17 HMR ???

[RMBLON]

I'm interested in getting a 17 HMR pistol barrel for my Encore, does anyone have any experience with the 17 HMR, pros/cons? Also curious as to how TCA uses a centerfire frame with a rimfire barrel. Trying to way the pros and cons of this round versus other varmit/small game choices.Thanks for any input.

[Ladobe]

I have three 17HMR's, including a 14" pistol barrel for the Contender.   Use it for night time jack shooting with spot lights out to about 125 yards.  Also have three 17HM2's, with a 14" barrel that is also used for jacks at night.

There is tens of thousand of threads out there about the pro's and con's of the 17HMR, including in the TC's.   The most info is at RFC...
http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=15

There is also a few here at GBO.

Some info about a rimfire adapter for Encore...
http://www.bullberry.com/rimfire.html

17HMR pistol data, with a link to full test data...
http://www.bullberry.com/17hmr.html

L.

[Hopalong7]

     I think in our last discussion of the 17HMR I said "My most funest barrels I have are my 45-70 and my 17HMR".  I haven't changed my mind.  One of the most accurate barrels in my collection.  I call it my "crow gun".  Good to about 150yd.

[doc-and]

I'm interested in getting a 17 HMR pistol barrel for my Encore, does anyone have any experience with the 17 HMR, pros/cons? Also curious as to how TCA uses a centerfire frame with a rimfire barrel. Trying to way the pros and cons of this round versus other varmit/small game choices.Thanks for any input.

TC uses an offset chamber/bore to compensate for the centerfire firing pin to hit the rim. 



Another allternative would be to get a rimfire firing pin conversion from either Bullberry or Stratton Customs which replaces the centerfire firing pin and have a custom barrel made which is what I did for my 22lr Encore barrel.




My Encore with 22lr barrel by MGM


docand

[Bitterroot Bob]

Howdy,
Just my two cents worth:
When the cartridge was introduced I ordered a 14" barrel and scope. It arrived just before Christmas when I unwrapped a new Savage bolt rifle 17HMR from my wife. I couldn't have been more surprised or excited about the possiblities.
They are a whole lot of fun to shoot. Extremely accurate and they will destroy charcoal as far away as you can find them in the scope. The best part is that the ammo is good enough and cheap enough that you won't feeel guilty about buying non-reloadable ammo.
And then I decided to clean them. Maybe the jags are more uniform than they used to be, but after obtaining the special rod and gear, I couldn't get a patch more than six inches into the bore without a hammer. I ended up swabbing with an air-rifle rod and letting copper solven work the stuff out, but if there is a drawback to the .17, they are a pain to clean.
I think instead of another .17 barrel, I'd really like to try the 5.7x28 FNH in a 14" Contender. Or spend more time fooling with the .22 K-Hornet. THOSE I can push a patch through.


Bitterroot

[Keith L]

I have four of the little rimfires (a Savage rifle, a Super 14 barrel, and a carbine barrel in 178 HMR, and a carbine barrel in 17M2) and all of them clean easily.  Maybe they did figure out how to make the jags the right size.  Not much room for error.  I do recall a story on the web about a guy who got a new gun because he had a bore snake stuck and it wouldn't come out. 

They are great fun to shoot, and all four of mine started up as tack drivers and have been great shooters for years now.

[Hopalong7]

      I take my smallest patches, I think they're about 1.5" square, maybe less, and quarter them with sissors.  Cleaning has been NO problem.   I had heard all the horror stories about 17's fouling the bores so bad.  I shoot mostly Hornady ammo and have shot at least a half a box with no cleaning and no loss of accuracy.  Walt

[RMBLON]

Thanks for the info, Think I might order a barrel for my Encore found a site that has the Blued for $199.00, can't beat that for another gun.

[Ladobe]

     I think in our last discussion of the 17HMR I said "My most funest barrels I have are my 45-70 and my 17HMR".  I haven't changed my mind.  One of the most accurate barrels in my collection.  I call it my "crow gun".  Good to about 150yd.

Was the 375JDJ's and 17 Ackley Hornet's for me.   Sold all 3 of my 17AH's but kept all 6 of the 17 rimfires, so I guess it's safe to say they are my favorite small caliber irons now.

[Ladobe]

      I take my smallest patches, I think they're about 1.5" square, maybe less, and quarter them with sissors.  Cleaning has been NO problem.   I had heard all the horror stories about 17's fouling the bores so bad.  I shoot mostly Hornady ammo and have shot at least a half a box with no cleaning and no loss of accuracy.  Walt

Sounds about right.   I bought 3/4" square patches for all of my 17's.   The 17 rimfires are still rimfires to me, so they don't get cleaned often.     At Digger Wars we've shot the 17HMR's all day long in the killing fields without cleaning, at least several hundred rounds each.   Even then a couple of quick patchs back in camp at night is about all they get.   Accuracy loss?   Never saw any, they were still minute of digger all day long.   Has a lot to do with the condition of the barrels probably, and all of mine and my shooting pards are hand lapped.