17 HMR

I've shot a lot of 17 HMR rifles. When it was new, it was the new hot thing at my old shooting range. Everybody with an extra $300 was buying one. Honestly, I can't recall one from another from back then but I can't recall any that were horrible. They all seemed accurate enough. However, I've spent quality time with three 17 HMR rifles. A stainless heavy Barrel Savage, a Henry Varmint, and a Henry octagon. My good friend and hunting buddy has the Savage. Like WB said, dime groups at 100 yard. We were knocking the caps off of 20 oz soda bottles at that range with ease. The Henry's belong to my father and myself. He bought me the Octagon for my 40th birthday. I've shot mine enough to sight it in with iron sights and done some squirrel hunting, too. Anything the size of a small house cat would get smoked at 100 yards through iron sights. Dad's rifle has a Burris 2-7 on it. It's as accurate as the Savage. The Henry's trigger feels like it breaks a little heavier than the Savage, but it feels cleaner to me. At 100 yards that rifle will eat the orange out of a bullseye. We started with the Hornady red tip ammo. But, I found I like the CCI Game point or FMJs much better. Accuracy was good with either. Which brings me to the 17 MK2. I had the opportunity to hunt a weekend with a 17 MK2 rifle (rebarrelled 10/22). That thing was just great for rabbit and squirrel. A little messier than 22 lr, but shot like a laser beam out to 75 yards or so. I took my daughter on her first squirrel hunt with the 17HMR thinking It'd be great. Well... It was a mess. That ballistic tip ammo just exploded squirrels and turned them inside out. Looked like a gut pile. Blew heads clean off. My daughter was really turned off. Switching from the ballistic tip stuff to the FMJs and Game points resolved that. It resolved my personal issues with the HMR and left me enough meat on the squirrels for a stew.

Man,.. now I want to go pop some rabbits and squirrels.