Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Any love for the .17 Mach 2?

I know a lot of people love the HMR, but I keep finding myself drifting to the .17 Mach 2. I don't own a .17 caliber rifle other than an air rifle, and just thinking I might change that. I know the easy button is the HMR it has more rifles and more ammunition available.

So what rifle should a guy look for in .17 HM2 in the used market? New, I see a Volqartsen Summit and a Savage MKII on Gunbroker in bolt actions. Is there anyone currently cataloging a HM2 with a price between these two options?

I always avoided the .17's until about a year ago and picked up a 17mach2. Great little gun, unbelievably accurate, and very quiet. Its a deadly squirrel gun.

I love mine. Greatest tree squirrel round ever made

Yep.

I like them.

They were great for squirrel hunting - but I don’t do it anymore.. still have mine though (sako quad)

Tree squirrels, schmee scmuirrels......

Serious vermin medicine. Grackles to wood chucks, it's a laser.
I've got an Anschutz that will be getting rebarrelled to Mach 2 from 22lr. I have to get my 10-22 here and up to snuff first.

Mornin, I don't think ya can argue against one with Huntsman???? GWP. 🐾👣🇨🇦

I just picked up a 10/22 that was rebarreled to Mach 2. All I have done so far is test fire for function and it cycles well so optimistic. I love my HMRs but the idea of a lightweight high frag bullet with .22 LR case capacity seems pretty nice for shooting ground squirrels closer to civilization.

Track down a Ruger 77/17 HM2 or a Ruger 77/22 long rifle with the v-block system, then contact PacNor, Lilja, or other for a drop-in aftermarket barrel. Converting a 10/22 would be another option .. I believe some of the internal parts must be changed as the action cycles at a different speed than .22 LR and it is not good to have it open before the pressure drops.

The 17 Mach 2 is my favorite cartridge to shoot. Many years ago, Ammotogo had a smoking hot deal on Eley 17M2 and i bought 2 cases (2000 rounds at 6 cents a round shipped) before I had a rifle. I bought a Savage and loved the caliber. Later found a used (3 rounds through it) CZ 452 for $300 and bought it. I kept buying the Eley ammo and ended with 13 or 14K rounds, I figured I had enough.

Like others have said, it’ like a laser in the woods and the best squirrel cartridge ever made. The CCI and Hornady ammo isn’t as accurate as the Eley but it’s still good stuff. That and the Eley is discontinued…

I’d read up on the problems with it in a semi auto action. Lots written about the problems with timing and such. Most seem to work but some struggle.

Largest animal I’ve killed with mine is woodchucks and I’ve never had the need for a quick follow up shot.

Taylorce1: I am a 17 Mach2 "lover"!
I currently own 4 heavy barrel Rifles in caliber 17 Mach2 - all of them are especially accurate.
These include a Kimber 17 SVT (Silhouette Varmint Target), an Anschutz 1502, a Marlin 917 and a N.E.F. Sportster.
I especially enjoyed buying the Marlin 917 as it was bargain priced and yet shoots so well.
I recommend one but not sure if they are still made.
Good luck and be sure and find one (a 17 Mach2) you WILL love it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I was looking at a barreled action with v-block on GB. I don't know enough about the Rugers to know which ones do and don't have the v-block if they're wearing furniture. However, for the price of a 77/22 and rebarrel the Volquartsen Summit straight pull is cheaper.


Took a young guy prairie dogging one time and he showed up with a .17 HM2 and Eley ammo. Once he figured the wind everything within 150 yards was smoked. He had a few kills out to 200 and a little further as well, and that is probably why I'm gravitating to the .17 HM2.

I have a decent .22 lr and .22 WMR, but the .17 HM2 seems to be between the two for price.

I don't know of any other regular production run firearms in 17HM2. Cooper used to make some but they were pricey. Now that Cooper has been sold to Nighthawk and is in the process of moving from MT to AR, it may be a while before they are back in production.

I think your best options may be to find a Ruger 77/22 and rebarrel it, or find someone like myself with a nice CZ 452 17HM2 and convince the owner to sell you their rifle. As for ammo, Hornady is consistently contracting with CCI to make 17HM2 ammo, and I don't see that changing. Then there are the folks like myself that bought a lifetime supply of the Eley 17HM2 ammo because it shot so great in their rifles. As you noted, it works great on burrowing rodents within 150 yards, although it doesn't have much of an explosive effect on the larger ones. I really enjoy shooting my 17HM2 CZ American although in all honesty when I go prairie dog shooting, my 17HMR T1x is my choice for close range work.

MT DD FAN: I have relayed these experiences I had, on this forum before, but they bear repeating here - I guess.
My Varminting partner and I were at our local range getting ready for Ground Squirrel season about 15 years ago.
My partner was sighting in his newish CZ heavy barrel Rifle in caliber 17 Mach2. I believe his scope was a 6x18 Leupold. And he was testing some new to him Eley 17 Mach2 ammo.
I saw him shoot a five shot group at 100 yards that day that measured right at .250" with that Eley ammo!
I used my steel rule (marked in 1/100th's of an inch) to measure it myself - we both were GREATLY impressed! Back then he ordered a case of the Eley 17 Mach2 ammo as it shoot noticeably better than the other ammo he had tried (Hornady and CCI).
Your observation on "not exploding" the larger Varmints is valid in my observances.
The largest Varmint I have kill't with my 17 Mach2's was a big Boar Badger that had just his head and neck above ground and was looking at me from right at 100 yards distant. I had my Kimber SVT in 17 Mach2 over sandbags already and put one shot into his "Adam's Apple" area. The big Badger never twitched it was DRT!
Not a drop of blood or an exit wound was to be found. I assume the shock of that bullet so near the brain/spinal cord did him in - instantly.
So "explosive effects" are not necessarily required for humane kills on moderate size Varmints.
Long live the 17 Mach2.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have a 14” contender and I think a 24” Contender barrel and a Anschutz 17hmr pistol that calfee converted to 17M2.
Also have a convertible FA 97.
I like that little round.

Most decisive squirrel rifle I've ever used.

Ruger 77/22 but only certain years have the v-block, is there a serial number range I need to look for? Is there another option for a .22 lr that's easy to rebarrel? Is anyone still selling conversions for the 10/22?

The more I look at those Volquartsen Summit rifles, the more I dislike the MagPul stock. It isn't a deal breaker, but I'd like to find something more eye pleasing to start with. I'm sure I'd be happy with the way they shoot though.

CZ 452 got me in to this round & when ammo was selling for eight cents per round, there was little to not like about the HM2 rimfire round. With current ammo prices I find little for new shooters to like about the round over the 17 HMR.

I am stocked up on the HM2 ammo so this will continue to satisfy my rimfire needs for a long time to come.