I snagged a sweet little T/C Super 16 in 17MKII. Ammo is practically non-existent. Scouring over GB, sellers want mortgage money for a box of (50)!!!

Did the 17HMR kill the 17MKII?


DMc

.17hm2 never took off like the .17HMR did when it was launched. For a rimfire to stick around it has to be well received or it will go the way of the 5mm. I think it's dying and I wouldn't be surprised if the .17wsm does the same.

Sad thing.. I thought the 17 HM 2 was a more practical cartridge than the 17 HMR...

however, typical of the American Market.... it if doesn't say magnum in its name, it is deemed to be second class to the one that does say magnum....

Yes, it is on its way to 6 feet under.

I don�t think that was the case so much as the 17 HMR actually filled a niche that would sell. Something larger than a 22 LR but cheaper and quieter than a centerfire. The 22 Mag didn�t quite work for many, as much of the ammo didn�t carry out as well or shoot quite as well as a comparable 17 HMR.

The 17 HM2�s niche was much more limited, and I suspect many saw this need to be already filled by the 22 LR.

Well guys this news sucks. I know it mostly depends on the specific firearm but some calibers like the 243 and 222 are inherently accurate. Can anyone attest to the accuracy of this pipsqueak round?




DMc

That hits the nail right there - it just didn't have a good niche that wasn't already filled by the .22 LR, whereas the 17HMR found a new niche.

there's 10 shots from my Cooper LVT in Mach2 at a tad over 50 yards...

i've shot a truckload of squirrels with the mach 2, and have several rifles so chambered...it is an accurate round.

finding ammo at reasonable prices is tough, CCI has suspended production, Eley has dropped production, and Hornady has been sporadic.

DMc,

No, the .17 HMR didn't kill the .17 M2, because the .17 HMR came out two years before the .17 M2. Hard to kill something that didn't exist yet. But if the .17 M2 had appeared first, however, it might be more popular now.

I know quite a few people here in Montana who have Mach 2's, because it's just about perfect for ground squirrels (as opposed to prairie dogs), and when you can find ammo it's still less expensive than .17 HMR. Usually ammo's a seasonal deal, appearing in late winter or early spring, and fans can stock up then. I'm one.

I have a Contender Carbine barrel that is very accurate and am having a LH 581 re-barreled to 17HM2 so I sure hope the caliber is not dead as I believe it's a great squirrel caliber and is one of my favorites.

You're pulling our leg right Gerald? I'm thinking those are powder burns around that center hole ????

....at 150%


HaHaHaHaHa!!!! (I love Photoshop)



DMc

Don't know about the Match2 but my 17 Humer is a really great little round - all the way out to 150 yards!

the 17Mach2 slams squirrels like no 22 can.

Half the makers have a blind spot when it comes to marketing.

If they didn't we'd have plenty of 17Mach2's...

I haven't taken my 22 squirrel hunting since the first time I whacked one with my 17M2..

They'll make more - stock up on them when they do.

IN FACT - EMAIL Hornady about them and ask them to make more...

Spot

DMc, I was with Gerald that day at the range. He was very desperate to shoot a good group with that rifle and was finally successful @ 5 feet. LOL

BUSTED!!!

I KNEW IT! Thanks for setting us straight Nick!

Gerald YOU should be ashamed!


DMc

I squirrel hunted with my CZ HM2 today and shot a couple in the head at around 100 yards. I doubt a better, more versatile squirrel cartridge exists. Luckily, I laid in a near lifetime supply of ammo.

DMc: I am hoping for a long life for the 17 Hornady Mach2 (or 17 HM2).
Its a useful, accurate and lethal rimfire cartridge.
I have two Varmint Rifles in 17 Mach2 caliber.
I love them and the cartridge!
But my loving something does not translate into immortality - witness the death of the 222 Remington!
I have a friend who turned a stainless Ruger MarkII Hunter pistol into a suppressed, heavy, long barreled 17 Mach2.
It has a scope on it along with the suppressor and it is a Varmint killing machine!
I simply LOVE this rig of my friends.
I hope you enjoy your T/C in 17 Mach2 as much as he and and I enjoy ours.
And I hope ammo becomes more readily available SOON!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

When did the 222 Rem die? Factory ammo, brass, bullets, powder and primers still abound.....

http://www.midwayusa.com/find?dimensionids=9784

he's just mad because the recoil of a .22LR causes him to bruise (he's delicate) and i hogged up the .17mach2 that day.

Nice deflection Gerald, but you still haven't explained those powder burns.

I wasn't aware T/C was making a 10 gauge? OUCH!

---------------------------------------------------

THANKS TO ALL THAT HAVE POSTED. Sounds like everyone that has a 17MKII really likes them.

I'm going to have to try it. I've scored 2 (50 round) boxes of ammo.


DMc

When the ammo supply for rimfires quits being stupid, I wish the manufacturers would start making 22 Rimfire, with 30 to 40 grain plastic tip bullets...or Jacketed HPs...

Good Friend, Mike Bellm, use to go out Squirrel Shooting with me, and had an Encore in 17M2...he later bored it out to 17 Fireball just due to ammo availability, IIRC...

which is another round, I'd like to play with... load it for a friend, who bought the Encore from Mike when he moved from Oregon...

Havent had a Mach II for a few years but had the very first one that rolled into my buddy's shop. Bought 2 cases of ammo when I got it and shot the snot outta that heavy barreled Marlin. Had a trigger put in it. Little booger shot like crazy way out for such a tiny round. Killed quite a few bushy tails and even dropped 2 song dogs DRT, 1 was shot right above a line that connects the peepers and one shot directly in the chest as he sat right there and watched me shoot him. Wish I had that gun back and a stock of ammo. Never heard any of those bullets whistle through the air after I poked a squirrel in the head. Perfect round for shooting squirrels in the trees with all of the houses out in the country now. Safer than a solid RN 22 LR by far.

that means you can shoot 10 sighter shots, then still kill 90 squirrels.

i shoot a lot of 1-shot groups from Mach2's...

Thanks for posting that. When the II came out I figured it would be absolutely PERFECT squirrel medicine. ( the 17 Hummer is a bit much...)
You have confirmed my suspicions.

Now, what hasn't the popularity taken off?

Dang Gerald! You need to post those pics over on the Dead Critter, and varmint thread! Nice looking property too!

Awesome!!!


DMc

I hope not. I love mine....

When the HMR ammo was $10.00 & Mach2 $4.00 it was a no-brainer in the gopher fields.
Now, when you can find it, it's at least $7.00+ retail and I am down to 1 Hm2.
I love it, though.


P.S. if you have a buddy at a Pawn Shop, ask him to save all Hm2 ammo for you. The one I have a connection at says he has trouble moving it, because most folks do not know what it is.
He is glad to have a guaranteed sale & profit when he takes some in.
Been working for me.

I would love to have a Marlin 917V in 17HM2, but they didnt make very many of them. Savage still make 17HM2 with standard and bull barrel. Have talked to guys in PA that have no problem with 80 yard head shots on grey squirrels with 17HM2.

I used to own a cz 452 in 17 hm2 that was easily my most accurate gun ever.
My then 8-10 year old son could shoot sub MOA groups,one after another, off the bench with it.
I bought it from a member here,and sold it to a different one.

I kicked myself for not buying a Ruger 77 in the HM2 while they were available locally for less than $400....

i remember CDNN clearing out some 1885 low walls in Mach2 priced in the mid 500's, and the stainless/laminate rugger 77 17M2's priced in the mid $400's...kinda always wanted both of those, never got either.

I picked up a sako quad in 17HM2.

Friggin accurate rig

I have 3 Mach 2's.. a Magnum Research Carbon fiber, a Savage Bolt and a Marlin 917 auto.. all of them are shooters. The Magnum Research is my favorite.. it has accounted for 5 coyotes... all I had with me at the time.. dropped all but 1 in his tracks. I still kick myself in the butt for not stocking up on ammo when Natchez had it for $39 a brick!!!

One of these days I will post up pictures of my rimfire shooting system... It consists of a CZ 455, a 4x12x40 AO Leupold and Lilja barrels with corresponding CDS dials tailored to their favorite loads in 22LR, 17 MachII, 22 WMR, and 17 HMR............The 17 MachII is my favorite!


X-VERMINATOR

That is something I'd really like to see!

Have a 17M2.....Savage SS/lam w/heavy bbl...Basix trigger...

Bought new quite a while ago....quiet & very accurate

Use Eley ammo......smells good....have enough for many years..

works great on feral cats...one shot even out to 100 yds..

I'll post something up as soon as I get it back...



X-VERMINATOR

Tikkanut: I have noticed the distinctively different smell of the Eley 17 Mach2 ammunition myself.
It is a vastly different and more pronounced (more pungent!) odor than the Hornady ammo.
The Remington ammo (of which I have only fired a little) smells quite similar to the Eley stuff IIRC.
My good friend and retired gunsmith (with an F.F.L.) here in my town bought 10,000 rounds of ELEY 17 Mach2 ammo about 3 years ago - at under $3.00 per box (not counting shipping).
Oh how I wish I would have joined in on that bargain!
I bought a big cardboard box full of Eley 17 Mach2 ammo myself at the Bozeman Gunshow last year for $240.00 I think it has 40 boxes of the Eley stuff in it - I am going down to my gunvault and check on that amount - I haven't broken in to it as yet for shooting.
Yeah that carton has 40 boxes of 50 rounds each Eley ammo in it.
That was at $6.00 per box.
Only reasonable price I have paid for the stuff in over 2 1/2 years!
Now I can't even find the stuff on stores shelves at all.
Heres hoping for improvement in availability in the future.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Looking forward to it!

And Go Cards! Not a fan of the recent trade or losing Neshek, but I have high hopes again for this year.

My brother and I always take time off from deer hunting to break out our 17M2s for squirrel. The 17s and his rat terrier make for a great morning in the creek bottoms.

When the 17HMR came out I hoped they would make a 17 off the .22 LR case. The 17M2 is more practical as a small game round. As far as ammo goes the best thing I can say is buy it when you find it.