.17 wsm thoughts

[Tilb004]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

[AZZA'S HJ47]

Recently purchased a 17 remington as i wanted a 17 with a little more legs than the hmr. I have taken many foxes and rabits with the hmr and can tell you that its a package that works well out to around 150-+175. Ammo is easy to get a hold of and the cost isnt to bad.

I cant say to much in regards to the WSM i had also contemplated the move to the WSM but have heard a lot of mixed revievs regarding accuracy issues. Not to mention not a round that many manufacturers are providing for.
(Rifle makers)

Personally I looking back now I prefer the 17 hornet or 17 remington, the hornet has plenty of ammo available at the gun shops where as the 17 Remington really is a hand load only option brass is expensive but available. Plus being able to hold dead on at 300 i have found to be a plus.

Ozzie reviews did a video on a savage in 17 wsm worth a look. Im sure there are some wsm fans on here that can shed some light.

[bigpete]

If cz made one I'd be all over it

[Bugman]

I also have my 243 and have purchased a Sako 17HMR to go with it. For the distances i should the little 17 with a 20 grn pill works a treat. I shoot early morning and late afternoon for bunnies and as long as the wind is low, no problem to about 150m. The only thing is that I am still deciding which scope will be permanently mounted to it.
Still deciding on that one. Ammo is a tad pricey too, but it makes you plan your shots, far more so than the humble 22.

[Flyer]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

I seriously considered both, but it came down to:

Rifle choice = HMR
Accuracy = HMR
Ammo availability = HMR
Noise = HMR

Plus I already have a 223 as the next step up. I'd still love a WSM if there were more rifles to choose from. But then I wouldn't say no to a CZ in 17 Hornet either.

[bladeracer]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

A member here had a .17WSM, search for Gaznazdiak.
He liked it a lot but ended up swapping it for a .223Rem.

If I decide I want a .17 it'll be the Hornet. The .204 with reduced loads though does everything the Hornets can offer.

[Bill]

Ive got a 17 WSM and it adds a 100m on top of the 17 HMR for effective range.

It also a more accurate round, I had a Tikka T1x hmr and it never went better than moa at 100m and is badly affected by wind, in fact put it away if there is wind.

Biggest downside to the WSM is the lack of rifle choice, Savage does Ok app but the Ruger 77 is the pick but expensive (great rotary mag).

The Ruger needs a fair bit of polishing but comes up pretty good once youve added a better bolt knob, lighter trigger spring and some bedding.

The good thing about the WSM is trajectory is pretty similar to a 223 ( factory ammo) but it lets you see the hits and also doesnt seem to upset the game too much, allowing you to cull more in the paddock. Ammo is cheap, Ive paid less than 40c for ammo when I bought bulk. It pays to shop around.

[Tilb004]

Recently purchased a 17 remington as i wanted a 17 with a little more legs than the hmr. I have taken many foxes and rabits with the hmr and can tell you that its a package that works well out to around 150-+175. Ammo is easy to get a hold of and the cost isnt to bad.

I cant say to much in regards to the WSM i had also contemplated the move to the WSM but have heard a lot of mixed revievs regarding accuracy issues. Not to mention not a round that many manufacturers are providing for.
(Rifle makers)

Personally I looking back now I prefer the 17 hornet or 17 remington, the hornet has plenty of ammo available at the gun shops where as the 17 Remington really is a hand load only option brass is expensive but available. Plus being able to hold dead on at 300 i have found to be a plus.

Ozzie reviews did a video on a savage in 17 wsm worth a look. Im sure there are some wsm fans on here that can shed some light.

Cheers for reply AZZA

New to the 17 caliber and dont know that much about it .
Want to get away from the noise of the 250 boom as i live in an area that has pretty close farm .
Looking for something that has good knock down power out to 200m for foxes and thought the wsm looked pretty good .
Looked at prices today of ammo for the 17 hmr and wsm and there is bugger all difference .
so for the extra speed it looked the goods .
will do more research and see where it leads .
cheers mate

[Tilb004]

I also have my 243 and have purchased a Sako 17HMR to go with it. For the distances i should the little 17 with a 20 grn pill works a treat. I shoot early morning and late afternoon for bunnies and as long as the wind is low, no problem to about 150m. The only thing is that I am still deciding which scope will be permanently mounted to it.
Still deciding on that one. Ammo is a tad pricey too, but it makes you plan your shots, far more so than the humble 22.

Cheers for reply Bugman .

I wouldn't mind a 17 hornet either coz i dont mind reloading but i heard its pretty loud .
Will probably end up with a hmr but want to explore other options.

cheers Tilb

[Tilb004]

Ive got a 17 WSM and it adds a 100m on top of the 17 HMR for effective range.

It also a more accurate round, I had a Tikka T1x hmr and it never went better than moa at 100m and is badly affected by wind, in fact put it away if there is wind.

Biggest downside to the WSM is the lack of rifle choice, Savage does Ok app but the Ruger 77 is the pick but expensive (great rotary mag).

The Ruger needs a fair bit of polishing but comes up pretty good once youve added a better bolt knob, lighter trigger spring and some bedding.

The good thing about the WSM is trajectory is pretty similar to a 223 ( factory ammo) but it lets you see the hits and also doesnt seem to upset the game too much, allowing you to cull more in the paddock. Ammo is cheap, Ive paid less than 40c for ammo when I bought bulk. It pays to shop around.

Thanks bill for reply .

Sounds like your pretty happy with your wsm .
I was surprised at the price of ammo here in the west compared the hmr stuff.
Do you have the savage rifle .
Getting prices on savage and ruger at the moment .

Cheers

tilb

[Tilb004]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

A member here had a .17WSM, search for Gaznazdiak.
He liked it a lot but ended up swapping it for a .223Rem.

If I decide I want a .17 it'll be the Hornet. The .204 with reduced loads though does everything the Hornets can offer.

Thanks blade , i'll give him a bell and get some tips .

Cheers
Tilb

[Tilb004]

If cz made one I'd be all over it

Hey bigpete i thought more rifle maker would be all over it to.

The ballistics seem pretty impressive for a rimfire .

tilb

[Tilb004]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

I seriously considered both, but it came down to:

Rifle choice = HMR
Accuracy = HMR
Ammo availability = HMR
Noise = HMR

Plus I already have a 223 as the next step up. I'd still love a WSM if there were more rifles to choose from. But then I wouldn't say no to a CZ in 17 Hornet either.

I'm hearing you Flyer , to many choices out there mate haha

[duncan61]

I also live in the West and understand the noise issue.I was first shown the HMR round in Sportsmarine Bunbury and had to play ball.After lots of toilet time with the 2008 Ruger catalogue I selected the lever rifle with 9 shot rotary mag and a 6x40 scope.It was $700 and I loved it.A lot less boom than my soft loaded .222 and I have worked with shooters with 22/250 and they boom big time louder than .243.I had a good time and cleared a lot of foxes of the farm at 150m with 17gn pills they are spot on and at 200m it is a 10mm drop.I have shared this before and copped some flack but here in the West if you have ducks eating the calf grain and pooping in the fresh water dam you can waste them with claymore mines if it works for you.As they waddled around in a row like they do I used to set up at about 120-150 knowing the bullet will go exactly where the crosshairs are and pick off the last one in the line by aiming just below where the neck starts to widen.The breast meat would be intact but all the organs would be mush and they fell over as if it was the Royal show.The best I did was to get 3 before they took off.It was maned geese and black ducks I left the mountain ducks alone.The farmer loved it as they flew in the sullage dam where we hose all the poop out of the yard then fly in the fresh water dam and drop all the poop in.The WSM is a cool concept but is competing with 17 hornet and .204.if you are shooting on smaller holdings the diminutive HMR will do the job very well.you can hear it but its a little pop from a distance and deadly accurate.Cleaning was easy after about 40 shots I would pull a bore snake through the action with a dry patch first then a solvent wet patch then dry patches till clean.I never used sweets or anything they burn very clean.I needed money and sold it to a mate for $500 in the Gascoyne bush and he had it confiscated chasing people around Carnarvon with it.We had a lot of fun before he stuffed up and dogs and cats just fall over as well.I set my .222 up with 2208 powder and 50gn PSP Remingtons for about 2800fps and on big buck reds it would not go through the brainbox but make a big hole on one side the .243 with 80gn PSP would make a decent hole through the lot and the 7mm Rem Mag with 100gn GK decapitated them.When I was near the station house late at night at Woomeral I would get the little HMR out and any roos I saw got planted between the eyes and I never had one get up.Up North you can get under 50 m from roos and they just stand there looking at you.Go the HMR you will hopfully have as much fun as I did

[Bill]

Duncan61 I'd agree that the WSM is competing with the hornet and 204 but it's still a cheap rimfire to run and there is no reloading.

No mucking about picking up brass and spending time reloading means more time for shooting. Lower powder burn and barrel wear means longer barrel life.

[duncan61]

The main thing I am getting from the O.P. is noise is an issue.I found the HMR to be quiet compared to other rounds.The dairy farm I shot on was only 270 Ha and had a row of houses along the hwy on our border.It was rural and only 4-5 Km from a major regional centre in Brunswick Junction.If a complaint is raised the game is over.I would never contemplate using the .243 and it was at this place I experimented with subsonic Hornet before trailboss came out.I lost a 500Ha farm for rabbits at another country town which was at the end of my street and I could walk there.I used subsonic .22LR and used to pop the bunnies around the farm buildings and under farm machinery.Was super cool till I took a young guy and then he took his buddy who had a Magnum.The girl living there complained I got a call it was all over

[Tilb004]

I also live in the West and understand the noise issue.I was first shown the HMR round in Sportsmarine Bunbury and had to play ball.After lots of toilet time with the 2008 Ruger catalogue I selected the lever rifle with 9 shot rotary mag and a 6x40 scope.It was $700 and I loved it.A lot less boom than my soft loaded .222 and I have worked with shooters with 22/250 and they boom big time louder than .243.I had a good time and cleared a lot of foxes of the farm at 150m with 17gn pills they are spot on and at 200m it is a 10mm drop.I have shared this before and copped some flack but here in the West if you have ducks eating the calf grain and pooping in the fresh water dam you can waste them with claymore mines if it works for you.As they waddled around in a row like they do I used to set up at about 120-150 knowing the bullet will go exactly where the crosshairs are and pick off the last one in the line by aiming just below where the neck starts to widen.The breast meat would be intact but all the organs would be mush and they fell over as if it was the Royal show.The best I did was to get 3 before they took off.It was maned geese and black ducks I left the mountain ducks alone.The farmer loved it as they flew in the sullage dam where we hose all the poop out of the yard then fly in the fresh water dam and drop all the poop in.The WSM is a cool concept but is competing with 17 hornet and .204.if you are shooting on smaller holdings the diminutive HMR will do the job very well.you can hear it but its a little pop from a distance and deadly accurate.Cleaning was easy after about 40 shots I would pull a bore snake through the action with a dry patch first then a solvent wet patch then dry patches till clean.I never used sweets or anything they burn very clean.I needed money and sold it to a mate for $500 in the Gascoyne bush and he had it confiscated chasing people around Carnarvon with it.We had a lot of fun before he stuffed up and dogs and cats just fall over as well.I set my .222 up with 2208 powder and 50gn PSP Remingtons for about 2800fps and on big buck reds it would not go through the brainbox but make a big hole on one side the .243 with 80gn PSP would make a decent hole through the lot and the 7mm Rem Mag with 100gn GK decapitated them.When I was near the station house late at night at Woomeral I would get the little HMR out and any roos I saw got planted between the eyes and I never had one get up.Up North you can get under 50 m from roos and they just stand there looking at you.Go the HMR you will hopfully have as much fun as I did

Duncan61
Thanks for taken the time to reply .
Yes 22-250 is definitely louder than my 243, it a shame coz i do like the caliber .
what do you think the noise levels would be between the wsm and the 17 hornet .
I will probably get a hmr but just wanted to explore the wsm angle .

Cheers once again .

[Bill]

not much between the HMR and WSM for noise and recoil, the Hornet is a bit more of a sharp crack as the bullets doing 3650fps, recoil is another step up but hardly 223 level

[bladeracer]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

A member here had a .17WSM, search for Gaznazdiak.
He liked it a lot but ended up swapping it for a .223Rem.

If I decide I want a .17 it'll be the Hornet. The .204 with reduced loads though does everything the Hornets can offer.

Thanks blade , i'll give him a bell and get some tips .

Cheers
Tilb

Gaznazdiak hasn't been here for some time now, but if you look at his posts you should see how much he liked the WSM

[Tilb004]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

A member here had a .17WSM, search for Gaznazdiak.
He liked it a lot but ended up swapping it for a .223Rem.

If I decide I want a .17 it'll be the Hornet. The .204 with reduced loads though does everything the Hornets can offer.

Thanks blade , i'll give him a bell and get some tips .

Cheers
Tilb

Gaznazdiak hasn't been here for some time now, but if you look at his posts you should see how much he liked the WSM

Cheers blade

Will look through the archives .

[Bugman]

Update from my 8th. August post. Have ordered a Meopta Meopro 4-12 x 50 for my 17hmr. Why? Because i have had Meopta scopes before, it has a one inch tube so I don't have to change my Optilock rings to 30mm and the price was excellent.

[Skinna]

Hi guys
Any thoughts on the .17 wsm .
I'm selling the my 22-250 now I have my 243 and are thinking of a .17.
Looking at the hmr or wsm .
I've heard plenty of stories of the hmr but nothing much about the wsm .
Pros and cons.
Any advice appreciated.
Tilb

Hi there Tilb. I shoot a 22-250 with cheap 22 cal bullets loaded with trailboss. cheap as anything much cheaper than buying factory ammo & can really vary the speed of bullet dramatically by changing powder charge & bullet type.
All equates to a pretty versatile round.

Worth a consideration if you dont mind reloading & particularly if cost of ammo is a factor. Barrel will last forever if only shoot trailboss.

But dont let me talk you out of buying another rifle
Cheers