This T/C Contender chambered in 17 VHA was fi eld tested by the author near the Little Rocky Mountains in northern Montana.
as it was shooting high for me. In discussing this fi eld test with
John, I told him I had just the place to stretch the 17 VHA to see what its potential might be at ranges out past 250/275 yards. My favorite spot for ground squirrel shooting has histori- cally been in a big coulee south of the Canadian border that has, in the past, offered unlimited ground squirrel shooting. This spot also is windless most of the time. But 2011 was to be different, however. For whatever reason, the big coulee was devoid of squirrels when I went there to shoot. I don’t know if the heavy snow pack of the winter, the drenching spring rains, or a combination of the two did in the squirrels but there were none to be found in this formerly target rich area. I guess plague also is a possibility, although I do not know if it hits squir- rels like it does prairie dogs. So, it was up onto the prairie, with its constant wind, to shoot ground squirrels with the 17 VHA. So much for the plan! JOURNAL NOTE:
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2011 -- DAY 21 The blue sky day has turned
cloudy, cool and windy. Shot the last 40-some rounds of 17 VHA on gophers today, with my longest lased shot being 183 yards. The little targets are tough to hit in the gusty winds but the effects of the 20-grain V-Max bul- lets, when they connect, are indeed
Page 12 Spring 2012
The author’s setup for shooting the 17 VHA Contender from the prone position involved using a pack instead of a bipod for a front rest.
dramatic. Wish this Contender was a bolt gun. The manual of arms for it is “busy,” making quick follow-up shots impossible.
Shooting a new cartridge is al-
ways an adventure and the 17 VHA was just that; I only wish John had given me more ammunition. Decid- ing where this cartridge might fi t in one’s battery is simple – especially for those of us who shoot ground squir- rels. Although I did not get to really reach out with the 17 VHA (which was the whole point of me taking this rig to Montana), I did get a pretty good idea of the cartridge’s capabilities. For ground squirrel shooters, I think this wildcat offers a signifi cant upgrade in performance over the expensive 17 HMR, in a reloadable cartridge. Also, as previously stated, I think the 4.6x30 rimless case has many advantages over the Hornet case. For squirrel shoot- ing on relative calm days the 17 VHA could be used effectively out past the 300-yard line with a good optic on a good rifl e. But, practically speaking, I have to agree with John’s initial opin- ion that the 17 VHA essentially is a 250- to 275-yard cartridge for squirrel- sized targets. With the increasing urbaniza-
tion of eastern America, I believe the 17 VHA would make a capital round for a woodchuck hunter who hunts small parcels of land near dwellings or
walks the edges of meadows in search of ’chucks. Chambered in a small bolt action or petite single-shot rifl e (maybe like a Martini Cadet), the 17 VHA, with its mild report and frangible bullets, would make a great “suburban var- minter.” Western squirrel shooters facing urban encroachment on their varmint fields also should find the round useful. THE KIMBER POSSIBILITY
I know John Anderson has or-
dered a Cooper Model 38 rifl e for the 17 VHA (which I’m sure he will not loan me). That got me to thinking about bolt guns for the little round and my old Kimber of Oregon Model 82 in 22 Hornet seems to be a prime candidate for possible rebarreling. I believe with a bit of work the 82’s magazine could be modifi ed to feed the 17 VHA cartridge. And looking at the bolt face makes me think it might be possible to make new extractors to hold the slightly smaller 17 VHA case head in place. I am neither an engineer nor a gunsmith but I intend to seek the advice of a couple of folks I know on the feasibility of the project. I think a Model 82 Kimber-sized rifl e would be a perfect match to the petite 17 VHA. Until then, I guess if I want a 17 VHA I’ll have to go the Contender route … or just borrow John’s again.
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