Marlin 917V

[zacii]

I gave in and picked up a .17HMR.

It's just a plain jane model from Walmart:







This was a 4 shot group. I shot a total of 7 shots; 3 to get close, then the last 4 to see what the rifle could do out of the box.

I've got a cheap Center Point scope on it temporarily. I threw it on because I was anxious to see how well the Marlin would shoot. I've ordered a Mueller APV 4.5X14 that will be here next week.

After I get the new scope, then I'll get serious about sighting in.

Pardon the phone pics.

The trigger is really heavy, though. It works fine enough for target work, but it could prove difficult when hunting, when you don't have time to concentrate on the trigger movement.

I'll start with a spring swap; if that doesn't meet my fancy, then a Rifle Basix trigger group may be in order.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[itschuck]

One word..or actually a suggestion..go over to RimfireCentral.com - Rimfire Community! You find a ton of info on how to make that marlin put them in the same hole every time! ( Hint search for the Pentel number 2 pen spring trick for the trigger ) Congrats as the 17 is a beautiful little round to have fun with!!

[zacii]

One word..or actually a suggestion..go over to RimfireCentral.com - Rimfire Community! You find a ton of info on how to make that marlin put them in the same hole every time! ( Hint search for the Pentel number 2 pen spring trick for the trigger ) Congrats as the 17 is a beautiful little round to have fun with!!

I already spend a lot of time over there.

It was the bad influence of the RFC forum that drove me to the HMR

I am going to do the spring trick before I dump the coin on a Basix trigger.

They are also the reason that I ordered the Mueller APV. It comes highly recommended at RFC.

[itschuck]

Yea I blame RFC for that butt ugly romainian trainer I have.. best 50 dollars I ever spent!!

[LanceORYGUN]

I already spend a lot of time over there.

It was the bad influence of the RFC forum that drove me to the HMR

I am going to do the spring trick before I dump the coin on a Basix trigger.

They are also the reason that I ordered the Mueller APV. It comes highly recommended at RFC.

Zacii:

What your rifle really needs is a good bedding job to be done on it. A vertical string like you have there is a clear indication that the action/barrel is not well bedded.

Have it properly bedded, and your group size should drop to about one third its current size in that photo.

You will have an exceptionally fine shooting rifle there, if you solve this one issue.

Marlins can indeed shoot incredibly well. But it is not uncommon for the trigger and the bedding to need some work to achieve maximum performance.

.

[zacii]

Zacii:

What your rifle really needs is a good bedding job to be done on it. A vertical string like you have there is a clear indication that the action/barrel is not well bedded.

Have it properly bedded, and your group size should drop to about one third its current size in that photo.

You will have an exceptionally fine shooting rifle there, if you solve this one issue.

Marlins can indeed shoot incredibly well. But it is not uncommon for the trigger and the bedding to need some work to achieve maximum performance.

.

At this point, I'm not sure that the stringing isn't my fault.

I'm going to install the scope and do the spring trigger modification; then decide if I want to bed the action.

[LanceORYGUN]

Since this is a 17 HMR and has virtually no recoil, I cannot imagine that you would flinch in any way during the shooting. Even flinching would normally move the group horizontally, not vertically.

A bad sight picture could cause a vertical spread. But since you were using a scope, and not iron sights, that should be no issue at all either. A defective scope could cause such a group, but the odds of that happening are very low.

Have you checked to see if the barrel is indeed free floated?

The gun is really shooting very good. But I think that there is an opportunity here to turn it into an exceptional shooter.

.

[zacii]

Yes, I've checked the barrel float. I can move an index card between the barrel and stock, all the way up to the barrel lug.

I'm going to zero the rifle this weekend, weather permitting; I'm anxious to see the results.

Truthfully, I'm a bit intimidated by the bedding process; need to read up on it and maybe watch a few videos.