Impressed with my 17WSM.

[Wild Bill G]

I pickrd up a 17wsm in the savage target model a month ago. So far this little round and gun have really impressed me. Tonight my son and I went fox hunting to help a neighbor out. We got an adult Rrd Fox at 165 yards and that little bullet sure hates foxes. The hole in the chest of that fox looked to be quarter sized. To tell the truth I thought they might be real pealt savers. This is not all the little gun has killed and all kills have been impressive. In fact it seems to have a nack for hitting what you aim at.
A few weeks ago I let my son shoot a gallon milk jug full of water at 50yds. The damage that tiny 20 grain bullet did to that jug floored me. The bestpart was it gave my son confience in his shooting ability. The gun has still not been on the sand bags just sighted in using a bipod.
i hope to see just how well it can really shoot soon.

 

[Old Hickory]

I am glad you like your WSM, Bill. I enjoy my BMAG very much and it is very deadly for my hunting.

 

[Wild Bill G]

One thing I am wondering about is how often should the 17WSM be cleaned.

 

[Rick Richard]

Clean whenever accuracy goes down hill.

 

[Old Hickory]

Clean whenever accuracy goes down hill.

Exactly correct.

 

[Wild Bill G]

I never noticed accuracy drop but cleaned mine at 25 rounds. Kind of figured with the speed and extra powde treat it more like a center fire rifle. Getting patches that will work with a jag ia a real pan with these 17's.

 

[Old Hickory]

Yeah, is tough cleaning those tight .17 bores!

 

[Rick Richard]

Use weed eater line with the patches.

 

[woodnut]

I just got back from a prairie dog shoot in S.D. Took five rifles but guess which one was used the most and gave the most enjoyment (to me, not the PDS!) Yep, my re-stocked Ruger 17 WSM ! I whacked one at 303 yards and many, many fell from 25 out to 250. I am in awe of this cartridge! I've killed seven groundhogs too. It is explosive and extremely accurate! Friend of mine has the Savage thumbhole stocked heavy barrel and we both dot I's with them. We regularly shoot 300 yards with friends and these 17s give no quarter to any centerfire rifle. I love it! Oh, and I shoot it suppressed,too. What a joy that is!

 

[Wild Bill G]

What is your setup on your 17wsm. Sounds like it is a tack driver I still haven't taken mine to the bench yet.

 

[woodnut]

Wild Bill, The Ruger needs a trigger job! But once you do that, and put a quality scope in quality rings, properly installed, it should shoot lights out accurate.
I did forget to mention about cleaning earlier. I never cleaned during the prairie dog shoot and didn't notice any degradation in accuracy. Like someone said, clean when accuracy falls off. A little is usually all that is needed.

 

[woodnut]

I should also say that I hope this cartridge catches on! It's got every rim fire beat by a mile....or more!

 

[Wild Bill G]

It is certainly the biggest improvement in rimfire technology since the invention of smokeless powder. It completely destroys the HMR in terms of varmint carnage. It is like a mini 22-250 on gophers. It really shocked me at the hole it put in a fox as well. The only rimfire I would grab over it is my Brno heavy barrel 22lr.

 

[woodnut]

I agree with what you said about carnage. I whacked 6 groundhogs and the explosiveness of that little 20 grain pill proved the axiom that speed kills but blows things up! Yes, far out performs the HMR and it still is a potent rimfire.
Since you brought up the 22LR, I just got a CZ in it. Frickin accurate! MY friend who got me turned on to it said to shoot sub sonics, suppressed, at 300 yards! You may not believe this , but both his and my CZ will group into an MOA at 300! I was on the 6" steel plate in 3 shots. I would never have believed it possible, but it is. Gotta have a scope with enough come ups, though. It do fall a long ways down at 300!