.17 bolt rifle thoughts?

[Xxx]

I am checking prices through a local FFL as we speak.  I am seriously considering the Marlin XT-17VR.  I recently found the Savage 39R17 Classic.  That gun is not a bottom end rig by any means but if I can get it for a reasonable price I might have to upgrade.  Check it out, its a nice looking rig.

 

Here's the next question:  What do you guys have for glass on your guns?  I saw one guy has a VX III but that js too much money for me to spend on this outfit.  Some have told me the BSA Sweet 17 series are great and some say they are crap.  Opinions? Experience?  I have nothing but Leupolds and Nikons but I am open to suggestions base on performance.

DJ I have the BSA Cats Eye scope on my 17. I have the one with the illuminated recticals, there are several different levels of brightness. I like the scope I have in the 3 to 9 with the 50mil bell. It was not a cheap scope, they do make lesser grades. It pulls as much light as my leopolds. I have a 4.5 to 14 VXIII on my 25/06 it's a toss up as to which gathers more natural light, such as a full moon with a fresh snow, and with a red light you just brighten the crosshairs in the BSA which is simple it's right on top, use your index finger just drop down to the trigger.

[Chas0218]

I am checking prices through a local FFL as we speak.  I am seriously considering the Marlin XT-17VR.  I recently found the Savage 39R17 Classic.  That gun is not a bottom end rig by any means but if I can get it for a reasonable price I might have to upgrade.  Check it out, its a nice looking rig.

 

Here's the next question:  What do you guys have for glass on your guns?  I saw one guy has a VX III but that js too much money for me to spend on this outfit.  Some have told me the BSA Sweet 17 series are great and some say they are crap.  Opinions? Experience?  I have nothing but Leupolds and Nikons but I am open to suggestions base on performance.

My buddy has the BSA and hates it. Sold it and opted for leupold rifleman I think.

[Xxx]

Well there you have it the leupold rifle man is the Wall-mart version of leupold. Kind of difficult to find comparable rings, but if you go to a gun smith they can hook you up with rings they aren't 1" it's a good daylight scope. I mounted this telescope on my 300 H&H after 3 shots the recticals fell down, send it back to leupold and exchanged it for a VXII the same price $200.00. There's no way he had a 50mil bell on the BSA and say the rifleman is better.

[blacksquirrel2]

I've mounted 2 bsa scopes. The sweet 17 and one for 22 lr. These have the yardage right on the turret after initial sight in. Both are off now. Hated them. Not clear at the higher powers and wouldn't come back to zero. Birros and Weaver are my choices for the lower dollar scopes. I like adjustable objective for close shot focus.

[Xxx]

Well maybe I got lucky with mine!!!!

[DJ 17]

These kind of things are exactly what I'm finding. One guy loves them and the next hates them.  Must be their quality control dept is awful is all I can figure?

[blacksquirrel2]

There is a reason you can get them on sale for under a hundred bucks.

[Xxx]

I see now why there is a love hate ordeal going on now, the scope I have is no longer available it's on their web page but no longer can you purchase this scope through their web site, my scope was $200 plus you have to into their tactical scopes to get the scope I have. The others are less quality and less of a telescope. My bad I didn't know they went down hill or for better words make a lesser grade than what I have.

[Traveling Circus]

I've got a BSA Cateye Illuminated Reticle 1.5 x 4.5(?). It's been on a couple of different rifles for night hunting, where you have the potential to beat the crap out of them. I'm very happy with the value in that scope....... I paid less than $100, and it has performed well.... The worst thing I can say about it is that the brightness adjustment push-button no longer adjusts by one level..... push the button and you might get the next level, or 2 levels, or 3...... other than that I'm happy with it. It's gotta be 16 or 17 years old. Sure I wish it were a Leupold, but at 1/5 the cost I'm happy.

[justtracytrolling]

I bought a several bsa scopes and they are junk. Can you look thru it and will it work...yes. Once i started buying better glass i couldnt stand to shoot them any more. As an example, out of 4 scopes, which i spent between 100 and 200 on each, on 2 of the scopes the turrets work backwards and the other 2 forwards...all are catseyes....basically if you are sighting them in to get the point of impact to move up you move "up" on the turret on 2 scopes and down on the other 2....same with elevation! Went thru a bunch of ammo figuring that out...they are junk

[DJ 17]

Ordered an XT-17VR yesterday.  Should have it in a week or so.  I am leaning towards a Vortex Diamondback for glass, not sure on the magnification yet.  I had a 4-12 in my hand yesterday that seemed pretty good. I had that and a Nikon Prostaff side by side and the Vortex was much brighter and clearer to my eye.

[Traveling Circus]

Always fun to get a new distraction....... Good luck with it, and be sure to give us a range/field report.

[DJ 17]

SO I finally got rigged and a somewhat decent day to shoot.  There was a little breeze but not bad. Ended up putting on a Burris Droptine 4.5-14 AO.  Tried 4 types of ammo.  Hornady 17 gr vmax, cci 17 gr TNT, cci 20 gr FMJ, and Remington 17 gr accutip.  The best out of my rig was the hornady, followed by the Remington.   When I quit yesterday the Hornady printed a sub 1" group at 100 and the Remington was right around an inch.

 

I shot 2 squirrels with the vmax and a big woodchuck with the TNT's they both worked fine.  One weird note was that one squirrel didn't even show any sign of a shot and the second one was blown apart.

 

I haven't had a chance to get it on the lead sled yet to really dial it in, but I like the gun for its price point.  The trigger isn't great.

[Chas0218]

Have a picture?

[DJ 17]

I do have a couple pics but the damn computer won't recognize them on the memory card for some reason?

[Kevin J Legg]

B

[Dylan585]

IM picking up my savage model 93r17 FNS on wednesday this week and i think im going to put a BSA 3 scope on it... Anyone have any experiance with this scope?

[Xxx]

We went through this same thing this winter!!! I have BSA Cats Eye, that I think is the "Cats A$$" but mine is pushing 10-15 years ago, since then I guess the quality has gone down hill drastically, everyone else said the newer ones are junk. I must have got one made an a Wednesday LOL. The rest of the guys hated the scope or said they were complete junk!! More guys will chime in here, and assure your decision to not get a BSA. I was looking at a Cableas flyer and I saw another major brand also has come out with the light up recticals. Good luck with your new outfit. I really like my 17. Hmr. I wish I would have waited for the WSM. But that's the way it goes. I did look at the shell to me it looks like a 22mag, necked down to .17 I'm just saying, that might not be what they did, but there's definitely a differance in size.