Ok I wanted a Savage BMag. But the pencil thin barrel & flimsy stock scared me off. so what about a heavy fluted barrel & laminated stock. Looks like you can pick one up for $350 or so. Anybody have one. Are they shooters. My other option would be reaming a H&R 17hmr to 17wsm.
Heavy barrel Savage BMag
- Thread starter Burntmuch
- Start date
coyotezapper
Member
The possible ammo issue mentioned above is good advice. I would find what shoots best and then buy as much as you can to insure you have some for the future.
Here is a post I made on another site when discussing the 17 WSM and the B-mag.
Against my better judgement, I purchased the pencil barreled B-Mag when they first came out. Accuracy was 2-2.5" at 100 yards with the two Winchester loads available then. After a 100 rounds through the barrel it finally settled down and shot 1.5" groups at 100 yards with the 25 grain load. After reading that others were having the same issue I had planned to install the barreled action in a Boyd"s laminate but I wanted to see if I could stiffen up the plastic stock. I gutted the barrel channel and removed a little material in the action area first. I then took a 1/4" steel rod and epoxied - Marine Tex it into the entire length of the forend. Once this was cured I bedded the action and 2" of the barrel. It has to be the ugliest bedding job ever but can't be seen with barreled action installed. It now shoots honest 1" groups but I would like a little better so I will be installing and testing the Sims X-Ring dampener to see if I can squeeze a little more accuracy from it. I have since done the same to my Savage 93R-17 17HMR with the same good results.
Savage makes good products for the most part but seem to be caught up in final costs and their product suffers. They did seem to fix some of these issues with new stocks but that could not have been cheap to abandon the Tupperware stocks.
Here is a post I made on another site when discussing the 17 WSM and the B-mag.
Against my better judgement, I purchased the pencil barreled B-Mag when they first came out. Accuracy was 2-2.5" at 100 yards with the two Winchester loads available then. After a 100 rounds through the barrel it finally settled down and shot 1.5" groups at 100 yards with the 25 grain load. After reading that others were having the same issue I had planned to install the barreled action in a Boyd"s laminate but I wanted to see if I could stiffen up the plastic stock. I gutted the barrel channel and removed a little material in the action area first. I then took a 1/4" steel rod and epoxied - Marine Tex it into the entire length of the forend. Once this was cured I bedded the action and 2" of the barrel. It has to be the ugliest bedding job ever but can't be seen with barreled action installed. It now shoots honest 1" groups but I would like a little better so I will be installing and testing the Sims X-Ring dampener to see if I can squeeze a little more accuracy from it. I have since done the same to my Savage 93R-17 17HMR with the same good results.
Savage makes good products for the most part but seem to be caught up in final costs and their product suffers. They did seem to fix some of these issues with new stocks but that could not have been cheap to abandon the Tupperware stocks.
Originally Posted By: BurntmuchOk I wanted a Savage BMag. But the pencil thin barrel & flimsy stock scared me off. so what about a heavy fluted barrel & laminated stock. Looks like you can pick one up for $350 or so. Anybody have one. Are they shooters. My other option would be reaming a H&R 17hmr to 17wsm.
What do you plan on using it for and what are your expectations???
I bought a HB SS Bmag that came with the crappy plastic stock a couple years ago. I sheet canned the plastic toy stock and put a Boyd's Pro Varmint on it. Bought a metal trigger guard from DIP Inc. because the plastic trigger guard they come with is a bigger joke than even that crap stock. Had my gunsmith bed the action in the new Boyd's stock. He actually bed the action not just the front of the barrel like you see on youtube. I, personally, don't see a lot of value in only bedding the first couple inches of the barrel but because of the design of the Bmag, bedding the action, especially around the front screw, is a real pain in the arse. Only bedding the first couple inches of the barrel is definitely easier, maybe that's why so many go with that and call it a bedding job, I just don't see how it helps anything and could actually make things worse but it's easier so a lot go that route.
I'd read Savage didn't show these things a lot of love when they were putting barrels on them and headspace was sometimes excessive as well as the barrels weren't sitting straight in the receivers so I ordered a set of Go/No Go gauges to check headspace and check into how centered the barrel was. I must have lucked out and got a good one because headspace, per the go/no go gauges, was spot on and the barrel looked to be centered in the receiver.
The trigger is decent-ish but had more creep/pretravel than I like and it was rather gravely feeling so I took it apart and polished up the contact surfaces. It's right around 2lbs now with no creep.
When it was at my gunsmith's getting the stock bed I had him cut the barrel back to 20 inches before he threaded it for suppressor use. I've chronographed it with the 20 grainers and it Avg. 2984 FPS I have no clue what it shot before two inches was cut off but all the other Bmag owners I've talked to that have actually chronographed their Bmags are getting about the same velocity and many were actually a little slower.
After the new stock and the work was done, it shoots extremely well. I can't say that I've shot a lot of groups on paper with it but I have shot a few and they ranged in size from 3/8 to 1in. at 100yards. I still get the occasional flyer but I believe that to be ammo related because I get the same "flyers" in my 17 HMR also. My Bmag will easily shoot minute of sage rat and it definitely has more splat factor than my HMR, especially out past 100 yards and it makes 200 yard shots easier and has noticeably more pop at those distances than the HMR does.
Since it was mentioned, I also have a CZ 527 17 Hornet. For me, it's apples and oranges as the CZ 17 Hornet beats the Bmag/17 WSM in every way but I use them for different things. I like using my Bmag and 17 HMR for sage rats because I'll go through a few thousand rounds a year shooting sage rats and if I used my 17 Hornet I'd have to save brass and spend a lot of time reloading. The Bmag/17 WSM is about half way between the 17HMR and 17 Hornet. With the rimfires, you get cheaper ammo and don't have to mess around with saving brass but with the 17 Hornet or a centerfire, you get better ammo.
I started by asking what your use and expectations would be if you purchased a Bmag and here is why, if you are willing to take a chance and possibly invest a little time and money in a Bmag purchase AND you plan on doing a lot of high volume shooting, then the Bmag could very well suit your needs, BUT, if you are looking for something that you won't be shooting high volume and don't mind spending a little more to get a MUCH higher quality product then I'd definitely consider going with a CZ 527 in 17 Hornet, instead.
What do you plan on using it for and what are your expectations???
I bought a HB SS Bmag that came with the crappy plastic stock a couple years ago. I sheet canned the plastic toy stock and put a Boyd's Pro Varmint on it. Bought a metal trigger guard from DIP Inc. because the plastic trigger guard they come with is a bigger joke than even that crap stock. Had my gunsmith bed the action in the new Boyd's stock. He actually bed the action not just the front of the barrel like you see on youtube. I, personally, don't see a lot of value in only bedding the first couple inches of the barrel but because of the design of the Bmag, bedding the action, especially around the front screw, is a real pain in the arse. Only bedding the first couple inches of the barrel is definitely easier, maybe that's why so many go with that and call it a bedding job, I just don't see how it helps anything and could actually make things worse but it's easier so a lot go that route.
I'd read Savage didn't show these things a lot of love when they were putting barrels on them and headspace was sometimes excessive as well as the barrels weren't sitting straight in the receivers so I ordered a set of Go/No Go gauges to check headspace and check into how centered the barrel was. I must have lucked out and got a good one because headspace, per the go/no go gauges, was spot on and the barrel looked to be centered in the receiver.
The trigger is decent-ish but had more creep/pretravel than I like and it was rather gravely feeling so I took it apart and polished up the contact surfaces. It's right around 2lbs now with no creep.
When it was at my gunsmith's getting the stock bed I had him cut the barrel back to 20 inches before he threaded it for suppressor use. I've chronographed it with the 20 grainers and it Avg. 2984 FPS I have no clue what it shot before two inches was cut off but all the other Bmag owners I've talked to that have actually chronographed their Bmags are getting about the same velocity and many were actually a little slower.
After the new stock and the work was done, it shoots extremely well. I can't say that I've shot a lot of groups on paper with it but I have shot a few and they ranged in size from 3/8 to 1in. at 100yards. I still get the occasional flyer but I believe that to be ammo related because I get the same "flyers" in my 17 HMR also. My Bmag will easily shoot minute of sage rat and it definitely has more splat factor than my HMR, especially out past 100 yards and it makes 200 yard shots easier and has noticeably more pop at those distances than the HMR does.
Since it was mentioned, I also have a CZ 527 17 Hornet. For me, it's apples and oranges as the CZ 17 Hornet beats the Bmag/17 WSM in every way but I use them for different things. I like using my Bmag and 17 HMR for sage rats because I'll go through a few thousand rounds a year shooting sage rats and if I used my 17 Hornet I'd have to save brass and spend a lot of time reloading. The Bmag/17 WSM is about half way between the 17HMR and 17 Hornet. With the rimfires, you get cheaper ammo and don't have to mess around with saving brass but with the 17 Hornet or a centerfire, you get better ammo.
I started by asking what your use and expectations would be if you purchased a Bmag and here is why, if you are willing to take a chance and possibly invest a little time and money in a Bmag purchase AND you plan on doing a lot of high volume shooting, then the Bmag could very well suit your needs, BUT, if you are looking for something that you won't be shooting high volume and don't mind spending a little more to get a MUCH higher quality product then I'd definitely consider going with a CZ 527 in 17 Hornet, instead.
Thanks for the responses guys. I guess the reason I'm looking at the 17wsm is . I don't have time to reload for another rifle. I reload for 5 or 6 other calibers , mostly small scale batches for deer hunting calibers & my 6.5 for long range shooting. Plus a couple handguns. Two jobs & 3 kids keep me busy. The 17wsm would be used for fox & coyote around the farm. The 223 is a bit much for around the chicken coop & I had a 17HMR bounce off a fox at 60 yards. Also I have shot opportunities at 300 yards at squirrels & crows outback. So for me it's an in between caliber. I do like the idea of a 17 center fire someday.
SlickerThanSnot
New member
no it didnt. impossible.
Originally Posted By: BurntmuchThanks for the responses guys. I guess the reason I'm looking at the 17wsm is . I don't have time to reload for another rifle. I reload for 5 or 6 other calibers , mostly small scale batches for deer hunting calibers & my 6.5 for long range shooting. Plus a couple handguns. Two jobs & 3 kids keep me busy. The 17wsm would be used for fox & coyote around the farm. The 223 is a bit much for around the chicken coop & I had a 17HMR bounce off a fox at 60 yards. Also I have shot opportunities at 300 yards at squirrels & crows outback. So for me it's an in between caliber. I do like the idea of a 17 center fire someday.
Based on your criteria, I think I'd go with a CZ 527 Varmint in 17 Hornet.
Not sure what happened with your 60yd fox shot and your 17 HMR but at 60 yards on a fox, I would have thought a 17 HMR with just about any ammo would have been plenty.
Based on your criteria, I think I'd go with a CZ 527 Varmint in 17 Hornet.
Not sure what happened with your 60yd fox shot and your 17 HMR but at 60 yards on a fox, I would have thought a 17 HMR with just about any ammo would have been plenty.
So here's the story, I posted this on another site. So just copied & pasted here. I'm ok with you guys not believing it. I wouldn't believe it either.
I have a 16.5 inch barreled 17hmr handi. I switched to the 20 grain bullets because of a bad experience with the 17 grain stuff. I don't tell this story much because it's unbelivible. I shot a fox at 65-70 yards. The fox was facing me bedded down. I actually snuck up on cross country skis & snow camo. At the shot it flips backwards like 5 feet. Then runs off. I'm thinking dead fox. I find blood right away. Tracked for a mile. Drop of blood every 5-6 ft. Watched it trot across a road, healthy as can be. Went back to where I shot it. Found the very slightly deformed bullet in the foxes bed minus the little plastic tip. I'm thinking I hit breast bone & bounced off. I know , I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.
So now I use it for squirrel, possum , feral cats. It is a lazer. It is awesome for that application. Now I want another 17 Hmr barrel so I can get it reamed to 17wsm. But I can't give up my Hmr.
I have a 16.5 inch barreled 17hmr handi. I switched to the 20 grain bullets because of a bad experience with the 17 grain stuff. I don't tell this story much because it's unbelivible. I shot a fox at 65-70 yards. The fox was facing me bedded down. I actually snuck up on cross country skis & snow camo. At the shot it flips backwards like 5 feet. Then runs off. I'm thinking dead fox. I find blood right away. Tracked for a mile. Drop of blood every 5-6 ft. Watched it trot across a road, healthy as can be. Went back to where I shot it. Found the very slightly deformed bullet in the foxes bed minus the little plastic tip. I'm thinking I hit breast bone & bounced off. I know , I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.
So now I use it for squirrel, possum , feral cats. It is a lazer. It is awesome for that application. Now I want another 17 Hmr barrel so I can get it reamed to 17wsm. But I can't give up my Hmr.