17 Cal

Holleyman

Holleyman

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Thoughts, reviews or experiences with 17 center fires?!?

I am looking at the 17 Remington and 17 Fireball. Which way to go? What can I expect for barrel life out of each? Accuracy? Availability and cost of ammo/components. What rifles are available in these chamberings?
Want a laser beam for gophers.
 
Then go for the .204.
reports say it has outstanding accuracy,
and no issues with barrel life.
Several bullet weights now and uses common powders.
mixed reports on how well it works on coyotes at the farther ranges though.
 
I had a 17 Remington a while back, it was a SAKO A1 - it shot well but I ended up getting rid of it because I originally got it for lower noise type hunting. It is extremely loud which surprised me because I thought the report would be less then a 223. I don't know if I will ever get another 17 centrefire again, it's uses are pretty limited and it is hard to find components/factory ammunition but they are really accurate flat shooting rounds.
 
I am also pondering the idea of a 17 fireball, less than 20 gr powder per shot,bullets are cheap but wonder about availability of brass. I got a 204 ruger,it shoots like a lazer out to 250 and is pretty easy on powder too but still uses 1/3 more powder to get the same velocity as the 17 fireball.
 
I have owned a 17 Rem for the past 20 years. 5000+ rounds and accuracy has not dropped off. These things shoot!
Have made countless gopher kills out past 400, however for coyote size game 300-350 is about the max unless a head shot is achieved.
Wind drift is about the same as a 300 win mag out to 300, past this the bullet has slowed substantially allowing it to drift a little more (flight duration,aka bullet speed, not wieght dictates wind drift)
Many attempts have been made to compare the .20 cals to the .17's, I will say this having owned both...they are essentially the same in all practical matters. Most info on the net comes from the famous arm chair ballisticians or those that simply need to justify thier purchase.
The .17 fireball seems like a very interesting chambering and I may just get one some day (replace my much neglected .20)
As for rifles, most any major manufacturer makes a .17 thake your pick
Happy shooting
 
I have had a 700 in 17 Rem for about ten years now. It's currently wearing a Hogue stock, a Pac-Nor super match stainless barrel and a Rifle basix trigger.

I have gone through four barrels so far. The original factory was replaced by a Walther which gave way to a Shilen and now the Pac-Nor. I would say the 17 Remington can be hard on barrels and I will most likely switch to a 17 fireball next time around.

My rifle when I lived in the UK had a suppressor fitted and the recoil was almost non existant. I had the same suppressor fitted to my .223 and it was noticeably louder than the 17, though still relatively quiet, the loudest sound was the bullet impact. 17's are a bit of an acquired taste and not for everyone. Factory ammo is expensive and realistically you have to reload to be cost effective. They are very sensitive to small powder changes and pressures can spike if you are not careful with weighing out charges.

If I were buying one now I would be more inclined to consider the Fireball. It uses a lot less powder but gets close to the 17 Rem in velocity. It also comes with a 1:9" twist which will allow you to shoot the 25gr Vmax or 30gr Bergers.

Brass for the 17 is surpisingly expensive. I have seen WSS selling it for $79 per 100. Bullets are pretty much the same price as the .223 or the .20 so no real savings there. Also there are very few factories chambering the 17 Remington. I think CZ still do it and there is Cooper, but Remington have dropped it in favour of the Fireball.

This is a good forum for small calibre stuff....
http://www.saubier.com/
 
204 is the answer. deadly to 450yrds no prob. Have shot and killed a number of coyotes this year past 400. I did shoot one a couple days ago at 476yrds, but he did not die, i had to shoot him again once i got up to him. My old 204 i had 700+ down the pipe and it was a good shooter. I considered the 17 before my 204 but im glad i went with the 204 as the componets are easy to get.
 
Having owned and shot a number of 204's, 17 rem's, and 17 fireballs, I think I would have to recommend the Fireball. The 204 is a beautiful round but it's much easier to spot your shots through the scope with the 17 FB. Keep in mind guys that he is looking for a gopher blaster. The extra punch that the 204 has is not at all necessary for gophers. My current 17 is a Cooper varminter in the fireball. It's had about 800 handloads through it now without being cleaned. It will still CONSISTENTLY keep 3 at 100 yds inside .25" I would highly recommend a Cooper to anyone looking for the best in factory accuracy in your caliber of choice! Good luck with your gopher gun!
 
I love my .204's but there is definitely room in the cabinet for a .17 Rem Fireball or other .17. Love the small but deadlies! :D
 
I think if you want a gopher gun .17 will do nicely. I do believe they have a significant amount of less energy than the 204 so for coyotes they have a more limited range.
 
Who sells Cooper rifles?
Gopher busting only, I already have a 223 for coyotes. I want a 17 cal centerfire. The 17 HMR is good but there is no ammo tweaking, I want to reload 17.
I am thinking the Fireball is my choice.
I didn't find any 17 Fireball available in Ruger or Savage, only Remington. I would love to have one in a 12 series Savage. The Coopers look great but pricey.
 
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