The Most Destructive Force in the Western USA.
- Thread starter orkan
- Start date
Yes, I will run light bullets in my 22 creeds for that effect. Fast twist makes it even more dramatic. 50gr vmax at 4,000 makes a mess of things. Might have to do that for a future video.
Early in the year like this I start with the little stuff. The firing frequency would flat melt any centerfire anyway. So I go torch my 17WSM's. I literally just shoot them. Most of the day I couldn't touch the barrel with a bare hand. They just take it and keep on shooting. It's pretty amazing really.
I find myself tempted by the 17 WSM as I already own a RimX. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of ammo choices. Is any one type better than the others or do you just buy ammo and hope its good?
It is literally all made by winchester... so it's just get a good lot number and go. I prefer the 20gr.
The first bit before the storm was prone with a .20-223AI. All of the rest after that was seated off the tripod with one of our 17WSM's, as pictured.
Wet this year, up to now. Rains have shut off here about a week ago and the grasses are heading dormant. Still, pulling into July 4th with green is always nice. Especially after a couple years of brown. Folks will be getting their hay yards back in reasonable shape this year.
Nice video! A bit dramatic, but nice.
I like 17 Hornet
for closer-in PD work and a 204 for shots longer than 300yds. Never shot a 17 WSM, of which I discounted at the time I bought the Hornet as the only rifles I found chambered in WSM were the godawful janky-ass Savage Bmag and only slightly less janky Ruger 77/17 that is dogged by talk of poor consistency in the accuracy dept.
I see now there are some more rifles chambered in WSM and with CZ discontinuing the excellent 527, there really aren’t any quality and easily obtainable 17 Hornet rifles in the USA.
In no order, I see these rifles in 17 WSM:
If I didn’t already own a CZ, I guess I’d go for the Anshutz in the 17 Hornet, as $2500 seems to be the starting price for most CZ 17 Hornets on Gunbroker.
For the uninitiated, the Hornet is a centerfire and shoots at 3650fps out of a 24” barrel. I imagine they tested the 17 WSM out of 24” barrel as well to get to 3000fps, but cannot find a reference. (edit: https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rimfire/17-wsm-20-gr-v-max#!/, it's a 24" barrel). The RimX in the vid is 20”, I believe.
@orkan Tell me about the consistency of the WSM, as we know other factory rimfire ammo is loaded fairly inconsistently. Perhaps WSM is different?
I like 17 Hornet
for closer-in PD work and a 204 for shots longer than 300yds. Never shot a 17 WSM, of which I discounted at the time I bought the Hornet as the only rifles I found chambered in WSM were the godawful janky-ass Savage Bmag and only slightly less janky Ruger 77/17 that is dogged by talk of poor consistency in the accuracy dept.I see now there are some more rifles chambered in WSM and with CZ discontinuing the excellent 527, there really aren’t any quality and easily obtainable 17 Hornet rifles in the USA.
In no order, I see these rifles in 17 WSM:
- Franklin Armory F17 (AR-type)
- Primal Rights RimX ($4,749 - $5,199!!!)
- Various Savage pieces o’ crap, including the new A17 semi)
- Ruger 77/17
- Winchester 1885 single shot
- Ruger 77/17
- Weihrach HW 66 (maybe no USA distrib?)
- Various Savage pieces o’ crap
- Anschutz 1771 ($2500)
If I didn’t already own a CZ, I guess I’d go for the Anshutz in the 17 Hornet, as $2500 seems to be the starting price for most CZ 17 Hornets on Gunbroker.
For the uninitiated, the Hornet is a centerfire and shoots at 3650fps out of a 24” barrel. I imagine they tested the 17 WSM out of 24” barrel as well to get to 3000fps, but cannot find a reference. (edit: https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/rimfire/17-wsm-20-gr-v-max#!/, it's a 24" barrel). The RimX in the vid is 20”, I believe.
@orkan Tell me about the consistency of the WSM, as we know other factory rimfire ammo is loaded fairly inconsistently. Perhaps WSM is different?
Last edited:
I could tell you, but its easier for you to watch the video and see for yourself. If you stay off paper, you'll never stop smiling in the field. Good lot numbers will run sub-1/2MOA consistently. Poor lots are closer to 1.25MOA. 3/4MOA average... and thats plenty well for the job at hand.
All of our 17WSM's are 20", and most lot numbers will produce 3000fps at that length.
No one that receives a RimX 17WSM regrets it. It's a full custom, and costs what a full custom costs. The benefit of being a "real" rifle, and not cast pot metal garbage.
Ah, I didn't notice until now that you shot the vid and are affiliated with Primal Rights, pardon.
So there can be considerable variation in 17 WSM lots, oh well. Have you considered building custom 17 Hornets?
Not criticizing the price of a full custom, I get it, just wasn't prepared for a 17 WSM at that price.
About the "cast pot-metal" comment, are you referring to Savages (& maybe the Ruger an/or Franklin)? As the other rifles I listed (and the out-of-production CZ 527) are of quality.
Thanks for this thread, hope you can help with a few more questions:
- How do you go about getting your ammo? Are there certain vendors that will sell by lot or do you just buy vast amounts and hope?
- I looked at your website and only see complete guns or barreled actions. Do you have any prefit barrels available?
- Would you have any magazines and 17 WSM conversion kits available, or do I need to try and source those from Zermatt?
We currently have complete builds available with foundation stocks. Not doing barreled actions or barrels at the moment.
I have typically bought a couple cases here, a couple cases there, and just roll with what I get. The bad lots get fed to the cheaper guns and get used for blasting critters out of the ditch. Out of my most recent purchase of 30 lot numbers, I only had 3 that were terrible. Most were 3/4MOA... and 5 were very good.
We are saving our mags for customers that buy rifles... as they are in very short supply at the moment.
I have typically bought a couple cases here, a couple cases there, and just roll with what I get. The bad lots get fed to the cheaper guns and get used for blasting critters out of the ditch. Out of my most recent purchase of 30 lot numbers, I only had 3 that were terrible. Most were 3/4MOA... and 5 were very good.
We are saving our mags for customers that buy rifles... as they are in very short supply at the moment.
I considered it at one time, but quickly sold my hornets after getting into 17WSM's. If I'm going to go through the trouble of a centerfire, it will be a .20-223AI or straight 204 ruger for the non-handloaders.
️
