Suprised with 17HMR results

MH WASH

Member
I'm a new 17HMR shooter and have shot only a few animals. My first experiances were with ground squirrels. I was shooting 17gr TNTs. Results were impressive. I was shooting next to my Bro-inlaw using a 22mag with 33gr TNTs. The 17 deffinatly had the edge. Yesterday I was shooting starlings. I was extremely dissapointed with the terminal effects. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Complete pass thrus with very small exit wounds. I will have to find some V-maxs to try out.
 
The 17 Hmr is a fine gun for small things. I have shot quite a few birds, groundhogs, and even a couple doves with it, but a fox or a badger is all I would go, congrats though they are a fun gun.
 
The 17hmr Hornady or Remington Vmax are awesome on crows. They drop like rocks and leave gaping holes in them and at 125yds even(thats the farthest I have connected yet). They are easily deflected by limbs though but with a clean path look out its good night Mr crow. I was quite disappointed with the results on yotes though. I managed to take a bobcat with it too.
 
I always thought of the 17 as perfect medicine for the small stuff around livestock and farm implements. Deadly but very fragile. Althought it was not real high on my to buy list, when Wally World had this one for their cost I couldn't pass it up.

Bobtails, I believe you once said you were from Orville? My mom is from there and my Dad and I were born in Omak.
 
How far were you shooting? The TNT bullets are a bit harder than the vmax bullets and at longer range on prairie dogs last year I found that they would fail to expand and just pass right through like you are saying. This year I armed myself with the vmax ammo and it seemed to continue to come apart (expand) reliably at much longer ranges.
Try the vmax ammo, and I think you'll be happy.
 
MH, Glad to hear you got yourself a HMR. What make and model did you get? You are right on about the .17 being perfect varmint medicine for around the ranch. Not loud enough to wake up the whole countryside, but has the range and accuracy to clean up on the varmints. I know eight other guys who were impressed enough with the HMR to purchase their own HMR's after shooting mine. That dang little rimfire is contagious!

I thought the same thing on shooting starlings also. I use the V-max ammo, but it almost seems that a starling just doesn't have enough mass to really allow the bullet to expand. From my experience the V-max stuff usually expands a little more than the TNT. We just got back from shooting sage rats for a couple days and the V-max ammo was devastating on those little sage rats.
 
After testing 8 different loads in the hummer for our latest video, I continue to be underwhelmed by the round in general.

Gophers, squirrels, and smaller prairie dogs are the limit for me. I've even got too much respect for groundhogs to hit them with that puny little bullet.
 
I love my 17 HMR on ground squirrels. It guts them open and I have got some air time at shorter distances. I shot a badger at 75 yards and it smashed the skull and mad mush of it's brain. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif ]tiny pictures Hope the picture comes through.
 
Lonny, this is a Marlin 917 blued walnut with the 22" bull barrel. Wally was letting it go for $170 because it had some defects in the wood. I am also under the impression starlings dont have what it take to open up the bullet. Does anyone in Lewiston sell Black Powder?
DBD, I can see that if you wanted to film dramatic shots the 17 would be a let down. Do you feel the same about the 22mag?
RWW, and Sidewinder, I have no complaints when using the Hummer on tagets of those sizes. That ground squirrel could have been one of the ones that I shot.
 
I have had my Savage for a couple of years now, and have taken more game than I can remember! I have always used Hornady v-max and never had a problem. I have taken birds, squirrels, groundhogs, feral cats, fox, and coyote. I have plenty of centerfires so I don't use the HMR all the time, but it is much more capable than many give it credit for. Fox and Coyote alike, I would limit shots to 100 or under. For everything else from groundhogs down, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot 200 and have taken a few g-hogs and feral cats between 200 and 240. I always shoot for the head and leave it at home if winds get 10MPH or faster.
 
Thanks to a tip from Glen on the Hornady XTP 20 grain controlled expansion hollow point. I can say by my testing on woodchucks (g-hogs) that bullet makes the 17hmr a true 150 yard woodchuck caliber with head & shoulder shots. You guys should try that ammo on woodchucks and rockchucks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Here is one that was not backwards into his hole arse over tea cup at 157 paces with the 20 grain XTP HP. I have shot a few others with it since the tip. Being as I take mostly head shots at these ranges anyways, looks like the v-max's will be saved for paper punching,crows and smaller varmints thanks to the XTP. It punch's through and leaves a hole about the size of a quarter. I love the low repor and honestly being able to see every impact. I literally watched this guy go arse over tea cub through the scope. Either way, which ever critter there getting the ammo assortment down pretty well on the 17hmr now (B-Tips,TNT HP's, C.E.H.P's & F.M.J.'s in 17 & 20.
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"addicking".......yes, the second of my love/hate thing with the hummer. A CZ 453 (set trigger) / Burris combo. I just love walking the fields with this sporter set up and a pair of shooting sticks. I was tough on my first but I came back. They are just plain one of the most fun to shoot from range to hunting.
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You been "hamer'in um" AJ ? I bet you have /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Try those Hornady XTP's on G-Hogs with head or shoulder (bone) shots you will love them. They shoot about an 1" lower at 100 in my gun. Some guys were getting near 2500 fps chono'in them.
 
MH Wash,

I think you have found out what a lot of us have, that the 17 HMR is a 'fun gun.' I got a CZ 452 American back in the winter and have since taken several crows with it, the furthest being 110 yards (range-finder measured). I have mainly used CCI 20 gr. Game Points, but have also taken a couple of crows with Remington 17 gr. V-Max.

I haven't taken anything larger than crows with mine so far, but for that purpose at least, it's an amazing little cartridge.

I sighted in dead on at 50 yards, then shot at 100. I was extremely surprised to see that there wasn't 1/2" difference in point of impact. That is one flat shooting little number.

Just thought I'd congratulate you on your new toy. Keep us informed.

Good Shooting

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Ya know 6mm06,

I have followed your posts,replys,etc.

Just want to say your a class act..........real country gentleman /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Do the "gamepoint" 20gr's group well in your CZ?

Same bullet but I have not tried that load yet.

I imagine you have had the big boomers out for some g-hogs down there in Va. too.

Take care,
Bill from upstate NY
 
CZ makes an awsome gun in 17hmr good quality for the price. Thats what I reccomend got a 427 varminter. I also have a Savage 93 I really regretted this purchase untill I got a Basix sear for it. The factory trigger was close to 8 1/2lbs. The CZ was good out of the box but a trigger job would definetly improve it but not really necessary. MY .02 again.
 
Bill1227, I have tried everything except the XTP in 17 and 2o gr. The 20 gr. gamepoints grouped the best in my gun and were the most wind resistant. POI at 100 yds was almost identical for all the various shells. Only major difference in 17 and 20 gr is past 150 yds.
 


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