OzFclass

Here is a link to the 17/23 SMc based on 221 Fireball. - http://gunsmagazine.com/varmint-leverage/ The link to the full article by ML McPherson is at the bottom of the page.

I've already got a 17AH on a ZKK (20" 1:9" 20gr Vmax @ 3800fps). I'm putting together a 5mm/35 SMc at the moment based on the 6mmBR case for something different. Just waiting on reloading dies from Mic McPherson and reamers+gauges from PT&G, about 6wks.

I have it on good authority that Rod Davies has used his 458 win mag on feral cats ....

Which leads me to ask what a .17 cal is good for? Personally I have used a .17 cal air rifle on cicadas and found it to be a perfect match. When going down they sound like a spitfire in a death dive

andrew

What is a .17 good for? Go shoot a .17hmr and try and tell me you didnt enjoy it!

When your shooting on properties 800m from the main street low noise and low ricochet risk is the main aim.

If your normal shooting properties are 1000+ acres and hours from town use whatever blows your hair back!! Most of the game we come across is rabbits, hares and foxes while spotlighting from 10m to 250m . . . . . . 10m is a bit close for the 243. . . . And 250 is a fair stretch for a 17hmr and you never seem to have the rite gun in your hand at a time so I recon a 17 doing 3600-4000 is about perfect for the hunting we do locally.

macguru wrote:I have it on good authority that Rod Davies has used his 458 win mag on feral cats ....

Which leads me to ask what a .17 cal is good for? Personally I have used a .17 cal air rifle on cicadas and found it to be a perfect match. When going down they sound like a spitfire in a death dive

andrew

Correction. It was a 458 Lott. I had it loaded fairly warm with 250gn Barnes bullets nick named the flying ash tray. I could put a 6mm bullet in their hollow point. The skins were damaged quite a bit when they were hit front or rear on.

I am an absolute fan of the little guns and love my 17 Rem. 4000 fps and minimal recoil means you get to see crows pop at 300 yds.

I have a .17 HMR made up on a Martini action and it is very good but for the longer shots I've been using my .218 Bee that is also on a Martini action. Both were used recently on a wallaby cull and the .218 with 40 grain NBT's is great.

Regards
jb

RDavies wrote:Correction. It was a 458 Lott.

i know a guy who uses 325gr FTX in a 458L and he has shot a few foxes with them.

How did you find the 458 went? Punch a hole straight through??

Running a .257 wetherby mag with 87gr Speer tnt's at 3650 fps is quite Efficient in dispatching foxes. . . . . . You don't really get an entry and exit wound as such. . . .kind of one big mess with a bit off fluff!

Yeah it's probably a bit off topic for this forum but it's good to hear what else some other competitors get up to away from series competition!

BATattack wrote:How did you find the 458 went? Punch a hole straight through??

Running a .257 wetherby mag with 87gr Speer tnt's at 3650 fps is quite Efficient in dispatching foxes. . . . . . You don't really get an entry and exit wound as such. . . .kind of one big mess with a bit off fluff!

Yeah it's probably a bit off topic for this forum but it's good to hear what else some other competitors get up to away from series competition!

If I used big heavy pills in the 458 Lott, such as the 500-550gn Woodleighs, it would just punch through without making much mess. The 250gn Barnes flying ash trays were made for 45/70s, so they certainly expanded very well when pushed to twice their design speed. I didn't get to recover any though so I cant be sure of how the bullets looked.

No doubt about the versatility of a big 45 though... you could load one up with those light pills and trail boss for smaller game, or 2208 and 500s for a T-Rex. I know someone who has bought a 45-70 lever for trailboss loads, although i would not want to shoot heavy loads with such a light rifle ....

Hahaha this is good. And here I am running a plain jane 223 for dispatching ferals. Maybe I gotta sort my 6x47L Improved with 87gr Vmax for some fun finished its life as a FO barrel so may as well. Or 55gr Noslers or 70gr Blitzkings......

Rod,
Care to share the load? It might be time to dust off my 458L. They would have to be nicer on the shoulder than 500's.

Seddo wrote:Rod,
Care to share the load? It might be time to dust off my 458L. They would have to be nicer on the shoulder than 500's.

They were much easier to shoot. I will have to dig up my loads, but they were going pretty quick, faster than anything I am shooting now.

Quick wrote:Hahaha this is good. And here I am running a plain jane 223 for dispatching ferals. Maybe I gotta sort my 6x47L Improved with 87gr Vmax for some fun finished its life as a FO barrel so may as well. Or 55gr Noslers or 70gr Blitzkings......

I'm running 65gr v max in my 243 and they are much more affective than i thought they would be! Accurate, nice and flat and open up well.