Author Topic: 17 mach 2 (Read 1682 times)

ScatterGunner · « **on:** December 24, 2004, 04:05:51 PM »

my son's 30-06 synthetic arrived last week and i went to pick it up at the local gun shop.

they had a 17 mach 2 sportster on the wall for $125 plus taxation. no ammo though. the impulse to buy was there but i held back. he is going to hold it for me until after CHRISTmas

it's christmas eve and i'm in a hotel room in sunnyvale, california, 2500 and change miles away from home. had meetings all day and are also scheduled for all day saturday, and sunday morning. i fly home monday, i think. i just watched the movie"christmas story" where the little kid wants a BB gun and everyone tells him he'll shoot his eye out.

even though i'm not home, i know my boy will like his 30-06 synthetic and my niece julia will like her 22 rimfire youth sportster.

so how does the 17 mach stack up as a caliber worth having or is it a tame or lame 22 HMR ? what does the ammo go for now ? being based on the 22 LR it should be around a couple of bucks for a box of 50.

happy holidays !

sg

hellacatcher · « **Reply #1 on:** December 24, 2004, 04:21:17 PM »

Picked up one a few weeks ago early Christmas from the wife. so far only had it to the range once but at 50yrds real nile driver moved out to a 100yards still did ok but it needed some one else on the trigger, would like to try it out on some squirrels. Ammo is not to bad about like 22 lrs.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #2 on:** December 24, 2004, 05:02:45 PM »

SG, actually the 17M2 is based on the stinger case which is slighly longer than a 22lr case. The ballistics characteristics are closer to that of the .17hmr in that it is very flat shooting to 125yds or so. A 100yd zero is only .7" high at 75yds compared to a 22lr which is 2.5" high somewhere midrange to a 100yd zero. Real world velocity of the Mach 2 is somewhere near 2200+fps, although stated velocity is 2150fps from the mfr. Ammo cost is $5-$6 per 50. Only 2 brands are available at this time from CCI and Hornady, but Eley is soon to be available. I'm getting 1" groups at 100yds with my sportster and expect to get better when I get a couple more boxes of ammo down range, only one so far. Spend some time at the RFC link below to find a lot more about it.

Season's best wishes to you.

Tim

http://rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59883&highlight=17M2+stinger

MSP Ret · « **Reply #3 on:** December 25, 2004, 03:27:48 AM »

SC, your out there and my beloved daughter Jennifer is back from Menlo Park and here with us!!! She lived in Sunnyvale for a while prior to moving to Menlo Park. The .17 Mach II from what I understand is as to the .17 HMR as the .22 LR is to the .22 WMR. I currently have Sportsters in .22 WMR and .17 HMR and still want to get a .22 LR, the .17 Mach II is sure to be purchased also. I thick it would be a great "around the camp gun", very flat shooting and less destructive than the .17 HMR, which I still am enthralled with for it's accuracy and flat tajectory. I understood the .17 Mach II ammo was about $5.00 a box as opposed to the average of appx. $9.00 a box for the .17 HMR's. I am unfamiliar with the .17 Remingtons that are depicted above but would like to have someone here offer some info on them (how about it Quick, what are your thoughts and experiences with them?). I also hear the .17 Aguila's can be fired in the .17 Mach II with acceptable accuracy but you cannot fire the longer .17 Mach II's in the .17 Aguila chambered guns. So, I think the .17 Mach II looks like a keeper. As time goes by I feel pretty confident that I will pick one up, any amount of plinking alone at $4.00 less per box will make the purchase cost effective in a couple of years and then you will own the gun for free (rationalization??). Of course, if the cost of .17 MHR ammo comes down it will be hard to convince myself of the need. I do look forward to some varmit hunting with the .17 HMR, especially now that the new 20 grain bullets are out....<><.... :grin:

P.S. How's the weather out there?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #4 on:** December 25, 2004, 04:43:15 AM »

IIRC, Chief Dave said the 17LR became the 17Aguila but with a 20gr hollowpoint bullet, it was never a production offering, just experimental.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #5 on:** December 25, 2004, 09:02:43 AM »

Thnaks for the explanation Quick, I thought I missed something interesting, and interesting it is with a 20 grain HP!!, I would really like to see that in production....<><.... :grin:

quickdtoo · « **Reply #6 on:** December 25, 2004, 10:11:32 AM »

The 17 Aguila is in production now, lots of shooters at RFC have em, most are shooting them in 17M2s, though. :wink: The 17LR was the experimental round, sorry for the confusion in my response.

http://www.jesseshunting.com/articles/guns/category8/36.html

http://www.jesseshunting.com/articles/guns/category8/41.html

http://www.chestnutridge.com/products/ammo.asp

http://www.aguilaammo.com/prices.htm

coldmold · « **Reply #7 on:** December 25, 2004, 02:16:54 PM »

dI currently have a 17m2 barrel on order along with a 22 lr. Should have them by the middle of jan. But weather will hold up asny shooting till spring. coldmold

ScatterGunner · « **Reply #8 on:** December 25, 2004, 05:57:23 PM »

merry CHRISTmas everyone !

msp ret - menlo park is a nice town. i got lost in santa clara today, and i've been in sunnyvale since last tuesday(?) or so. i spent a few hours today at a friends house in fremont, luckily, i finished all my schtuff here around 2:00pm today and get to head out tomorrow at 8:10am, back to NY !

so it looks like i'll pick up the 17M2 next week. it has become a matter of need. my major (and ongoing) complaint with all these 17's is not ballistics, i think the price for this 17 caliber rimfire ammo stuff is out of hand. i've vented my spleen on this very subject here many times. based on the retail price of 17 caliber ammo, you would think that hornady is buying sierra .17 caliber bullets one box at a time from cabelas, plus sales tax and shipping.

i guess i have too much time on my hands tonight !

sg

Tcallbuilder · « **Reply #9 on:** December 26, 2004, 03:12:28 AM »

I saw 17m2 cci ammo at wal-mart the other day for $5.67 per 50rd box in cci.
Still kinda steep as compared to 22lr.
but i think the price will come down when or if other manifacture's jump on the wagon (ie. remington, winchester)
I think that they are waiting to see just how popualar this round becomes.

most of the m2's that i have seen are in heavy weight varmit barrels???

It seems to me that the m2 would make the perfect small game (rabbit, squirel) round.
Small game hunters (by nature) cover a lot of ground and need a light easy to handle gun.

May just be me, but i think there would be a market for lighter weight reg. contured barrels.

TCB

HuntenNut · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2004, 12:49:20 PM »

The cheapest 17hm2 ammo I have found is $4.82 per box of 50 for the CCI brand at Cheaper Than Dirt. This is still more than double 22lr prices, but only a little more than half the price of the 17hmr. Considering the performance advantages, I think it is worth it. I think its going to be a fine long range squirrel killer, although I haven't field tested mine yet.

I would also like to see the shorter, light contour barrel offered in the 17hm2. Mine weighs 8lbs10oz with sling and 4-16x44AO Redfield Scope, so I'd say the gun by itself is every bit of 7lbs. This will probably be an advantage for accuracy, but would definitely be nice for carrying if it were lighter.

For carrying, you might consider the Henry Acubolt which is only 4.5lbs with 4x32 scope according to published data. Also, Savage Favorite is about 4.25. I know both of those are availble in 17hmr, and will probably soon be available in the 17hm2. You can get either one for around $250.

AZ223 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 30, 2004, 03:27:29 PM »

I have the NEF Handi in .17HMR, and it definitely is fun to shoot, and accurate -- about .75" above and below POA at 50 & 150 yards respectively, and about 4-5" drop at 200. For the caliber and performance, I think the HMR's ballistics are great, and the little 17gr Hornadys blow up nicely for things like water bottles and lemons, and still drive a clean hole through a quarter. My only complaint is the price of ammo, as has been mentioned. $9 for a box of 50 seems outrageous, seeing as how I pay under $10 for a box of 40 .223 Winchesters, and the cheap FMJ's are $7.50 for 40 at Wal-Mart. :?

ScatterGunner · « **Reply #12 on:** December 30, 2004, 03:50:38 PM »

this morning i woke up at 5:00am, the move was today. we went to the bank at 10:00 and the people buying my house bought it, i handed over the keys and the garage door remote and deal was done.

on the way up north to the new house, i stopped by my favorite gunshop and picked up a 17 mach 2 sportster, i also asked him to get me a 22 magnum to look at. he was saving the mach 2 for me. it looks ok, it has the usual toolmarks under the scope rail that drive me nuts. i can't it shoot it though. the store had no ammo, so tomorrow morning i'm off to gander mountain to get fleeced for a box of 17 caliber rimfire.......

they should pass a law, rimfire ammo must be less than $2 a box of 50.

i think i'll write my congressperson.....

sg