Is The .17 Mach 2 Going To Die?

[CB900F]

Fella's;

A comment in another thread raised this question in my mind. Rather than digress on that thread, I thought I'd start one dedicated to the question.

Let's face it, the .17 HM2, although not a bad idea, has been totally eclipsed by the .17HMR. I don't have one, so no dog in this fight, but I don't see a long future for the round. To my mind, the thing was tapering off & we'd probably have seen an end to it in ten years. But, with the current rimfire ammo crisis, I haven't seen a box of it on the shelves since what was there before the insanity started ran out. And it took a fairly long time to run out also, which gives an indication to its popularity. I don't see an ammo maker making a production run of the stuff untill their higher priority ammo requests are filled and things get back to whatever's going to pass for normal. It looks like that's going to take a while, perhaps a long while. Which would mean that if you don't have stock on hand in .17HM2 now, you're not going to get any in the immediate future.

Perhaps it'll do a 5mm magnum, & make a comeback 30 years later, but I'm not gonna hold my breath until it does. I'm also not going to hang a black wreath on it today. But next year?

900F

 

[22-rimfire]

It has not had much of a future once the 17HMR was introduced and so well accepted. I hope ammunition remains available, but as you said, it may do a 5mm in the short term.... if I owned one, I'd be stocking up on ammunition in anticipation of very limited supplies in the future.

I'd like to own a 5mm rimfire. But nobody builds rifles for it.

 

[tuj]

the only thing that makes me mad is we can't get anyone but CCI to make the 17hmr ammo (Hornady, Winchester, Remington is all relabeled CCI). At least Eley is making the 17HM2.

The 17hmr is supposed to already be a 'match grade' round and I would agree its pretty darn good, but Eley makes some of the finest rimfire ammo around so I'd love to see them enter the 17hmr game.

 

[gbran]

17m2 is on the wane, but is is still hanging on and last year it came out in non-lead (TNT Green). I have 2 rifles and more than 3,000 round (1,000 non-lead). I'm stuck in a non-lead hunting area.

17m2 is my all-time favorite rimfire. I've used it about 6 or 7 years. I'm so happy with it, I parked all my 22lr's. For me it is more acurate, has a farther range and a flatter trajectory.

I have some 22 mags I sometimes use, but I never warmed up the the 17hmr. The 17m2 is much cheaper and if I want more performance, I break out my .223, which I can reload for near the cost of the 17hmr.

I hope the little 17m2 hangs on.

 

[MattShlock]

It's already on life support -- but you guys read the gunzines and had to have one. At least the .257 Roberts never died -- LOL.

 

[Justin]

17 Mach 2 is a great little cartridge. It's a laser on prairie dogs out to about 200 yards or so, and just a lot of fun to shoot.

 

[NeuseRvrRat]

a lot of hardcore squirrel hunters call it the best squirrel cartridge in existence. i've come close to buying one a few times, but i always talk myself out of it when i get to thinking about the ammo.

 

[tallpaul]

I got in the game late on the 17hmr and the 17 mach2

I love them both and I never thought I would. The mach 2 used to give 90 percent of the hmr with 1/4 the cost but at even 60 percent and a tad quieter it has a home with me, I bought 6 bricks last fall before the madness for the 17 savage mk II I acquired in the previous spring. I added a boyds thumbhole stock to her and its a lil lazer

I don't plan on plinkin much with the mach 2 or the hmr and for varmiting in urban areas I love the lower if non existent richochet performance of those light fast bulletts







before the stock upgrade.. 3 Ground hogs 92-96 yards



first four shots- first bottom 45 yards ested off the side of a machine...

 

[dhv]

I have a Sako Quad with all 4 rimfire barrels.
When I got it I thought the 17MkII would never be used, but now it's a permanent fixture.
I doubt it will die completely. Some gun writer will come out praising it and then all the lemmings will rush to find one.

 

[Kingcreek]

I want one 10" for my buckmark silhouette. I thought scope it and it would make the best gopher popper ever out to 100 yards. I called browning and the tech guy said it was "technically do-able, but we have no intention of doing it".
I'm still tempted but the forecast ain't too bright for the .17

 

[tallpaul]

Kingcreek- I think volquartzen makes one in a ruger MK version...

I keep thinking a contender barrel myself