Accuracy with Factory 23 inch 17 HMR barrels in contenders?

[Graycg]

Hello,
   I've been playing with a Van Horn 17 HMR barrel with a 7x Burris scope, I'm getting incredible groups at one inch, but many are less, some down to .6 inches.  Is anyone getting similar results out of the factroy 23 inch carbine barrels?  Just wanted to hear what you are getting before I go out and buy one.

thanks and regards,
 graycg

[Ladobe]

Don't know if this will help pard, but a buddy is doing 1/2 MOA no problem with his TC 14" barrel wearing a 4-12 rifle scope - set on 12X.   I will venture to guess that more glass would decrease the group size in your Van Horn barrel - 7X is not enough for my old eyes anyway.   Would expect the factory 23" to do better (even though Fred Smith proved in his barrels that 19" is the optimum length for the Hummer - MV starts dropping beyond 19" IOW).   My 20" Hummer wears a 15X and has done 5 in the high 1's, but mid to high 2's is more the norm with me shooting it.   The tricked out Marlin 17VS shoots in the 3's or 4's (couple in high 2's) with a 12X scope for me.   Haven't seen many 17HMR's that didn't shoot well.   Bottom line I guess, more scope X's means better sight picture repeatability.   FFT anyway Graycg.
Ladobe

[Graycg]

Ladobe,
   Thanks, that's info I can use!  I was actually thinking of getting the 23 inch and having it cut to 18 or 20 inches....a 23 bull barrel with a 17 hole in it has got to be heavy....very muzzle heavy.
   You are probably right about my Van Horn barrel, more Xs would help, but I'm using a pistol scope and haven't gone to a rifle scope yet....I may give that a try, I've got a 6x18 redfield that I might give a try...that was actually the scope I was thinking of for the carbine barrel.  I started to question my shooting, but pulled out my 15 inch Bullberry with 10x burris and one one-hole .303 group brought me back in line.
   It is good to hear what others are gettting.  Some of the guys at the range I shoot at are pulling MOA groups out of $159 H&R rifles with 9 pound triggers, One guy has a stainless Marlin with Laminated stock with a huge Burris variable and is shooting groups that look like one 22 caliber hole.  
  I just haven't heard too much about 17 HMRs in contender carbines.

thanks,
 Open to more info/feedback.

regards,
 graycg

[Ladobe]

Graycg,

I think even the 20" full bull barrel on my carbine would be muzzle heavy if Fred hadn't also built me the nice curly spalted oak stock set to go with it.   Heavy as sin, but the carbine is perfectly balanced and lays rock solid even shooting offhand.

Apparently like you, I don't like rifle scopes on my handguns at all, and unfortunantly even the Burris 10X target's and 3-12's I have don't have enough X's to get the full potential out of most of my custom TC wildcat barrels.   Sure wish someone would build a fixed power EER/IER with even more magnification for the pistols.  Getting to the point I am thinking of sending some out and getting them bumped up.  (any suggestions on "who" are welcome)

A friend's first HMR was a Savage that also had about a 9 pound trigger, but he got used to it pretty fast and shot pretty impressive groups with it.   Took him on an all night jackrabbit hunt to one of my ADC ranches soon after he got it and he didn't miss very many out to the 125 yards we could see them at (and most of the misses were running shots).   I was using my Bullberry 17HMR, we traded shots and took something like 98 that night between about 8 PM and 3:30 AM.  That's the night I took a problem bobcat on the rancher's depredation permit too with the 17HMR at about 75 yards BTW.   Buddy had the advantage with the Swift 4-12 glass on his Savage though (set at about 6X) - it was hard to find them in the dark with my 15X target scope's critical AO.

Still think the factory carbine barrel would be a nice shooter for you as their barrels usually shoot nearly as good or as good as the more expensive custom ones.   Cutting it back would increase your MV out of it and help the balance too.   Why we never hear much about the factory cabine barrels I don't know.  Please keep us posted if you go with one pard.

Here's a picture of the Bullberry Carbine on its first field trip.   Took it north to a ranch I do the ADC on to try out Hornady's final configuration for the ammo and Fred's 2nd generation reamer cut for it about a month before Hornady started shipping the ammo for the retail market.   Everyone wanted to see what it did on flesh and Fred and I how the chamber performed.   Did a number on these little Belding's, with my shot's on that bitter cold early spring day running about 125 to just over 200 yards.   Wasn't many diggers out that early in the year there, but I did manage to shoot an 11/11 on them.   It was instant love with the Hummer's!

Larry

[KN]

Graycg,  I did just that. Cut a 23" G2 barrel down to 18". Shoots 1/2 to 3/4" groups all day if the wind is calm. Used it on prairie dogs out to about 225yds with no problem. I put a laminated thumbhole stock on it that is a little shorter than normal but longer than the youth stock. Feels great.  KN

[Graycg]

Sold!

 Thanks  Gents, new 23 inch 17 HMR factory barrel inbound for trade.  Now to line up the cut-down and recrown!  Thanks for all your help and that's a nice rig you got there Ladobe.  I have a real nice stock that I got from Fajens 20 years ago, one of the thumbhole sillywets, only thing is that it is real hard to shoot off the bench.  When shooting off the bench I use one of the choate fixed pistol grip stocks, they are great, not pretty, but great.

thanks again,
 Graycg