Baby steps

[barretcreek]

Received a 17 FB take off barrel from a member which looks to be really nice. While waiting to scope it and decide which Remington to put it on I bought a Ruger American 17 HMR to play with this summer.
How many rounds can an HMR go before a real thorough cleaning with abrasive is needed? Every 50 rounds with a copper remover and then what? Waiting to mount a scope and then find some rodents.

[JSH]

There is no right or wrong answer. Only your barrel will know.
I no longer own an HMR. I have a WSM, it actually shoots way better fowled than clean.
My 17FB has gone well over 100 with no complaints about accuracy.

[Dean2]

17 HMR I never worried about cleaning out the copper much except at the regular cleaning intervals. I would easily go 500 rounds between cleanings, and I have sold 3 17 HMRs, one Savage and two CZs that had about 20,000 rounds through them each and still shot great. I figure they are good for at least 40,000.

I have a new CZ 452 I am using now, and an Anschutz. The CZ is as accurate and I think the barrels last a lot longer than the Anschutz will. Have read a number of reports of the Anschutz starting to lose accuracy at only 8 to 10,000 rounds. Will know when I get mine in that range but I don't live in great gopher country any more so my annual ammo consumption has really dropped. Used to shoot 15,000+ plus assorted rounds a year (22 LR, 17 HMR, 22 Hornet and 17 FB), now go through maybe 2,000 a year between 22 and 17 HMR.