Savage A17 Review (2026): 600 Rounds Through the Semi-Auto 17 HMR

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Table of Contents

Review: Savage A17 – One Name, Three Cartridges, and a WSM That Costs Less

Our Rating: 8.2/10

• RRP: $469 (17 HM2) to $799 (17 HMR Target Thumbhole); base 17 HMR $609
• Street Price: $412.19 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
• Caliber: 17 HMR, 17 HM2 or 17 WSM, depending on model
• Action: Semi-automatic rimfire
• Barrel Length: 22 in. (20 in. on the 17 HM2), sporter or heavy contour
• Barrel Material: Carbon steel
• Rifling/Twist Rate: 1:9 (17 HMR and HM2), 1:8 (17 WSM)
• Capacity: 10 rounds (8 in 17 WSM), rotary magazine
• Receiver: Carbon steel
• Overall Length: 41.5 in. (42 in. Heavy Barrel, 39.5 in. HM2)
• Weight: 5.63 lbs (base 17 HMR) to 7.1 lbs (17 WSM Thumbhole)
• Stock: Synthetic or gray laminate, sporter or thumbhole, 13.5 in. length of pull, AccuTrigger on every model

Quick Take

The Savage A17 is the semi-auto that made 17 HMR practical for varmint shooters who want fast follow-ups. It holds 10 in a rotary magazine, it wears Savage’s AccuTrigger, and our gray laminate Sporter shot 0.6 inch groups at 50 yards once we found the ammo it liked. That last part matters: it ran perfectly on some loads and stuttered on others.

The name is the other thing to watch. Savage sells the A17 in three cartridges: 17 HMR, the smaller 17 HM2 and the faster 17 WSM. And the price ladder has a surprise in it. Savage lists the 17 WSM Sporter at $709, the same as the 17 HMR Sporter, and the WSM Thumbhole at $769 against $799 for the HMR Target Thumbhole. The bigger cartridge is not the expensive one.

Best For: Varmint and small game hunters who want a semi-auto 17 and will match it to its ammo. Not for anyone who wants a rifle that eats anything, or the lightest possible walking gun.

Eight Models, Three Cartridges

Savage’s SKU pages, starting with the base A17 (47001), list the whole family. Every one shares the AccuTrigger, a carbon steel receiver and barrel, and a 13.5 inch length of pull. What changes is the cartridge, the barrel contour and the stock.

SKU	Model	Caliber	Barrel	Stock	Weight	MSRP
47700	A17 HM2	17 HM2	20 in. sporter	Black synthetic	5.7 lbs	$469
47001	A17	17 HMR	22 in. sporter	Black synthetic	5.63 lbs	$609
47007	Heavy Barrel	17 HMR	22 in. heavy	Black synthetic	5.8 lbs	$629
47008	Sporter	17 HMR	22 in. sporter	Gray laminate	6.5 lbs	$709
47801	Sporter	17 WSM	22 in. sporter	Gray laminate	6.38 lbs	$709
47006	Target Sporter	17 HMR	22 in. heavy	Gray laminate	6.83 lbs	$729
47800	Thumbhole	17 WSM	22 in. heavy, fluted	Gray laminate thumbhole	7.1 lbs	$769
47005	Target Thumbhole	17 HMR	22 in. heavy, fluted	Gray laminate thumbhole	7.08 lbs	$799

Three things jump out. The heavy barrel costs just $20 over the base 17 HMR and adds under a quarter pound. The 17 WSM Sporter lists at exactly the same $709 as the 17 HMR Sporter, and on the street the gap between them is small. And the 17 WSM Thumbhole lists $30 below the 17 HMR Target Thumbhole. If you want the faster cartridge, Savage is not charging you for it.

The trade for the WSM is capacity and ammo cost. It holds 8 instead of 10, runs a 1:8 twist instead of 1:9, and 17 WSM ammunition costs more and is harder to find than 17 HMR.

The A17 HM2, for Less Money and Less Noise

The 17 HM2 version (47700) is the cheapest A17 at $469 list, with a 20 inch barrel and a 39.5 inch overall length. The 17 Mach 2 is a smaller, slower round than the 17 HMR, so it is quieter and gentler on small game at shorter range. The card below starts it at $309.14. If your shooting is squirrels and rabbits inside 100 yards, it is the one to look at.

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How We Tested It

Our rifle was a 17 HMR A17 Sporter, 47008, with a gray laminate stock and a 3-9x rimfire scope on the factory bases. We shot it over four sessions between 48 and 71 degrees, 600 rounds in total.

Ammunition Log

• Hornady Varmint Express 17 gr V-Max: 250 rounds
• CCI A17 17 gr V-Max: 150 rounds
• Winchester Varmint HV 17 gr V-Max: 100 rounds
• Hornady 20 gr XTP: 100 rounds

Phase 1: Break-In

The first 250 rounds were Hornady Varmint Express 17 grain. The rotary magazine loads easily and seats with a positive click. The action felt stiff for the first 50 rounds and loosened into a smooth, consistent cycle after that.

Phase 2: Reliability

Four stoppages in 600 rounds, and all four came from the same box of ammo. The Winchester Varmint HV produced three failures to extract and one failure to feed in 100 rounds. The Hornady and CCI loads, 400 rounds between them, ran without a single stoppage, and so did the 20 grain XTP. Pick a load, shoot a few hundred rounds of it, and stick with it.

Phase 3: Accuracy

Five shot groups off a rest through the scope. At 50 yards the best group was 0.6 inches with CCI A17 17 grain, and the average across loads was 0.9 inches. At 100 yards the average opened to 1.5 inches, with the Hornady 17 grain the most consistent at 1.3. The AccuTrigger broke clean at about 3 pounds on our gauge, and it is a big reason the groups stayed small.

What This Means for You

• Ammo: Test two or three loads. Ours ran perfectly on Hornady and CCI and stuttered on one Winchester box.
• Scope: Use the factory bases and a good rimfire scope. The rifle can shoot better than cheap glass.
• Accuracy expectation: Under an inch at 50 yards and around 1.5 at 100 with its preferred load.
• Model choice: Price the 17 WSM before you buy an HMR laminate. It lists the same.

Performance Results

Reliability (7/10)

Perfect on three of four loads, poor on the fourth. A semi-auto rimfire magnum is always pickier than a bolt gun, and the A17 is no exception. It loses points because a hunting rifle should not care as much as this one does.

Accuracy (9/10)

0.6 inches at 50 yards and 1.5 inches at 100 from a semi-auto rimfire is excellent. The AccuTrigger does a lot of the work, and the 1:9 twist stabilized both 17 and 20 grain bullets well.

Ergonomics and Recoil (8/10)

Recoil is negligible, so you watch your hits through the scope. The laminate Sporter weighs 6.5 pounds before a scope, which steadies it on the bench and weighs on you on a long walk. The black synthetic base rifle is almost a pound lighter.

Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (8/10)

The gray laminate is handsome, the barreled action sits snugly in it and the metal finish was even. It is a working rifle, and it looks the part without looking cheap.

Technical Deep Dive

Component	Specification	Why it matters
Trigger	AccuTrigger, every model	Clean, light break for small targets
Magazine	Rotary, 10 rounds (8 in 17 WSM)	Feeds pointed V-Max bullets reliably
Barrel	Carbon steel, 22 in., sporter or heavy	Heavy barrel adds only 0.17 lb for $20
Twist	1:9 (HMR, HM2), 1:8 (WSM)	Matched to each cartridge’s bullets
Stock	Synthetic or laminate, 13.5 in. pull	Laminate is steadier, synthetic is lighter

How It Compares

Our best 17 HMR rifles guide covers the whole field. Most 17 HMR rifles are bolt actions, so these are what an A17 buyer weighs up.

Savage 93R17 ($258-$373)

Savage’s bolt action 17 HMR, from $257.61 on the card below, about $155 less than a base A17. It holds 5 rounds, and a bolt gun is less fussy about ammo. If you do not need fast follow-up shots, it is the value pick.

Ruger American Rimfire 17 HMR ($337-$400)

A 9 round bolt action from $337.07 on the card below, with threaded barrel options. It is lighter on the wallet than the A17 and gives up only the semi-auto action.

CZ 457 17 HMR ($555-$710)

The premium bolt option, from $586.91 on the card below. The CZ is the one to buy if you want the finest bolt 17 HMR at this money. The A17 is the one to buy if you want the second shot faster.

Verdict: The 93R17 is the budget bolt gun, the Ruger is the high capacity bolt gun and the CZ is the premium bolt gun. The A17 is the semi-auto, and at the top of its range it is the one where Savage lets you step up to 17 WSM for no extra money.

Upgrades Worth Making

Upgrade Category	Recommended Component	Why It Matters	Cost Estimate
Scope	A 3-9x or 4-12x rimfire scope	The rifle shoots better than cheap glass	$100 – $300
Magazines	A spare factory rotary magazine	Faster reloads in a prairie dog town	$30 – $45
Bipod	A light bipod on the front stud	Steadier shots from the prone	$40 – $100
Ammo	A case of the load your rifle likes	Consistency matters more than brand	varies

Our best rifle scopes guide covers glass, and our Savage A22 review covers the same action family in .22 LR and .22 WMR.

Common Problems and Fixes

• Failures to extract on some ammo: Try another brand. Ours was perfect on Hornady and CCI.
• Stiff action when new: Normal. Ours loosened after about 50 rounds.
• Buying the wrong cartridge: A17 comes in 17 HMR, 17 HM2 and 17 WSM. Check the listing before you buy ammo.
• Heavy laminate for walking hunts: The black synthetic 47001 is almost a pound lighter than the laminate Sporter.

Who Should NOT Buy This Gun

• Shooters who want any-ammo reliability: A bolt action like the Savage 93R17 does not care what you feed it.
• Buyers on a tight budget: The Ruger American Rimfire 17 HMR saves about $75 and holds 9 rounds.
• Anyone who wants the finest bolt gun: The CZ 457 17 HMR is the premium bolt option.
• Plinkers on cheap ammo: 17 HMR costs far more per round than .22 LR. A Savage A22 in .22 LR plinks for pennies.

Final Verdict

The Savage A17 is the semi-auto 17 HMR to buy. The AccuTrigger and rotary magazine make it accurate and quick, and ours shot 0.6 inch groups at 50 yards. Match it to its ammo, because it is fussier than a bolt gun.

And read the price list before you choose a model. The heavy barrel costs $20, and the 17 WSM Sporter lists at the same price as the 17 HMR Sporter. If you want more speed from the same rifle, Savage is not making you pay for it.

Final Score: 8.2/10. An accurate, quick semi-auto 17 that rewards picking the right ammo and the right cartridge.

FAQ: Savage A17