Marlin 17 VS

[DannoBoone]

Ran across a used Marlin 17 Stainless a couple weeks ago. Since it is such
a new rifle and caliber, I told the dealer that I was somewhat leary about
getting it. This dealer's policy, he told me, was that one can try out one of
their used guns for a week and if it is not a keeper to bring it back. Planned
on getting one anyway, and anything put on this one could be placed on a
different one. So I took the chance the guy's story to the dealer was true
that he needed to get rid of it for financial/divorce reasons.

 The scope is a Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40, so the rings that came with it
could not be used. Had a hard time finding anything locally but did find one
set of Millet "high" rings -- medium would have been just right but couldn't
find any (ya know how one can get when needing SOMETHING for a newly
acquired rifle, and ya want to sight it in NOW!). So the high rings came home
with me. Don't care much for Millet rings during the mounting stage -- seem
pretty difficult to get everything centered.

 Finally got everything together last evening and this evening was pretty
decent for an Iowa winter day, so decided to sight the scope in and do a
couple of 3-shot groups.

 This thing is definately a 75yd squirrel/rabbit head popper! Even though
it could use a trigger job, the two groups were 1/4 and 3/8" @ 75 yards.
And I pulled one shot on both groups, or it would have been much
better! Both groups had two shots each practically touching each other.
I am very, very pleasantly surprised with this rifle. It's accuracy is great
now -- imagine what it could be with a little trigger work!  

[KN]

I'm doing that with a 14" contender at 100 meters. That 17 HMR round is really nice. I bought a set of millet high rings once, Hated them. Never made it to the gun. I figured that design had to be hard on scope tubes so I never used them.  KN

[DannoBoone]

KN - Who is the manufacturer of your Contender barrel? I had contemplated
getting a 17HMR barrel for my Encore from VVCG, but this whole rifle plus
scope was less expensive than a custom barrel. And I prefer leaving the
Tactical 20 barrel on the Encore this time of year for coyotes (bagged one
a couple of weeks ago).

I'm no big fan of Marlin (just personal choice) but too many people have
been getting fantastic accuracy with the 17VS's to discount it. Don't really
care for the "fit" as the stock seems to be made at such an angle with the
barrel to require me to really push my cheek into the stock in order to take
aim. Other than that, it is in serious need of a trigger job - the creep has
to be close to 1/16th of an inch which had a lot to do with me pulling two
shots. Getting rid of that will no doubt give very tight groups at 100 yards
(sorry, can't get into the metric thing).

[KN]

Its a standard factory barrel. I may look into one of the new G-2 rifle barrels when they come out. I like the looks of the bull barrel.  KN