I was looking at different ammo for my .17 hmr and was wondering if anyone prefers the 20 grain bullets over the 17 grain. I have used 17 grain exclusively so im not sure. I would like to buck the wind a little more but im not sure that 3 grains is enough to really make a noticable difference. I know the .17 hmr isnt the best choice for cutting the wind anyways but I do enjoy it for hunting squirrels and various other things.
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.17 hmr.
- Thread starter Warlok813
- Start date
I like my 17hmr.
Great varminting/small game rimfire cartridge.
Ballistic tips and hollow points for meat spray,
FMJ or JSP for putting meat in the stewpot.
Only 2 companies manufacture 17 hmr, CCI and Winchester.
Browning is relabeled Winchester, all the rest are relabeled CCI.
Results on target vary due to minimal quality control on the production line.
It's hunting ammo, not a precision target round.
I've had some superb results with all the different bullet types and weights,
along with absolutely laughable ones due to cartridges that were poorly assembled.
We're talking CCI and Winchester rimfire ammo.
Neither of which has a reputation for producing match quality rimfire ammo.
Great varminting/small game rimfire cartridge.
Ballistic tips and hollow points for meat spray,
FMJ or JSP for putting meat in the stewpot.
Only 2 companies manufacture 17 hmr, CCI and Winchester.
Browning is relabeled Winchester, all the rest are relabeled CCI.
Results on target vary due to minimal quality control on the production line.
It's hunting ammo, not a precision target round.
I've had some superb results with all the different bullet types and weights,
along with absolutely laughable ones due to cartridges that were poorly assembled.
We're talking CCI and Winchester rimfire ammo.
Neither of which has a reputation for producing match quality rimfire ammo.
I like my 17 but there's no such thing as match ammo, accuracy is a crap shoot. As far as 17 or 20 gr, both are screaming fleas, a bee farting will redirect it.
CCI 20gr game point and 17gr TNT.
Best ammo you'll find for a 17HMR.
Best ammo you'll find for a 17HMR.
I like my 17hmr.
Great varminting/small game rimfire cartridge.
Ballistic tips and hollow points for meat spray,
FMJ or JSP for putting meat in the stewpot.
Only 2 companies manufacture 17 hmr, CCI and Winchester.
Browning is relabeled Winchester, all the rest are relabeled CCI.
Results on target vary due to minimal quality control on the production line.
It's hunting ammo, not a precision target round.
I've had some superb results with all the different bullet types and weights,
along with absolutely laughable ones due to cartridges that were poorly assembled.
We're talking CCI and Winchester rimfire ammo.
Neither of which has a reputation for producing match quality rimfire ammo.
So Remington, Federal, and Hornady are relabeled CCI?
I did not know that.
Remington, Federal, and Hornady are relabeled CCI, as is Norma
Check the manufacturer's date code on the side of the plastic box....it's either CCI or Winchester.
Check the manufacturer's date code on the side of the plastic box....it's either CCI or Winchester.
Weirdly I couldn’t get good accuracy out of my CZ 455 from the 20gr loads while it’s a laser with multiple 17gr loadings (from both CCI and Winchester). Also the trajectory while still really flat for a rimfire out to 200 was noticeably more arched with the 20gr; like, more than I would’ve expected. I’ve not run the actual ballistics on them to compare just seen it at the range and in the field.
I bought a few of these
to see if they’d be a little less explosive on varmints and I’m on my third box. There won’t be a fourth.
I think my 455 likes the fast stuff: CCI A17 is pretty typically the most accurate in it though there’s always lot to lot variation.
I bought a few of these
to see if they’d be a little less explosive on varmints and I’m on my third box. There won’t be a fourth.
I think my 455 likes the fast stuff: CCI A17 is pretty typically the most accurate in it though there’s always lot to lot variation.
Look at the 17hmr the same way you would a ballistic tip centerfire, except it's rimfire.
The same rules apply. Are they all assembled to the same specs? No.
The 17hmr are mass produced cartridges where the profit is in quantity, not quality.
Look at the differences in seating depth and angle.
Are the bullets uniform in shape or do they vary?
Is the tip bent or deformed/broken? Crimp tension?
Look at the case mouth for an irregular edge.
Check the differences in brass dimensions.
Look at how the primer is metered and applied.
That's where the variations in results come from.
The 17hmr is less affected by wind than both the 22wmr and 22lr.
Bullet crossectional area and velocities are why.
Run a comparison with y'er ballistic calculator.
Don't take my word for it.
The same rules apply. Are they all assembled to the same specs? No.
The 17hmr are mass produced cartridges where the profit is in quantity, not quality.
Look at the differences in seating depth and angle.
Are the bullets uniform in shape or do they vary?
Is the tip bent or deformed/broken? Crimp tension?
Look at the case mouth for an irregular edge.
Check the differences in brass dimensions.
Look at how the primer is metered and applied.
That's where the variations in results come from.
The 17hmr is less affected by wind than both the 22wmr and 22lr.
Bullet crossectional area and velocities are why.
Run a comparison with y'er ballistic calculator.
Don't take my word for it.
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Interesting. It’s clearly rifle to rifle, barrel to barrel then.
My 455 is an American with the skinny sporter taper, 20.5”
Some claim you have to find the brand of cartridges y'er rifle likes.
I'm not a believer. I literally have tried every brand and type of 17hmr ammo sold.
It's not brand or type that my rifle "likes", but the cartridge quality it requires.
Give me well made cartridges with tight muzzle velocities
and I can produce predictable trajectories, no matter which bullet type/weight.
It's not brand name or bullet type, but cartridge quality that determines results.
There are no rifles that can magically fix cr*ppy ammo.
I'm not a believer. I literally have tried every brand and type of 17hmr ammo sold.
It's not brand or type that my rifle "likes", but the cartridge quality it requires.
Give me well made cartridges with tight muzzle velocities
and I can produce predictable trajectories, no matter which bullet type/weight.
It's not brand name or bullet type, but cartridge quality that determines results.
There are no rifles that can magically fix cr*ppy ammo.
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I used to think that too but once I started shooting longer ranges and keeping more logs (even while plinking) I found most of my rifles really do fit into a 2x2 matrix:
- some prefer brands
- some prefer weights/velocities
- some have a very specific preference of brand and weight/speed
- some just shoot everything of decent quality pretty well
That last category is rarer than I thought it was a few years ago though. Also I guess there’s a fifth category that doesn’t shoot anything well, but enough about my Rugers...
I do think rimfires tend to look more “random” due to tolerance changes between production lots being seemingly wider than with most centerfire stuff.
- some prefer brands
- some prefer weights/velocities
- some have a very specific preference of brand and weight/speed
- some just shoot everything of decent quality pretty well
That last category is rarer than I thought it was a few years ago though. Also I guess there’s a fifth category that doesn’t shoot anything well, but enough about my Rugers...
I do think rimfires tend to look more “random” due to tolerance changes between production lots being seemingly wider than with most centerfire stuff.
Amost all my rimfire is shot at 200 yards, recording muzzle velocities and results.
Visual inspection of each cartridge has become a habit.
Correlating vertical spread due to mv variations
and strays caused by visible cartridge defects
has caused me to discount brand and bullet weight as being critical to my results.
Cartridge quality, or rather the lack of, has become the primary cause of poor accuracy.
Not wind, not me, not the rifles.
There is no way to fix large variations in muzzle velocities.
Canted/damaged bullets, loose crimps, poor seating, excess jump to the leade,
primer/powder variations, out of spec brass are the true culprits.
Especially with the 17hmr, where the only manufacturers are CCI and Winchester.
They have such a stellar reputation for producing match quality rimfire, right?
Visual inspection of each cartridge has become a habit.
Correlating vertical spread due to mv variations
and strays caused by visible cartridge defects
has caused me to discount brand and bullet weight as being critical to my results.
Cartridge quality, or rather the lack of, has become the primary cause of poor accuracy.
Not wind, not me, not the rifles.
There is no way to fix large variations in muzzle velocities.
Canted/damaged bullets, loose crimps, poor seating, excess jump to the leade,
primer/powder variations, out of spec brass are the true culprits.
Especially with the 17hmr, where the only manufacturers are CCI and Winchester.
They have such a stellar reputation for producing match quality rimfire, right?
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I had a thread going a while back about 22 mag expectations. The consensus was ammo quality is the culprit which @justin amateur i believe you may have been one of the folks to point that out. So, from reading this thread it seems the same problem exists for the 17hmr. However, common thought and experience suggests the 17 hmr is more accurate than the 22 mag. Is this true in your experience? And is it due to bullet design?
Good information, thanks. My savage seems to shoot most stuff in .17gr fairly well, of course I mostly use the CCI and hornady v-max. Odd about them being made by the same 2 companies I never knew that, the CCI really seems to have a good bit more explosive terminal performance from what I have seen personally, I dont tend to use those on squirrels cause I end up with more damage to the meat. Even the hornadys kinda require a head shot to not loose meat but the CCI seems to be a decent bit worse. Looks as though ill stick with the .17gr, just gotta find a good deal on a case of em.
My Savage 17hmr shoots all of the CCI (and their various labels) better than all of the Winchester ammo. All are good enough for hunting but the hollowpoints seem to group slightly better on paper. I have shot a few of the 20g options and it shot good in my rifle but not better than the 17g fodder. I stopped hunting small game with the HP's after having one fail to expand on a head shot to a squirrel effectively giving the poor little critter a frontal lobotomy. It was not funny and required additional measures to finish it off. It would be a good round for coyotes where they are larger and allow more space to expand. These were Federal (CCI). The ballistic tips expand instantly and I have never had a failure with them. Keep the bbl clean and enjoy it.
My Anschutz 1720 would beg to differ
not saying the .17 isn't inherently more accurate, but I get better groups out of my 1720 than my 1717. But I am an average rifle shot at best and the 1720 is probably more an anomaly and not the norm when it comes to .22 magnum standard accuracy.
I have an Anchutz with an 18 inch barrel. I bought every single 17hmr ammo on the market. I shot 10-5 shot groups. The best group that I got was with A17hmr ammo. 20 grain ammo sucked. 1.5-4 inch groups. Most other 17 was aroud 1.25-1.5 groups. The A17 was .45
The most accurate and precise round in my Savage 93R17 FV at 100 yards appears to be the 17grain CCi TNT . Sub MOA groups ( 3 round groups, I know 5 is better but I`m usually limited on time and I try to stretch ammo supply ) are common and POA vs POI averages .6 ". Too explosive for squirrels, so I`m trying to dial in the 20 grain CCi Gamepoint.
If you're getting sub MOA with these best get back to the store in a hurry and see if you can get more with the same lot #, next box may not do it.
Same scenario if you find 20's that work.
Absolutely agree and I would if they still had any. Unfortunately, they don`t. I know it`s a pipe dream most likely, but I`m hoping the TNT, being a hollow point, will somehow be more " match ammo like " in my gun. Guess we`ll see. I am, however, going to try to get more of my current lot of Gamepoint since it seems to shoot the best of the 20 grainers in my gun.
My new to me latest .17HMR acquisition is proving to be more accurate than my .22 Magnum so far... at least at 50 yds. I need to get back out and stretch it out to 100 & 200 next range session. The groups below were shot consecutively in one sessions
I about fell over when I walked in the gun store and saw it. I still can't believe I got a ANA Custom Shop .17 HMR for $900...granted it was "used" but it was hard to tell if it had been shot.
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