Saubier.com  



Go Back   Saubier.com > Saubier.com Forums > Small Caliber Discussion Board

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-01-2019, 10:11 PM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default 17 WSM........long live the king

Ever since it's introduction, the .17 WSM has peaked my interest. When I first heard about it, I thought WOW, what an over bore cartridge that will be. Then, I found out it was a rimfire, not Winchesters "17 Short Magnum".

Not long after introduction of the round, I held the only available rifle at the time, the "skinny barreled" bmag, and just about threw up on the shop floor. I couldn't get that pig out of my hands soon enough.

The fire I had for owning a .17 WSM bolt action rifle was squelched by Savages abomination. I had to think outside the box. Well, MGM came to the rescue and I ordered a 23" Stainless Bull barrel for my T/C Contender and life was good.

Since then, I've come to "know" the round quite well, by extensive field testing on mostly squeaks. Ground squirrels around here start coming out in late January most years and stick around until early July, so a season full of shooting affords thousands of rounds fired.

I was quick to realize the .17 WSM was to be treated much like a small centerfire as far as capability. Hits out to 200 yards were "cheap shots" and kills to 300 yards were doable........
After a few seasons of shooting the .17 WSM contender setup, I plunged into the Ruger 77/17 WSM realm, despite many claiming accuracy woahs. Mine shot well out the gate, under MOA.
I did install a $30 volquartsen sear which lowered the trigger pull down to 2lbs. I also shimmed the bolt with .004" shim from "Triggershims.com".
The rest of the rifle is in stock form.

I went out yesterday to shoot it for the first time since last July. Still shoots like a Ruger "ought to."

I even shot it at 300 yards. I shot coffee creamer bottles (less than 1/2 gallon size) at 300 yards with 15grain Winchester Lead Free ammo and made hits 5 out of 6 shots. Upon recovery of the bottles, bullet fragmentation was still evident at 300. Mirrors my real life experience shooting ground squirrels out to 300 yards with this little screamer.


Anyway, anyone on the fence concerning the .17 WSM should just JUMP. It's a great round for vermin shooting, will extend your .17 HMR ranges, and if your like me, you won't be shooting the .17 HMR any longer.


Hope you enjoy some pics and hope that your getting as fired up as I am for the spring thaw. Vermin beware.
Get out there and shoot, amazing what it can teach you

Last edited by Screaminweasil; 02-01-2019 at 10:29 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-01-2019, 10:20 PM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default

40 degree weather. 6 shots of each ammo through the Chrony results.


Ruger 77/17 WSM 24" barrel...........


American Eagle branded 20gr Vmax..........
Average velocity 2989
SD-23


Winchester lead free 15gr ballistic tip.......
Average velocity 3302
SD-29

I guess crappy Winchester manufactured rimfire ammo and lousy Ruger rifles make a great combo. She shoots pretty well.


300 Yard Group...........Just over 1.5"



200 Yard Group..........Just under 1"



50 Yard 5 shot groups with 15grain Winchester Lead Free

Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-01-2019, 10:24 PM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default

100 Yard Groups 20 grain American Eagle








100 Yard Groups Winchester 15gr Lead Free



Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-01-2019, 10:26 PM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default








.17 WSM sure is a dirty little round. Boretech C4 Carbon remover highly recommended for cleaning. I NEVER get any copper fouling. I've got over 2,000 rounds through my little Ruger now and she's a keeper for certain.


Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-01-2019, 10:31 PM
fat cat fat cat is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 900
Default Ruger

Weasel, I love that rifle!!! I do! I do!!!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-01-2019, 10:35 PM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by fat cat View Post
Weasel, I love that rifle!!! I do! I do!!!



Thanks Cat!! I really do too. I know your a Ruger rimfire fan, they sure are great indeed.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-02-2019, 01:26 AM
JSH JSH is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Kansas US of A
Posts: 634
Default

I got pushed over the edge, though it did not take but a mear nudge. Buncha enablers around here! They pick on the weak.

I had bought over 500 rounds before I got the rifle. I just could not drop the coin on the Ruger, though now I won't say I would not if one were to pass in front of me.
I went with the Savage Bmag heavy barrel SS. I snagged one on GB for cheap made mid last year. Didn't shoot but a few till I got the Tupperware stock off and ordered a Boyds pro varmint. Cloned B23's rig for the most part.

My groups look much like yours. I think the vertical is from pushing or leaning into the gun differently at the shot. I saw a lot of this when I played with some BR 50 stuff looking for groups to find a decent lot of ammo.

Maybe we will get lucky and Norma will jump in with some ammo. I hear they got into the 17HMR and 22 mag game.
Jeff
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-02-2019, 01:31 AM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JSH View Post
I got pushed over the edge, though it did not take but a mear nudge. Buncha enablers around here! They pick on the weak.

I had bought over 500 rounds before I got the rifle. I just could not drop the coin on the Ruger, though now I won't say I would not if one were to pass in front of me.
I went with the Savage Bmag heavy barrel SS. I snagged one on GB for cheap made mid last year. Didn't shoot but a few till I got the Tupperware stock off and ordered a Boyds pro varmint. Cloned B23's rig for the most part.

My groups look much like yours. I think the vertical is from pushing or leaning into the gun differently at the shot. I saw a lot of this when I played with some BR 50 stuff looking for groups to find a decent lot of ammo.

Maybe we will get lucky and Norma will jump in with some ammo. I hear they got into the 17HMR and 22 mag game.
Jeff



Very cool Jeff. I'm glad you are liking your .17 WSM.
Anybody that jumps into the ammo making game is good with me. The more options we have, the better.
I wouldn't mind seeing a 20 grain HP in the future.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-02-2019, 02:56 PM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
Supporting Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Tomball/Klein, Texas
Posts: 3,989
Default

I own two 17 WSM rifles and both shoot extremely well. One of them is the original Ruger 77/17 offering with a wood stocked 24" stainless sporter weight barrel. After getting good accuracy results with it, last summer I also bought one of the "later to the game" 18.5" heavy barrel stainless rifles sitting in a laminate stock. It too shoots extremely well.

The only target pics that I took were with the original 24" rifle utilizing Federal 20 grain bullets at ~3K/sec muzzle velocity. In summary. the rifle shot 5-shot dime size groups at 100 yards. These pictures are re-posts of some pics I posted maybe 1-2 years ago to prove for doubters at the time when I bought the rifle that at least one Ruger 17 WSM shot well. I never took photos of 100 yard benched targets shot with the 18.5" barreled rifle when I sighted it in, but 5-shot groups shot with it were dime sized also.

Three five shot groups were fired from a bench at 100 yards with Federal ammo. The top group is 5 shots - one hole is slightly elongated from two bullet impacts:




Close-ups of the three groups with a dime for reference:










Since then, I have shot all three of the different 20 grain bullet ammo options through each rifle and all three options shoot very comparably, again with very hunter friendly 5-shot groups at 100 yards, which to me means that the accuracy of both rifles is very good for MY hunting and shooting purposes with all three ammo options. I acquired a case of the 15 grain bullet ammo last fall, but I have not shot any of it yet as I have a generous supply of 20 grain ammo on hand. I have not bought any of the 25 grain bullet options as I have several CF 17 cartridges that fill any additional needs for more "stopping power" that I might have.

As I tried to say a week or so ago, I have never shot my rifle at anything capable of moving at 300 yards like Austin obviously has, but if I was to try that with a RF, the 17 WSM would definitely be my choice to do it. It extends that range of RF ammo into the realm of several small cased 17 CF cartridges which I own.

So........... For any fence sitters, there is no accuracy guarantee from one rifle to another from any option in factory rifles, but I definitely would not be afraid to roll the dice and buy another Ruger 17 WSM based on my experience. A lot of folks have had good accuracy from the Savage BMAG, but its simply not my cup of tea. But YMMV on that option.

Another Ruger probably won't happen, but I am still on the fence about buying one of the Miroku/Winchester Lowall 17 WSM rifles. That might happen as spring starts to "spring" in south Texas, if the rain will stop at some point........ If I get one of them, it will require a vintage, age-appropriate looking scope from one of the vendors of those items. The other two rifles already have high power variable scopes on board for extended ranges at small critters.

YMMV as they say..........

As an aside, Austin definitely won the stock beauty contest compared to my walnut stocked rifle. Mine has nice color and a bit of glamour, but no where near what is seen on Austin's rifle. At the time that I bought my first 17 WSM rifle, it was the first one I had found after some considerable looking, and I would have bought it if it had come fitted with a 2x4 for a stock. A quick stop one day at First Stop Guns in Rapid City, SD came through for me as it often does for various things on my want list.

-BCB
__________________


I miss mean Tweets, competence, and $1.79 per gallon gasoline.

Yo no creo en santos que orinan.

Women and cats will do as they please. Men and dogs should relax and just get used to the idea.

Going keyboard postal over something that you read on the internet is like seeing a pile of dog crap on the sidewalk and choosing to step in it rather than stepping around it.

If You're Afraid To Offend, You Can't Be Honest - Thomas Paine
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-02-2019, 03:50 PM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sage Country
Posts: 1,045
Default

Nice write up Hal. I'm glad you are enjoying your WSMs. Nice shootin!


I'm sure it plays heck on long legged Texas jacks
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:46 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.