Marlin XT-17 VSL 17 HMR ???

IAyoteHNTR

IAyoteHNTR

New member
To start with, I'm really more of a Savage fan and I had more or less decided to buy a Savage 93R17 BVSS [url=http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/93R17BVSS t=_blank]http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/93R17BVSS[/url] as soon as I found a great deal on one but I ran across a Marlin XT17 VSL at a local store today that was marked as used for $325. I got to looking at it and noticed right away the action was very loose in the stock. I got one of the guys working there to get the right hex key so I could tighten it up in the stock. Took the bolt out and it looked pristine and noticed it still had that sticky stuff on the bolt that new guns have. I'm starting to think this gun is still new.
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I told them I was thinking about it and wanted to look in the store for some other stuff for a bit and as I did I googled the gun since I knew nothing about it and see that it sells for around $360-$400 new, saw this $357 price on Cheaper than Dirt ...... [url=https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/marlin-xt-17vsl-bolt-action-rifle-17-hmr-7-rounds-22-stainless-heavy-barrel-grey-black-laminated-wood-stock-70723-026495707231.do t=_blank]https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/...026495707231.do[/url]

Went back over to the gun counter and I told them if they'd take $300 for it, then I'd buy it. They looked it up on their in-store computer system and they said they would do that, but no less. It came with the original box/papers and both 4 and 7 round magazines.

Got the gun home and found that the factory scope bases were so loose I could unscrew a couple of them by hand with no pressure at all and looked at the magazines that come with this gun and they were both new with no scuff marks on the plastic follower in the mags at all. This gun is still new. Someone must have traded it in for something w/o ever shooting it.

So here's my real question. who's got this model and what can I expect as far as accuracy, reliability, etc. Thanks in advance for any/all responses.
 
I bought my Marlin 17 in 2003. In fact this was around the time the 17 HMR's were starting to hit the shelves and was the first one in to the gun shop I worked at then. It was just the 17VS then (heavy barrel, stainless, with pepper laminate stock). This was before the pro fire adj trigger. Anyways, I bedded it and put in a rifle basix trigger I believe and the thing has shot phenomenally all these years. To this day it is the gun I have had the longest. I threaded the barrel and suppressed it is even more fun. Recently, I cut the barrel down to 16.5" and had it re-threaded, crowned and cerakoted tactical grey. Still as accurate as ever, and I still get box velocity. I topped it off with a Leupold VX2 3-9x40 and it makes for a great light setup.

A buddy of mine had a Ruger 77/17 that he put 2 aftermarket barrels (Volquartsen) in (trigger, bedding, new stocks the whole works) and it never grouped like mine. He easily had 6x in the gun than I did.

I say you did great. Enjoy
 
Get the Savage! To many of the Marlins are hit or miss in the accuracy department!! Had a Marlin when they first came out in HMR total crap!
 
Originally Posted By: marcoGet the Savage! To many of the Marlins are hit or miss in the accuracy department!! Had a Marlin when they first came out in HMR total crap!

Too late. Bought it. Just finished mounting a Vortex Diamondback HP 3-12X42 on it and I'm about to go out and see how it shoots. If it's like any other rimfire I've had it may shoot better once I get a few hundred rounds through it but I'll see how it does fresh out of the box today with some Hornady 17gr ammo.

I'll let y'all know how it turns out.
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Originally Posted By: erikc838
A buddy of mine had a Ruger 77/17 that he put 2 aftermarket barrels (Volquartsen) in (trigger, bedding, new stocks the whole works) and it never grouped like mine.



My personal 77/17 shot pretty good with the factory barrel when I bought it better than 10 years ago but decided to put a Volquartsen match barrel on it anyway. Tah-dah! With the right ammo I could put the entire 9 shot magazine into a nickle at 100 yards. This gun NEVER stays home when I head out to the prairie dog fields.

And I think you did good too, Trevor. I guess we will find out in a few months, eh?
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Originally Posted By: erikc838I bought my Marlin 17 in 2003. In fact this was around the time the 17 HMR's were starting to hit the shelves and was the first one in to the gun shop I worked at then. It was just the 17VS then (heavy barrel, stainless, with pepper laminate stock).


At one time I had two of these, and the Savage mentioned all at the same time. When I decided I needed some extra cash more than I needed three HMR's, there was never any question but what the Savage would be the first to go. It just wasn't as nice, as accurate, as anything as the Marlin's. Coin flip on which of the Marlin's to keep. Still have the one I did keep and don't ever plan on getting rid of it.

Originally Posted By: erikc838Recently, I cut the barrel down to 16.5" and had it re-threaded, crowned and cerakoted tactical grey. Still as accurate as ever, and I still get box velocity.


Mine will be getting threaded very soon (Spectre II). Was thinking I'd have it bobbed at 18", but if the velocity is still there at 16.5", well, hmmmm... Sure looking forward to the ground seething with ground squirrels and the old HMR with a new suppressor this spring though
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- DAA
 
I went the cheap route when the hmr first came out. Stock NEF and it shot better than either of my then friends rugers. Since has been cropped to 16" topped with a Leopold vx3 4.5-14x50 and an SAS m47 5.56 can.
Great rabbit and urban nuisance ridder.

 
Earlier in the fall our area wal marts had some guns on clearance. I picked up a marlin 17hmr synthetic stock and heavy barrel for $99 bucks. Threw a vx1 on top and it shoots good enough to hit a chipmunk at 75 yrds
 
Took 5 shots to get it on paper and zeroed at 50 yards, the next 10 shots produced this.......

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I could easily cover the first 7 shots with a dime, then adjusted down 2 clicks on the scope to get it closer to the bull and shot 3 more that measured a whopping .175".
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This is just shooting out of the back of my truck with a bipod and rear bad which isn't as steady as shooting at the range, but good enough to see how this rifle was going to shoot. I think it's a keeper.
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Hung around for a while out there in/around our small family timber/pond and ended up zapping a few sparrows/starlings anywhere from 60-125 yards. Never missed one I was shooting at. Then spotted a squirrel in a tree about 150-155 yards out and held just a tad bit high and dropped him like a rock but unfortunately I didn't realize he was hanging out on a limb that was just far enough out that he fell onto the ice of our little pond and I wasn't about to step out there on that ice in that spot. It's an small, very old quarry pond and that end is very deep.
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I guess he'll have to be a coyote or fox snack.
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You know what, Trevor? I think you have a keeper too. I have a feeling that it will see quite a bit of use in Wyoming this year. At least at some closer in shots anyway.

Good going. Nice when things work out the way you hoped they would.
 
I'm going to buy a couple more boxes of different brands, weights of ammo and see what it likes best but this Hornady 17gr ammo looks pretty promising. Hoping the faster CCI A17 stuff is just as accurate. Time will tell.
 
Originally Posted By: IAyoteHNTRI'm going to buy a couple more boxes of different brands, weights of ammo and see what it likes best but this Hornady 17gr ammo looks pretty promising. Hoping the faster CCI A17 stuff is just as accurate. Time will tell.

Mine has always liked this https://www.midwayusa.com/product/953194...-hornady-v-max. The Hornady 17gr V-Max shoots well too.

I haven't tried the A17.
 
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mine shoots the CCI a17 good as the 17gr Hornady.Doesn't like 20gr very well Remington 17gr shot good but the Winchester offering was dissapointing
 
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