Savage 93R17
Savage R17
I have several personal favorites in rifles and calibers, but the 93R17 is just plain fun to shoot.
The .17HMR was developed by Hornady. The “HMR” stands for Hornady Magnum Rimfire. It is basically a .22 magnum casing with the neck of the brass sized down to accept a 17 grain .17 caliber ballistic tip bullet. The .17HM2 is a .22 long rifle casing necked down to accept the same bullet. The advantage is amazing velocity (2550 feet per second on the HMR, and over 2000 fps on the HM2) and deadly accuracy.
My first one was a Savage 93R17-GV with the nice walnut stock. It didn’t have the Accu-trigger, but was a dream to shoot, and was instrumental in the demise of numerous varmints here at Chigger Ridge, as well as an unforgettable Prairie Dog hunt in western Kansas.
When I sold that rifle, I replaced it with the new Savage GV model that included the new Accu-trigger. That trigger changed the whole concept of the rifle. The trigger pull is now adjustable to just a couple of pounds of pressure, and makes the rifle just that much more accurate. I’ve been able to put 3 round groups of 5/16” together at 100 yards. Yep, that’s smaller than a dime. I’ve also recorded, and laser verified with a witness, a one-shot-pop of a prairie dog at 249 yards with a Savage 93R17.
I prefer the bull barrel (HB) on the .17 rifles, because it dissipates the heat more quickly than with the standard barrel. A bullet that travels that quickly creates friction and heat and the heavy barrel loses that heat quicker.
Savage manufactures these rifles with the scope rails already attached. There are no iron sights on the rifle. I paired my latest with a BSA 3 – 12 x 40mm “Sweet 17” scope that comes with the bullet drop compensator. The compensator allows the shooter to dial in the range, and then hold the cross hair directly on the target. No more “hold-over” to allow for additional range is necessary.
My oldest granddaughter (age 10) loves to shoot the 17, and is capable of hitting a 1” target at 100 yards with it.
Savage, y’all created a real winner with the 93R17 series. I’m a big fan.
Related posts:
- About Chigger Ridge Firearms What makes Chigger Ridge Firearms different from all the other...
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment