17 HMR Barrel life

Y

yotecaller91

New member
I was wondering how long a 17 HMR's barrel is good for? It's a bull barrel and i have put over 8,000 rounds through the tube in the last few years. And would it be cheaper to buy a new barrel or just buy a whole new rifle? Thanks
 
Has it lost accuracy? At the low velocities of the HMR I can't see wearing out a barrel, but if the accuracy is falling off then perhaps you do need to do something with it. If it's in a Ruger 10-22 or 77-22 barrel replacement is really simple, just a couple of screws and off it comes. If it's in something that needs threaded and headspaced then it's more complicated and will require a gunsmith with a lathe.

Barrels are available from Brownell's, but your going to have to fine a gunsmith with the appropriate reamers to chamber your barrel.
 
I'd bet you could get another 8,000 rounds out of it. How in the world did you afford 8,000 rounds of .17 HMR ammo? That's what... about $80,000... EDIT: Whoops looks like I need to go back to school...
 
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It hasn't lost accuracy too much, but it is at around 1.25MOA at 100 yards. The gun is a Marlin 917V that i bought new 3 years ago. I figured next year i would either replace the barrel or just buy a brand new gun if accuracy goes even further south.
 
Squirt some foaming bore cleaner in the barrel & let it set for 10 minutes. Clean the copper out & go after the carbon in the throat. Repeat til clean. I've shot just shy of 5,000rds thru mine. I got mine when they 1st came out & I was lucky to find 2 boxes of ammo on the shelf at one time!! I'm still under 1" at 100yds 90% of the time for 5 shot groups. All I do is clean it good every spring & shoot it. I pull a bore snake thru every time after a trip,, if I've shot it,, with 2 drops of gun oil in the leading edge of the brush on the snake.

RC-- RF magnum ammo has increased to $14-$16/box in most places. If you're getting it for $10 you better stock pile it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I just got a flyer with HMR Hornady's in the $10's per box, but it is from a distributor that I won't buy from anymore. It's a shame, until their operator made me mad today, I was about to put in an order for some. Now I'll pay $12 a box locally to get it instead. The HMR is a dirty little rifle, just like the .22 RF's. A good cleaning should make it shoot forever. Like said above, use the Boresnake, it's barrel friendly.
 
Ouch, I bought a case (500 rounds) from a local dealer back mid summer, Paid 69.00 for it. I will be calling him tomorrow to get more allthough I have not even got it opened yet. Still working on the case before that one.
 
Your prices may vary from East Central Ohio too. At least a phone call is in order. At $69/500 I would be interested in it too. I only have about 1500rds left myself. They won't last long at the range with a couple dozen eggs & the Wife on each trip. LOL Let me know what they tell you!

ARCOREY-- S&H is cost prohibitive for me. I live within 3 minutes of one shop & 7 minutes of another. They can usually order ammo for me by the brick for less than I can get it online. I realize I'm lucky in that regard. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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It hasn't lost accuracy too much, but it is at around 1.25MOA at 100 yards. The gun is a Marlin 917V that i bought new 3 years ago. I figured next year i would either replace the barrel or just buy a brand new gun if accuracy goes even further south.



Check with Marlin about a replacement barrel. They have very good service and that shouldn't be to expensive to have the factory do it.
 
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