17wsm

GunnSmokeer

Senior Member
1.) I don’t own one, but if I didn’t already own a .22 magnum and a .223 varmint rifle, I’d probably buy one.
This caliber looks great on paper, and I’d really appreciate its flatter-shooting trajectory at 200-350 yards, compared to any other rimfire varmint round.

2.). Ammo isn’t very expensive. I’ve seen boxes of 50 for $15.
That’s 1/3 the cost of American made centerfire rifle ammo.
But... it’s the same as what you’d pay for imported, steel cased .223 rounds with expanding bullets.
 

BriarPatch99

Senior Member
The only .17 WSM I've shot was a heavy barrel Salvage BMag ...

When we took it out of the box ... I had high hopes of it being a shooter like the .17 HMR that I had shot earlier ....

The stock was like holding a limp dish rag ... not pretty gun at all ... but I still had high hopes .... After mounting a scope(cheaper scope).... We managed to get it sighted in ... well good enough to back up to 100 yards( we only had one box ammo) ...

We tried cleaning it ... We tried pulling the limp stock off ... We tried different stock bolt tightness ... We reinstalled the scope bases and scope ...nothing really helped.

The best we got was a ragged 5"/6" group at 100 yards.... Was it the scope ...I don't believe it was.... Was it the stock ...I can't say for sure ... but it certainly was the most flimsy piece of plastic I had ever seen put on a gun this side of a RG pistol....

At the time I didn't have a spare scope to try ... the guy was supposed to get one and give us another shot at it ... but has not yet ...

I do believe with a better stock and a good scope ... the gun could have shot better ... I think it is still sitting in the follows safe ...

Like I said I had high hopes ... for the .17 WSM cartridge ... I just would like to shoot it in a quality rifle to see.... I see Salvage has a laminated stock model now ....

I'll reserve opinion on the cartridge itself ... I do believe it will be worthwhile ... in a quality gun ...

Oh ... I did later shoot a .17 Hornet in a Salvage that shot a nickle size group ...
 

frankwright

Senior Member
My longtime friend bought the Savage one last year. It was amazingly accurate right out of the box with a decent scope. He didn't like the look of the stock so he put a Boyd's, I think, and it looks much better now.
He was sitting in a ladder stand one morning and shot three pigs in one minute. All head shots and they did not take another step. He was about 50 yards from a creek bank the pigs like to travel.
If I didn't already have a .22 mag set up, that has worked fine, I would consider one too.
 

Buckhead

Senior Member
Great round. I have two .17 WSMs. An early skinny barrel Bmag and a MGM Contender Carbine. The Bmag is the lowest quality firearm I have ever owned. It is a 4 - 5" gun @ 100 yds. Have given up on it, not sure I would ever buy another Savage product. The Contender Carbine is a different story, sub MOA with both 20 and 25 grain.

For a rimfire, the ballistics are really impressive. It produces 400 ft lbs of muzzle energy, has almost a 150 yd advantage over the .17 HMR. Great round for raccoon, fox, and close range coyote.

Not many rifles offered in the caliber. In semi auto platforms, Franklin and VQ are your choices. Both are nice, but pricey. In bolt action, Ruger and Savage are your options. In single shot, Winchester Low Wall and the MGM barrel for the Contender. Really wishing CZ would put something out.
 
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