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Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Originally Posted by rifleman
Both of the .17 s are predictably expensive to shoot compared to the old standby .22, even if you compare them to the HiVelocity .22s. But IMO they also offer significant extension of usable range and accuracy due to much less drop. They seem to be useful and accurate out to 175 - 200 yds, albeit very much cross-wind dependant. I think they represent, for the most part, an effort to stimulate the lagging market for new rifles. I mean our grandfathers had a simple Winchester or Savage .22, a single-shot or pump 12ga, and the 30-30 or mil-surp 30-06 behind the door. They did it all through practice and necessity, while we have splurged on wretched excess in "having to own" 10 - 25 firearms. I'm personally guilty, but it's been fun.
If you can afford it and want to have fun with a new firearm, go for it. One of the other threads did mention, though, the need for a .17 cal cleaning rod, patches, etc. Plus of course a new scope, probably a new gun case, and a field sling. Wow: Cabela's is gonna love you!
When you really get down to it, if it isn't a .22 rimfire or a 30-06 (or maybe a .50 BMG) it's a wildcat round. There are very, very few niches that can't be filled if you have a good 30-06, a .22 LR and a 1911 in your arsenal. If you need something in-between it's probably a .220 Swift.
When you really get down to it, if it isn't a .22 rimfire or a 30-06 (or maybe a .50 BMG) it's a wildcat round. There are very, very few niches that can't be filled if you have a good 30-06, a .22 LR and a 1911 in your arsenal. If you need something in-between it's probably a .220 Swift.
Actually, according to Wikipedia, this is the definition of a "Wildcat" caliber:
"A wildcat cartridge, or wildcat, is a custom cartridge for which ammunition and firearms are not mass produced."
This is consistent with everything I've ever heard being called a "wildcat" in the past. To say anything other than a .30-06 or .22 rimfire is a wildcat is an erroneous statement. If that were the case, those would be the only calibers you'd see stocked at Wal-mart or your local sporting goods store.
I think the point you were trying to make was that with a .22 rimfire and a .30-06, you should be able to cover most of the situations for which you might require a firearm. While that may be basically true, there are plenty of uses for other calibers, too. For varmint control, many people prefer to have something a little more powerful than a .22 rimfire, and the .30-06 is definitely overkill. A .223 or .22-250 works well in those situations. For deer hunting, a .22 is too small to be practical, but a .30-06 may be too much gun. This is where a .243 or .270 (or their metric counterparts) might prove useful.
There are some other useful guns and calibers you didn't mention. Many people also like to have a shotgun for bird hunting, where a rifle would not be practical. You mentioned a 1911, which is normally chambered in .45 ACP. While this is a great gun and cartridge, it's not for everyone. Smaller caliber, more compact pistols, such as the 9 mm or .40 S&W, are preferred for concealed carry. Many people prefer revolvers for simplicity, such as the .38 Special or .357 Magnum.
Each of the commercially available cartridges on the market today were developed because someone felt they offered something not available in another caliber. The .308 Winchester was developed to work in a shorter action than the .30-06, and works well for that purpose. Likewise, the .17 HMR and .17 Mach 2 were designed to compliment their .22 counterparts, not to replace them. The .17s allow a lighter bullet to be fired at higher velocities, providing better accuracy over a longer range.
If I were to choose only two rifles to cover all my shooting needs, I would probably choose a .22LR (rimfire) rifle, and something a little smaller than the .30-06, probably in the 6 mm to 7 mm range, though I'm not sure exactly what at this time. The .22 would be for plinking and basic target shooting, as well as possible use for varmints, while the larger rifle would be used for target practice and competition, as well as hunting medium sized game, if I ever chose to do so. I'm glad I'm not limited to that type of choice, and can choose to have more in my collection than that.
Well I think the choice or brand name of what rifle is the 'best' comes down the personal preference. Presently I own a 10-22 Magnum with a 17 HMR barrel and Houge stock installed. It shoots well, but I just bought a 17 HMR rifle barrel to use with one of my Contender frames. For me, using a single shot will be less expensive. I just bought a carton (10 boxes) of 17 HMR for $110. I have two 22 mag rifles and four 10-22 Ruger rifles. The 22lr are hard to beat for plinking, but the 17 HMR so far out classes them it isn't even funny. I've seen my son constantly kill ground squirrels at what appears to be 200 yards, and there is nothing left of the squirrel. Watching him is what convinced me to give up using a 22lr or 22 mag for squirrels, he could reach out and make kills much farther than I was able to, sometimes I just stopped shooting and watched him. We have a cabinet maker here who is really in to firearms and is a bench rest shooter, he has a confirmed kill of a ground squirrel at a bit over a measured 600 yards. He was using a 20-222 that he had built and reloads for. Personally, I don't think I could even see a squirrel that far away. All and all, you will find a 17 HMR is hard to beat, but expensive to shoot compared to a 22lr.
I like single shots also, that is why I just bought a Contender barrel in 17 HMR. I have a tendency to get a bit careless with the semi auto and not be as careful as I should be. The cost is a concern. The ammo for a 17 HM2 is about half as much as the HMR, but it doesn't shot as far either and I hear the ammo is hard to find.
The rifle is a Rossi .17 single shot, bull barrel stainless.
It would compliment my Rossi .243 nicely, I love single shots...that's just me...
It would mainly be for the range, I have not hunted in years...
If the .17 shoots like the .243......it will be a tack driver out to 100yds plus...
Right now I'm below M.O.A. with the .243 at 100yds.
Just wanted somehthing different, to play with....the only thing that worries me is the price of ammo.....
For target shooting or plinking, a .22 rimfire would not be different, but it would probably be more satisfactory. The .17 rounds offer benefits for hunting varmints that you don't intend to eat, and in some hunting situations, but in some hunting situations the .17 would just destroy more meat without killing a squirrel or rabbit any deader than a .22 would.
Consider a CZ .22, they have several models, a quality rifle and a lot of gun for your money too, or treat yourself to something like a Cooper .22, or hunt around the gun shows and get yourself an old Winchester M62 pump with exposed hammer, or a Browning bottom eject automatic, to be real different find a .22 Short version - I have the .22 Short Browning (Belgian FN) and a good M62, both are fun to shoot, gratify my desire to be different from the herd, but use common and cheap regular .22 ammo.
If you want the most practical and usable accuracy you can get for the buck, check out a Savage .22 with that new Acu-trigger, I have not tried one yet but would like to. I have read they are excellent.
If you get into handloading, I'm repeating myself, but you can shoot a .22 Hornet, 25-20, 218 Bee, something like that, with cast bullet handloads for about the same price as .22 rimfire.
The rifle is a Rossi .17 single shot, bull barrel stainless.
It would compliment my Rossi .243 nicely, I love single shots...that's just me........
I almost bought a Rossi pump carbine in .17 WMR at a gun show last year, the seller only wanted $200 for it and it looked pristine. Looked like a old Winchester pump 22, wish I had bought it now.
Just know, I'm looking to shoot paper only then maybe down the road get back into hunting.
I wish the 22 mag., could post the same results for accuracy as the .17.
Mitch, they had a .22 Hornet here but it was gone extremely quick....
I would really like to have a .204, in a bull barrel single shot...
Just looking for something to make very tight groups a long distances...
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