My Heavy Barrel B Mag

Reeseman · 06-20-2014, 07:51 PM

I have owned Savage center fires for years but never could warm up to the rimfire line . Some of my friends owned them and I just did not like the magazine system . The 17 WSM caliber rimfire cartridge is what drew me to the B Mag . One of my friends bought an original model that shot well but was returned because of a broken ejector and replaced with updated version . I still was leery and finally bought the heavy barrel version recently . Mounted up my Vortex Diamondback 4-12 on Weaver Grand Slam rings and two boxes of 20 grain ammo .

Sunday was the first trip to the range . Sighted in at 50 yards , fired total of 20 rounds and gave the barrel a good cleaning . Fired five foulers and then shot first 5 round group . 3 shots tight and 2 fliers about 3'' out at 3 o clock . Fired 2 more groups and same basic results . I cleaned the barrel again and moved to 100 yards . I shot five more fouling shots and adjusted the scope a couple clicks to get on centered on target . Shot a 5 round group and it opened way up with extreme fliers at 3 o clock . I followed up with 2 more groups and the same results . I rechecked scope bases and rings nothing loose . Shot some 22lr out of my CZ and went home .

All day Monday I thought it over at work and decided to give it a good looking over when I got home . I checked the crown with a magnifying glass and used a Q Tip to check for any rough spots and it looked good . I gave the barrel another good cleaning and re checked action screws and the barrel for proper free float . All checked good .

Thursday my vacation days started so I decided to give it another try at the range before calling Savage for a return pickup . I gave it a few fouling shots and then shot a 5 round group . Same as Sunday . Bad fliers at 3 o clock and large spread in the group . This time I brought along some shims I had cut from cardboard and rubber strips . I started by shimming at the center of the barrel and fired some groups . The fliers got smaller as I moved the shims forward . I ended up with one thick rubber shim at the end of the forearm on the stock under the barrel . My fliers at 3 o clock are gone and its grouping between 1 1/2'' and 1 3/4'' at 100 yards . I think with some more rounds the barrel might break in and hopefully groups tighten a little more . I had read about pressure pads helping on the original B Mags a while back and decided it was worth a try . I have a use for the round and can live with the accuracy as my shots are usually around the 100 yard mark or closer where I hunt .I have never experienced a rifle that's so sensitive to change especially with a heavy barrel contour .

**Joe L** · 06-21-2014, 01:52 PM

I had some flyers with a BTV in 22LR that pretty much disappeared after bedding the action to the wooden stock and using the DIP Products bottom metal for the trigger guard and magazine cutout. Before bedding, changing the action bolt torque would move the flyers. Right now, I'm happy with the bedding job alone. No pillars, just some Devcon under the front and rear and sides, after spacing the barrel off the forearm about 1/8".

My bet is that you took a bunch of slop out of the stock to action interface by adding the interference at the forearm. Your approach sure indicates a stock to action problem to me. If you decide to do anything else, you might consider bedding the action to the stock and leaving the free float at the forearm.

Joe

Reeseman · 06-21-2014, 05:14 PM

Joe I agree with you 100 % . I am no stranger to guns and have bedded quite a few . I know I put a band aid on it . The stocks these come with are the thinnest synthetic stocks I have ever seen . I just want to shoot it for a while to make sure there are no other problems with it that others have been plagued with on the original models . If I end up liking it I will get a Boyds laminate for it and bed it before the fall hunting season . Right now I want to season the barrel if I can find some more ammo while I'm on vacation this next week .

rona · 06-21-2014, 09:32 PM

Just trying to understand the theory but aren't these rifles supposed to have a free floating barrel and you should be able to slide a paper under the barrel from the end of the stock to the first connecting bolt? If you add something between the heavy steel barrel and that flimsy stock is seems like the stock would give before the barrel anyway. I've heard so many theorys etc that I'd like for someone to explain what is the logical idea.

**Joe L** · 06-21-2014, 10:59 PM

Reeseman--sounds like you have a plan, and a good one. You have a lot more experience than me, sounds like. Mine is just parallel to yours, I think.

Rona--What Reeseman did was make an easy change to see if the results were different. I don't think he intended to use the space filler for anything other that to see if it made any difference. There will be contact with the stock just forward of the front action bolt, however, the barrel itself should not have any contact with the stock, hot or cold.

Yes, there are many ways of attaching the stock to the action. I'm experimenting myself, but, so far, using some Devcon to increase the contact area and then using the equivalent of thick washers under the bolts to spread the load out on the wood stock in my case, really helped the repeatability of the little gun.

Joe

rona · 06-21-2014, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Joe L

Reeseman--sounds like you have a plan, and a good one. You have a lot more experience than me, sounds like. Mine is just parallel to yours, I think.

Rona--What Reeseman did was make an easy change to see if the results were different. I don't think he intended to use the space filler for anything other that to see if it made any difference. There will be contact with the stock just forward of the front action bolt, however, the barrel itself should not have any contact with the stock, hot or cold.

Yes, there are many ways of attaching the stock to the action. I'm experimenting myself, but, so far, using some Devcon to increase the contact area and then using the equivalent of thick washers under the bolts to spread the load out on the wood stock in my case, really helped the repeatability of the little gun.

Joe

I got a SS heavy barrel B-Mag with prairie hunter Boyds stock and was told that the free floating idea was what the B-Mag was designed to be. I agree the barrel ahead of bolt is free floating. I got lucky as my SS is a good shooter and a keeper but due to scarcity of ammo I don't use it much. I had two of the light barrel version and returned both of them.

Reeseman · 06-22-2014, 03:48 PM

I went to the range today with good results . I found 2 boxes of 20 grain ammo at Gander Mountain last night and pulled the non ao Vortex scope off and put my Mueller Target Dot on . I wanted to see what the gun could do . After sighting in I shot at 100 yards and consistently got groups the size of a quarter . Some larger groups due to shooter not taking his time . No 3 o clock fliers either . Had a few wild fliers that were do to ammo and sounded weak when fired . I am pleased to know it is a decent shooter after some work and 150 rounds down the tube . Now I feel comfortable purchasing a Boyds stock for it . I wish CCI would make some ammo for this caliber .

duckcommanderfinstr · 07-06-2014, 10:29 AM

This is great news! I've been wanting a 17 wsm for a while now but with all the negative press and frustration stories I've been patiently waiting. I have a 17hmr in a Mako stock that I pillar bedded and it's an absolute laser. Finally I've decided to buy a stainless heavy barrel Bmag and may pick it up this aft if time permits. ( it's a 1 1/2hr drive, one way) I have a copy carving machine so I might just buy a laminate blank and carve up a new stock for it anyways.

bremereric · 07-07-2014, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by duckcommanderfinstr

This is great news! I've been wanting a 17 wsm for a while now but with all the negative press and frustration stories I've been patiently waiting. I have a 17hmr in a Mako stock that I pillar bedded and it's an absolute laser. Finally I've decided to buy a stainless heavy barrel Bmag and may pick it up this aft if time permits. ( it's a 1 1/2hr drive, one way) I have a copy carving machine so I might just buy a laminate blank and carve up a new stock for it anyways.

Try finding ammo first.

rona · 07-07-2014, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by bremereric

Try finding ammo first.

X two

charlesncharge · 07-07-2014, 11:42 PM

X 3

Rainorshine · 07-08-2014, 08:54 PM

Cabela's is listing a B Mag with a fluted barrel in addition to the stainless and sporter models.

rona · 07-08-2014, 11:26 PM

With the ammo problem I am surprised there is still a demand for this caliber. Around here the dealer told me he had a bunch of B Mags in the storeroom and couldn't sell them because he couldn't get ammo.

**Lonewulf** · 07-10-2014, 01:20 AM

I have faith :) I have a new 8-32x50 scope waiting for my new SS HB rifle to get here from savage. cabelas and Iammo had the 20gr the other day, I got 1 box from cabelas due Friday

hell I might even have a fluted barrel addition to my collection in the future LOL

Rainorshine · 07-11-2014, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by Lonewulf

I have faith :) I have a new 8-32x50 scope waiting for my new SS HB rifle to get here from savage. cabelas and Iammo had the 20gr the other day, I got 1 box from cabelas due Friday

hell I might even have a fluted barrel addition to my collection in the future LOL

Yeh, right now there are more rifles than ammo but seems to me at least the folks at Savage must feel the ammo will be coming.

bremereric · 07-11-2014, 07:30 PM

I am going to shoot one box with the skinny barrel with 50 rounds of ammo on Sunday.

bremereric · 07-14-2014, 06:22 PM

Here are the shimmed flimsy barrel report for Sunday. I had to zero the scope again and at the end you can see my three shot groups at 50 yards. Not too bad.

Then when I went out to 100 yards it was tough to hit the center. Lots of fliers up to the left.

Some of that I would blame on the ammo.

n4ue · 07-14-2014, 07:20 PM

I got a Gander Mtn flyer today and the B Mag is listed with a pretty large picture..... Looks like 'ole skinny to me.......
Even had a Savage .22 auto on sale with 650 rds of free ammo......

ron

**minderasr** · 07-15-2014, 07:50 AM

I _finally_ got to shoot my HB B-Mag w/original flimsy stock. Used 20 of my 50 rounds.

It was spot on at 50 yards, but low right at 100. Once I got it zeroed, it was dead on, even at 150 yards. Love the gun. Hate the stock and the fact that I can't find ammo at a reasonable price (if at all).

rona · 07-15-2014, 11:00 AM

You can buy a nice stock from Boyds at a reasonable price. Several styles are available. I got the Prairie Hunter in Walnut for a traditional look but you can also get a thumbhole stock if you like that style. Lack of good ammo is really ruining this caliber. I had talked to a individual from Rhode Island and he claimed they had plenty there. Our local gunsmith claimed Savage was bought out by a large company that also owned one of the ammo companies- Not sure but I think he said Federal anyway he said they are in a feud with Winchester and that was the reason for lack of ammo. Probably just a rumor but that was what I was told. He also predicted he was going to get a lot of 17 ammo in the not to far future. Its good to hear someone bragging about this rifle. I have another SS that is good but due to lack of ammo just sighted it in and now its a dust catcher. Been waiting for a replacement from Savage as I sent a skinny barrel back in April and just got a phone call from the dealer saying Savage had sent everyone on vacation but he figured it would be sent out in a month or so. I gave Savage 50.00 to upgrade to the SS with that one also. Funny thing was I returned the skinny barrel to one dealer to send it back and stopped in at a different dealer who had just got a SS in that day, I bought it on the spot and after sighting it in decided to get a Boyds stock for it. So now I have a nice looking accurate rifle and like you no ammo. Looks like I missed two seasons of prairie dog hunting so in that sense I could afford the Boyds stock. LOL

n4ue · 07-15-2014, 05:25 PM

rona, yes, Savage was purchased by a large 'holding' compamy. Details of that merger are on their website. It's a fact of life now days, I just hope the bean counters don't stifle R&D. Remember Harley and AMF????

Although I don't work for an ammo company, I feel that the lack of .22 Mag ammo is due to the popularity of the .17 HMR. I have a bunch of the .17s and love 'em.
.22 LR seems to be making a comeback around here (N Florida) and my lgs had lots of .17 WSM on the shelf for months.
The Gander Mtn flyer I got yesterday had a rather large ad for the B Mag rifle (looked like the skinny bbl) which kinda surprised me.

When the .17 WSM first came out, a Win rep stated that if the round was a success, they would consider WSMs in .22 and .25 caliber.......
I have not had a single ammo issue with either my skinny or SS B Mags, ammo wise, but a LOT of folks sure have.....

regards,

ron

rona · 07-15-2014, 07:46 PM

From what I see and hear Savage has also offered a B-Mag fluted barrel available through Cabelas. In reality I suspect QC dropped the ball with both companies. Its clear in their hast to sell a bunch of both ammo and rifles they dropped quality control for both items. One can only hope they both get their problems solved and resume selling a quality product.
Buyouts occur wherever you look. Large mega company will buy out a small well known popular brand name and start skimping on the product while putting the well known name on cheap junk. I was talking to the local gun dealer this morning and he started mentioning brand names that were bought out and moved. I think he mentioned Colt and Ruger as still owning their own company- not sure about others.
I read that the gov was going to destroy a large amount of ammo purchased recently. More of our tax dollars at work.

Reeseman · 07-15-2014, 10:59 PM

Savage Arms , Federal Ammunition , and CCI Ammunition are listed as owned by ATK . ATK owns a couple of major scope makers as well as several other shooting related and sporting companies .

**Lonewulf** · 07-16-2014, 12:01 AM

maybe we will get lucky and since they own CCI and federal there will be more brands of 17 WSM ammo in the future

Rainorshine · 07-16-2014, 08:14 AM

Eric,

What weight were you shooting, 20 or 25 gr? My sporter model seems to like the 20 gr. best. Also have you tried any kind of de-resonator on your sporter B-Mag? I put a Sims de-resonator on my rifle for the last few shots my last trip to the range and it seemed to help? I wasn't able to shoot enough (time and ammo), to give it a good test but hope to soon when I get another box of ammo. With the shortage of ammo I almost forgot how much fun these B-Mags are to shoot!!