My thoughts on the 17 wsm

Havnt heard to much about it lately so I thought I’d share my experiences with the rifle and round.

Despite all the mixed reviews of the original savage b mag with the pencil barrel I went out and purchased one with a heavy stainless barrel and plastic stock. This was a little over 2 years ago so I’m not sure if the laminated thumbhole stock was available from the factory for it yet or not.

I immediately chucked the Tupperware toy stock that came with it and slapped on a Boyd’s laminated spotter stock. The fit was ok but the barrel rode a little to the left of the barrel channel. A bit of sanding got it free floating again. I had planned on glass bedding the action but I wanted to see how it shot first without it.

Mounted up my leupold vx3 and got it dialed in. Accuracy was around 1 moa with the win 20 gr but I was getting a occasional flyer. I cleaned it very well and switched to the win 25 grn loads and that seemed to eliminate the flyers. Even got a few 3/4” groups. I was happy with that at 100 yards so I left it at that. I was planning on mostly using the 25 grn loads for fox anyway so for now I’m sticking with the Winchester ammo and Walmart always seems to have a good supply of it.

I am stepping up from a very accurate savage 93 17hmr. Now I love the hmr but I have had a few solid hits on foxes that didn’t put them down clean. That is the main reason I wanted to try this new super rim fire. Since I have had the wsm I have killed about a dozen foxes and 2 coyotes. Other than one yote running a few feet and falling over, all others have dropped at the shot with a solid hit in the boiler room.

I don’t hunt predators for fun, I am mainly protecting my poultry and livestock. All shots have been at dusk or at night with the furthest shot being around 175 yards. I use a mounted wicked lights 403ic red light and it’s a deadly combo.

All in all I have to say this round fits the bill for fox and I have no problem taking down a coyote with good shot placement. I know my 22 250 or 223 is a better choice than the wsm but the wsm dosnt wake the dead at 1am like the big boys do.

I’m happy with it and it looks like ammo will be around for a while.

Nice foxes.

Don't know what you do with them, but this thread is looking for some furbearers for mounting: https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=219169

whistlersmother said:

Nice foxes.

Don't know what you do with them, but this thread is looking for some furbearers for mounting: https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=219169

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I sent him a pm. I hate killing them and just tossing them but fur prices just aren’t worth the trouble.

I bought one of the original pencil barrel guns and got in on the $50 upgrade to bull barrels. As long as I was careful with the cheap stock, it shot well at 100 yds but tended to vertically string at 200 yds. 2 MOA vertically but 0.5MOA left to right.

Fast forward a year or so and decide to get the barrel threaded for a suppressor. The smith mentioned that the barrel was press fit and only held in by set screws. Said he threaded the receiver and barrel and put it all back together with some green loctite and it should be GTG now. Dropped it in a Boyd's Rimfire Hunter and will be getting it to the range as soon as the can is out of jail. I have a goodly selection of 20 & 25gr rounds and it likes them both equally.

Suffice to say, I like it. Rumor had it Ruger was going to release an American Rimfire in the round (the prototype made it to SHOT Show a couple years back) but it seems to have become vaporware.

Nice write up and a nice rig you have there. I prefer a 223 bolt gun but as you point out that's not always practical. I think you made the right choice. Very interesting and thanks for sharing.

I really like the 17hmr. The WSM has had me almost sold. I feel the HMR loses out past 130yds on both accuracy and lethality. The debate is always against .204 and 22-250.

balttigger said:

I bought one of the original pencil barrel guns and got in on the $50 upgrade to bull barrels. As long as I was careful with the cheap stock, it shot well at 100 yds but tended to vertically string at 200 yds. 2 MOA vertically but 0.5MOA left to right.

Fast forward a year or so and decide to get the barrel threaded for a suppressor. The smith mentioned that the barrel was press fit and only held in by set screws. Said he threaded the receiver and barrel and put it all back together with some green loctite and it should be GTG now. Dropped it in a Boyd's Rimfire Hunter and will be getting it to the range as soon as the can is out of jail. I have a goodly selection of 20 & 25gr rounds and it likes them both equally.

Suffice to say, I like it. Rumor had it Ruger was going to release an American Rimfire in the round (the prototype made it to SHOT Show a couple years back) but it seems to have become vaporware.

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I didnt know the barrel was press fit. I will have to look into that. I watched some good vids on YouTube about pillar and glass bedding but I just havnt got around to it yet. I’m just not sure how much I want to get into it to squeeze the most out of it when it’s plenty accurate for what I need it for.

It’s a wonder there arnt more people making rifles for this round. It seems to have a lot going for it. I would love to see cz make one. I have the 527 in 221 fireball and it’s a handy little rifle with a awesome trigger.

what area are you hunting them and about what distance are you shooting

dreadpirate said:

Nice write up and a nice rig you have there. I prefer a 223 bolt gun but as you point out that's not always practical. I think you made the right choice. Very interesting and thanks for sharing.

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Yeah I prefer my 22 250 bolt gun too. It will reach anything I’m poking at around here anyway. But it’s like setting off a stick of dynamite in the middle of the night. My closest neighbor is a Vietnam vet so I surely don’t want to go rocking him out of bed.

Racer Doug14 said:

I really like the 17hmr. The WSM has had me almost sold. I feel the HMR loses out past 130yds on both accuracy and lethality. The debate is always against .204 and 22-250.

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I really like the hmr too. It is just a inherently accurate cartridge. I actually sold my trusty 22 mag to get one when it first came out. Although it was the ill faited Remington 597 which liked to blow magazines to pieces. That got recalled when rem found out they had problems. I got the savage after that then eventually the heavy barrel 93. That thing would print clovers all day long.

I agree just not enough punch for anything bigger than a gopher past 100 yards.

Great write up the reasons your shooting 17 wsm.
I'm working with .17 hmr, .22-250 and .223.
The .224 Valkyrie has been tempting me lately.

17 HMR

I too am a long time fan of the HMR (Savage 93). I found that switching to digital night vision (photon xt) has cut shot distance considerably at night when I'm fox hunting. Some distances my Gamo Whisper could've handled! If there's a chance that a shot will be longer than 75 yrds, I tote the Savage 25 in 17 hornet. It'll shoot an apple off someone's head at 100 yrds easily. Now if I could just find a volunteer.

Taking the thermal scope plunge this upcoming season on a Ray-Vin upper, HMR build. Cant wait.

rob b said:

what area are you hunting them and about what distance are you shooting

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Cresswell area of Harford County. Longest shot on a fox was right around 170 or so and the last yote I shot was right at 97 yards which is how far it is from my back deck to the corner of my old chicken pen.

As far as ballistics I have only had one exit wound on a fox. The rest stayed in the animal. Some of them I had to look real hard for a entry wound but it sure does some damage on the inside.