17 Remington

Guys just wanted some input on this cartridge. For the last few years I have considered buying either a rifle or MGM barrel for my encore in this cartridge. But prices for brass and ammo have deterred me from doing so up until now. Recently I was in Gander Mountain for their store closing sale and stumbled across several boxes of Remington Premier 17 Remington ammo that was marked down substantially. I figured it would be worth buying just in case I decided to buy a rifle/barrel later on. I ended up getting 13 boxes for $14 per box. I currently have numerous small bore rifles (17 hornet, 17hmr, 204, 223, 6x45, etc.) but I like 17 Remington because it's something different that not everyone has. So in your opinion, would this catridge be worth pursuing? I guess I'm just looking for pros and cons as opposed to the others I already have. If I get one it'll be used primarily for coyotes, fox, groundhogs, and punching paper occasionally. Thanks in advance.
 
It is one of my favorite fur harvesting calibers. With the right bullet it is very fur friendly on bobcats and foxes and if you place your shot correctly it will drop coyotes. I run mine in an AR-15 and I use the Remington factory cartridges with the Hornady 25gr HP's or I reload them with the 25gr HP's. I am looking forward to trying it out this season with a suppressor.
 
I like your style! Buying cartridges for a gun you don't own...only one solution to that! Enjoy your new 17 Rem!

Never owned one but always been an interesting cartridge to me. Maybe if I did more fox hunting....
 
Is there suddenly a renewed interest in this fine round? It seems to be. Just got through with a lengthy PM to someone else here about the pros and cons of the .17 Remington. I guess I got time for some more with you.

Back in 1979 when I got my first one things were rather bleak for the round. Only two manufacturers (Hornady and Remington) were making bullets for it and both were 25 grain hollow points. Powder choices, while good, were miniscule compared to what we have today. Barrels are much better and barrel cleaning equipment is much better as well.

Since you already have an Encore and got a great deal on the ammo I would say that a barrel from MGM might just be your next move.

If you handload for it, and it's fairly obvious that you will, then you will really start to enjoy it for what it is. A real killer that is.

While I have never shot a coyote (did shoot a badger though) with mine the ground squirrel and prairie dog total are in the thousands. And to see what happens to a small rodent that intercepts a 20 grain Vmax leaving the barrel at 4400 FPS is something to behold. Hydrostatic and hydraulic shock is truly something to witness at this level.

While I shoot the 20 grain Vmax at our local ground squirrels I prefer the 25 grain version for the larger Nevada squirrels and Wyoming prairie dogs. Just more toss at the longer ranges. If you keep your shots at under 450 yards (400 better yet) it is a sure killer.

Even though I just bought me a CZ 527 .17 Hornet a few weeks ago and love it so far there will never be a time there is not a .17 Remington in my safe. I had to rebarrel my M700 last year as I wore it out wearing out whisker wiggling critters with it. I can hardly wait for spring to get here so once again I can start putting things in orbit with it. As they say- too much fun!

Oh, and mine is threaded for my suppressor. Great combo.
 
It may have been me that Rusty had been talking to about this unbelieveable cartridge. I just got a CZ527 Varmint in .17 Rem last Feb and it climbed up my list of favorite cartridges as soon as I shot my first prairie dog with it.

Incredibly accurate round. I will say that it can SOMETIMES be finicky to reload for, but it's a blast to shoot. I haven't shot anything other than prairie dogs with mine but I have some 30 and 32 gr. U.K. let's I'm trying to get to shoot well enough to try on some coyotes this fall and possibly bobcats.

It's a laser, and honestly the 25gr Vmax has a better BC than what a lot of guys shoot out of their .223's. I think the .17 gets a bad rap for being a barrel burner, getting fouled up easily and losing accuracy, and being a poor cartridge in the wind.

I've only owned this round for a short time, but I can tell you that even shooting a tiny 20gr Nosler BT, the wind inside of 200yds is not noticeable. The fouling has not been an issue at all. I've shot as many as 200 rounds between cleanings and it was still holding zero. As far as a barrel burner, that's an old hat. What cartridge isn't? .204, .22/250, even .243 with small billets will eat away at the barrels life. Barrels are relatively cheap and can be replaced easily. I would expect between 3-4K shots on mine if not more. Shoot, my 6.5 Creedmoor will be lucky to get that many.

Your encore is a great platform and the easiest to rebarrel!

Have fun!!
 
Originally Posted By: Acronin I just got a CZ527 Varmint in .17 Rem last Feb and it climbed up my list of favorite cartridges as soon as I shot my first prairie dog with it.

You're a lucky guy. Trying to find a used one of these seems to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If I recall correctly, CZ started offering these in the 527 in 2003, but I don't know for how long they chambered it.
 
I am lucky. In the town of 2500 that I live in I have two gun stores in between the two of them they had three brand new CZ 527 varmints chambered in .17 Remington. There's still one at one of the gun stores. So being buys interested I'm sure he would ship.
 
I purchased my 17 Rem when Remington was issuing the classic series in 2001 or 2, don't remember the exact date. I have shot pdogs, rock chuck, nutria, coon and coyote. Barrel is showing some wear and I have fire lapped the throat which has extended the life of the barrel. I first started shooting the 25 grain factory ammo and that first shot sold me on the caliber. I now shoot 30 grain Kindler gold rounds powered by 22.6 grains of IMR 8208 XBR 3730 fps. Great combo for the heavier animals with fantastic wind resistance.
I have been tempted to get a 17 Rem barrel for my Encore so I would encourage you to do so. Just know it will spoil you.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Looks like I should go ahead and order that barrel. I hope I have as much fun with mine as everyone else has had with theirs.
 

I too got the .17 Rem bug a couple of years ago and ended up with a sweet little CZ 527 in that caliber. Then the reloading began and accuracy was dismal at best. As Acronin mentioned, it can sometimes be finicky to load for, but once you find what it likes it will impress you. The CZ .17 Rem is one of my top favorite rifles / calibers.

My pet load is 24.0 grs of IMR-4320 and the Hornady 25 gr. HP. Wonderfully accurate with my best group measuring .240" 3-shot group. Even when I'm not shooting my best, I still can keep groups well under 1/2".

My experience is limited to bait hunting coyotes with the .17 Remington, and crows too. My bait site is 60 yards from my cabin where I shoot coyotes. The bullet drops them as if they were pole-axed with a tiny entrance that is generally difficult to find (sometimes no evidence of blood), and I've yet to have an exit, but the coyotes just collapse right there. The cartridge is too much for fox at the velocity I shoot it at; 3921 fps. I haven't taken a bobcat with it yet so not sure about how destructive it might be, but I have a feeling it could be too much of a good thing.

36786881215_ee4c8db492_z.jpg





The .17 Remington and 25 gr. Hornady just drop coyotes on the spot for me, but keep
in mind I'm not calling them either. I get to choose my shots carefully at the bait site,
and I think that's the key to good performance from the cartridge.


Here's a couple of videos of coyote kills at my 60 yard bait site.

The shot comes at the 2:37 mark.








This shot comes at the 4:04 point.








This one didn't hit the dirt instantly like most do, but the results were the same.
It was dead and didn't quite know it for a few seconds. Shot at the 45 second point.







 
Originally Posted By: Bad DawgHey SnowmanMo, is the .17 Remington considered a barrel burner? I am interested in this cartridge as well.

I think that really depends on the profile and material of the barrel and how you intend to shoot it along with velocity. They go FAST, so throat erosion and barrel life have to be considerations. Shooting rapidly and not letting the barrel cool off are a sure way to burn one out in short order. But with the right material and profile along with correct shooting techniques there is no reason that the barrel shouldn't last 3000-4000 rounds.

Mine is an 18in stainless bull barrel. The one definite issue is fouling. 17's are dirty. When my rifle was new I had to clean it about every 20 rounds or my bolt had issues locking up due to powder fouling. There are some good poweders out there that can help with that. I have run Ramshot Tac, X-terminator and 4064 with some good results. I had a negative experience with CFE223, where a round had a catastrophic overpressure, so I don't use that anymore.

IMG_2448 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr

IMG_0308 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr
 
As you can see from 6mm-06's videos shot placement is not only easy but is critical. With the right shot placement, DRT. I see many shooters attempting to rely on caliber to compensate for poor shot placement. All those shots were great! It really shows the capability of that tiny pill. I have shot coyotes and it does the trick.

Thanks for those great videos!!
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoOriginally Posted By: Bad DawgHey SnowmanMo, is the .17 Remington considered a barrel burner? I am interested in this cartridge as well.

I think that really depends on the profile and material of the barrel and how you intend to shoot it along with velocity. They go FAST, so throat erosion and barrel life have to be considerations. Shooting rapidly and not letting the barrel cool off are a sure way to burn one out in short order. But with the right material and profile along with correct shooting techniques there is no reason that the barrel shouldn't last 3000-4000 rounds.
What kind of velocities are you getting with the 18in?I bet it points really fast with that barrel.
Mine is an 18in stainless bull barrel. The one definite issue is fouling. 17's are dirty. When my rifle was new I had to clean it about every 20 rounds or my bolt had issues locking up due to powder fouling. There are some good poweders out there that can help with that. I have run Ramshot Tac, X-terminator and 4064 with some good results. I had a negative experience with CFE223, where a round had a catastrophic overpressure, so I don't use that anymore.

IMG_2448 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr

IMG_0308 by Jason Mosler, on Flickr
 
Snowman not sure what happened to my post was wondering what kind of velocity are you achieving with the 25s.hanks
 
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I was getting right around 3900. Had a hard time getting consistent readings with my chrony. Litte pill is hard to see.
 
I have killed over 800 coyotes with mine I really like it. I put a silencer on it and now I get the whop and see the bullet hit.it has been a great pelt gun for me.
 
Originally Posted By: 17freakI purchased my 17 Rem when Remington was issuing the classic series in 2001

I have the same rifle.....love that thing.

Originally Posted By: Bad DawgHey SnowmanMo, is the .17 Remington considered a barrel burner? I am interested in this cartridge as well.

People like to say that....usually people that have never owned one....but I don't think it's worse than any other chambering that can run 4000fps rather easily.

I had 2000 rnds down my original barrel before it started loosing accuracy....I replaced it with a Pac-Nor and have approx 3000rnds to date without any problems. I don't push it real hard though....I load N140 behind 25gr Nagels at 3850....drops Cats and Coyotes where you shoot em.

bQsuCE7.jpg
 
Some of the same guys at MGM built me an Encore barrel when they
were with Virgin Valley Custom Guns. In Tactical 20, it's as
accurate as my two most accurate bolt actions. I believe you
would be very, very happy with a barrel from MGM. That break
action is also a great tool to give one the attitude, "one-shot,
one-kill"!
 
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