17HMR barrel length

old keeper

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any idea what the advantage or disadvantage, apart from handling, a 14inch barrel would have over say a 22/23 inch one. I am thinking of maximum use out to 140 yards.
Ammo would be 17 grn.
 
at longer range the mv would be less with the shorter barrel but to be fair for the ranges you would use a hmr at it would really matter.

14 inchs will be fine but if it was me i wouldnt go below 16 inchs. i had a 18 inch barrel annie hmr with over barrel mod and that was lovely and compact
 
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I shot a Thompson Center handgun in testing that has a 14" barrel, using 17 grain bullets. The speeds were in the 2380 fps range, on a very cold day.~Muir
 
Im having my 22 inch cz chopped down to 16 in the next couple of weeks purely for shotability from a car.

George
 
My CZ has a 16" barrel and DM80 over barrel moderator. It is very pointable and compact and I have chron'd the HMR at circa 2450fps.

Perfect length as far as I am concerned for serious bunny bashing.

Cheers + ATVB

Philip
 
I have the 14 inch Annie hmr, works fine out to as far as I can see them, best to date is a 230 yard bunny.
Not sure about the lack of velocity at that range, I would have asked the rabbit, but the far side of his head was missing :D

Neil. :)
 
Minimal difference at 140 yards. I keep mine full length because I dont shoot from vehicles still a very light rifle.
 
Well i personally have had both a cz and a sako quad which were cut down to 16 inch lovely balanced rifles
 
My .16" 17HMR just won't group tightly at 100yds - I've heard people shooting sub 1.5" groups at 100, which I can do with my .22 (also 16" barrel) but not my .17...!!!

My initial thoughts were trigger pull, so had the trigger done (no difference). The I thought maybe a few wind vortexes at the end of my range as it's very open (still no). Then I investigated the crown (shop said it was fine). Then I tried all types of Ammo (the ones I had were the best). Then I thought maybe I'd cleaned it too much so didn't clean it (didn't improve). The I thought maybe give it a really good clean & decopper (still didn't improve). I've tried it with and without Moderator (no difference).

The only thing I can think is to go up to an 18 or 20" barrel - any thoughts guys?

Someone recently told me that there may have been a "micro-bulge" in the barrel when i bought it, meaning though it will still group ok it will never be great... has anyone ever heard of this?
 
My .16" 17HMR just won't group tightly at 100yds - I've heard people shooting sub 1.5" groups at 100, which I can do with my .22 (also 16" barrel) but not my .17...!!!

My initial thoughts were trigger pull, so had the trigger done (no difference). The I thought maybe a few wind vortexes at the end of my range as it's very open (still no). Then I investigated the crown (shop said it was fine). Then I tried all types of Ammo (the ones I had were the best). Then I thought maybe I'd cleaned it too much so didn't clean it (didn't improve). The I thought maybe give it a really good clean & decopper (still didn't improve). I've tried it with and without Moderator (no difference).

The only thing I can think is to go up to an 18 or 20" barrel - any thoughts guys?

Someone recently told me that there may have been a "micro-bulge" in the barrel when i bought it, meaning though it will still group ok it will never be great... has anyone ever heard of this?

if it was me i would have it recrowned anyway.
 
ok thanks Jay I'll give it a go - would be a lot cheaper than trading it in, and the serial number has my lucky number in it so not keen to trade it in! :)
 
A Micro Bulge?? The things people come up with.

How many rounds through that barrel? When testing barrels for one company, my partner and I found that it can take upwards of 300 rounds to get the best accuracy, without cleaning. Marlin firearms doesn't recommend cleaning their 17 bores at all. I have three that I haven't cleaned in....years! They shoot great.

Lastly, don't discount the likelihood of poor ammo.~Muir
 
at longer range the mv would be less with the shorter barrel but to be fair for the ranges you would use a hmr at it would really matter.

14 inchs will be fine but if it was me i wouldnt go below 16 inchs. i had a 18 inch barrel annie hmr with over barrel mod and that was lovely and compact
agree i had same annie iwas steered away from 14 in barrell same reasons as you posted
 
agree i had same annie iwas steered away from 14 in barrell same reasons as you posted

I have the 14 inch Annie, if you are pushing the range enough for the supposed velocity loss to be a problem, you should be using something with more clout anyway.
Mine has dropped rabbits out to 230 yards, just because I wanted to try, but most of the time I never pushed it past 150 yards, these days I just jump from .22lr to .22 hornet when the range goes past 70 yards.

Neil. :)
 
A Micro Bulge?? The things people come up with.

How many rounds through that barrel? When testing barrels for one company, my partner and I found that it can take upwards of 300 rounds to get the best accuracy, without cleaning. Marlin firearms doesn't recommend cleaning their 17 bores at all. I have three that I haven't cleaned in....years! They shoot great.

Lastly, don't discount the likelihood of poor ammo.~Muir

Thanks Muir, I do clean it out regularly so will try not cleaning it at all and see what happens - It's had well over 300 rounds through it but as I clean it after every use (as advised when I bought it) I guess it won't have bedded in like you say!

I never clean my .22 apart from a single pull-through patch every now and again, and that's the most accurate gun I own!

I'm using the Hornady blue tip things, 17gn - seem to give the best group but are closely followed by federals.
 
I have the 14 inch Annie, if you are pushing the range enough for the supposed velocity loss to be a problem, you should be using something with more clout anyway.
Mine has dropped rabbits out to 230 yards, just because I wanted to try, but most of the time I never pushed it past 150 yards, these days I just jump from .22lr to .22 hornet when the range goes past 70 yards.

Neil. :)

I'm only really shooting around the 100yd mark - does your Annie achieve the 1/2" groups everyone raves about? On a really good day I can do it with my 16" 22 CZ, but the 16" 17 CZ Group is about 3" at the best!
 
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