17 HMR Shoot-Out: Ruger vs. Volquartsen
If you’re thinking about acquiring a 17 HMR rifle, you should read the 17 HMR Two-Gun Comparison in our Gun of the Week Archives. This two-gun shoot-out compares the performance of a Volquartsen 17 HMR semi-auto and a Ruger 77/17 bolt-action. Glen Robinson, the owner of both rifles, has done some serious comparison testing with both guns, trying out a half-dozen varieties of 17 HMR ammo. The overall results may surprise you. The semi-auto out-shot the bolt gun by a significant margin, with all types of ammo tested.
Comparing the Qualities of the Two 17 HMR Rifles
By Glen Robinson
While the Volquartsen proved to be the more accurate of my pair of 17 HMRs, I still enjoy owning both rifles. Each gun has its strong points and weak points.
Ruger Strong Points: From any angle, the Ruger 77/17 is a nice-looking rifle with classic lines. I like the gray-finish stainless barrel — it goes well with the gray laminated stock. With the addition of the aftermarket sear, the trigger is crisp and the bolt function is smooth. The action is strong and dependable. The conventional “open rear” action allows you to clean “normally” with a bore guide, cleaning rod, and patches/brushes. I feel I can do a better job of cleaning with the Ruger than with the boresnake on the Volquartsen.
Ruger Weak Points: Accuracy is somewhat disappointing. The best 100-yard group the Ruger has shot was about 0.82″ and the gun averages well over 1.25″ for 5 shots. In fairness, I haven’t done anything exotic in terms of bedding the action/barrel, and I would expect that an aftermarket barrel, perhaps combined with a barrel pre-load (up-pressure) pad, could improve the accuracy.
Volquartsen Strong Points: The Volquartsen is a well-made, accurate, dependable rifle. The gun cycles very reliably and requires very little maintenance. To clean it, just pull a boresnake through the bore. The gun exhibits very nice machining, and the VX-5000 stock rides steady on a front sand-bag, even though it’s only about 1.75″ wide. Even without any tweaking the trigger is very good, and the pull weight is fine for varminting.
Volquartsen Weak Points: The VX-5000 stock is not ideal for bench work — the comb is a bit too high, though I like the feel of the vertical grip. This stock profile is really more suited for silhouette shooting, but this stock seemed to be the best option offered by Volquartsen that could be used for both paper-punching and varminting. The receiver design limits your options for barrel cleaning.
Conclusion — The Volquartsen Takes the Prize
Having shot both rifles extensively, if I had to pick one gun, it would be the Volquartsen. The Volquartsen is much more accurate and it offers much faster follow-up shots. For varminting the Volquartsen would be superior, no question about it. I’m happy I bought the Volquartsen and the VX-5000 stock. It is a fun, versatile gun that lives up to the accuracy claims.
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Tags: 17 HMR, Benchrest, Ruger, Volquartsen
A better test would have been to have each gun in a vise…..to avoid human error and stock to rest irregularities…..
I understand the desire for a comparison, but more emphasis on the price difference is needed. The VQ is double the price.
If you read the full article (quickly) you find:
1. The base Volquartsen is 3X the price of the base Ruger. Then add $170 for Volquartsen’s stock option.
2. Some of the shooting of the Volquartsen “may” have been done with a one-piece rest (picture).
One need not look any further then the groups.
The Ruger retails for $1,000 and is available new for $750. The Volquartsen, by their website configuration, would be over $2,000. I’m not trying to make excuses for Ruger, but you are basically comparing a mass produced gun to a custom.
Personally, I’d rather have the Ruger, although in a bolt action I prefer Remington or CZ. To each their own.
It is a sheep and goats comparison test. The comments that customising the Ruger with a new barrel and add ons is telling.
I’d rather see a bolt vs bolt review.
Looking at the atrocious velocity spreads, this says more about the ammo available than the rifles used.
Every Volky I’ve seen has shot well, though.