Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

S

SmallBoreSnipers

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 15, 2009
1,204
1
44
Troy, NY
#1
At 100 yards I can put rounds through a quarter all day long. But out at 200 when it slows down and gets thrown around by the wind, I can't seem to do any better than a 4" 5 round group. And that's on a calm day. I've tried a few different things without any luck. I'm using Winchester V-MAX 17 gr. 2,550 fps ammo. Anybody have any tips??

Also I've heard from a few guys that if you really want to shoot out at 200 yards, then you should use this Hornady ammo that has a higher velocity. 2,700+ fps I believe. But I can't seem to find it. Anybody know what ammo they are referring to??
 
#2
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Welcome to shooting a .17 caliber.
The fact is simple physics, there is so little mass, and such a low BC the thing just falls on its ass after a hundred yards. If you are just punching paper the energy or momentum numbers don't mean much, but if you are trying to kill critters out there the fact is there is just not much punch left. Of course that is if you can hit them, because just a breath of wind is gonna move that little light-weight low bc bullet around.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the .17HMR, I have one, like it, shoot it, my youngest boy loves it. - But the simple fact is math and physics don't lie. (That's left for statistics)
 
#3
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Yeah, but I see all these people online shooting 2" groups or smaller like it's just no big deal. Someone on here was telling me they shoot about 2" groups too. Can't remember who it was.
 
#5
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

I don't know how educated about shooting you are, but I would say that you need to work on your fundamentals. The reason why I say that is because I can get with in 2 moa @ 200yrds and that is with a bipod w/ a rear bag and that is shooting the same ammo you do. I would also ask about your rig,what are you shooting and how do you have it set up?
 
#7
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SmallBoreSnipers</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I also use a bipod up front and a sandbag in the rear. It's a Marlin 917vr. For glass I'm using a 5-15x50 Bushnell Elete 3200. </div></div>

To my understanding that is supposed to be a really nice rifle. So may be it is just a matter of, weapon not liking the ammo? That is also a possibility. And the Hornady ammo you asked about you can find that at www.hornady.com, www.cabelas.com and www.cheaperthandirt.com, hint use www.google.com. So find ammo your rifle likes work on your fundamentals. These little rounds don't take much to throw off so everything must be perfect.
 
#8
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Wind drift at 100 yards for a 17gr vmax bullet at 5mph full value is almost 2" from what I have calculated and seen on the target. Varmint Al calculated it at about 1.6" for a 5mph wind, but I think the BC is a bit less than what folks are claiming.

At 200 yards my 17gr vmax bullets drop 10.5" and wind drift for 5mph cross wind is almost4-5". I calculate BC around .119 or so based on avg muzzle velocity of 2550fps and bullet drop out to 330yards.(Temp 50F Baro 29.75 Rh 78%)

this is in my Savage 17hmr. Now on a PERFECTLY WINDLESS DAY, I've had .5moa and better groups at 100yards. and 1moa groups at 200yards (2" ctc)

Fundamentals are a big thing too. If my cheek weld or trigger control, stock hold is not the same shot to shot, groups will change. Where you place your front rest on the stock makes a difference as well.

how many rounds have you had down the tube, the 17hmr's like to be dirty and will tighten up as you continue to fire it. I don't clean mine until accuracy falls off. I've gone almost 500 rounds without cleaning it this time around.
 
#9
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

^ Oh the rifle is the bomb. No doubt about that. I know it's either user error, ammo, weather, etc. I checked out the links you gave. None of the ammo said higher than 2,550 fps. However, from what I've researched, even though the hornady ammo states this velocity, some tests show that the muzzle velocity is actually 2,650 - 2,750 fps. Higher than all other types tested. Have any of you guys ever seen any of this info before?

Check one test out here. They show the velocity for 20 rounds fired. Scroll down about 1/4 of the way for the chart...

http://www.varmintal.com/17hmr.htm
 
#10
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Hey frogman. I bought this rifle back in August. The rifle and caliber are new to me but shooting is not. I've probably put a few hundred through it at least. But I clean it after every 50 rounds.

Is this why I can't find the damn soft swap cleaning tips anymore? The only thing they sell around here now for all calibers are the harsher brushes.
 
#11
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

I wouldn't clean it so often. it actually takes my bore about 50 rounds to just setlle in and then the groups start to get really good again. When I first bought my rifle, right around 200 rounds I started getting .5moa groups (no wind).

The newer 17hmr ammo that's being produced I don't think is as accurate. I've got an older lot stashed away right now that I have seen consistent .5moa groups at 100yards with a few (and I stress A FEW)3 shot groups around .25moa and the 4 and 5th shots out at .5moa. The newer ammo lots that I've found recently have had many more flyers. just for kicks I've rolled a few rounds over a mirror and there is considerable runout. Another die hard .17 hmr shooter I know has found the same thing with the older ammo shooting better than the recent production.

200 yards is a ways out there, but I have broken pieces of clay pidgeons out to 330yards. Occasionally on first round hits, but not that often. The wind does crazy things at that distance. Bullet Drop is 48" at that distance for me depending on conditions.
 
#12
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

velocity varies. I have seen the hornady ammo up around 2650fps but as low as 2490fps from the same box.
 
#13
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Frogman77</div><div class="ubbcode-body">velocity varies. I have seen the hornady ammo up around 2650fps but as low as 2490fps from the same box. </div></div>

+1 Also one thing that you might want to try, SmallBoreSnipers, is to get a digital scale and weigh out your rounds. I know a lot of .22 shooters do that. One of these days I will do the same. lol.
 
#14
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

all depends on how crazy you wanna get, you can weigh them and then sort them by runout, I'll bet you can get some pretty accurate groups then.... but then again...minute of bird head at 100 yards is good enough for me:)
 
#15
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Not a bad adea at all guys. And I'm known to get crazy about it lol. What is it I'm looking for when I weigh them? I assume I'm looking for groups that have the similar weight? Also, what do you mean by "runout"?
 
#16
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

yes, similar weight. Run out is/are basically bullets that aren't completely concentric all the way around which in turn are not concentric to your bore. Someone correct me if I'm not describing it right...take a some of your loaded rounds and roll them across a mirror. If you can see the tip of the bullet wobbling then that round has some runout. Some should roll pretty straight, at least not detectable to you eye. Those rounds are straight or at least straighter than those that wobble. Sinclair's has a tool that will actually measure it.
 
#17
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Well thanks a lot guys for the info. It has been very helpful. So I think I'm gonna try the hornaday ammo and see how that does at 200. Then I think for both 100 and 200 yards I'm going to start weighing and inspecting them to sort them into different groups. I can't wait to see how many family members ask why a digital scale is on my amazon wish list ha
wink.gif
 
#18
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

don't forget the wind, put up some wind flags or some suveyor's tape. any little puff of wind will throw your impact. Good luck.
 
#20
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Patients Grass-hopper; I mean smallbore,
work on fundamentals, npa, trigger press, calling the shot.
keep a detailed logbook. watch the wind, learn the wind, Be the wind. Be the wind smallbore, be the wind!
Also better to wear out the barrel slowly with rounds down range and taking time to write in a logbook, than wearing the bore out quickly with ram rods and brushes.
 
#21
Re: Tips for 200 yards with .17 hmr?

Bonnie and I shoot the Marlin 917V in matches and we have about 4 years of experience with them. We use the Federal 17 gr V-shok through 4 of the rifles.

She shoots from a small bench that I built for her and I do prone with a bipod. Our rifles, until recently, had 3-9x40 Tasco scopes and mine have Rifle Basix triggers. Three of the rifles had a major refitting last month with new stocks and scopes.

So far my 200 yard match best is 500/500 with 23X. I also shot a 499 with 28X. Bonnie shot a 499 with 28x and her usual score is about 493 out of 500. There are two stages of rapid fire so it's pretty challenging.

We don't shoot for group but the "X" ring on our SR targets is the size of a tennis ball. The ten ring is a bit larger and those scores required that we didn't wander out of the "10" ring much.

We had a copper fouling problem on the first two rifles. It took two days to clean them properly. We used Butches Bore Shine and Hoppes #9 applied with a patch then allowed to sit for an hour or so. Butches works the best if you can stand the stink. I LOVE the smell of Hoppes!

We repeated the wet patch cycle for two days until patches came out without green color. Don't scrub them. Let the chemicals work. The first two barrels broke in and copper fouling was no longer a problem. We get virtually no copper (green) color when we clean those two rifles now.

The newest two rifles will not shoot with the others. Although I'm not a fanatic about barrel break in, the barrels seem to get better with age.

The scores are in the rifle. All you need to do is bring them out.

Flash
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
Good scope for 200 yards
Replies
38
Views
1K
FuhQ
FuhQ
T
Ruger Precision Rimfire scraping tip of bullet
Replies
11
Views
423
MLone
M
Y
What can cause a bullet to impact higher, when moving back to 200 yards, from 100 yards?
Replies
167
Views
3K
yo-yo
Y
F
Firearms Bergara BMR Carbon 17 HMR
Replies
3
Views
695
ForeverZ01
F
zandnubbz
SOLD SOLD: Ruger M77/17 Clark Custom Guns 17 WSM
Replies
11
Views
962
zandnubbz
zandnubbz
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Merch
Alerts