I've not played with the rimfire or small 17's but got my first 17 Remington 25 years ago. Until that time I had been able to afford just one varmint gun at a time. If I wanted something different I had to trade off the one I had. What can I say, we wuz poor back then. I had a 220 Swift that I wasn't about to part with. A friend had a 17 Rem in a 700 BDL and wanted to make me a great deal on it. His arthritic fingers couldn't handle the tiny bullets well while reloading. I had been working a big coyote control job for a huge ranch as a side job and had just been paid. I bought it and began working up loads. I still had some coyote control work going and put the new 17 right to work. Right off the bat I noticed coyotes died quite suddenly to the Hornady 25 grain HP. Not spectacularly but suddenly, as if you just shut their switch off.
I used the 17 extensively for fur hunting for coyotes for several years. Out of a few truckloads of coyotes, I never had an exit with the Hornady unless I made a fringe or neck hit. Good solid chest shots never saw an exit.
I had a left handed Charles Daly mini Mauser barreled to 17 Remington by PacNor and it's at MPI being stocked right now. With our upcoming move to Idaho I'm looking forward to getting back to calling and hunting coyotes again and the 17 should be done in time for some action this year.
Last edited by mart; 08/10/19.
