I am interested in the 17 remington centerfire and was wondering if I should get a 223 instead? Any info on the 17 will be appreciated! Thanks!
I stumbled onto a great deal on a 17 Rem 700 Classic a few months back, so I grabbed it. I finally got around to ordering some 17 caliber bullets and took it out to the range last Sunday. The weather was rain and wind, far from optimum for good shooting, and even worse for the little 17. With new brass I still managed to shoot several groups near the 3/4" mark at 100 yards. I think that on a better weather day, 1/2" might be well within the capability of the rifle.
The small bullets make reloading a bit more tedious than a 223. Unless you're planning on shooting hundreds of rounds a weekend, it's not going to be that big of deal. If the rifle your next rifle is going to be your one and only varmit rig, I'd still have to give the nod to the 223. You can get ammo for it anywhere and with the heavier bullets it will perform better on large critters.
