Ruger Single Six in 17 HMR?

[bammann45]

Does anyone have the Ruger Single Six in 17 HMR. Any opinions etc?
I am thinking of picking one up for general plinking fun for 50 - 150 yards or so.
Thanks.

 

[tyr_shadowblade]

.17 HMR was meant for rifles. Firing it out of a handgun will significantly reduce velocity and it won't expand as well as it should. For a "plinker" get a .22 LR -- the ammo will be a lot cheaper.

 

[bammann45]

Yeah. I do know it reduces velocity but from a 6.5" barrel it still clocks in at ~1980 fps at 10' from the muzzle -- I figure it will shoot close to flat to about 125 yards... I have plenty of .22s

 

[locomike]

I'm not a big fan of bottle neck cartriges in revolvers. I recall that S&W had many problems with the 22 Jet.

An excerpt from Hodgdon Data Manual, 26th Edition: "Whereas a bottleneck type case with minimum body taper has a tendency to cling to the chamber wall during firing, just the opposite happens with the extreme body taper of the 22 Jet case. For this reason, if cases and chamber walls were not kept absolutely clean of oils and lubes, the .22 Jet has a tendency to back out of the chamber during firing and prevent the cylinder from rotating.". I don't know if the 17 HMR will have the same problems, but it is something to think about...

I would also like to say, that IMHO, the .17 caliber rimfires are a solution to a nonexistant problem. The 22 WMR, out of a handgun, is less than 3" low at 125 yards when sighted in at 100 yards and has much more energy than the 17 HMR. Get a Single Six with 22 LR and 22 WMR cylinders and have the best of both worlds. Cheap shooting and good long range performance.

 

[Absintheur]

As far as the bottleneck cartridge problem I don't think it will exist in the Ruger in 17HRM. The rimfire fire cartridge doesn't work anywhere close to the same pressures as the Jet so the problem talked about above simply won't occur. Yes you will have some velocity loss but not as much as people think, the powders used are fast and even in a shorter pistol barrel will burn almost completely before the projectile exits the muzzle. You will have more loss due to cylinder gap than short barrel length. I think the Ruger would make a fine combo piece for a rifle in the same caliber, if you like it then I would say to go ahead and buy it.

 

[bammann45]

Thanks all for the input. I was taking a look at some of the new 22 WMR loadings and noted there is a 30 grain vmax offering out there - presumably to give the 17 HMR some competition in the very high velocity category. I will have to research this further as I do find idea of a convertible single six in .22 LR and 22 WMR attractive.

 

[Absintheur]

One thing to remember about the 22/22mag Ruger, the two rounds use different sized bullets. The 22 magnum uses a .224 diameter bullet and the 22 rimfire uses a .222 to .223 diameter bullet depending on manufacturer. I know it doesn't sound like much but it can make a big difference in accuracy. If you go with the 22/22mag combo make sure you try every type of .22 magnum ammo you can find to get the best accuracy from the slightly undersized barrel.

 

[bammann45]

Thanks for the tip! I didn't know that.

 

[Brules1]

.17 HMR was meant for rifles. Firing it out of a handgun will significantly reduce velocity and it won't expand as well as it should. For a "plinker" get a .22 LR -- the ammo will be a lot cheaper.

tyr shadowblade is 100% correct. Doesn't make much sense out of a handgun. Plus the ammo is considerably more expensive.

 

[tyr_shadowblade]

Thanks all for the input. I was taking a look at some of the new 22 WMR loadings and noted there is a 30 grain vmax offering out there - presumably to give the 17 HMR some competition in the very high velocity category. I will have to research this further as I do find idea of a convertible single six in .22 LR and 22 WMR attractive.

CCI makes a V-MAX and a TNT round for the .22 WMR -- both work well in handguns. :thumbup:

Taurus makes several 8-shot .22 WMR revolvers.

 

[Absintheur]

.17 HMR was meant for rifles. Firing it out of a handgun will significantly reduce velocity and it won't expand as well as it should. For a "plinker" get a .22 LR -- the ammo will be a lot cheaper.

tyr shadowblade is 100% correct. Doesn't make much sense out of a handgun. Plus the ammo is considerably more expensive.

Many of today's popular handgun hunting rounds began as cartridges originally chambered in rifles. I shot a large number of ground hogs with a TC Contender chambered in 5mm rimfire * when I was younger. I also shot quite a few with a Ruger Hawkeye (bottleneck cartridges do work in revolvers). I have deer hunted with other so called "rifle" cartridges in pistols. Just because the first firearm designed for a cartridge is a rifle does not make that round designed for a rifle only.

Let's go the other way, the .357 and .44 magnum rounds were first chambered in a handgun, does this make them handgun rounds only? Does it make no sense to chamber a rifle for them? Of course not, both work very well in a rifle. The .17 HMR does shoot very well in the Ruger, my brother bought one as a companion gun to his Marlin in the same caliber and is very happy with it.

Fact is the .17 HMR does work well in handguns and provides a flat shooting 100 yard cartridge for those who want to carry a firearm in a holster rather than having to carry a rifle. The actual cost difference is negligible for hunting ammo, the only price break come in 22 WMR in FMJ. If you consider the high quality bullets used in most .17 loadings it is surprising the cost per round is nearly identical to the .22 WMR.

* The 5mm Remington round has been brought back to life, it is currently available from Aguila.

 

[steelscout30]

The .22 Mag would be the best compromise instead of the .17 HMR variant, assuming you use the correct ammunition.

The posters above have pretty much set it all, just wanted to drop a line about the quality, dependability, and excellent service that Ruger revolvers provide. I have a Single-Six for plinking, an Alaskan Guide .454 Cassull model for my walks in the woods (Pennsylvania/New Mexico bear country), and also an SP101. When you can't get a Smith, get a Ruger.

 

[bammann45]

I also love the Rugers. I currently have:

Ruger Mark 2 slabside comp target model w/randall fung grips
Ruger Bisley in 45 LC w/Bowen sights I added myself.
A 5" Blued Redhawk also w/Bowen sights.
SP101
10/22 international model...
Old 3 screw bear cat
Mark 1 .22 LR original model tapered

Bang for buck Ruger is often tough to beat