Ruger 17 Mach 2 Rifle on Sale
If you are looking for a great little rimfire, bolt-action squirrel gun for under $400.00, check out the Ruger 77 on sale at CDNN Investments for just $399.00 (Item RUG 07030). It is chambered in 17 Mach 2, a 1″ OAL round that pushes a 17gr plastic-tipped, jacketed bullet at about 2100 fps. The Ruger features a handy 10-round rotary mag, a 20″ heavy barrel, and a nice gray laminated stock. The rifle even comes with free 1″ rings that fit the top of the dovetailed receiver. As of 8/29/2007, CDNN had 38 of these 17m2s in stock.
Why the Mach 2 rather than a 17 HMR? First, the 17 Mach 2 has more than enough “punch” for small varmints (ground squirrels and crows) out to 130 yards or so. Second, 17 Mach 2 ammo is currently much cheaper than 17 HMR. While most 17 HMR ammo costs at least $8.50 per box (and sometimes much more), you can get 17 Mach 2 ammo from a variety of sources for as little as $3.79 per 50-round box.
We’ve done a lot of testing with the 17 Mach 2 in both factory and custom rifles. What we’ve seen is that factory rifles will often shoot 1/2 MOA or better at 50 yards and 1 to 1.5 inches at 100 yards–provided the ammo is good. Typically, however, you’ll get one “flyer” out of five, but that’s usually caused by variations in the ammo (excessive runout, or a bad crimp, or flawed bullet tip). Even in a fully-accurized, custom 17 Mach 2 rifle, a single round with .010″ runout can expand a 1/4 MOA group into 1 MOA. Still, for a carry-around varmint rifle that’s excellent accuracy. We wouldn’t hesitate to go on a “Squirrel Safari” with this little Ruger. The trajectory is much flatter than a 22LR, the ammo is relatively inexpensive now, and the accuracy is more than adequate for the task.
