HELLUVA VARMINT TRUCK GUN
Big guns are sexy, but little guns are useful. For those who spend a great deal of time in the outdoors, particularly in rural areas, rimfires are often the daily workhorse. Whether it’s taking care of problem animals, keeping your skills sharp, or teaching new shooters the ropes, rimfire rifles are very useful tools that often see everyday use. In my area, I’ve noticed a shift among farmers and ranchers away from larger cartridges and toward the tiniest of bores, the .17. For decades, factory .17-caliber cartridges have been available, but only recently have they been for rimfires. The newest on the block is the 17 Mach 2, and it’s a serious contender as an all-around small game round.
17 MACH 2
The 17 Mach 2 cartridge was released in 2004 and is essentially a CCI Stinger 22 LR case necked-down to 0.172. Stinger cases are 0.100-inch longer than the standard Long Rifle and were determined to be a better fit for the cartridge. In short, the 17 Mach 2 is to the 22
