T/C Contender Carbine 17HMR Barrel????

[Camp Cook]

I have a stainless steel T/C Contender carbine that is about 10 years old now.  

I have 4 barrels for it but was considering gettting a 17HMR barrel as well.

Has anyone here had experience with the Fox Ridge T/C Custom Shop or other manufacturers 17HMR barrels ?  

Thanks for any input/thoughts.

[Buford]

I have a G2 set up in .17HMR with a factory barrel and it will shoot one hole groups all day long - gotta love it.

[Keith L]

I have a factory 17HMR barrel that is so accurate that it is boring.  My Super 14 pistol barrel is more accurate than most rimfire rifles.  Both are a blast.

[Grumulkin]

I have a 17 HMR for my Contender.  It's quite accurate and none of the varmints I've shot with it have ever left the place they were standing.  I don't consider it much more than a 100 yard gun.

[KN]

I have two, One an 18" rifle and the other a 14" pistol. Both will out shoot me any day. Although I dissagree with "Grumulkin". I use these for prarie dogs and they are fantastic out to about 225yds. Not as dramatic at that range but just as effective. I would say its about the most "fun" calliber I shoot.   KN

[TCBrian]

I have a 17 Mach2 in a G2 carbine and I kill CA ground squirrels out to 200yrds routinely. I recently shot a blacktail jack rabbit in the head at 190 yrds. At close range the little v-max is very explosive, at long ranges it just kills squirrels and rabbits dead. The 17HMR with its extra speed should be fine to 250yds on Jack rabbit sized game on down. If if is windy though, the little bullet, definitely gets blown around and your accurate range will be greatly reduced.

I know the HMR is a little bit loader, but with the Mach2, you need to check the cartridge to see if the bullet is gone if you are wearing ear protection. The gun doesn't even move, it is really amazing. I thought about picking up a 17HMR, but with the mach2 and a 22 Hornet, that is a very small gap to fill.

I would recomend anyone with a contender get a 17 rimfire of either variety, they are just way too fun to shoot.

Good shooting,
Brian

[Camp Cook]

Thanks for the responses so far they are all very positive but I have one other question.

Are you're 17 barrels tapered or bull barrels and which would you prefer?

[Grumulkin]

I like the "heavy" barrels in Encores and Contenders.  T/C does make a straight bull barrel but I think that's too much of a good thing.  In the 17 HMR, the bore diameter relative to the barrel diameter is so small that even a tapered barrel would have a lot of metal around the bore so it would probably be perfectly acceptable.

[KN]

All new G2 barrels are straight bull. There are some left over tapered barrels floating around but they are getting scarce. Personally I like the bull barrel better. I just think it looks funny with the taper barrel.   KN

[Joe58]

I recently purchased the 21" .17HMR tapered barrel from Contender Cache and have been pleased with it. It is a very good shooter. I think if I were to strictly want it for off the bench and no walking around, the bull may be the way to go, but I find if I want to carry the thing around, the shorter 21" tapered barrel is a tad more handy for me.

Also recently purchased the 23" .17HM2 full bull. I had to send that back since it bulged the cases. Some sort of chamber issue I'm told. Waiting to see what happens with that. If I could have found a HM2 one in the lighter weight tube like the HMR, I likely would have bought that instead of this one. At 23" with the full bull, it is quite a chunk but still manageable though.

Hope that helped..............

Joe

http://contendercache.com/CPrice.htm#Contender%20Barrels

[Davemuzz]

I had a Smith six shot revolver in 17hmr. I used it to shoot groundhogs. You needed all six shots to kill anything bigger than a hummingbird. NOT a good hunting gun. The problem was the barrel was too short (8.5") and the bullet had to make the cylinder to forcing cone jump. So, the bullet never got the velocity to make clean kills.

I also had a 14" 17hmr barrel for my Contender. I scoped that barrel and it was a real tack driver. However, for hunting, it too was a sad little weapon for killing groundhogs. It took two to three shots to finish off a G-hog, and I agree whole-heartely with Grumulklin that for hunting, it was only a 100 yard gun.

I sold both the Smith and the Contender barrels and now shoot .223. When you hit 'em with a Nosler 40 grain once, they don't move after that.

Dave.

[Keith L]

There is a bunch of difference between a pistol barrel and a rifle barrel in the 17HMR.  I have dropped a few chucks with my Contender carbine in HMR, never tried with the Super 14 barrel.  I have used my .222 Super 14 and it works, and so does my .204 Ruger carbine barrel.  A revolver in 17HMR really does the round no justice.  You have to give it half a chance to get to speed.

[Davemuzz]

Keith L,

You are 100% right! The 17hmr in a long barrel closed chamber (bolt action or T\C) is a world of difference over the short barrel. The "need for speed" makes or breaks this little bullet. If you don't have the speed, it won't do the job.

Stick with the long barrels and it will perform the task.

Dave.

[TCBrian]

As much as I like the 17Mach2, it is a cartridge for ground squirrels and rabbits. I have killed jacks with it dead everytime, but that is the biggest thing I would shoot with it for sure. I think wood chucks and bigger varmints require a 22 hornet on up, to have consistant one shot kills. Some guys say a 17 HMR is fine for coyotes. I wouldn't think of shooting one with such a small bullet, just too much to go wrong.

As I said before though, on smaller game and targets, the 17 rimfires are a blast and very effective.

Good shooting,
Brian

[Keith L]

Cayotes are centerfire territory.  Even chucks are on the edge for a HMR.  But they are fun little devils to shoot.

[Davemuzz]

Chucks out to 125 yards with a rifle 17hmr would probably be humane.

And while we are on the chuck subject....I am proud to say that today I shot one at the longest yardage of the year (for me). Nailed him with the .223 Nosler balistic tip at 325 yards!!

How did I know it was 325 yards you may ask? Me and my uncle were at the range....and guess who popped uo at the 325 mark?

Some day you get the bear....some day the bear gets you.


Dave.

[Real25WSSM]

I own (3) 17HMR's and (1) 17HMII

Two words:

Unbelievable Accuracy!!