Western Powders Blog has a nice article that any varminter would enjoy. Gunwriter Jim Waddell tells a hare-raising story about how he used his self-loading Savage A17 to solve a serious jack-rabbit problem on a California rancho. “[My friends] bought a large amount of land that already had some alfalfa and [sagebrush] surrounding it. Jack rabbits live in the sagebrush. There are a lot of jack bunnies. The previous owner did not do any varmint control or predator control[.] My friends asked for help before the escrow papers were even dry. The only time you can take these animals is at night, when they are out to feed. They hide in the bush during daylight hours.” Savage comes to the rescueWaddell, along with a few friends, used Ruger 10/22s as well as a.44 Magnum Marlin Lever Gun to take on the jack-rabbit hordes. Both options were not ideal. The.44 Magnum couldn’t maintain the desired shooting speed (reloading took too long) and the.22 LRs weren’t powerful enough. Waddell then decided to try the more powerful 17 HMR. He bought a Savage A17, and returned for a second session of bunny-busting. He was convinced that the 17 HMR round in the semi-auto Savage is perfect for controlling small varmints. READ the Full Story on Western Powders blog WayBack Archive. >> Waddell writes, “I wanted something more than a [10/22] after seeing my friends’ problems with their bullets not anchoring rabbits. It was time to return to the alfalfa field armed with my new Savage A17. My son-in law from Seattle, Dan, was my hunting partner this time. We hunted four nights. Each night, it rained, blew or both. My question about whether rabbits would be outside in the weather was immediately answered. They were everywhere. We got to shoot as much as we wanted, despite the miserable weather. The Savage rifle was more than up to the job. We got so many bunnies it was impossible for us to count. Click HERE for the complete account of Waddell’s jack rabbit adventure on the California rancho. It’s well worth a look. Here’s a sample: “Wabbits, Wabbits All Around — Even Running Right At You”
I was amazed when I saw a sea full of rabbits running towards the lights. When the light beams hit them, they became confused, and would often run straight at the lights. It was a new experience to shoot at targets that were running AT you. Many of us who have hunted for varmints or game have encountered moving targets, but how many are coming AT you? It pays to shop around for the best deals on 17 HMR ammo. In 2024, we found 50-count boxes of 17 HMR ammunition for as little as $8.95 or as much as $19.99. Midsouth has a typical price of $13,49-$14.99. AmmoSeek.com, BulkCheapAmmo.com, and AmmoSeek.com allow you to compare 17 HMR ammo pricing from multiple vendors at once. BulkCheapammo.com has some of the best deals on 3/25/24:
