Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

BgBmBoo

BgBmBoo

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Jul 8, 2008
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#1
So my big plans today were to hit the range with my Browning T-bolt .17 HMR and try some long range shooting with it.

I have seen some videos and stories floating around showing people shooting out to 800 yards with the .17 HMR.

Well.....I wanted to see for myself if I myself could accomplish such a feat. Unfortunately when I got to the range the wind was blowing 20-30 mph. That kinda put a damper on any chance of hitting anything past about 200 yards or so.

So I ended up doing some 100 and 200 yard shooting just to show how the rifle shoots.

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Take care,Stan
 
#2
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

800 is COMPLETE BS. The farthest I've taken mine out to is 300 yards. At that distance, I use a spotting scope at 40X and some shoot n c's. I have a Bushnell SportView. Get's the job done for $75. But yeah don't buy into that at all. The fathest shots that I've heard of with a 17 is 450 - 500. Here's what others had to say about it too...

http://snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2176665#Post2176665
 
#4
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

Yep...I have a hard time believing that the .17 HMR can ACCURATELY shoot to those distances.

But....I would like to try for myself just to see. I am thinking of using one of my target stands and then putting tinfoil over with no backing.

That way if I do hit it it should be plan to see.

So now its just a matter of good weather.

Take care,Stan
 
#6
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

I went to the range yesterday with a friend who was shooting his HMR at 300 yds. It is the base Savage model. He was able to keep most of his shots in a 1 foot circle Shoot n C target. I personally have shot mine to 200 yds. After watching him shoot yesterday and having spent some time behind mine, I just don't see how you can get to 800 with a 17 HMR. Even is you did get to those distances, the real world effects of wind, etc. are going to push those little bullets around. It just doesn't have the weight to maintain the inertia of it to those distances based on what I have seen.
 
#8
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

800 yards with a .17 HMR is total BS. You would be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn at 800 yards. The wind moves those .17 cal bullets all over the place. It's not a long range gun.....
 
#10
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

Shooting at 800 with a .223 takes skill, doing it with a .17 would require a departure from reality
smile.gif


-matt
 
#12
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

Guys...I am NOT planning on trying to shoot to 800 yards with the .17 HMR. I am planning on trying to hit at 600 yards.

I am WITH YOU guys...I totally think it is next to impossible to hit anything REPEATABLE and ACCURATELY past about 300 yards with the HMR.

As stated above...it is hard enough to maintain a good group at 600+ yards with a rifle that is designed for long rage shooting.

But the video below just has me wondering "maybe". So why not? I have a .17 HMR and plenty of ammo.
So as soon as the weather gets better I will try and get some free time to try it out.

TAke care,Stan

PS...this is the video I am talking about:

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3LkBp1LEf8"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3LkBp1LEf8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>
 
#13
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

I'll go along with 600. That I think could be done. It's just a matter of energy, accuracy, and conditions. Not to mention a whoop @ss base. I remember someone went that far with a 22 at a 4x8 piece of plywood. Shots were scattered all over it (not through it of course), but he did get them out there. I'm interested to see what kind of groups are produced by a 17. That video is complete BS though. There's no way a 17 would have the energy to shoot through metal at 800 yards. 500 is questionable. JMO.
 
#14
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

That group in the video is unrealistic in the wind conditions you hear, much less no wind. And to punch through steel like that, I just don't see it. I have shot 22's at round disc blades from farm equipment at 150 yds and the bullet just flattens out. I realize there is a big difference between a 22 and a 17 HMR, but we are still talking a rimfire, not a centerfire.
 
#17
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

What I wanna know is how the hell one keeps the bullets accurate while they are going through a transonic stage...you can't.
Being a life-long airgunner, I know what a 17 grain pill does at subsonic velocities - not much, unless you are shooting pests/small game at short ranges...It does go through a tin can at 100 yards though...but that's 100, not 500 or 800...please.
 
#18
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

my 22 will barely dent the old stop sign I have at 450, but I can hit it pretty consistently when the wind is not swirling or changing up too much. However, I will say that the wind is tricky out there for sure lol. I havent tried the 17 at the same target, but next time I make it down there I will give it a whirl. Might be able to try out to about 600 lol.

May be time for a 45 minute base on the savage...
 
#19
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

A round-nosed .22 bullet will not be as temperamental about passing through the transonic region as spire-pointed .17. QuickTarget tells me a .17 launched at Hornady's claimed MV will lose SoS in under 400 yards. There are very few spitzer bullets that have proved themselves capable of surviving that transition with their dignity intact and AFAIK the .17-gr V-Max is not one of them.
 
#20
Re: Trying to confirm long range .17 HMR shooting.

At around 150 - 200 yards the .17 will start to fall flat on it's face. VERY fast at 100 yards. Then VERY slow. Coming up from 200 to 300 is nuts. That's why it is a 100 yard killer, and 300 yards is pretty much the max distance a lot of averaged skilled shooters have been out to. JMO.
 
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