Good Lord!

[onemountain]

So I have a torn rotator cuff, which in large part is fueling my current interest in rimfire guns (as opposed to springers). Of late it has been getting worse despite therapy, which just, well, sucks.

You may recall my earlier post asking about backpacking rifles. A friend told me that he has a friend with a bunch of rimmies, including a Marlin Papoose, and arranged for me to meet him at his not-quite-a-mansion house to check out the Papoose. So I went. Talk about a potentially wallet damaging mistake..

First thing he did was grab his Papoose. I liked it, and I think it's my current front runner for a backpacking gun. The next thing he did was to ask if I'd considered getting a .17 HMR or .22 WMR instead. I told him I'm sticking with .22lr for a backpacking gun, but I had to admit I like the idea of a .17HMR as a light duty varminter.

So he told me to follow him into his "sports room." I was admiring his whitewater kayak while he was opening one of two gun cabinets, when all of a sudden he stood up and gave me a rifle. I found myself holding a CZ thumbhole varmint rifle in .17 HMR. I loved it. Then he gestured for me to inspect the contents of the cabinet.

Good Lord! I found myself looking at 7 additional CZ rimfire guns, a Marlin Model 39A Golden Mountie, and a Remington Model 700 Mountain LSS (don't remember the caliber). I spent the next hour and a half holding those guns while he told me about each one, and pretty soon I found myself rationalizing about raising my price ceiling.

After we were finished with the rimmies I asked if I even wanted to know what was in the other gun cabinet. He grinned, unlocked it, and I found myself looking at the most varied set of guns I've seen in one cabinet or safe: a Ruger .22lr pistol, a Remington 870 shotgun, some sort of super expensive gold inlayed Italian shotgun he received as a gift (but never uses because he favors the humble 870), a Mosin Nagant M44 (with bayonet), a Weatherby Mk. V in .270 Weatherby Magnum (there's a gun I'd love to have!!!), and finally, of all things, a Sheridan blue streak!

I think I've been fantasizing non-stop about owning just, well, anything from that collection (and much more so the whole bunch) nonstop since that visit yesterday.

It must be nice to be rich...

[Big_Bill]

WOW Eric,

You have just had a walk through Wonder Land !!!!

Now you must start thinking of what you need ! and Not what you want, unless it just don't matter :p

We had a Mega Gun Shop here many years ago, and I know how you feel after being in Gun Owners Heaven !

Do your best buddy, and shoot off a few pellets to calm yourself down

Bill

[RedFeather]

Ain't so much nice to be rich as sucks to be poor - after buying all those firearms! :-) I started into air guns from rimfires and black powder. And STILL have those. I is poor. See, I told you that you would like those CZ's. Was going to suggest a Marlin 39A Mountie but they are getting pretty expensive and the second batch (from around 1970) aren't as accurate as the first (1959/60). If I were to buy just one gun for a backpacker, it might be the little Browning Auto Take Down (ATD). Kind of expensive but it quickly breaks in two, the barrel coming right out of the receiver. One of the pure easiest guns there is to clean, too. And accurate enough for hunting. (It was designed by John Browning for a European military officer who fancied shooting cigarette butts tossed into the air - and was good at it, too.) Remember, (and, brother, how I wish someone had told me this when I first started with rimfires!), one expensive but good gun is cheaper than a safe full of "bargains".

[TCups]

The 17 HMR is a nice small varmint round.  Very flat at 50-100 yards and effective out to about 150 yards, but consider . . .
1) is it VERY LOUD -- you might as well be shooting a .223 Rem or a small cal centerfire.  You will want ear protection and folks will know you are shooting for miles
2) ammo is approximately 3X the expense of .22LR and lacks the abundance and variable loads available for .22LR
3) your scope requirement will go up from a modest rimfire model in 3-9X to typically something like a 14-20X if you want to be able to see the holes in paper at 100 yards or take full advantage of the longer range of the 17 HRM.

PS:  That CZ Thumbhole can be had in .22LR, too, I believe -- as long as you shoot RH.  For comparison, Savage makes a nice laminate thumbhole in .22LR (and I think in 17 HRM).  Savage has a good reputation and large following in the rimfire community as well.

[onemountain]

Bill, this is the local wonderland (only 1 or 2 decent pics on the homepage, but they're a good glimpse). I love the bear in the hat

And yeah, I think the only way I'm getting anything more than a .22lr in the near future is if I win something in a contest or sweepstakes. But I can dream, right?

[onemountain]

Any clue what a good used price would be on one of those Browning takedowns? Maybe I can find one in a pawnshop (assuming someone was dumb or desperate enough to give one up!). They do look nice, and get pretty much universally good reviews.

[Jerrycup]

I'm thinking about buying a lever action .22, predominantly to shoot CB rounds in the greenbelt behind my home. I would prefer the Marlin 39A, but the Henry is $260 new - about half the Marlin pricewise. I'm not giving much thought to leaving it to my heirs, or winning any long range target contests. I did handle the Henry at Academy the other day, and it seems fine. The online reviews of the Henry are pretty favorable...I already have a nice Ruger 10/22 with a nice scope, but it won't cycle with the CB rounds. The idea is that even a CB short will hit harder than just about any air rifle pellet, and be quiet enough to shoot once in the 'hood occasionally.

Eric, you need to make sure you are on best of terms with your friend. I have this brother with a collection of guns, and he lets me shoot them once in a while. Actually, I wouldn't have been likely to pick up the airgun habit if not for a certain TCups.

I do think the CZ rifles are great quality at relatively decent prices. Not sure that they fit the backpack model at all, though.

[rocker1]

i bought a marlin golden 39a in 1972  on the way home from getting out of the army, bought it in hickory nc 144.00 then  still have it, had always dreamed of them when i was younger  had just got mustering out pay and hazardous duty pay , so i bought it and would do it again  great rifle  david

[patton123]

.17 hmr is awesome, I have a Marlin....it's a pellet gun on steriods.

The good

Devestating on small game....17 grn, 2600 -2700 fps = 255 FPE....  Oh yeah !!
Accurate, Oh ssoooo Accurate
Flat shooting
Can reach out and touch something

The bad

Cost of ammo $13/50 rnds
Can't be shooting when windy...tiny bullet drifts.
Loudness , maybe a little louder than a 22lr. Its a higher pitch crack.

Do I regret the purchase....No Way!!

Good Luck

[jwh2]

Jerrycup - 4/12/2010  2:23 PM

I'm thinking about buying a lever action .22, predominantly to shoot CB rounds in the greenbelt behind my home. I would prefer the Marlin 39A, but the Henry is $260 new - about half the Marlin pricewise. I do think the CZ rifles are great quality at relatively decent prices. Not sure that they fit the backpack model at all, though.

Buy the Marlin, you will forget about the money soon enough.

Then add a CZ in .17HMR. My CZ is not light but it's worth packing around.

[shady816]

ooooooh i like my 17hmr but TCups would be correct the ammo is no joke in comparison to .22 lr you would need alot more furs at the trading post to obtain more bullets but you would only need one shoot

[tjk]

Great story 1Mtn !! Especially the last part ,.....shows a little respect with an ole reliable American Classsic like the Sheridan in the gentlemans collection of arms. Great taste is always in favor.  Superb write up!! tjk

[RedFeather]

Sadly, Browning take downs go for about $450 in good condition. On the plus side, keep it in good condition and you can most, if not all, of your money back should you decide to sell it.