Who here shoots 17 Rem?

[ZDF]

I shot mine today for the first time and it was pretty windy and snow flakes were falling. Once I got it sighted in I was shooting 3 rounds at a time then letting the barrel cool down. I would get a nice 3 shot group, let the barrel cool down, and shoot another 3 shots and they would be all over the place. Now does wind affect this little guy this much at 100 yards? Im thinking I still have to break it in for it to be consistent. I was shooting the Remington 25 grain factory loads and shot 40 rounds through it. Im thinking either it likes to shoot better after a couple rounds have been shot, it doesn't like wind at all, or the gun needs broken in. For the guys that shoot it, do you reload? What bullets and bullet size do you use? What powder? Im gonna try with the 25 and 30 grain Berger bullets but am not sure what powder to use.

[Buckwheat]

ZDF
I reload and clean my gun every 25 rounds when working up a load. Even if I shoot one round and put it away I clean it. These little rifle seam to not like dirt much. I also can not get factory rounds to group better then 1 1/2 AT 100. Reloading is the way to go but it takes a lot of shots to get the right load. The 20 gr bullets I still have not got to fly good. Right now the 25 grain hollow points and ballistic tips  have been shooting real good. Some times I can get 5 under a dime with my CZ 527 Rifle.

[uncle buck]

I have three 17 center fires...2     17 Remingtons and 1      17 Fireball... The 17 Rem shot the factory well enough to kill things well out to 250 yards.  However reloads did shoot better... The 17 Fireball Custom Encore the factory did not shoot well.. Now when I went to reloading every powder I used grouped from 1 inch down to 1/4 inch groups..Both 20 grain V Max and the 25 HP.. Also everyone of the recommended powders shot both 17 Rem from 1 inch groups to 1/4 inch groups.  Try the new IMR 8208 XBR powder for both calibers... I truly like this powder since you can use it for 17 CF all the way up to 45/70.  It shot the 22250 well as the 308Win.  Go to the IMR powder site and go into their reloading data. Key in the 17 Rem...All of the powders they list there shoot excellent...
Take a cleaning rod when sighting in ammo or shooting reloads at targets and clean it after every 10 shots..


http://www.imrpowder.com/basic-manual-inquiry.html

[ZDF]

Yeah the factory did alright but they werent consistent. Now I dont know if it was the wind that made the bullet drift or if the gun needs a few more rounds to be broken in. I read that a few people say the 17 Rem likes to be a little dirty for it to shoot better, I guess I just gotta find what mine likes. Has anyone shot the 30 grain bullets? I have the 1-9 twist and should shoot them alright. Thanks for the link UB, very good info. Im probably gonna order some more factory stuff this week just to break in the barrel and then get some bullets, powder and funnel and start loading. Hopefully I can find a right load for it and its not a bad barrel

[uncle buck]

What make and model 17 Rem do you own ZDF?

[Buckwheat]

ZDF
I shot the 30 grain bullets at 3900 fps and they hit way harder then I would want to use on fox. If there were a lot of coyotes around I would use them. They grouped around an inch. I think I could get them to shoot better but I figure that is something to mess with later for me.
I would like to try the 20 gr bullets first for fox next year. But I like the long range I get out of the 25 gr.  There is always decisions and trade offs to shooting to concider.  That is what makes shooting the 17 rem so much fun, you can do all kinds of stuff with them. Ya no slow them down to 17 fire ball speeds or up to speeds that are blistering fast.

[Buckwheat]

Unclebuck
Are you going to the check in today, I am going just to hang out a little.

[ZDF]

What make and model 17 Rem do you own ZDF?

Its an ER Shaw Mark 7.

ZDF
I shot the 30 grain bullets at 3900 fps and they hit way harder then I would want to use on fox. If there were a lot of coyotes around I would use them. They grouped around an inch. I think I could get them to shoot better but I figure that is something to mess with later for me.
I would like to try the 20 gr bullets first for fox next year. But I like the long range I get out of the 25 gr.  There is always decisions and trade offs to shooting to concider.  That is what makes shooting the 17 rem so much fun, you can do all kinds of stuff with them. Ya no slow them down to 17 fire ball speeds or up to speeds that are blistering fast.

Oooh 30 grainers at 3900 sound nice for coyotes. I wanna try the 25 grain Bergers though to start of with. I do love the cartridge though already, can't wait to shoot something with it haha. Hopefully this weekend though


Also, who would I talk to about changing my name on the forum? ZDF just isnt cutting it ha

[221 Fireball]

ZDF Do a high-power break in on your new rifle, E R's barrel blanks are some pretty good blanks but they aren't lapped (smooth like the more higher end manufacturers) shoot 1 shot and completly clean not push 3 wet patches and 3 dry and figure it's done. Even though it's a custom rifle the throat and bore still need broke in. Shoot 1 shot clean, for 9 shots then 3 shots clean for three groups. If you have a chronograph you will see an increase in velocity, and gun will clean much more easier when cleaned less fouling. I've bought numerous rifles at my cousins shop that didn't shoot all to well and made good shooters out of them just from doing a good break in.

[ZDF]

Thanks 221, I lapped it before hand so I just think it needs a good 100 rounds or so and she'll be shooting nice. I think its my fault why it was not consistent. I dont think I let it cool off enough before shots and I shoulda cleaned it after about 20 shots. I did look at the bore after about 20 rounds and it was dirty but didnt have my cleaning rod as I was up my camp. Next week I'll do a good cleaning after each shot, if I can get some ammo before the weekend.

How do you like your 221 Fireball? I was considering building one of them but went with the 17 instead.

[221 Fireball]

ZDF I really like the little round. I actually have 2 of them 1 is 700 Rem that Grice Gunshop brought out as a special run. It's a 700 on a Laminated mountain rifle stock, it shot terrible when I got it 2-3in at 100yd. Took it to gunsmith, local who does great work always did good on everything I sent to him, it always took a while to get things back. Anyhow he full length glassed and pillard it for me, barrel looked like a very serious cat fight happend in it. Did 2 series of break in's back to back, and it shoots point of aim all the time, very reliable. That one i'm shooting 50 gr. Sierra soft points with H110 on a Wsr. primer right around 2850 fps. Tried that load 1 time on fur and operator error happend Fox said see ya.  The other is a 700 LVSF that's what i've been using this year, running H4198 Fed 205M with Sierra 45 gr. soft points. I haven't really destroyed any fur with the kills I have, it's running around 2600 fps. The cartridge itself is really loader friendly, and you can make brass off 223 or 222. So that was a plus for me. Noise level for nite time isn't bad, but I have been in some spots that I thought it really cracked. I'd really like to see one of the Shaw rifles I read an article in Handloader magazine they got a Mk. 7 in 6.5-06 for a test rifle for a Praire Dog hunt and don't hold me to this, but they had a 3 shot target that was like 3.5 in. at 600 or 700 yards that was impressive!

[ZDF]

Sounds like a good little cartridge. I've just never actually talked to anyone who shot it before. The Shaw rifles are great guns for the price.

Also would I be able to use 204 brass to reload? I've read you can?