Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors The best budget 17 HMR bolt action I've seen: 93R

Just wanted to put up an opinion, for anyone looking for a good 17HMR bolt gun that won't break your bank. The Savage 93R is fantastic for the money. Picked mine up, heavy barrel version, 'open-box' a few weeks back and shooting the cheapest 17HMR through it (CCi A17), and putting in slightly sub-moa at 25, 50 and 80y in 5-round groups with nary a flier to be seen (out of about a hundred and fifty or so shots so far, there where two fliers.) It will do it cold, or hot barreled. Action isn't the slickest, but what is in front of the bolt head is always more important that the bolt itself, and I will absolutely sing praise for Savage's barrel.


I've tested through about two dozen various bolt action 17HMRs from both USA and across the sea, and while most of them are tack drivers, most of them cost 2-3x or more what the Savage 93R does. For $300 or less, I honestly don't think you can go wrong, and I don't think there's a better option under $700 in terms of out of the box accuracy, based on price to performance - since they all pretty much shoot one ragged hole or so. I shot a friends Ruger Precision at 25y there wasn't enough tiny increments on my ruler to tell a difference. At 50y and beyond it comes down to shooter skill mostly for 17HMR as long as the barrel is half-way decent.

I do wish the mag was a bit better, I hate the rail-slot system it uses, but its also not the worst mag I've dealt with by a long shot. Trigger is great (accu-trigger,) and the wood stock on mine is a wood stock and perfectly serviceable - I did not notice any major accuracy differences when resting/holding the rifle in various locations along the fore-end. I will eventually spend a few minutes with a fine stone on the rails and get some polish on a few spots on the bolt - but it's not a major issue.

I have one of the heavy barrel 93s in a synthetic stock. 4 .5 -14 Burris on it. It shoots under an 1nch at 100 yards and close to half an inch if it's calm and I haven't had much coffee. Can't beat them for the money

Golf balls all day long at 100 yds through my sweet 17 scope. They are amazing.

I have had exactly the same experience with my Savage 93v. I spent a little extra on her and purchased Boyds laminated stock for mine to make it look better.

I have a Savage 93R in .17 HMR that I put in a Boyd's stock. It averages right about 1 MOA 5 shot groups out to 100 yards. I haven't really tested it beyond that. It's a decent rifle. The magazines are not the greatest but work OK.