.17 calibre rifle

Straffan1979

Hello,
I'm looking into buyin a .17 rifle.I've shot purely with shotguns for years and I know very little about rifles and scopes except what I've been reading on the net the last few weeks.
I would mainly be shooting rabbits and the odd fox at close range . I like to keep the odd rabbit for the pot when out shooting with the shotgun but rarely get close enough to shoot one around here....plenty of misses!!
The accuracy and distance element of the .17 appeals to me. I'm a bit concerned that the .17 hmr round which seems one of the few available seem to make bits of the rabbit at 100-150 yards and that they'd be unedible after looking at videos on youtube. Is there other rounds you can source which would be less destructive or should I just go with a standard .22. I'm tempted to have a go with this more modern calibre????Are they freely available secondhand. I could do with a few suggestions on rifle/scope combinations for irish conditions..a lot of the internet information is very americanised!

CJhaughey

The .17 HMR is a modern very high velocity round and is priced accordingly.
It has more range and shoots very flat compared with the .22lr.
The drawbacks are that you do have more meat damage compared with the .22lr.
If you stalk in closer and use headshots then it wouldn't be a problem.
I myself have no problems shooting bunnies out to 80m+ with subsonic .22 rounds. It all depends what you want, flat shooting HV relatively expensive rounds compared with .22lr.
Or .22lr cheapest ammo going and a wide variety of loads subsonic, high velocity, hypervelocity.
Hard to equate them apart from them being rimfire.

riflehunter77

Straffan iv been using the 17 Hmr for about 3 years now and to be honest meat damage is not a real issue. Majority of mine go to the pot. You might get some damage if you hit bone. Its a great little round out to about 150 yrds for rabbits. I have taken foxes with the HMR but if you were taking a shot I would keep it below 70 to 80 yards. If you need any more info ask away.

Have a look at shoot.ie for a guide price here a some.
http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_25&products_id=101
http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_25&products_id=103
http://www.shoot.ie/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_25&products_id=155

I have a Marlin you can check it out on post 592 here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=216791&page=40.
You cant go wrong with a CZ,great deals to be got on optics from opticwarehouse.co.uk

Welcome to the madness of the Shooting Forum RH77

daithi55

had a cz .17hmr about two years ago great rifle
shot the world of rabbits and gray backs with it and a couple of foxes

box of ammo was like 15 euro for 50 they were CCI

http://cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-varmint/

sixpointfive

i have a brand new Savage 17hmr still sitting in the shop, never been fired, ill take a reasonable offer on it in the current cliamate going forward, got refused the licence as have too many other guns :mad:


review here
http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/guns/147026/Savage_93R17_BTVS_17_HMR_rifle_review.html

CJhaughey

Is that the heavy barrel version?
Those Savages are accurate rifles it must be said. I had a crack off a neighbours one on a few bunnies a few years back and was well impressed.

sixpointfive

i cant even remember if it has heavy barrel, also have 300 rounds for it ill throw in, i havent seen the gun in about four months,

mac80

HMR is a great rifle, 12.50 for a box of 50 Federal in Dundalk. A silencer would be recommended as there is quite a bang out of it.
Great for dropping Greys and maggies

Straffan1979

Thanks for the information lads,
I think i'll go with this calibre rifle.I'd say the Savage would be out of my price range with scope and other extras added judging by the list price UK. Looks the part though. I only intend to use this now and then for grey crows etc.I I've had an offer of a CZ rifle with scope etc from one of the lads on here so I'm going to look into it. cheers

mac80

I have the CZ Silhouette HMR, lovely rifle, had a Grey and a Jackdaw this morning at about 110 Meters and they dropped like a stone.
They are very accurate and relatively cheap to fire.

Get a silencer and bipod if you can.

sixpointfive

will take half what i paid for it.

locum-motion

mac80 wrote: »

I have the CZ Silhouette HMR, lovely rifle, had a Grey and a Jackdaw this morning at about 110 Meters and they dropped like a stone.
They are very accurate and relatively cheap to fire.

Get a silencer and bipod if you can.

It's illegal to shoot birds with a rifle, isn't it?

bunny shooter

Those listed as "vermin" eg grey crows & magpies can be shot with a rifle ?

Rovi

Some posts have been temporarily removed from public view while we get clarification on the legality or otherwise on the shooting with rifles of certain species.

Straffan1979

In fairness the whole hunting/shooting forum is littered with references to (and pictures I might add) of 'certain species' shot with rifles!

IRLConor

Rovi wrote: »

Some posts have been temporarily removed from public view while we get clarification on the legality or otherwise on the shooting with rifles of certain species.

You can't shoot birds with:

• air/gas/spring guns
• handguns
• anything with a silencer attached

Additionally, you can't shoot protected wild birds with a rifle of any kind.

Section 33 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 as amended by Section 41 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000 is where you want to look for the nitty gritty details.