've never worked a reasonably priced rimfire bolt that was really worthy of praise.

For us, it's the perfect rifle for a range that doesn't allow center fire. I was skeptical given the Internet reports, but I also found a lot of guys enjoying the gun and getting great results. So I took the plunge and after one range trip, I'm happy I did.

 

[DuneHopper]

You guys are funny... One guy says it's too cheap the other says it's too expensive. I say be patient... More offerings will surely come.

As for ammo, Cabellas has tons of 17 WMR ammo for $16-$17 per 50, polymer tip. That's only a few bucks more than HMR ammo. It works out to $0.32/round. Polymer tip 223 is closer to $1/round.

Just for the record. Where I live is 100miles from Cabeals and there is basically zero 17 WMR ammo here to be scooped up. About the same for 22LR too, lucky if you scoop it up here and there.
Cabellas is always cheaper then local here. Even Bimart sells 17HMR more then Cabellas. So it needs to be noted unless one has access to the supplies they are much more. I know you laughed at the two answers willing to bet one lives close to supply and one doesn't like me. If they would sell it I could buy 10K of 17HMR here locally, same thought id be hard pressed to find 100rds here of 17 WMR. I usually don't talk outta my hat and try not to post facts unless I am sure. I personally could not buy one of the 17 WMR cause id have to drive and hour just to buy ammo. Not being from the big city like all you guys our cost vary

 

[mjbskwim]

Just for the record. Where I live is 100miles from Cabeals and there is basically zero 17 WMR ammo here to be scooped up. About the same for 22LR too, lucky if you scoop it up here and there.
Cabellas is always cheaper then local here. Even Bimart sells 17HMR more then Cabellas. So it needs to be noted unless one has access to the supplies they are much more. I know you laughed at the two answers willing to bet one lives close to supply and one doesn't like me. If they would sell it I could buy 10K of 17HMR here locally, same thought id be hard pressed to find 100rds here of 17 WMR. I usually don't talk outta my hat and try not to post facts unless I am sure. I personally could not buy one of the 17 WMR cause id have to drive and hour just to buy ammo. Not being from the big city like all you guys our cost vary

He'll have something negative to say about this too......
Just sayin'

 

[DuneHopper]

He'll have something negative to say about this too......
Just sayin'

Hope not... these are my experiences I can't change my experiences even if a person wants to change my mind

 

[IXFE]

Negative...? All I said was I don't think you can expect a fancy stock or a butter smooth bolt on any $300 rifle, regardless of the caliber.

Check the record, bud. It was you who went negative... right from the get go making some pretty definitive claims.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes..."

the Savage is the only 'regular' priced offering out there.And that gun is terrible....

Probably the worst boltI have worked.

The accuracy wasn't great. Not anything like the 17hmr

Hope not... these are my experiences I can't change my experiences even if a person wants to change my mind

I'm not out to change your mind or your experiences. You called out the pricing on 17wsm so I thought you might be interested in hearing about my experiences too. Sorry if that's not the case.

Also, I think you might have missed where I said I love 17hmr. In fact, I have owned the same rifle you just bought for many years. That bolt is really nothing to write home about either. But it doesn't stop me from enjoying the gun. An just like the BMag, the Savage 93 comes with a cheap plastic stock or a more expensive laminate stock (like yours). Gotta pay to play.

For those who don't mind buying online, here's what I was referring to. They have American Eagle also. From time to time they go on sale.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/hornady-reg-17-wsm-ammunition/1933543.uts?searchPath=/catalog/search.cmd?recordsPerPage=18&No=0&N=0&nl=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=17%2BWSM&search=Search&No=0&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=17+WSM

Just sharing data, folks. Not trying to ruffle feathers.

 

[DuneHopper]

Negative...? All I said was I don't think you can expect a fancy stock or a butter smooth bolt on any $300 rifle, regardless of the caliber.

Check the record, bud. It was you who went negative... right from the get go making some pretty definitive claims.

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes..."
I'm not out to change your mind or your experiences. You called out the pricing on 17wsm so I thought you might be interested in hearing about my experiences too.
Also, I think you might have missed where I said I love 17hmr. In fact, I have owned the same rifle you just bought for many years. That bolt is really nothing to write home about either. But it doesn't stop me from enjoying the gun. An just like the BMag, the Savage 93 comes with a cheap plastic stock or a more expensive laminate stock (like yours). Gotta pay to play.
For those who don't mind buying online, here's what I was referring to. They have American Eagle also. From time to time they go on sale.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/hornady-reg-17-wsm-ammunition/1933543.uts?searchPath=/catalog/search.cmd?recordsPerPage=18&No=0&N=0&nl=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=17%2BWSM&search=Search&No=0&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=17+WSM
Just sharing data, folks. Not trying to ruffle feathers.

Good information, sorry misunderstood what you were saying makes sense though. Thanks for clarifying it . So how long have you had both the rifles curious what you see on MOA. Please share more of your use sure would be helpful to all self included.

 

[IXFE]

Good information, sorry misunderstood what you were saying makes sense though. Thanks for clarifying it . So how long have you had both the rifles curious what you see on MOA. Please share more of your use sure would be helpful to all self included.

No worries, DuneHopper. And thanks for your kind reply.

I've had the 17HMR for several years. We have probably 500 rounds through it.

I've only had the 17WSM for a few days and it's only been to range once. On that trip it proved super accurate out of the box. But it's too soon for me to declare victory. I'll post my impressions (with pics) when I go back to the range. It's been hard to find good shooting days lately. The weather is either too rainy or too windy.

Cheers!

 

[mjbskwim]

I have had a few $300 rifles in a few calibers that the bolt was WAY smoother than the bmag.
From a marlin 22 to a savage 17hmr. And some $150 bolt guns that were nicer than the bmag
I can expect a sub $300 gun to have a nice bolt because ,in my experience,every gu I have had has had a nice bolt action until the bmag.
And they shot better. But that's just my experiences and I can't change those.

So I took the browning tbolt out today. It did perfect at 25 yards lol,but at 100 kinda opened up. Could be it was about 25* today.I'll take it out again and slow down a little.

 

[Workerbee33]

I had .17wsm when they first came out. I was all excited about the hype of the ballistics and the speed and it didn't let me down. What did let me down was the bmag feeding issue. 1 or 2 rounds out of every clip would mis-feed, I would have to drop the clip, adjust the round and then it would feed fine until the next mis-feed. I sent the gun back to savage and they had the same issue. They sent me another mag with my gun and it had the same issues...long story short I got a refund from savage and they kept my gun. Cabelas wouldn't return it due to it being shot( Can't blame them) and I didn't have the heart to try and sell the gun to somebody else. I think if savage can get there feeding issue resolved it would be a good gun a phenomenal round. I went to a .204 ruger and haven't looked back since.
Just my .02

 

[paramedicpat]

My son and I shoot on a steel range where only rimfire is allowed. The range is 220 yards deep (there's a big gong at the back). We have a Marlin 60 (22LR) and a Savage 93R17 (17 HMR). They are both super fun on the steel targets that are < 100 yards, but they both drop too much to reliably shoot the steel all the way back. So for Christmas he asked for a 17 WSM. He told me, "Dad, I want to shoot biggest rimfire bullet available."

Despite all the negative reviews, we bought him the Savage BMag Target (stainless bull barrel). It came with a Bushnell Rimfire 4-12x40 scope. I mounted a UTG bipod to it, and we headed to the range.

It took us 6 shots to get it sited in. Then my first group of 3 shots was 1" at 100 yards with two of the holes touching (sorry, no pics). That was enough paper work for the day; my son was anxious to start taking out the steel. So I turned it over to him and he was hitting everything in site! That little bullet hits HARD! The extra velocity was enough to take down some of the steel targets that the 22LR and 17HMR would struggle with.

As his confidence grew I told him to go for that gong. Not knowing how much it would drop I told him to aim at the very top. Watching through a spotting scope, his bullet hit about 3" below the top of the freshly painted gong. I was amazed. So I told him, "just aim at the middle!" After that he started hitting small 4" steel squares out at the 200 yard line.... over and over again.

That's the most fun we've ever had at that rimfire range!

The only thing I don't really like about the gun is the bolt is a little rough (as reported above). I'm hopeful this will loosen up the more we shoot it. It's not that big a deal for me. I kinda feel like all < $500 bolts are crap...

I also don't love the cheesy plastic stock, but that's easy enough to fix. I'll be replacing it with a Boyd's now that I know we like the gun.

I shot there also and with a marlin 17 hmr and cci tnt ammo i can hit the quail steel 3 out of 5 times at 220 yds.