Yesterday I headed for my friends private Rifle range with my new to me Anschutz 1517 in caliber 17 HMR.
The range is 24 miles away and is protected from the normal WSW winds that blow here. When I left home the wind was near dead calm.
Well sadly once to the range the wind had picked up and was coming from the SSE and quartering at my back. My friends range has target stantions at 35 yards, 100 yards and 1,000 yards.
I started at the 35 yard position and quickly found out that the Nikon Monarch 6x24 scope with side parallax only goes down to 50 yards for parallax elimination - so there was some parallax to deal along with the 8 to 10 MPH intermittent wind at my back. I shot anyway, to get the new rig on paper.
The trigger on the heavy barrel Anschutz is just fantastic! I had measured it a consistent 20 ounces prior.
Quickly got it sighted to point of aim in the pesky wind and then fired 5 shots for group.
That one hole group measured .33" outside to outside and I was VERY pleased with that - so approximately .16" grouping there at 35 yards (or .48" correspondingly at 100 yards?).
Rifle fed flawlessly from its 4 round magazine. I only got to fire the Hornady 17 grain ammunition I had along and will test the other options I have on hand whenever the wind quits.
I waited a while for the wind to subside but it only got worse the longer I sat there in the cold.
Will test at 100 yards ASAP but I am sure happy with the first outing.
Only slightly negative observation on the Anschutz 1517 is it takes THREE hands to remove the bolt from the Rifle! I will probably get the hang of that operation over time?
When I was considering buying this Rifle I thought to myself why did the folks at Anschutz build this heavy and heavy barreled Rifle in 17 HMR caliber?
I am happy they did but how many folks would seek out a rather expensive heavy barrel target/competition style Rifle in 17 HMR?
I can't wait for spring and the coming of the Colony Varmints so I can get after them with this new Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy