Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire. Rifles·Pistols·Ammunition онлайн

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If the varmints you plan to hunt are small species such as ground squirrels and crows at ranges not to exceed 125 yards or so, the 17 Mach 2 may be the round you choose. With a muzzle velocity of approximately 2,100 ft/sec, the trajectory is quite flat out to about 125 yards making hits easy. Keep in mind that this is not a powerful round so its use should be confined to smaller species of varmints. Outstanding accuracy is reported with most rifles in this caliber so it would also function well for the squirrel hunter who is willing to pass up all but head shots. As this is written, the price of a box of 17 Mach 2 ammunition is approximately $6 to $7 for 50 rounds,which means that it is not much less expensive than that for the 17 HMR.

Selection and Cost

As with any field of endeavor, the cost of the available equipment varies enormously. Since handguns will be considered in Chapter 4, let us first discuss the selection and cost situation with respect to rimfire rifles and ammunition. Many years ago, firearms (and many other things) were subject to the so-called “fair trade” laws under which the prices were set by the manufacturer. Such laws were changed long ago, but manufacturers still publish price indicators. These are simply numbers that may serve as a basis for comparison between two different models or manufacturers. Keep in mind that there is a considerable difference between the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) and the actual retail price of any firearm. Currently, the very low end of the cost spectrum for rimfire rifles begins at a retail price of approximately $100 while at the upper end are models that sell for many times as much. The number of available models of rimfire rifles is enormous. In this section, only a quick overview of some of the available models and their approximate prices can be given, and manufacturer’s catalogs or web sites should be studied to see all of the options available. Another good source of information is Gun Digest. This book contains a wealth of information in a single volume that is updated annually. single volume that is updated annually.