That's awful, Larry! Should have kept one- I'm considering a 22-250 for a Contender, if I ever get caught up on bills. A man should never let other folks decide what he shoots. The 17s just don't reload and they aren't a large caliber either. I'd not want one because they are banned on our pistol range for breaking metal, of course, the 22-250 would too. But that's not the point--A good hunting caliber shouldn't get passed over for a 'Johnny come lately' type of fad. I feel for ya.
TC Dave- I stand corrected. Should be an Encore. The 17s are potent hunting cartridges but, I shoot on a range more of the time. I'm not sure that I'd want to see the 22-250 fade into oblivion for the 17s though-you know how manufacturers phase out cartridges. Out where I live there's more than enough wind to justify a larger bullet.
The only person who has ever decided what I shoot is me. I chose to sell all of my 22 Varminter rifles, many of my other 22 centerfires, all of my Encores in favor of the Contenders because when I got heavy into wildcatting they just were not used anymore.
As for the 17's being a 'Johnny come lately' fad, you know not what you speak. The 17's started proving themselves around 75 years ago in America (20 years earlier if you count the Flobert's) thanks to O'Neil as a very good choice for hunting. Many of them are not affected by the wind much more (if at all) than their 22 counterparts are. So if the 17 is a fad, it's one that's been around a long time and I doubt will ever go away. I have 18 rigs now chambered for 17 cal, most of them wildcats, and they have replaced all of my 22 caliber centerfires. If the winds get tough at longer ranges I just shoot my 6 & 6.5 wildcats.
Know what you mean about range banning though. Our district IHMSA director let me start a silhouette match with one of my 375JDJ's on the 200 yard rams a few years ago, then kicked it off the range a couple of shots later. Didn't like the way it tossed the rams up on top of the berm.
