Savage or Marlin?

[rookie7]

Good morning,

I'm wanting to buy a .17 hmr bolt-action rifle to improve my shooting abilities at the range. This gun will be used primarily for target shooting. For hunting I have a marlin 39A, and just for fun I have a smith and wesson m&p 15-22.

I've debated the NEED for me to buy the 17hmr for awhile now (I don't really need it). BUT I want one. I'm not really interested in a .22 since I have the other two. The reason why I have debated the need for the 17 is b/c I handload for .223 already. The cost of handloading .223 is comparable to what 17 ammo will cost me.

However, there are some places that I can shoot where the lower noise of the 17 is preferred over the 223.

Just wanted to give you an idea of what has been rattling around in my head about this.

Anyway, I'm looking at 4 different models of rifles:

Savage 93r17 bvss (laminated wood stock, stainless, varmint barrel)- don't know a price yet

Savage 93r17 tr - parkerized finish, laminated tactical style stock, nice bolt handle, fluted barrel - $389 at Academy

Marlin XT17 vsfl - laminated stock, stainless, varmint fluted barrel

Marlin XT17 vsl - same as above but non-laminated

I guess my 2 main dilemmas are:

1. Marlin or Savage?

2. Stainless or parkerized?

Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

Re: Savage or Marlin?

you can't go wrong with either of the two manufacturer's.

the xt is more or less a 925, which is more or less a model 25. i ran a 25 against a mkii F in 22lr, the marlin nudged out the savage F at 50 and 100, and stood pace with my heavier barreled mkii BV at 100, opening my eyes to take another look at marlin. that was with the quasi heavier barrel that marlin put on their stuff (their sporter barrel) compared to the mkii f, and not technically a heavy barrel. now they have a true blue heavy barrel, which can only make it better in the harmonics / accuraccy. but that was .22lr, not .17hmr.

i have a marlin 822 .22 mag, and if very accurate and no issues, but then it's .22 mag and not .17 hmr.

from the base prices of the XT's, it looks as if you are going to get the same amount of rifle (possibly more accurate if the .22lr stuff i tried transfers to .17hmr) for the money.

i like the SS as it's purty as a bench / range queen and resists corrosion more than the parkerized. you always seem to get a little surface discoloring with the parkerized, and cleaning patch "fuzzies" so from a maintenance view the SS is the way to go.

i wouldn't pay more for the fluting on a rimfire, except maybe again for the "purty" factor as i think it serves the same functional purpose as having it on a muzzleloader - none.

yeah it's nice to have it all wrapped up in a bow like savage has it, the tactical stock and bolt knob stuff found on the savages can be put on later as add ons to the marlin. looking at photos of the laminated, vr, and thumbhole models, it appears they have some form of beavertailed fore stock, which will add some weight and stability, you may want to keep the original stock on it anyhow.

i'm leaning slightly toward the XT, non-fluted SS model as a target shooting range queen, the fluted if it doesn't cost too much more just to keep the purty factor going.

question is, are you able to find one?

 

[TonyAngel]

Re: Savage or Marlin?

Just pick one. Or pick the one that has the accessories that you are interested in available for it. I've seen both brands shoot really well. Ford or Chevy?

 

[thewileyone]

Re: Savage or Marlin?

See if you can get your hands on both of them (side by side would be prefferred) and see which one fits you bets. Both are great manufacturers and seem to shoot about the same. So to me it would all be about "feel"