SmallCaliberCentral

I've been pondering your same thought path for a while myself. What I've finally concluded it that a 17 Hornet is about perfect for low recoil, flat shooting, accurate, and readily available brass sources.

mpstan wrote:Yikes, Jim, your post beat me to the punch!

Thank you for clarifying what I have heard. Funny Todd Kindler didn't mention any of these issues when I talked to him today. In your opinion would I be losing much accuracy if I were to start with a CZ? Trigger quality of CZ vs. Remington 700? I like the looks of the CZ and I don't think I mind the box magazine.

Thank you again!

When I ordered the "Terrific-20's" a while back I asked him (Todd K.) and he told me any REM SA w/223 bolt head would work. In single shot mode he is correct. I figured I'd just get the repeater and be done with it and I prefer a REM over a CZ (I have both) because of some ERGO reasons. One [potential] drawback to CZ's is the metric threads. Some gunsmiths won't touch them for that. Otherwise, they are good rifles.

I'm in the process of doing the donor route and that is how I found out all of the differences with the REM 700's. I'm just waiting on a barrel. When thats done the process will bo complete (oh happy day................)

JIm

Mike wrote: If I was strictly punching paper and prairie poodles, a repeater would not be on my radar. A single-shot (like a Cooper ) will be a lot faster to work from a shooting table in hot prairie dog towns and the extra rigidity of a single-shot might help improve accuracy.

Mike, you can single load repeater actions just as quick as a single-shot set up. The repeater adds more flexability, IMO.

Jim White wrote:Mike, you can single load repeater actions just as quick as a single-shot set up. The repeater adds more flexability, IMO.

Perhaps I haven't used enough of them in dog towns. The few I have tried often times forced me to fiddle with the round before it would feed properly into the chamber, while the single-shots never have an issue. My experience with repeaters in that regard is quite small, though, so I have no doubt you have different results.

mpstan wrote:I've never PD hunted before so I could use more insights on what people like. Seems a repeater would be advantageous but perhaps it in't. I can't afford to put more than $1000 into a project, so a Cooper 20vt is out. Making a 20 VT on the cheap seems like more of a pain in the neck the more I look into it, but maybe giving up on the repeater aspect might make it more doable with a wider range of donor calibers to select.

I think a lot comes down to personal preference. I find it much easier to load and shoot one round at a time in prairie dog towns. I don't feel like I give up any speed and I have a much easier time keeping track of brass in the process. I've really come to appreciate right-bolt-left-port configurations for ergonomic reasons, but in that regard I think a Savage LRPV is going to be your only choice and it will come close to stretching your budget. I've seen some good deals on them while browsing gun forums, so I'd always suggest looking for a previously loved rifle to save some coin.

Are you drawn to the 20VT because of reduced muzzle blast over the .204? I ask because your options open up a whole lot if you move from the VT to other options that are more commonly found. It's not easy, but with patience and luck you can occasionally score a nice Cooper for under $1k. That won't leave much for glass right now, but it would put you in a dandy rifle and allow you to upgrade glass later if you want to. There are also a lot of other great rifles out there, but you'll have to do some work and spend some $$ to turn them into a 20VT. I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of the VT, but I think you're making a lot of sacrifices in rifle choices to get one in the parameters you've laid out.

As far as cost, when I'm all said and done my cost to turn a Remington 700 17-Fireball into a 20 VT is less than a new Cooper and IMO it is going to be every bit as of a custom rig as a Cooper is. That includes the rifle, barrel, stock (HS Precision), bedding, fitting the barrel and truing the action, threads, bolt lugs and so on. Glass is going to be extra no matter which route is taken.

Just remember, using a action that isn't set up for this cartridge (17-Fireball, 20-VT or 221-Fireball) as a repeater may cause feeding and/or ejecting issues. For a single shot option, feeding shouldn't be an issue but ejecting the cases could be. Either way, the parts have to mesh and be in sync with each other to function ortherwise, someone is going to be frustrated.

Just a thought.

Words taken to heart, Jim.

17 Fireballs are very uncommon but 221s are still around. Plus, Todd Kindler tells me he has gobs of 221 brass even though traditional sources are often backordered, so I'm narrowing down on looking for this rifle.

Thanks for the help!

Perry