Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires What's happening with the 17 mach 2?

What is happening with the 17 mach 2 in your part of the world. It seems to be vanishing down here (Australia), and ammunition prices have got very uncompetitive. And i notice very few rifle manufacturers seem to be chambering for it any more. Has it failed?

It seems to have a pretty small following here, but the folks who own 17HM2s are pretty enthusiastic about the cartridge. Savage is the only major American firearms manufacturer still cataloging the 17HM2, at least that I'm aware of. We can still buy Eley 17HM2 ammo for $0.10 per round, $5 per box, on a regular basis.

I really like the 17HM2, particularly in the discontinued Marlin 917M2S. There are a lot of guys on www.rimfirecentral.com who are still building and shooting the 17HM2. Heck, some guys are still trying to convert Ruger 10/22s to 17HM2 with the same level of mixed success and failure.

Jeff

Good to hear. I have to admit, i kinda like it. I only shoot rabbits with rimfires, and in that application the 17 mach 2 seems to have the 22lr beat.

I always thought it was a better idea than the 17 HMR... but I guess I turned out to be the minority...

I kick myself for not picking up the Ruger 77 in one before they were discontinued..

and if I could run ammo down at $5.00 a box, I'd take it..

watch.. in 20 years it will have a revival and be the greatest thing since sliced bread..

CZ built a batch of 452's for the Mach 2 last year & they sold out so quick I think they were going to build another batch. I was lucky enough to get one.

Hard to say what will happen to it though.
I really don't think ammo for it will ever dry up to the point that the 5mm did but I could be wrong.

I remember when CDNN was closing out the Ruger 77/22s in 17HM2, shoulda bought a couple at that price.

A years or so ago, Green Mountain was selling a bunch of 77/22 and 96/22 barrels in 17HM2, 17HMR, and 22MRF. I bought several of them to rebarrel 4 Ruger 10/22s, a Savage Mark II, and a Savage 93. They were an inexpensive way to go, at about $75 per barrel, and took minimal effort/time to rework them for the Ruger 10/22 and Savage actions.

Of the common factory built 17HM2s that I've seen and/or shot, I like the Marlin 917M2S the best, as the stainless barrel is more user friendly during our humid summers and the laminated stock fits me well and it stiff.

The 17HM2 guys on RFC say that Whittaker's in Owensboro, KY, is going to do a limited run of CZ's real soon, so you might check with them.

www,whittakerguns.com

Jeff

Dhg: Every few months I hear someone "speculating" that the munition manufacturers are going to quit making 17 Mach2 ammunition.
I don't know?
I have a close friend here in SW Montana that bought a Varmint model CZ in 17 Mach2 a couple years ago and it shot so wonderfully well that he immediately bought 10,000 rounds of ELEY ammunition on super sale and ordered another CZ Varmint in 17 Mach2 as "back-up".
Unfortunately the second Rifle came with a factory "etched" bore and when he quickly sent it back the CZ folks did not have a replacement barrel for the Rifle NOR another Rifle to replace it with - they did send him a brand new CZ Varmint in 17 HMR to settle the situation.
I was so impressed with his original CZ in 17 Mach2 that I went out looking for a similar Rifle. I had no luck and had to settle for a pretty fair shooting N.E.F. Varminter single shot in 17 Mach2.
I really enjoy the cartridge and use it in "special" situations where I need a frangible bullet and/or 130 yard range capability on Ground Squirrels and feral cats etc.
I hope the 17 Mach2 does not "vanish" anytime soon.
There seems to a fair amount of this ammo on store shelves in my remote corner of the world (SW Montana).
I bought my 17 Mach2 N.E.F. about a year and a half ago and I am not sure if that model/brand is still manufactured.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

i dearly love mine. i have 2 of them actully. it is not as popular as 17 hmr altho i dont know why. speed sells i guess. for shooting small varmints a close range it is perfict. futher out i use a c fire.

I have one in a sako quad. Hard to find ammo here lately, and if found the price is a little steep!

I get better prices ordering on-line.

The guys in the 17HM2 forum over on RFC often post "heads up" notices when they find ammo on sale. I think that the most I've ever paid for Eley 17HM2 ammo was $6 per box and I've paid as little as $3.50 per box for Remington, which is made by Eley.

I totally avoid the CCI 17HM2 in favor of the Eley ammo.

Jeff

I have a CZ452 in 17 Mach II and love it... the local gun shop does not stock ammo, or rifles, any more. So I order from Midway once a year, when the birthday sale comes around... this rifle and chambering is my favorite rimfire.

Had a CZ in 17MK 11.

Traded it off 'cause I couldn't get used to the backwards safety.

Flash forward, I picked up a CZ Scout 22 LR. It has the same safety, but I FINALLY figured out...Just don't chamber a round 'till I'm ready to fire.

Sure wish I'da kept the 17 MK 11...

Someday I'll get another....

Virgil B.

I've got the heavy barrelled version of the Ruger 77/17 in HM2 with the laminated stock. It shoots lights out. I got it when they first came out and dug it right away after seeing how accurate it was. I bought a bunch of the Eley ammo. from Zander's for $1.99 per box.

The 17 M2 never got off the ground here. I remember the first time I saw HM2 ammo on the shelf it was the same price per 50 as HMR ammo... A couple gun shop owners I've asked say the few rifle they got in sat for months. I only know of two people who own an HM2, while I can think of dozens that own HMR's. Over the past couple of years I've noticed HM2 ammo was quite a bit cheaper than HMR and that is what should have happened to get the new rimfire cartridge off the ground in the first place.

I don't think HM2 failed, it was just put into such a narrow niche that only real rimfire junkies went out and bought one.

I tried one out, but it was a serious accuracy disappointment (Marlin, at that!). I've seen them shoot like a house afire, but mine was more like a shotgun.

Since I like to pot prairie dogs, I liked the HMR a lot better, anyway. Me, and two other folks, are the only ones I know who've tried the little stinker. They just didn't fly well around here.

I will get my hands on a good one some day. I had a Remington 504 that was a total pos. Worst rifle Ive ever owned. But the caliber is a good fit here in Ga wherd I hunt. We dont have any varmints in the HMR size. Its either too much or too little. The MK2 is about perfect I just havent been able to put mg hands on one at a price Im willing to pay yet.

I'm still kicking myself for not picking up a maple stocked CZ a year or so ago. I'd been looking at two of them at an out of the way gun shop.

Was hoping he'd drop his price, just started getting him to come down a little bit (400.00). He than put them on gun broker and they brought 650-700.00 I believe.

Probably could have bought the pair for 700.00 and sold one and had a free or really cheap one.

Do you mind telling me what was wrong with the Remington 504. A local gunshop has had one sitting around for yeatrs, and occured to me the other day to go in an make really low ball offer on it. I didn't because i don't know much about the rifle, other than that they quickly discontinued it.

That was the first time Remington got it right to stop making a rifle. Total pos. Outside fit and finish was great. Rifle felt wonderful to shoulder too. Mechanicaly a complete turd. Mine broke 2 firing pins in 200rds and wouldnt hold under an inch @50yds. Trigger was crap as well. Maybe mine was a lemon but from wzhat I've read elsewhere most aren't great shooters.
If you can buy it right it would be worth a shot. I wouldn't pay more than 250-300 for one though.

My wife bought me a 17HM2 Cooper for an anniversary gift several years ago. The
wood is nothing to brag about, but it's a real shooter. It is my designated squirrel slayer. I bought 2 cases of Eley, so I should be good on ammo for a while.