Anyone else ever buy a rifle just becasue ammo was available?

I've owned a Savage 93 GL 22 mag for a couple years which I use for pest control and 100 yd plinking. Early March I noticed I was down to a few hundred rounds of 22 mag ammo and started looking to restock. Found absolutely none during a month of serious looking. Then in late April I'm in a gun store and notice bulk ammo cans of 17 HMR ammo but no 22 mag. Seeing a 93 GLV in 17 HMR on the shelf I decided I needed a back-up to my 22 mag if I planned on shooting much this summer so I reached for my wallet.

Only thing that puzzles me is that the 17 seems to shoot more consistently than the 22. They have identical scopes and while the GLV has a heavier barrel I would not think it would make that much difference. The 17 consistently shoots groups half the size of the 22 mag.

well sorta...

I once grabbed a set of 22 hornet reloading dies at a yard sale just because they were only $5. I didn't own a hornet at the time so I went to my friend's gun shop the next day and ordered a new rifle in 22 hornet so I could make use of the dies. :)

Isn't that why 50% of the people that own one buy a 308? Heck, any hunting round for someone who doesn't reload.

That's the exact same reason I recently bought my 17hmr. Wish I would have bought one years ago, I love that little gun. I took my lunch break at the range again today, busting eggs at 100 yards consistently.

17 HMR sucks! Even my wife shoots 1" groups with it, so obviously it was built for idiots. Just wish I could find 20gr bullets, which holds 1MOA at 300yds too.

Yep.

One should pick caliber/bullet first and then rifle

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Originally Posted by Stockrex

One should pick caliber/bullet first and then rifle

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I have to respectfully disagree with that statement. Over the years I’ve had a lot of entertainment learning to reload for odd ctgs because I bought an interesting firearm and wanted to shoot it. Things like 50 US carbine, 8x56R, 7x57 AI, 43 Spanish, 41 Colt etc.

I bought a .45-70 because I had a bunch of brass given to me.

I thought the 17 HMR was designed from the start to be more accurate than the 22 Mag. That was one of the drawbacks of the 22 Mag many years ago, and supposedly Hornady recently started making a more accurate 22 Mag bullet. Problem is the Hornady round is lighter (30 gr?), and does not retain the energy at distances of about 100 yards and beyond.

I have a model 93 22 mag and got several boxes of the Hornady 30 grain bullets when I bought it. If the 17 shoots any more accurate it would almost have to shoot one hole. I have pictures posted on the forum of 50 and 100 yard groups and they are outstanding. One hole at fifty except for the first one with a dirty barrel. 100 yards is about a 5/8" group.

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Originally Posted by JCalhoun

I bought a .45-70 because I had a bunch of brass given to me.

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Doh!

Trapdoor Springfield at that.

Before I built (I use this term loosely) my .30-06 I was on the fence between .308 & .30-06. A week before Sandy Hook I sold my .308 AR to fund a bolt action project (I've never owned a bolt action rifle). I was having a hard time deciding if I wanted to replace the caliber I just sold or go to a .30-06 which is literally what all of my friends hunt with. I was kind of leaning toward .30-06 but the final straw and deciding factor was the results of Sandy Hook. I walked into a few gun stores looking for the right bolt gun and also started looking at ammo shelves. Everyone had shelves full of .30-06 and big empty holes where .308 used to be. Now I can be one of the cool kids at hunting camp with a .30-06 bolt action rifle. :)

Glad I'm not the only one who considers ammo availability when choosing a new toy. I'm at that juncture right now, between another 22, a 17 HMR, 22 Hornet or 17 Hornet. But sometimes the decision is half the fun!

I haven't bought a rifle just because ammo was available, but if this .22 shortage doesn't end soon I will.

Yes, just this past month, I purchased a 17HMR because I cannot find ammo for my 17WSM or my 22LR. Yes, it was just an excuse to buy another rifle but I had recently gotten back into shooting and was not having much luck finding reloading components, and wanted to shoot some more of these nice little accurate 17's. They are great fun to shoot. I go a 93R17 BRJ laminated, HB and have not been disappointed. It shoots great and is fun. Great squirrel and small varmint rifle.

Irish

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Originally Posted by CharlieNC

17 HMR sucks! Even my wife shoots 1" groups with it, so obviously it was built for idiots. Just wish I could find 20gr bullets, which holds 1MOA at 300yds too.

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I hope your wife doesn't post here and find out you think she is an idiot.


To answer the question I buy rifles or guns because I want them, ammo available or not. I buy ammo for things I own and don't own. currently I am restocking up on 17WSM ammo even though I don't own a B.Mag, but I will own another one, two or three of them.

With the recent rush on AR's .223 and .308 ammo has been quite hard to find. I noticed I could find 5.45x39 at nearly any gun shop for next to nothing. Saw a 5.45x39 Saiga for a good price on the wall, left the shop a happy man. The conversion was a fun process too.