The Ultimate Squirrel Rifle: The 17 Mach2
By Glenn Burroughs
There have been many arguments over the years about the best gun for squirrels… from the pellet rifle to the 12 gauge shotgun. But if a vote by the amalgamated order of real squirrel hunters was taken today I suspect the runaway winner would be the 22 Long Rifle. There's no question this little round has provided the meat for many a stew pot, and has been providing this service all the way back to the year 1887. That time span has allowed the 22 Long Rifle plenty of time to gather many fans, and for that reason it will be very hard to unseat from its throne. Make no mistake, the 22 Long Rifle cartridge is a mighty fine squirrel round. A quality 22 rifle with match ammo can have good accuracy out to fifty yards, and certainly very few squirrels are gathered past that distance. But as much as I like this dandy little cartridge I believe its reign as king of the squirrel rounds cannot last forever. My prediction is it will be replaced by one of its offspring within ten years… the 17 Mach2.
From left to right: 22 Long Rifle, 17 Mach2 and 17 HMR.
Introduced by Hornady Manufacturing in 2004, the 17 Mach2 is a 17 caliber rimfire cartridge based on the slightly longer CCI Stinger version of the 22 Long Rifle case. The 17 Mach2 case was given a 20 degree shoulder and necked-down to accept the .172 caliber V-Max bullet originally developed for the 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire. The typical bullet weight is 17 grains and reaches a muzzle velocity of 2100 feet per second (just about two times the speed of sound, ergo the Mach2 designation); at 100 yards the bullet is still traveling at 1530 feet per second.
The overall length of the cartridge is about the same as a 22 Long Rifle, but it is almost twice as fast and considerably more accurate. This performance alone should move it to the position of the ideal squirrel round. As this statement is put in writing I can sense the hoards of squirrel hunters demanding, "Just why do you think the 17 Mach2 can replace the millions of rifles chambered for the 22 Long Rifle? My great granddaddy put food on the table with one of these, and this was the rifle I learned to shoot with." Why, indeed? Just keep in mind… for this discussion we are talking about the serious business of squirrel hunting, not plinking or shooting cans.
Now I don't know if you hunt squirrels at fifty or more yards with your 22 Long Rifle, but you can do it with the 17 Mach2. And you will more than likely bring home some game. Let's take a quick look at the trajectory of this little hummer using numbers from CCI, the ammo manufacturer. Sighted in at 100 yards the bullet is 0.1-inch low at 25 yards, 0.7-inch high at 50 yards and 0.8-inch high at 75 yards. So, based on a 100 yard zero, when you find a target at 25 yards just aim and pull the trigger. At 50 to 75 yards you may want to aim about a half-inch low, and at a 100 yards you are right back on the money. How would you handle those shots with your 22 Long Rifle? And are you confident that you would, in most cases, make a clean hit?
Of course a 100 yard shot at a small, elusive squirrel requires an accurate cartridge, and this is another area where the 17 Mach2 shines. The 17 Mach2 uses a copper-jacket bullet rather than the typical lead bullet in the 22 Long Rifle, and that simple difference makes a whale of a difference in accuracy. Using a good rifle, groups of less than an inch at 100 yards are not uncommon with the 17 Mach2, making a head shot not only doable but almost guaranteed… if the shooter does their part. Naturally feats of this magnitude cannot be expected with a 17 grain bullet during wind storms, earthquakes , sleet and the likes thereof.
Admittedly, there is one area where the 17 Mach2 does not fare well against the 22 Long Rifle, and that is cost of ammo. The price of a box of ammo has just about doubled over the last few years and now runs somewhere close to $8 for a box of fifty. And this is roughly the same price as the 17 HRM, another rimfire cartridge that offers more performance (although a little too much for squirrel hunting). The good news is that the price is expected to subside considerably when the present hording of ammo has been satisfied. The primary reason for the higher cost over the 22 Long Rifle is that neat little copper-jacket bullet with the plastic tip, the one that provides that superb accuracy. But looking at the situation from a hunter's point of view, the price is not really excessive… considering that one box of ammo could translate to fifty squirrels simmering in gravy.
By Glenn Burroughs
There have been many arguments over the years about the best gun for squirrels… from the pellet rifle to the 12 gauge shotgun. But if a vote by the amalgamated order of real squirrel hunters was taken today I suspect the runaway winner would be the 22 Long Rifle. There's no question this little round has provided the meat for many a stew pot, and has been providing this service all the way back to the year 1887. That time span has allowed the 22 Long Rifle plenty of time to gather many fans, and for that reason it will be very hard to unseat from its throne. Make no mistake, the 22 Long Rifle cartridge is a mighty fine squirrel round. A quality 22 rifle with match ammo can have good accuracy out to fifty yards, and certainly very few squirrels are gathered past that distance. But as much as I like this dandy little cartridge I believe its reign as king of the squirrel rounds cannot last forever. My prediction is it will be replaced by one of its offspring within ten years… the 17 Mach2.
From left to right: 22 Long Rifle, 17 Mach2 and 17 HMR.
Introduced by Hornady Manufacturing in 2004, the 17 Mach2 is a 17 caliber rimfire cartridge based on the slightly longer CCI Stinger version of the 22 Long Rifle case. The 17 Mach2 case was given a 20 degree shoulder and necked-down to accept the .172 caliber V-Max bullet originally developed for the 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire. The typical bullet weight is 17 grains and reaches a muzzle velocity of 2100 feet per second (just about two times the speed of sound, ergo the Mach2 designation); at 100 yards the bullet is still traveling at 1530 feet per second.
The overall length of the cartridge is about the same as a 22 Long Rifle, but it is almost twice as fast and considerably more accurate. This performance alone should move it to the position of the ideal squirrel round. As this statement is put in writing I can sense the hoards of squirrel hunters demanding, "Just why do you think the 17 Mach2 can replace the millions of rifles chambered for the 22 Long Rifle? My great granddaddy put food on the table with one of these, and this was the rifle I learned to shoot with." Why, indeed? Just keep in mind… for this discussion we are talking about the serious business of squirrel hunting, not plinking or shooting cans.
Now I don't know if you hunt squirrels at fifty or more yards with your 22 Long Rifle, but you can do it with the 17 Mach2. And you will more than likely bring home some game. Let's take a quick look at the trajectory of this little hummer using numbers from CCI, the ammo manufacturer. Sighted in at 100 yards the bullet is 0.1-inch low at 25 yards, 0.7-inch high at 50 yards and 0.8-inch high at 75 yards. So, based on a 100 yard zero, when you find a target at 25 yards just aim and pull the trigger. At 50 to 75 yards you may want to aim about a half-inch low, and at a 100 yards you are right back on the money. How would you handle those shots with your 22 Long Rifle? And are you confident that you would, in most cases, make a clean hit?
Of course a 100 yard shot at a small, elusive squirrel requires an accurate cartridge, and this is another area where the 17 Mach2 shines. The 17 Mach2 uses a copper-jacket bullet rather than the typical lead bullet in the 22 Long Rifle, and that simple difference makes a whale of a difference in accuracy. Using a good rifle, groups of less than an inch at 100 yards are not uncommon with the 17 Mach2, making a head shot not only doable but almost guaranteed… if the shooter does their part. Naturally feats of this magnitude cannot be expected with a 17 grain bullet during wind storms, earthquakes , sleet and the likes thereof.
Admittedly, there is one area where the 17 Mach2 does not fare well against the 22 Long Rifle, and that is cost of ammo. The price of a box of ammo has just about doubled over the last few years and now runs somewhere close to $8 for a box of fifty. And this is roughly the same price as the 17 HRM, another rimfire cartridge that offers more performance (although a little too much for squirrel hunting). The good news is that the price is expected to subside considerably when the present hording of ammo has been satisfied. The primary reason for the higher cost over the 22 Long Rifle is that neat little copper-jacket bullet with the plastic tip, the one that provides that superb accuracy. But looking at the situation from a hunter's point of view, the price is not really excessive… considering that one box of ammo could translate to fifty squirrels simmering in gravy.
The Ultimate Squirrel Rifle
The Mach2 had a great start in life, and because manufacturers could easily convert their 22LRs to the Mach2 just about every gun maker came out with something chambered in the cartridge. But alas, it turned out that semi-automatic weapons could (and some did) have a problem with the cartridge, one that could cause damage to the weapon. In addition case necks might crack on some of the earlier releases of ammo.
When this news became known most manufacturers ceased production of 17 Mach2 products. Although the problem was only with semi-autos, most firearm makers must have decided that the cartridge was not worth the risk, as production of most guns stopped. CCI and Eley were the two original manufacturers of ammo and Eley has stopped production.
The good news is CCI has committed to continue producing the ammo, and Savage offers two models of their Mark II rifle at a very reasonable price. And if you save up a little more money Cooper and Anschutz also chamber for the 17 Mach2. Word has it that, on occasion, CZ makes a special run of Model 452s, but this could not be verified. So, although the Mach2 hit a snag in its early life, it is not a fatal one. Everyone I know who owns a 17 Mach2 loves it, so I suspect it will regain its popularity.
Tristan showing off his 50 yard target.
But back to the issue at hand… the ideal squirrel rifle. I decided to do my part in spreading the word on this fine little cartridge. The first was to get my ten year old step-grandson Tristan to realize that the 17 Mach2 is the perfect squirrel cartridge. He was ripe for the picking… his dad and granddad were hunters and hunting was already in his blood.
So I asked him if he would like to bag a squirrel at fifty yards. The conversation went something like this; "Wow… what would I shoot it with?". Wherein a nice little CZ rifle with a Nikon 4X scope was handed to him with the comment; "I think you could drop squirrels at a hundred yards with this." With a very big grin he replied, "Gee, really? That's a long way off to hit a squirrel." Then I suggested we go to the range one day when the weather is good so he could try the rifle to see what he thinks.
The first nice day we packed up the CZ rifle and a couple of boxes of CCI ammo and headed for the range. The two of us had been shooting before and I knew he handled guns with care, so I mounted a Harris bipod on the rifle and set things up at the bench. Before turning the rifle over to Tristan I decided to check the scope by shooting a group at a hundred yards. But when I looked through the four-power scope I could not even see the small bulls-eye so another, larger target was mounted. Even then the cross hair in the scope was so wide it covered the black bulls-eye.
It was quickly obvious that hunting squirrels at a hundred yards with a four-power scope is not a good idea. But what the heck… guessing at the point of impact I let loose five shots and moseyed down to the target to see if it had been hit. The result was a five-shot group that measured about two-inches. The target stand was moved back to a more realistic fifty yards and the rifle was turned over to Tristan.
He latched on to the rifle and settled down to show his stuff. A group of targets had been tacked to the stand and Tristan started addressing them in logical order, five rounds to each target. In a few minutes he looked over at me like I was supposed to read his mind. Of course I knew what he wanted… to go check the targets. So when the range was 'cold' we headed down to see the results.
His eyesight is much better than mine, and he started grinning before we reached the target stand, giving me an indication that he was pleased. Sure enough, he had done some mighty fine shooting, with groups averaging less than an inch, and right on the money. Of the fifty or so rounds fired all but one would have dispatched a squirrel.
After shooting at standard targets, the ones with bulls-eyes, Tristan wanted to try a target that was the image of a squirrel. The new target was mounted at fifty yards and he settled into position at the bench. Slowly and painstakingly he squeezed off five shots. When the fifth shot was fired he became very anxious to check his target, so we ambled down the range to take a look. All five shots were well placed in a group measuring 0.982-inches, and any of the shots would have been fatal to a tree rat.
I looked at Tristan and jokingly asked why he had aimed for the gut rather than the squirrel's head. With a big grin he said it reminded him of the time he brought a bag of five squirrels to his Poppa, and a couple of them were gut-shot victims. As he pulled one of the gut-shot squirrels out of the bag his Poppa began to heave and said, "Throw that darn thing down the hill as far as you can throw him".
When this news became known most manufacturers ceased production of 17 Mach2 products. Although the problem was only with semi-autos, most firearm makers must have decided that the cartridge was not worth the risk, as production of most guns stopped. CCI and Eley were the two original manufacturers of ammo and Eley has stopped production.
The good news is CCI has committed to continue producing the ammo, and Savage offers two models of their Mark II rifle at a very reasonable price. And if you save up a little more money Cooper and Anschutz also chamber for the 17 Mach2. Word has it that, on occasion, CZ makes a special run of Model 452s, but this could not be verified. So, although the Mach2 hit a snag in its early life, it is not a fatal one. Everyone I know who owns a 17 Mach2 loves it, so I suspect it will regain its popularity.
Tristan showing off his 50 yard target.
But back to the issue at hand… the ideal squirrel rifle. I decided to do my part in spreading the word on this fine little cartridge. The first was to get my ten year old step-grandson Tristan to realize that the 17 Mach2 is the perfect squirrel cartridge. He was ripe for the picking… his dad and granddad were hunters and hunting was already in his blood.
So I asked him if he would like to bag a squirrel at fifty yards. The conversation went something like this; "Wow… what would I shoot it with?". Wherein a nice little CZ rifle with a Nikon 4X scope was handed to him with the comment; "I think you could drop squirrels at a hundred yards with this." With a very big grin he replied, "Gee, really? That's a long way off to hit a squirrel." Then I suggested we go to the range one day when the weather is good so he could try the rifle to see what he thinks.
The first nice day we packed up the CZ rifle and a couple of boxes of CCI ammo and headed for the range. The two of us had been shooting before and I knew he handled guns with care, so I mounted a Harris bipod on the rifle and set things up at the bench. Before turning the rifle over to Tristan I decided to check the scope by shooting a group at a hundred yards. But when I looked through the four-power scope I could not even see the small bulls-eye so another, larger target was mounted. Even then the cross hair in the scope was so wide it covered the black bulls-eye.
It was quickly obvious that hunting squirrels at a hundred yards with a four-power scope is not a good idea. But what the heck… guessing at the point of impact I let loose five shots and moseyed down to the target to see if it had been hit. The result was a five-shot group that measured about two-inches. The target stand was moved back to a more realistic fifty yards and the rifle was turned over to Tristan.
He latched on to the rifle and settled down to show his stuff. A group of targets had been tacked to the stand and Tristan started addressing them in logical order, five rounds to each target. In a few minutes he looked over at me like I was supposed to read his mind. Of course I knew what he wanted… to go check the targets. So when the range was 'cold' we headed down to see the results.
His eyesight is much better than mine, and he started grinning before we reached the target stand, giving me an indication that he was pleased. Sure enough, he had done some mighty fine shooting, with groups averaging less than an inch, and right on the money. Of the fifty or so rounds fired all but one would have dispatched a squirrel.
After shooting at standard targets, the ones with bulls-eyes, Tristan wanted to try a target that was the image of a squirrel. The new target was mounted at fifty yards and he settled into position at the bench. Slowly and painstakingly he squeezed off five shots. When the fifth shot was fired he became very anxious to check his target, so we ambled down the range to take a look. All five shots were well placed in a group measuring 0.982-inches, and any of the shots would have been fatal to a tree rat.
I looked at Tristan and jokingly asked why he had aimed for the gut rather than the squirrel's head. With a big grin he said it reminded him of the time he brought a bag of five squirrels to his Poppa, and a couple of them were gut-shot victims. As he pulled one of the gut-shot squirrels out of the bag his Poppa began to heave and said, "Throw that darn thing down the hill as far as you can throw him".
The Ultimate Squirrel Rifle
Tristan was quite impressed with the 17 Mach2 and was very anxious to see how it would perform in the real world, and the nearest place was the woods around our house. Our rural neighborhood has many huge oak trees which provide ample food for quite a few squirrels. But like any neighborhood the residents do not enjoy loud noises and ricocheting bullets. So a deal was made, if he could find a good shot at fifty yards or so, and it would not endanger anyone or anything in the neighborhood, he could give it a try.
With a big grin he took the range finder and positioned himself on the back deck. Within a few minutes he came running in to report several squirrels playing in the top of an oak tree. He had already located a spot that would provide a completely safe shot at forty-eight yards.
Tristan waiting for a squirrel to show up for his 48 yard shot.
It was time to honor the promise. The CZ magazine was loaded with five rounds, then handed over to Tristan. He proceeded to the deck and positioned himself on the chair situated where he could get a good shot. He installed the magazine, left the bolt open, and waited for the game to show its face. After a long, tense wait, no squirrel appeared and the evening was closing in. Somewhat dejected, he had to give up the hunt when his parents came by to pick him up. But not to worry, there were squirrels all over the place and he could get one on his next visit.
Now for the sad part of the story…. one morning the wife announced that a pair of Cooper's Hawks were sitting in the tree where Tristan had found his easy fifty-yard shot. I got the binoculars and, sure enough, there were two magnificent Cooper's perched in the tree. A couple of days later she noted there were no birds at the feeder and commented that the hawks have been hunting the area, and she had seen them flying through the woods. At the time it did not dawn on me that the hawks might be enjoying the local squirrels. Where it had been common for ten or more squirrels to be scrounging around the bird feeders, lately only a couple could be seen.
Tristan continued his visits on a regular basis, and constantly complained that there were only a few squirrels, and none where a shot could be taken. Time passed without success and after a couple of months the squirrel population had reached the point where sighting one was a rare event… not only that, but squirrel season had come to an end.
We could only assume the Cooper's Hawks had been the reason for the decrease in the squirrel population. Truly a sad ending to Tristan's squirrel adventure, at least for this squirrel season. But there was some good news… Tristan was my first convert to the 17 Mach2 and there are only several million more to go.
So there you have it, my choice for the perfect squirrel round. Although similar in size, the 17 Mach2 shoots further, flatter, more accurately and hits harder than the 22 Long Rifle. Game can be taken at a greater distance. The ammo is more expensive but the price is expected to come down in the future. Even at twenty-cents a squirrel, the cost is not excessive for hunting. Although the success of this little cartridge has been slowed I doubt if we have seen the demise of this sweet little round, it has too much to offer. The unfortunate events that stopped the 17 Mach2's rapid growth were real, but those problems were quickly corrected. The rifles and ammo available today are safe and reliable.
The next time you are shopping for a squirrel rifle imagine this scenario... you have been placed somewhere in the deep woods and must live off the land until you can find your way out. The only animals in the woods are some skittish squirrels and rabbits, but not in abundance. You are given a choice of one rifle, either a 22 Long Rifle or a 17 Mach2, along with one box of ammo. Your life is at stake, which would you choose?
Note: Rimfire Research & Development has an excellent history of the 17 Mach2 at their website: www.rrdvegas.com/17-mach-ii.html
Glenn Burroughs is a retired computer systems manager with a lifelong love of guns. His main areas of interest are accurate rifles, wildcat cartridges, reloading and bench shooting. He also enjoys an occasional trip out west to the prairie dog country. Glenn was a columnist for Precision Shooting magazine and also wrote articles for Varmint Hunter magazine. He resides in Lynchburg, Virginia.
With a big grin he took the range finder and positioned himself on the back deck. Within a few minutes he came running in to report several squirrels playing in the top of an oak tree. He had already located a spot that would provide a completely safe shot at forty-eight yards.
Tristan waiting for a squirrel to show up for his 48 yard shot.
It was time to honor the promise. The CZ magazine was loaded with five rounds, then handed over to Tristan. He proceeded to the deck and positioned himself on the chair situated where he could get a good shot. He installed the magazine, left the bolt open, and waited for the game to show its face. After a long, tense wait, no squirrel appeared and the evening was closing in. Somewhat dejected, he had to give up the hunt when his parents came by to pick him up. But not to worry, there were squirrels all over the place and he could get one on his next visit.
Now for the sad part of the story…. one morning the wife announced that a pair of Cooper's Hawks were sitting in the tree where Tristan had found his easy fifty-yard shot. I got the binoculars and, sure enough, there were two magnificent Cooper's perched in the tree. A couple of days later she noted there were no birds at the feeder and commented that the hawks have been hunting the area, and she had seen them flying through the woods. At the time it did not dawn on me that the hawks might be enjoying the local squirrels. Where it had been common for ten or more squirrels to be scrounging around the bird feeders, lately only a couple could be seen.
Tristan continued his visits on a regular basis, and constantly complained that there were only a few squirrels, and none where a shot could be taken. Time passed without success and after a couple of months the squirrel population had reached the point where sighting one was a rare event… not only that, but squirrel season had come to an end.
We could only assume the Cooper's Hawks had been the reason for the decrease in the squirrel population. Truly a sad ending to Tristan's squirrel adventure, at least for this squirrel season. But there was some good news… Tristan was my first convert to the 17 Mach2 and there are only several million more to go.
So there you have it, my choice for the perfect squirrel round. Although similar in size, the 17 Mach2 shoots further, flatter, more accurately and hits harder than the 22 Long Rifle. Game can be taken at a greater distance. The ammo is more expensive but the price is expected to come down in the future. Even at twenty-cents a squirrel, the cost is not excessive for hunting. Although the success of this little cartridge has been slowed I doubt if we have seen the demise of this sweet little round, it has too much to offer. The unfortunate events that stopped the 17 Mach2's rapid growth were real, but those problems were quickly corrected. The rifles and ammo available today are safe and reliable.
The next time you are shopping for a squirrel rifle imagine this scenario... you have been placed somewhere in the deep woods and must live off the land until you can find your way out. The only animals in the woods are some skittish squirrels and rabbits, but not in abundance. You are given a choice of one rifle, either a 22 Long Rifle or a 17 Mach2, along with one box of ammo. Your life is at stake, which would you choose?
Note: Rimfire Research & Development has an excellent history of the 17 Mach2 at their website: www.rrdvegas.com/17-mach-ii.html
Glenn Burroughs is a retired computer systems manager with a lifelong love of guns. His main areas of interest are accurate rifles, wildcat cartridges, reloading and bench shooting. He also enjoys an occasional trip out west to the prairie dog country. Glenn was a columnist for Precision Shooting magazine and also wrote articles for Varmint Hunter magazine. He resides in Lynchburg, Virginia.
