Thread: 17hmr options opinions etc ?

@Dama dama , it's stainless and fluted ( see photo , best close up pic I have ) .

I would regard it as a varmint weight barrel but I have seen a lot heavier profiles . Guess it could be called medium heavy. It is ok to carry but certainly heavier to carry than say a Ruger American.
For walking type hunts I use a 10 /22 so the Marlin is my long range rig. With the Marlin I tend to walk to where I want to shoot from then set up to shoot from a static position .
I haven't used a standard barreled Marlin to compare it to for weight.
I tend to believe with the 17HMR that with the accuracy and distance the little round does to extract the best from the rifle they do best on a bipod and prone.
That doesn't mean I don't take sitting or standing shots but I prefer prone .
All that said I would imagine a standard hunting barrel on a Marlin would be just as good as my varmint barrel, they really don't generate that much heat.