savage 93R17 range report

[mjbgalt]

i bought a savage .17HMR last night. I took it to the woods today and sorta redneck-rigged a way to sight it in, involving a box from work and a sweatshirt folded on the bedrails of my truck.

at 27 yards (thought it was 25 but when i measured it i got 27, lol) it made a group of 5 that i could cover easily with a quarter.

at 50 yards it was about 2" high and about an inch group. at this point the weather was getting crappy and the low budget 4 power scope was holding it back, i could tell. i have heard people say a scope can hold a rifle back but i didnt understand until tonight. if i could have SEEN the tiny bullseye i could have hit it, i am sure of that.

the rifle is very nice and very accurate and for $200, i highly recommend it.

i wanted something in between my heavy varmint rig .243 and my .22LR...this one is it. i almost never jump into trends before i see where theyre going but i thought i would try this .17 thing out and its everything they say it is and more.


-Matt

[mjbgalt]

by the way, this is the wood stocked, heavy barrel version.

the only complaint i have is the trigger, and it seems others have shimmed it with success. it breaks cleanly but i think i could lift myself off the ground by pulling on it wihtout it going off, lol.

a tad heavy for my tastes.

can anyone tell me if the 20 grain .17 HMR bullets would kill better or do a betterjob at ranges of up to 150 yards on crows, squirrels, and groundhogs? i think the 20 grain ones are solid points, and if so, wouldnt the expansion of the 17 grain bullets negate the extra "thump" i would get from the heavier bullet?

-Matt

[quickdtoo]

Matt, once you get a better scope on it and the bore is broken in well, you should have no problems getting moa or less at 100yds with a good rest. It wouldn't hurt to try different ammo in if you want better accuracy, there are several different loads available, 2 from Federal and 3 from CCI, Hornady has 2, and Remington offers 1. The trigger can use some work, but for an out of the box rifle, they are hard to beat for the money. The link below will help you with the trigger. You can also get a Rifle Basix drop in trigger if you choose to or can't get the trigger shim job to work for ya. A lot of the 93R17 shooters at RFC shoot nickel size groups at 100yds with a little trigger work, yours should be no exception. I know of one BVSS that was returned to the factory for a re-crown. but other than that, they're great. I fell in love with the .17hmr early this year, now I own 3 of em, best shootin rifles I've even had owned. Happy shootin! :grin:   Tim

http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46774

[quickdtoo]

by the way, this is the wood stocked, heavy barrel version.

the only complaint i have is the trigger, and it seems others have shimmed it with success. it breaks cleanly but i think i could lift myself off the ground by pulling on it wihtout it going off, lol.

a tad heavy for my tastes.

can anyone tell me if the 20 grain .17 HMR bullets would kill better or do a betterjob at ranges of up to 150 yards on crows, squirrels, and groundhogs? i think the 20 grain ones are solid points, and if so, wouldnt the expansion of the 17 grain bullets negate the extra "thump" i would get from the heavier bullet?

-Matt

We were writing at the same time! The 20gr bullets in the CCI Gamepoint and Hornady XTP are controlled expansion bullets made for bigger critters like ground hogs and yotes within in range limits. Anything crow size and smaller is going to be toast with the 17gr offerings, but if the 20gr shoot better, they still work fine. If you want to eat any of your kills, be sure to go for a head shot, particularily on squirrels, or you're not going to have much to eat, even with the 20gr rounds. There are some penatration tests at RFC in the .17hmr ammunition forum if you want to take a look. The 20gr bullets stay together and mushroom just like a big game bullet. The 17gr Vmax and to a less degree, the Speer/TNT hollow point in the Federal and CCI offerings, will fragment into tiny pieces upon impact, literally destroying most small game. Varmint Al has some pics of his tests, too.

http://www.varmintal.com/17hmr.htm

[mjbgalt]

mine shot the TNTs tonight. i like those a lot and i hear good things about them. for what i plan to do with this rifle i think it should be ok with the TNTs.

if they come out with a 25 grain or so i might look at it and try it out, but like i said, this is a "walking-around" type rifle and i dont like lugging my 243 all over the place when it weighs 10 pounds or so.

i am VERY happy with this gun. its becoming one of my favorites.

[Patriot_1776]

i am VERY happy with this gun. its becoming one of my favorites.

I'm happy to hear you are enjoying your purchase.  I myself was a skeptic for awhile about the 17 HMR.  I got one a few months ago and what a blast!  I must admit, I enjoy it more than my centerfires...hmmmmm.   When you are ready for something fun at the range, buy a box or two of cheap golf balls.  They make great targets.  Hard to hit, and when they are hit they really fly, even with the little 17!  Gives golfing a modern twist.:lol:   Also, when you find spent shotshell hulls lying around (if you aren't a shotshell reloader, your conscience won't be bothered too much...) they are pretty fun to hit and challenging.  Haven't tried this yet, and don't have proper confirmation, but I believe if you fill them with either powdered dirt or flour, there will be pretty nifty little *poofs* when hit smartly.  And the hulls won't blow down or away if its windy.  Have fun with your new "toy" or tool, and be safe.   Patriot

[quickdtoo]

For more of a challenge, try paint balls! :-)