GUNS Magazine December 1958 - Jeffersonian

Versions of the 17 Javelina rangefrom W inchester high-wall to sleekMannlicher-stocked spo rt varm inter.Sensational 17 Javelinakills chucks. shocks bear up to200 yards with no risk ofricochet. light report and recoilBy ROBERT M. HYATTTHE 17 JAVELINAAVARlVIIl T shoo ter's "dreamft gun" has focused th e eyesof the gun world on Prescott,Arizona . There, two young gun·~ 7\; -Jy~u~ ill. A-ki,'V'ULth ";!,~{'Ranl.I1 gun" has focused th e eyesof the gun world on Prescott,Arizona. There, two young gun·smiths, Bill Atkinson and PaulMarquart, have completed finaltests on a new "wildcat" rifle,which is causing enthusiasticcomment wherever gun nut s gettogether. This rifle is the 17Ja velina , the smallest centerfiresporting rifle made in Ameri ca and , possibly, in the world .This baby .17" caliber rifle represents th e last word invarmint guns.The tiny .17 Javelin a hurls its 25.grain slug at 3700feet per second velocity. It will down all small game at 200yards or better. Jackrabbits have been knocked over at 325yards. No kick and ver y little noise make it a prime favoritewith th e growing number of varmint hunters.Riflemen seem to fall roughly into three categories : Thegame hunter wants a rifle that is reasonably accurate, convenientto carry, and delivers a killing punch at gameran ges. He is not overly concerned with such factors as"boom" and shoulder slam . Therefore, he is easier toplease ; but he represents the small gro up of shooters.Much more difficult to satisfy is the fast-growing targetgroup which likes to shoot from bench rests, often through'scopes. They are concerne d primarily with two th ingsextremeaccuracy and minimum reco il. The additionalquality of mild report is an import ant feature and hashelped to lur e many gal shooters to join these ranks.Somewhere in between these two groups is the varmintshooter. He has rigid requ irements in rifle an d cartridgewhich are peculiar !o his typ ~ ~f sh?o ting, and ar e hardlyA 5-shot group from 17 Javelina on halfinchbullseye at 100 yards measures .256".The varmint shoo ter seeks a lightweight rifle firin g asmall projectile of high velocity that practically disintegratesupon impact, and provides little material to richochet.Any tendency to ricochet can be a major disadvan ­tage for a varmint cartridge, particularly in heavily popu.lated areas . He wants no bellowing report, blasting the earsoff neighbors and creating unfriendl y relations betweenhimself and the landowner whose fields and woods he mustroam. Bench-rest accur acy, measured in thousan dth s of aninch, is not essential here, although (Continued on page 54 )Plate at left shows how °17 Javelina cut through %" ofsteel at 50 ya rds. Cratered hole in %" steel plate at right