17 WSM

Just curious guys….. has anyone worked with a Bmag that will consistently shoot respectable groups at 100yds or further? I’ve been through 2 scopes, not saying they’re the greatest optics in the world, but the consistency has been respectable out to 75yds, however, it just turns to crap from there and beyond. I’m using the Winchester 20gr. ammo. Is the Hornady or American Eagle (Federal) any different? I’m really growing tired of this gun not coming in for me out to distance. Today, a red squirrel came to visit during my sighting session, about 60yds away. He was still moving at a medium/slow speed on top of an oak branch when I calculated my spot and trigger release. Absolutely nailed it, right through the head, exactly where I wanted to hit it, and this came after my 100yd efforts were grouping no better than the diameter of a coffee saucer! Try a 3rd scope? Are the guns/caliber known for being all over the place? I’m just scratching my head… I want this caliber to reach out to 150yds, maybe 200yds, but I’d settle for 150.

In reading owner reports on other forums, I made the decision to go with the HMR over the WSM when I wanted a .17 rim. On paper, the B-Mag seems to have every advantage. On the range, however, consistent owner reports were that the theory and the reality didn’t seem to produce results.

Savage also had some well-documented QC issues. I literally was ready to plunk my money down on a B-Mag soon after they came out. I looked at 4 different guns and walked away. The build quality was shockingly bad for Savage. I will note for the record that Savage got things back on track within a few months, but it certainly put me off the B-Mag.

Certainly, the ammo choice is your biggest variable that you can easily change. Try everything.

Also, IMO the .17 is impacted by wind to an exponential degree compared to everything else I own. While an extra 3 MPH of wind may make a negligible difference to a .223, to my 17 HMR it can produce enough change to make me put the rifle away. I don’t think it’s just velocity of the wind, I think the consistency and air current effects can break a group with the 17 to a much greater degree.

It’s like the 17s seem to ride right on the edge of stability and it takes next to nothing to push them off the edge.

Grouse

Take a look on youtube for a poster with the handle of cavedweller1959 – he has several videos out about why the accuracy on an out-of-the-box BMag is bad, how it performs, how to fix it, how it performs post-fix.

Spoiler alert – it involves a new stock and glass bedding to fix it.

Scott

Ken, I’m running the HMR and I now call it my Prairie Dog Sleeper.
At the range I could get a great group at 200 yards.

Out in the field 150 was max. There’s always wind in South Dakota it seems.

I have 2 of them… both with the thin barrels… I have the same issues, I even slapped a $600 vortex scope off one of my other rifles. I have a buddy with the bull barrel version and it is great out to about 200. My advice would be save the $$ on the new optics and use it to pay for the trade if you dont have a bull barrel.

Thanks for the input guys! I really appreciate it!
To further the details, I’m shooting up at my family’s cabin, which is nestled in a “wilderness reclaimed” gravel pit my great grandpa used to own. It takes a lot of wind to get in here now, which is why I love shooting here. I had a 17hmr and 22mag with me as well and neither of them reflected the results of the 17wsm.

Believe it or not, I have a Boyds stock on this thing, but I don’t think it’s bedded. Boyds makes deals with retailers to feature some products with their stocks instead. I see some Walmarts are now offering a Savage A22WMR with a Boyds thumbhole stock on it. This one came from Cabelas.

I’ll try the other ammo before I declare my options exhausted but I think I’ve heard enough to resist trying another scope. I’ll let you all know what happens.

Thanks again for sharing guys!