Need input on 17 HMR.

[deemus]

I know some of you guys shoot 17 HMR and I need some insight.

I am shooting a Savage rifle I bought at Bass Pro a couple years ago with the cheap scope on it. I usually shoot the Hornady ballistic tip round.

I have it sighted in at 50 yds for my daughters. My question is, If I want to shoot it at something 100 or 200 yds out, what is the hold-off?

 

[Dawico]

That depends on a couple factors like how high the scope is mounted and what the barrel length is. The only way to truly know is to shoot it.

It is a flat shooting cartridge though. I wouldn't think there is much hold over.

 

[deemus]

The scope is fairly low. It's the Savage package deal they sell around Christmas. Don't know much detail on it.

I was thinking at 200 yds I would aim at the top of the back for a vital shot on a coyote.

 

[Younggun]

Go to the Winchester site and you can look at their ballistics tables for a general idea, or there are many other ballistics calculators you can use online. I have used one from handloads.com quite a few times but you will need your muzzle velocity and BC to get anything. Lose to accurate.

If your hunting with it I wouldn't put money on anything except getting to the range and shooting to know for sure.


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[The Lox]

It shouldn't take you that long to re-zero the rifle at 100 yards, just do that...

 

[winchster]

This is from Winchester using 1.5" scope height. Zeroed @ 50 yards

 

[deemus]

This is from Winchester using 1.5" scope height. Zeroed @ 50 yards
View attachment 15026

Man, that is flat. 0.3" at a 100.

 

[tmd11111]

The scope is fairly low. It's the Savage package deal they sell around Christmas. Don't know much detail on it.

I was thinking at 200 yds I would aim at the top of the back for a vital shot on a coyote.

I'm not saying a .17hmr wont kill a yote but if your going to be doing it at 200 yards get a bigger gun.

 

[deemus]

It was unplanned. Shooting rounds and a head popped up in the distance. I wanted to try it, but wasn't sure how much to hold off.

I normally use an AR when I hunt yotes, but if I can make a vitals shot with the 17, I have no doubt it's going down. Those ballistic tips are vicious.

 

[deemus]

I found a nice article on this very subject. Note the section on sighting in.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_17HMR_varmint_rifles.htm

 

[ROGER4314]

We have 4 of the Marlin 917V rifles and shot them extensively at 200 yards in NRA Matches. I shot prone from a bipod and shot a 499/500 and a 500/500 in matches. We would score 23 to 28 x's in a 56 round match. That means fully 1/2 of the match rounds stayed in the "X" ring and the other 1/2 stayed within the 10 ring.

We would sight in at 100 and gave 4 minutes of angle "UP" from 100 to 200 yards. We never shot beyond 200 yards but at 200, the 17HMR is in its perfect element. That bullet sizzles down that 200 yards and wind deflection depends on wind velocity AND time of travel for the wind to act upon the bullet. The bullet is surprisingly stable. There is NO comparison to the .22 magnum!

Flash

 

[winchster]

For comparison sake. only "advantage" is bullet weight.

 

[deemus]

We have 4 of the Marlin 917V rifles and shot them extensively at 200 yards in NRA Matches. I shot prone from a bipod and shot a 499/500 and a 500/500 in matches. We would score 23 to 28 x's in a 56 round match. That means fully 1/2 of the match rounds stayed in the "X" ring and the other 1/2 stayed within the 10 ring.

We would sight in at 100 and gave 4 minutes of angle "UP" from 100 to 200 yards. We never shot beyond 200 yards but at 200, the 17HMR is in its perfect element. That bullet sizzles down that 200 yards and wind deflection depends on wind velocity AND time of travel for the wind to act upon the bullet. The bullet is surprisingly stable. There is NO comparison to the .22 magnum!

Flash

Thanks Flash, good info. We're you shooting the 17g ballistic tip?

I think I may try it on a coyote sometime. As long as its under 200 yds, I expect it to be deadly.

 

[Younggun]

Not a big time varmint hunter, but what are the odds that the bullet would lack penetration to reach vitals, ESP being a ballistic tip at hi velocity. Seems it may come apart just below the surface and lose momentum quickly.




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[deemus]

Not a big time varmint hunter, but what are the odds that the bullet would lack penetration to reach vitals, ESP being a ballistic tip at hi velocity. Seems it may come apart just below the surface and lose momentum quickly.




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I don't think it would. The tip is extremely pointed. I was hoping someone had first hand experience with hunting that round.

 

[ROGER4314]

We're you shooting the 17g ballistic tip?

Yes, we always use the Federals with the ballistic tip bullet. A friend bought a whole butt load of different rounds to try in his 917V Marlin and he couldn't get the hollow points to shoot as accurately as the ballistic tips. I didn't do the test myself but his results were plenty good for me so we stuck with the ballistic tips.

A tip? Get a GOOD, one piece rod and some good quality tips and brushes. Copper fouling is likely with a new 17HMR barrel and Butch's bore shine takes it out. Don't scrub the bore. Put the Bore Shine/ Hoppes #9 on a wet patch in the bore and let it sit for an hour or so. Then follow with another wet patch. Sometimes, I give a run with a .17 caliber brush....but let the chemicals do the work. One of our 4 barrels took 3 days of that to get the copper out! If the patches keep coming out with green or blue, then keep at it. After the barrels get a few rounds down the tube, you seldom need to fool with that extent of cleaning. Let the color of the patch determine what you do. You can't scrub copper out. The chemicals do the job.

Here's a secret...............You'll hear HMR shooters beefing about their accuracy turning to crap. They clean their rifle but usually it's one or two patches and it's done. Buy that rifle, clean it like I stated above and it'll shoot like new again.

Flash

 

[grasshopperglock]

As for hold over...the 17 doesn't need much. It's a laser.

Word to the wise:

If you gonna shoot any small animal(rabbit, squirrel) that you plan to eat. Get FMJ.

I've shot CCI, Hornady, Fed, and winchester.(most 17gn, some 20gn). Most of the 17hmrs are made by CCI. Just a different recipe. Anything below 100yards and the 17 ballistic tips will straight blow the guts out.

Anything below 50 yards the critter is turned into a strawberry jelly, hamburger meat, mush.

On larger animals. Ive taken animals in the 80-100 pound range. About 75 to 100 yards. Ballistic tip Hornady's. 17gn.

If you hit the critter in the vitals. It's not gonna run very far. However, the 17 doesn't do much for blood trailing. If it's a head shot, it's done. Ive had one get hit full face frontal. The round went through the bottom jaw and came to rest in the spine below the head. No exit. No running, no chasing it down. Off hand, at 73yards. CZ 452 varmint. Cheapy scope. Aim point was the right eye.