ellebarto Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 I love my Savage HMR and its deadly accurate but a little ungainly to move around the land rover with sometimes. I've already changed my SAK mod to the smaller LEI but I started at looking at getting the barrel shortened. Its 16" and my RFD said they would only be willing to take it down to 13" and they could gurantee that wouldnt effect accuracy. Anyone shortened a HMR in this way or have any thoughts on how it might effect the accuracy? Obviously wont even consider it if it spoils the gun. I'd rather it be a bit incovenient than inaccurate!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 I love my Savage HMR and its deadly accurate but a little ungainly to move around the land rover with sometimes. I've already changed my SAK mod to the smaller LEI but I started at looking at getting the barrel shortened. Its 16" and my RFD said they would only be willing to take it down to 13" and they could gurantee that wouldnt effect accuracy.Anyone shortened a HMR in this way or have any thoughts on how it might effect the accuracy? Obviously wont even consider it if it spoils the gun . I'd rather it be a bit incovenient than inaccurate!! and they could gurantee that wouldnt effect accuracy. Did you get that in writing?! They are very brave if you did. Obviously wont even consider it if it spoils the gun Seems to me you doubt their word already. You will lose a few FPS and there engineering needs to be spot on, if it is, then in the normal course of events you will not have a problem, daft long shots will be more of an issue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellebarto Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 and they could gurantee that wouldnt effect accuracy. Did you get that in writing?! They are very brave if you did. Obviously wont even consider it if it spoils the gun Seems to me you doubt their word already. You will lose a few FPS and there engineering needs to be spot on, if it is, then in the normal course of events you will not have a problem, daft long shots will be more of an issue! Sorry that was a type. They couldnt gurantee it wouldnt lose accuracy. I only shoot up to 150 with the HMR. If I can take 3" off and it still bebang on at that distance I'd do it but just wondered if anyone else had done something similar. I trust this RFD implicitly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Have a read of this to help make up your mind.............http://www.bullberry.com/HMRdata.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellebarto Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Have a read of this to help make up your mind.............http://www.bullberry.com/HMRdata.html Now thats a fantastic test. Thanks for that mate. Just help me interpret that information a little. What its basically saying is that the drop in velocity is so low and the actual fluctuation between shots at my proposed length of 13" is so minimal, as long as the shortening is done correctly there should be no effect on accuracy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oxon88 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 And I thought 16" was short! Check here http://www.bullberry.com/HMRdata.html. But in summary, acccuracy should NOT be affected as long as the barrel is re-crowned properly. You will lose out on some velocity. atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellebarto Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 And I thought 16" was short! Check here http://www.bullberry.com/HMRdata.html. But in summary, acccuracy should NOT be affected as long as the barrel is re-crowned properly. You will lose out on some velocity. atb Yeah I saw that! Cheers guys. I guess in theory if your lossing some velocity you will get it a bit quieter as well? Although its such a small reduction probably not! MMMMM!! Food for thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Now thats a fantastic test. Thanks for that mate. Just help me interpret that information a little. What its basically saying is that the drop in velocity is so low and the actual fluctuation between shots at my proposed length of 13" is so minimal, as long as the shortening is done correctly there should be no effect on accuracy? That's how I interpret it. I've never experienced loss of accuracy on the variety of calibers I have had shortened but I've not tried it on an HMR. As long as the crown and threading is done correctly you should have no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_in_the_midlands Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 If anything, I would have thought a shorter barrel would make it louder. More unburnt gasses to moderate. The bullet will still be supersonic, and travelling at close to the same speed. (Please someone tell me I am wrong... then I will go and get my barrel shortened tomorrow) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Dont forget that changing the barrel length may possibly mean changing bullet make aswell. It sounds you have found a good bullet/rifle combination, by changing the length of barrel you are in effect changing the rifle Velocity will be lost but it would probably go un noticed,and it willbe noisier I have the same issues with mine, but with about 850 bullets that group well at the moment i aint changing anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotland rifles Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 i have a mate who has a 14" anny 17hmr in stock and it shoots like a shotgun, i would never have a 17 less than 16" my personel feeling is below that your taking a risk, and you can't put it back once its cut. bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellebarto Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Cheers guys. Good input. I'm leaving it be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornet 6 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 i have a mate who has a 14" anny 17hmr in stock and it shoots like a shotgun, bob. Funny, mine shoots very well Neil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchieboy Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I have a CZ 452 Varmint in 17 HMR. It was originally a 20 inch barrel which, with a SAK mod on was a little ungainly, especially if I wanted to shoot from the 4X4 so I had it cut down to a 16 inch barrel and recrowned and threaded. Even though it was giving good grouping and accuracy before the shortening of the barrel the 4 inches taken off the barrel seemed to help to make it even more accurate. I was advised that 16 inch was the minimum I should shorten mine to because if I shortened it any more I stood the risk of burning out the moderator quicker as the gasses might still be burning when they got to the moderator. I'm not too sure on the accuracy of this advice about burning out the moderator quicker with an even shorter barrel but I am now extremely happy with the 16 inch barrel as it has helped to balance the gun much better! I have to say that I have not noticed any difference in the noise and I still get the sonic "crack" (I don't think you will ever eliminate that with a 17HMR no matter what moderator you use)! Nor did I find that I needed to change the ammunition on mine and still use Hornady Red Tips in 17g which I find are super accurate and very consistent in my rifle, but that is not to say that you will find the same with your rifle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadioles Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 (edited) My 14" factory length Anschutz is very accurate indeed. My best group is 5 shots within 1" at 200 yards onto paper. At a more sensible range of 100 yards (my zero) using Hornady 17gr v-max shots rarely fall outside an area covered by a 20p piece in still air. Anschutz would not risk their reputation producing a rifle that did not work! The guy who has an Annie with 14" barrel "like a shotgun" should try and sort out the problem, it has nothing to do with just barrel length. Oh, and it is true that shorter barrels make it more likely that you will eat away more quickly at a mod. Just get a better moderator (DM80 is good on short barrel Annie). Edited July 1, 2011 by dadioles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie g Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 (edited) My 14" factory length Anschutz is very accurate indeed. My best group is 5 shots within 1" at 200 yards onto paper. At a more sensible range of 100 yards (my zero) using Hornady 17gr v-max shots rarely fall outside an area covered by a 20p piece in still air. Anschutz would not risk their reputation producing a rifle that did not work! The guy who has an Annie with 14" barrel "like a shotgun" should try and sort out the problem, it has nothing to do with just barrel length. Oh, and it is true that shorter barrels make it more likely that you will eat away more quickly at a mod. Just get a better moderator (DM80 is good on short barrel Annie). anschutz didnt plan to bring out a 14 inch barrel hmr it was a mistake. there has been a couple of reports about the net over the years. where people have had problems with the 14 inch barrel model 1517 hmr. imo if your savage is shooting very well why risk changing it. and costing you money in the long run. 16 inches isnt long. have you got a over barrel mod on it. as this helps keep length down Edited July 2, 2011 by jamie g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadioles Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 (edited) anschutz didnt plan to bring out a 14 inch barrel hmr it was a mistake. there has been a couple of reports about the net over the years. where people have had problems with the 14 inch barrel model 1517 hmr. imo if your savage is shooting very well why risk changing it. and costing you money in the long run. 16 inches isnt long. have you got a over barrel mod on it. as this helps keep length down re- Anschutz... Sorry Jamie but that is a load of old twaddle that just keeps popping up from time to time like chinese whispers. Does anyone really believe that Anschutz "accidentally" cut a load of barrels down to 14" and decided to dump them on unsuspecting shooters (as was originally reported a long time ago)? Last week I shot at a rabbit and the bullet killed it, passed straight through, took out the rabbit which was grazing just behind it, passed through that one as well, hit a stone, flew up in the air and killed a pigeon which fell to the ground at my feet. The most incredible thing was that the bullet had not penetrated the skull of the pigeon and when I looked down, there was the bullet nestled in among the fine feathers on its head. Absolutely true. My mate witnessed it and reckoned the first rabbit was at least 200 yards away. I do, however, agree with you that using something like a DM80 over barrel moderator is a good idea and it will fit the 16" barrel "out of the box". If you have a 14" barrel there is not enough barrel sticking out beyond the stock so a DM80 has to be modified (By Dave). I would not cut 16" down to 14", just not enough to be gained. Shorter barrels can chew up cheap moderators a bit quicker. Edited July 2, 2011 by dadioles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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