The Sub-Caliber Thread (anything below .22 welcomed)!!!

[Basher]

Who here enjoys and/or shoots the sub-caliber stuff? I have a CZ457 in .17HMR that I was about to sell before I came to my senses. Took it out to verify accuracy and decided it needed to stay in my safe, lol. Anyway, doing so has re-ignited a long standing fascination with sub-caliber rifles and handguns, and I thought we could use a thread dedicated to discussing them.

Anything below .22 caliber is welcome. Shoot a .204 Ruger? Come on in. Have a .20 Practical upper? Welcome! Recently finished a .20VarTarg build? Do tell! Hankering for a .17 and can’t decide between an HMR, WSM, Hornet, Fireball, Remington, MKIV, or Ackley Bee? Step right in! Want to share photos of your .19 Calhoon? We’d love to see them!

I intend to get in to varmint and predator hunting, and while I COULD just get another .223, I’ve been thinking I want something unique (because reloading components aren’t hard enough to find lately, am I right??). The .17s have my attention for sure, but a nice .20 may do the trick as well, I’m not 100% settled yet. If you suffer from a similar interest/affliction, come and share!

 

[Mgderf]

Have a .17HMR and a .204 Ruger.
Can't complain about either one, except for the price of the ammo.

 

[BigMoose]

What, no one going to ask H&K to make a pistol MP7 in 4.6x30mm? (You forgot that one)

(Don't google it, you will come up with a very mean spirited April fools article)

 

[BigMoose]

Or this.

 

[JimH]

I have a CZ 452 in .17 HMR and a CZ 527 in .17 Hornet.

 

[wcd]

Have a .17HMR and a .204 Ruger.
Can't complain about either one, except for the price of the ammo.

That is why there is not a Henry 17 HMR in our safe.

 

[Mgderf]

That is why there is not a Henry 17 HMR in our safe.

I actually don't shoot my .17 HMR that much anyway.
It's a single shot Chiappa "Lil Badger"
Neat little backpack gun, but the plastic sights aren't good for much distance.

Now the .204Ruger is a Howa 1500 Sporter and it's a nice rifle.

 

[wcd]

I actually don't shoot my .17 HMR that much anyway.
It's a single shot Chiappa "Lil Badger"
Neat little backpack gun, but the plastic sights aren't good for much distance.

Now the .204Ruger is a Howa 1500 Sporter and it's a nice rifle.

If only money was no object.

 

[jamesb]

I am a fan of the 17s.
17 squirrel (Encore)
17 ackley hornet (Contender)
17 hm2 (Ruger K77, H&R Handi rifle)
17hmr (H&R handi rifle)
17 fireball (Contender)

If you are a fan of 17s you should try and find a copy of the sensational seventeens by Todd Kindler.

 

[Creedmoor]

Who here enjoys and/or shoots the sub-caliber stuff? I have a CZ457 in .17HMR that I was about to sell before I came to my senses. Took it out to verify accuracy and decided it needed to stay in my safe, lol. Anyway, doing so has re-ignited a long standing fascination with sub-caliber rifles and handguns, and I thought we could use a thread dedicated to discussing them.

Anything below .22 caliber is welcome. Shoot a .204 Ruger? Come on in. Have a .20 Practical upper? Welcome! Recently finished a .20VarTarg build? Do tell! Hankering for a .17 and can’t decide between an HMR, WSM, Hornet, Fireball, Remington, MKIV, or Ackley Bee? Step right in! Want to share photos of your .19 Calhoon? We’d love to see them!

I intend to get in to varmint and predator hunting, and while I COULD just get another .223, I’ve been thinking I want something unique (because reloading components aren’t hard enough to find lately, am I right??). The .17s have my attention for sure, but a nice .20 may do the trick as well, I’m not 100% settled yet. If you suffer from a similar interest/affliction, come and share!

This is a Model 38 Cooper Montana Varminteer in19 Calhoon, it's unfired now.
The plan now is to ship it to Calhoon this summer and get it reamed out to 19 Badger.
Thats a 30 Carbine case necked down and blown out.

 

[Creedmoor]

I am a fan of the 17s.
17 squirrel (Encore)
17 ackley hornet (Contender)
17 hm2 (Ruger K77, H&R Handi rifle)
17hmr (H&R handi rifle)
17 fireball (Contender)

If you are a fan of 17s you should try and find a copy of the sensational seventeens by Todd Kindler.

Show off.

 

[patience0830]

15"MGM Contender bbl in .20 VarTarg.
Tikka T1 in .17 HMR.
Kimber Pro-Varmint in .17 HM2.
20" Contender carbine in .17 HM2

 

[Basher]

Or this.

The 4.6x30 seems like a neat little round, but that video was cringy lol. I’ll be curious to see if it catches on!

 

[BigMoose]

The 4.6x30 seems like a neat little round, but that video was cringy lol. I’ll be curious to see if it catches on!

The video yes, but the CMMG firearm is the first civilian firearm in 4.6 . Ammo was available in most online retailers already, due to the amount of MP7 in LE hands. So the ammo supply isn't going anywhere at least.

 

[Basher]

I have a CZ 452 in .17 HMR and a CZ 527 in .17 Hornet.

You know who to get ahold of if you ever want to sell that 527 in .17H…

I am a fan of the 17s.
17 squirrel (Encore)
17 ackley hornet (Contender)
17 hm2 (Ruger K77, H&R Handi rifle)
17hmr (H&R handi rifle)
17 fireball (Contender)

If you are a fan of 17s you should try and find a copy of the sensational seventeens by Todd Kindler.

I’ve heard of that book and need to track one down! Apparently Kindler made quite a few nice projectiles in .17 back in the day, but I hear he’s now retired. That’s a real shame!

This is a Model 38 Cooper Montana Varminteer in19 Calhoon, it's unfired now.
The plan now is to ship it to Calhoon this summer and get it reamed out to 19 Badger.
Thats a 30 Carbine case necked down and blown out.
View attachment 258648 View attachment 258649

That thing is gorgeous, please do share when you get it back! I’ve always been intrigued by Calhoon’s work, but I’ve never seen any of it in person.

15"MGM Contender bbl in .20 VarTarg.
Tikka T1 in .17 HMR.
Kimber Pro-Varmint in .17 HM2.
20" Contender carbine in .17 HM2

How do you like the VarTarg? It’s on my radar along with the .17 and .221 FB, and I hear nothing but good things about it. Honestly, the .20 Practical probably tops my interest in .20cal just because it’s so easy to form cases for and I have gobs of .223/5.56 brass I could use. It would probably be the most practical (see what I did there?) choice of all the sub-calibers due to how easy it would be to get in to. I realize there are no factory loadings for it so I’m stuck rolling my own (whereas I could buy .204R off the shelf), but it’s cheaper and easier to load for in every other facet aside from factory offerings.

But we’ll see, none of the sub-cal stuff REALLY fits into a “buy it off the shelf” category aside from .204R, .17Rem, and .17HMR anymore. The Hornets are hard to find (both firearms and ammo), Fireballs are rare (ammo even more so), and even the .204 and .17Rem are expensive when you can find them. The .17WSM is pretty much down to just the Savage BMag now that the Ruger 77 is gone.

 

[Basher]

The video yes, but the CMMG firearm is the first civilian firearm in 4.6 . Ammo was available in most online retailers already, due to the amount of MP7 in LE hands. So the ammo supply isn't going anywhere at least.

Oh, for sure. Marketing these days is often a little “over the top” for my tastes lol. But the ammo supply should be fairly solid for it!

 

[Colt556]

I have a CZ 452 Varmint, and maybe another 452, in 17HMR. Pretty accurate little rifles. All I do is punch paper and they have worked well for that. I shoot mostly 22LR but also have the 17 and 22 Mags in CZs and they all seem very accurate. I had no idea all those other calibers existed. I have a Krico in 22 Hornet and I bet that the 17 Hornet is a nice cartridge.

 

[MrSmitty]

While I don't own a sub-caliber gun, my dad years ago had a 17 Remington T/C contender, I thought it was pretty cool, when he shot a concrete block with it...it exploded pretty neat, and really accurate...

 

[BigMoose]

I present 4MM M20, which in some areas in the world, isn't even regulated as a firearm. Its basically a primer cap with a tiny bullet installed in it.

 

[Basher]

I present 4MM M20, which in some areas in the world, isn't even regulated as a firearm. Its basically a primer cap with a tiny bullet installed in it.

Somebody on RimfireCentral had a little 4mm Schutzen rifle for sale (might still be there). If I’d had the $1800 he was asking for it, I’d have bought it! Such neat little rifles!

Edit: Still there!

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/threads/hermann-zimmer-schuetzen-4mm-parlor-gun.1270527/#post-12967430