# First blood for .17 Rem.



## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

It's been a lot of messing with the .17 Remington in Model 700 BDL since I picked it up this spring. Free-floated the barrel, installed a Timney trigger and experimented with various loads including five different bullets (20 and 25 gr Hornady, 25 gr Rem, and 25 and 30 gr Bergers) seven different powders (IMR 3031- 4198- 4320-4895; R-15; Win 748; H4895) of various charge weights. I settled on a 30 gr Berger over 27 grs of H4895 pushing 3700 fps.

This season has been slower than usual so this morning to change things up a bit, I left the CZ .204 behind and decided to give the .17 a go. First two stands, not even a response. Third stand, parked on the northeast corner of a mile-square bush with a southwest wind. After 15 minutes, again without a response, I got up to fetch the caller but left the bipods extended. Sure enough, hardly made more than 10 paces away from the bush into the open field when I saw a flash and sure enough, there's a yote.

The 3/4 length Ghillie coat seems to confuse critters and they don't sense danger right away but instead seem to try and figure out what that strange looking creature might be. I dropped to my butt, picked up the yote -- which had locked onto me -- through the scope immediately, and touched off the 2.5 pound trigger for a shot at the yote that was giving me nearly a full frontal shot from 90 paces. He was dead before he hit the ground -- he didn't give so much as a twitch. I couldn't tell where I hit him because there was no entrance hole that I could see.

This was the first shot I've fired at a yote with the .17. I don't know how often I'll use it but early in the season before the hang-ups start, it could be a fun little caliber. From what I've heard from fellows and have read, they either love it for as fur gun or hate it as a coyote loser.

How many guys use or have used a .17 on yotes. Have your experiences been good? Bad?


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Great on fur, bad on losses.

And before someone makes a quip about "its all about shot placement", I agree. But bad hits happen, and when they do, I want a disabled coyote, not a silver streak heading for the next township.

.17 Rem, probably the BEST fox caliber of all time!


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## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

Hello Sask,

Glad to hear you are already putting down yotes with the .17. I have had a .17 centerfire for 20+ years, and have shot several coyotes with it using both 25 and 30 gr Bergers. I have nothing but good things to say about it. I use a .223, a .204 (even though, as you know, it is too small for serious professionals) and a 220 Swift Improved as well, but if I had to pick a favorite every day rifle it would be the .17.

I just had a .17 Tactical built by Greg Tannel, and am anxiously awaiting my chance to do some calling with it. To give you an idea of the difference, the .17 Tactical will generate a MV of 3950-4000 fps with the 30 gr bullets. Using a 30 gr Gold bullet with a BC of .270, it is a laser - can't wait to try it.

Have a great season my friend,
KD


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

good to hear!!. which berger?? the match or varmint??> my 17-204 is done. dies hopefully will be in today  i'm hopeing for 4100-4200 with 30's. am excited to see how it works on fur. keep the stories (photos) coming Sask. i enjoy them.


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## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

I was using a Berger 30-grain Varmint. Actually, I was hoping to test 30-grain Woodchuck Den Golds as recommended by KDog because of the BC of .270. I ordered a pack from Woodchuck Den but I couldn`t get them (I`m not going to go into the whole story -- you can check it on on a previous post I made on reload-ammo section a few weeks back titled `Land of the Free`).

To arrive at the load I was using, I went through 60 (yes, 60) combinations of bullet, bullet manufacturer, powder, charge weight, etc. The load I settled on shot a .50 group. It wasn`t the tightest group but based on accuracy, speed and energy, it was the best for coyotes.

I still have a few combinations I have to test but I probably won`t get to it this fall. I haven`t had much luck getting info on 30-grainers. Walt Berger was kind enough to give me the min-max powders for a number of 30-grainers so if anyone can give me min-max on R-15 and IMR 4198, I`ll give them a try, too.

Those .17-.204 and .17 Practical projects sound interesting. Keep us posted on the results.

In the meantime, I`m heading out tomorrow morning -- looks like the wind is only about 10 mph. Hope there`ll be a good story to the hunt. :beer:

Good luck and shoot straight whatever caliber you choose. Saskcoyote


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

The 17 centerfire is an awesome little fox pellet. oke:

kdog, last i recall serious professionals don't care how much pelt damage there is. Why, because the sign an agreement stating that they can not sell or gain in any respect with the animals that they take on or off the job. So I've been told anyhow. I know a guy who knows a guy. If they call in a pair, they don't want to just shoot one, they want to shoot the one knowing that it's DRT and move on to the next one, instead of shooting the first one twice.

Bearhunter and Sask, lets see some pics of those guns. I've been waiting 6 months for that project to be done. Gotta see it.

xdeano


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## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

Sask,

I will be trying the 30 gr gold and Chan Nagel's 30 gr bullet in my .17 Tactical, and will let you know how they shoot. If I can be of any help to you in getting bullets, please let me know.

Good luck calling tomorrow, 
KD


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## phutch30 (Nov 18, 2010)

Im running the the 25 berger at 3980. I was trying the woodchuck dens 27gr golds but didnt like the number of exits on broadside shots. I ended up taking 28 coyotes with these loads last winter from 55 yards out to 315. I had 2 run 15-20 yards everything else DRT. The yote at 315 was laser ranged prior to the shot and was sitting down looking at the caller. It just tipped over backwards from a frontal. Never lost an animal with it in two years. Havent had a chance at a fox yet for some reason I never have them come into the call around here, but snare 10-25 a year in my coyote snares.


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## saskcoyote (Dec 30, 2006)

Thanks, K, but from what I understand, unless you have an FFL, you can't send reloading components across the border. While the thought of the .270 BC Golds is interesting, I'm satisfied with the Bergers at this point. I've tested three different loads that shoot .50 and I think I could shrink that further if I had better gear -- I use homemade sandbags. (I actually had a .38 group from a 20-gr VMax but I feel that's just too small of a bullet). If I do decide to get some Golds maybe I can persuade a gun shop up here to import a box. Appreciate your offer, though.

In the meantime, it's "second blood" for the .17. I went out this morning, perfect conditions with just a slight north/northwest breeze and the temperature just below freezing. No takers on the first four sets although I did get one howl back. Last stand, I set up on a beautiful spot. I sat facing north into the breeze, with a large bush in front of me running east to west about 3/8 mile long.

It was a cut alfalfa field and the farmer hadn't yet hauled the round bales so I set up in the shadow of one. Because I was on a bit of a rise, I had a perfect view of the whole length of the bush. Called for 10 minutes but didn't get any response. Then, as I panned to my right I spotted two coyotes standing broadside straight east of me. They had come in behind me and downwind but apparently hadn't picked up my scent.

I slowly shifted the rifle, planted the bipods, placed the crosshairs behind the shoulder on the nearest dog and touched off. He crumpled, dead as dirt. The second yote which was about 50 yards farther east than the first one hightailed it toward the bush and got into cover before I could get off another round. Kiyi's didn't bring him out.

I stepped off the distance to the dead yote, 109 paces. There was no sign of an entrance wound and the exit appears no bigger than a dime at most. Bearhunter, that 30-gr Berger must have been just devastating because when I gave the yote a few shakes, I could clearly hear the 'sloshing' inside.

That was the last stand because I wanted to get into the office before noon. However, if the wind is reasonable I expect to get out again tomorrow and Sunday morning. With deer season coming up Nov. 15 (and which will make an already tough calling season even tougher) and with a Montanta pheasant hunt lined up for next weekend I'd like to get out another couple or three mornings before then.

Hope you and the other Nodak guys are piling up a little fur, too. Good luck. Saskcoyote


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## kdog (Mar 13, 2007)

Sask,

Congrats on the second blood. You're gonna love the .17. Thank you for the story - always fun to read.

KD


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