finally got to shoot my 17hmr

[bogey1]

i have a stock savage (slight trigger work), my targets at 100yrds are, drywall screw heads, 12ga shotgun hull (primer), .17hmr shell casing. to the op, that is some very good shooting..

[max384]

Originally Posted by tlgpa

The 17hmr is definately capable of 300 yrds. They're traveling at 2550fps. Sighted at 100yrds, with V-max tips you'll have ~35" of drop at 300 yrds and impact with 1000fps.

Compared to a .223 V-max at 500yrds: ~46" drop and 1600fps @ impact.

The 17hmr's biggest issue is wind. A 10mph wind @ 150yrd is goning to drift 8". At 300yrd it's 38"!

This is a really good info page
http://www.varmintal.net/17hmr.htm

Originally Posted by Tomcat088

I agree that the .17 HMR can easily shoot out to 300 yards. I will disagree with you though about that it shouldn't be a problem for an old sniper. The size of targets that are posted up at that distance cold bore are NOT an easy shot, even for military snipers. Anybody can walk bullets into the target, as the OP should know, but saying that this is easy is exaggerating a bit. As others have posted up in this thread, you get any type of wind, much less changing or gusting, and you will not make ANY hits at 300 yards.



While I do like the .17 HMR, lol, it's only badass for doing some things. I would have really liked to see you make a 225 yard shot cold bore on a groundhog, especially offhand. Do take some video next time please.

Yep. Wind is the biggest enemy of the .17 HMR. I love mine. It's a stock savage with accutrigger. It's a tack driver for sure, but with even a little wind, it gets thrown off pretty badly. If it's windy, I won't even both shooting mine. It sure as hell does a number of squirrels!

If anyone has time, take a couple soup cans (unopened) out to the range. Shoot one with a 22 LR and the other with a 17 HMR. The difference is amazing.

To the OP: Nice shooting!

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by Tomcat088

I agree that the .17 HMR can easily shoot out to 300 yards. I will disagree with you though about that it shouldn't be a problem for an old sniper. The size of targets that are posted up at that distance cold bore are NOT an easy shot, even for military snipers. Anybody can walk bullets into the target, as the OP should know, but saying that this is easy is exaggerating a bit. As others have posted up in this thread, you get any type of wind, much less changing or gusting, and you will not make ANY hits at 300 yards.

In my post I specifically addressed wind as being a factor when shooting the .17 HMR. Also, if the OP is a trained sniper then he is well aware of how to compensate for wind as that is a part of a sniper's training. According to the OP he shot that target at 300yds and I believe him. Looks to me like he has a handle on compensating for which way the wind is blowing given the number of hits on that target, thus my comment that such a shot is not a problem for him. At no point, however, did I generalize that making a such a shot was easy simply because he was shooting a .17 HMR - he's already demonstrated that he has the skill.

[Tomcat088]

Originally Posted by Ronin

In my post I specifically addressed wind as being a factor when shooting the .17 HMR. Also, if the OP is a trained sniper then he is well aware of how to compensate for wind as that is a part of a sniper's training. According to the OP he shot that target at 300yds and I believe him. Looks to me like he has a handle on compensating for which way the wind is blowing given the number of hits on that target, thus my comment that such a shot is not a problem for him. At no point, however, did I generalize that making a such a shot was easy simply because he was shooting a .17 HMR - he's already demonstrated that he has the skill.

Yes, you did address that wind is a factor shooting the .17 HMR. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think that you quite realize how much of a factor wind is, particularly with a .17 HMR. Sure wind reading is part of the sniper's training, but you can only control gusts so much. Snipers read the wind, and they either dial it or hold the predominant condition; they then wait for the predominant condition to come back and shoot. Either way, it's difficult to account for gusts, ESPECIALLY with a 17-20 grain projectile getting slow at that distance. Yes, according to the OP he shot that target at 300 yards and is a trained sniper, I will not dispute that because I don't know. I will not disrespect him in that way. I'm not trying to get in a pissing match with you either, I'm merely saying that trained sniper or not, I don't think you quite understand what wind does to projectiles that light at that distance, even for a trained sniper. At that point, you can call it skill, but either PERFECT conditions, or are little luck are also involved. I don't know if you shoot 300 yards or further, so maybe you don't quite understand, I don't know that either. Anyway, to the OP, fine shooting and I won't have any further comments in this thread.

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by Tomcat088

Yes, you did address that wind is a factor shooting the .17 HMR. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think that you quite realize how much of a factor wind is, particularly with a .17 HMR. Sure wind reading is part of the sniper's training, but you can only control gusts so much. Snipers read the wind, and they either dial it or hold the predominant condition; they then wait for the predominant condition to come back and shoot. Either way, it's difficult to account for gusts, ESPECIALLY with a 17-20 grain projectile getting slow at that distance. Yes, according to the OP he shot that target at 300 yards and is a trained sniper, I will not dispute that because I don't know. I will not disrespect him in that way. I'm not trying to get in a pissing match with you either, I'm merely saying that trained sniper or not, I don't think you quite understand what wind does to projectiles that light at that distance, even for a trained sniper. At that point, you can call it skill, but either PERFECT conditions, or are little luck are also involved. I don't know if you shoot 300 yards or further, so maybe you don't quite understand, I don't know that either. Anyway, to the OP, fine shooting and I won't have any further comments in this thread.

My original post was simply to back up the OP's statement that he was shooting out to 300yds when there were a few comments questioning the validity of such a shot with a .17 HMR. Somewhere along the way you wanted to make it about my supposed lack of understanding of long range shooting.

Sorry, you don't know me but yet you want to expound on what I may or may not know about long range shooting so I'll put it to you this way. I'm not a trained sniper, but I have been shooting for over thirty years. Twenty of those years includes black powder silhouette - shooting out to 600 meters (sometimes more depending on the range) with a 45-70 caliber rifle using iron sights. I do quite well most days. I am well aware of how the wind affects a projectile (light or heavy) and what it takes to consistently hit a target at long distances.

With that, I'm finished with this subject. You want to discuss this further, feel free to PM me.

[mrnyman]

My Marlin 917 easily bust clay birds at 200 yds with Hornady 17 grn v max ammo , so i know its way capable out to 300 yds on a calm day.

Good shooting!

Michael Richard Nyman

[normanvin]

I have two .17 revolvers. I will be trying them out at some longer ranges. I have only tried them out to 25 yds.

[jaron3]

To the OP - Nice shooting and sweet looking rifle. I have no doubt that both you and your gun are capable of those shots at 300 yards.

Wind or not, cold bore or not, there's nothing wrong with shooting the 17 out to 300 yards. I believe that 300 yards is about the maximum for this caliber on animals. My personal best is a neck shot on a ground hog at 289 yards. I missed a 316 yard shot last year. About an inch above the head. I won't even attempt these shots if there is any detectable wind. There is only one or two days out of the summer where the lack of wind and an opening in my schedule coinside. It can be done. You just have to know your gun.

[Para45]

While I do like the .17 HMR, lol, it's only badass for doing some things. I would have really liked to see you make a 225 yard shot cold bore on a groundhog, especially offhand. Do take some video next time please.[/quote]


Hey man, I'm chalking it up to luck more so than my skill....conditions were perfect and I made a lucky shot. I didn't expect to hit it, and I actually missed with my first shot, but the second one found the target. You can doubt or disbelieve, as this is your right.

[tlgpa]

Here's my HMR. Savage 93R17BTV