.17hmr thoughts

I know I'm pretty late to the party but 17hmr is just blowing my mind now that I've given it a chance!

I resisted getting a .17hmr for many years, I guess it was just the noise that put me off because I had been shooting suppressed subsonic 22lr and PCP'S for a long time and when I needed more range or power I typically picked up my .223 or Grendel and made proper noise.

Through a mate I was offered a deal I couldn't turn down on a basically new Savage A17, the sexy model with the thumb hole laminate stock and heavy fluted barrel. It was a good deal and I figured if I didn't like it I wouldn't lose any money selling it on.

When it arrived I took it to the range with 3 different types of ammo, zerod in a spare Aim Sports FFP scope I found in the cupboard and was blown away at a tiny 4 shot group from 100m!

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This was obviously a keeper so I sent it off to Wingman to have about 2 inches of barrel cut off (pretty much to the end of the fluting) and threaded, they certainly are loud without a suppressor! Wingman suggested a DPT centrefire suppressor running 17cal baffles which has really taken all of the boom away leaving just the sonic crack, which I've actually come to realize really isn't that bad.

Once I got it back I went to the range to do a 50-200m drop test and settled on a 100m zero which was more or less on at 50 and poi at 200m was 1 mildot low. Too easy.

First job was from sitting on the top of a 3m dirt mound on the edge of a barley paddock on Pukeko patrol, managed to get 10 in 30 mins ranged from 45m to 180m. Not a single bird that walked onto that paddock made it away.

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Entry wound at 100m shows the devastating energy these angry little bullets have, massive entry wound and no exit.

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Happy with this rifle and it definitely has a unique use case that neither 22lr or 223 can offer me.

Welcome to the dark side. I love the 17hmr, as close to the perfect varmint round as I have found.
Hits bloody hard , lovely to shoot and in maybe 12k rounds plus I have had 2 ricochets.
Very accurate and can reach out a long way for such a little round.
Affected by wind but that can be worked around.
Enjoy.

Yeah Im in the market for one too

Have killed rabbits at 338 metres with the hmr

Check your ammo for concentricity and grade into “ long range” and” close range” containers :)

Ill always have .22s but the HMR is my go to pest control rifle. It just works. Point n shoot.

Running it through a Marlin XT (unfortunately no aftermarket stuff for). Even though its capable, my shots tend to be still close, like well within .22 range.

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It took you long enough alright Evan!

It's a handy little round for sure, very capable to 200 yards. My very first rifle i purchased was a Savage Classic in 17hmr, and I shot alot of little fury and feathered things with that. It has been replaced with a T1x now, and that is just so easy to live with, and shoots better than my Savage classic ever did. Two mates also have a T1x in 17hmr and they both shoot primo too.

I run my Pard 008 on my 17hmr now and use it for night time pest control (During the day on the bigger orchards I'll use my 17 Hornet, but I don't want to be searching for spent 17 Hornet cases in the dark, so the 17hmr is ideal for that, and still has some legs.

A 17hmr in experienced hands that knows the trajectory etc, not much gets away inside 200 yards.

Love it, ammo was hard to get, now at almost a buck per shot. "Ouch" still loverly to use, devastating results.

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Originally Posted by flock

Love it, ammo was hard to get, now at almost a buck per shot. "Ouch" still loverly to use, devastating results.

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Yeah, ammo price n availability can be a bit of a buzz kill but....it just works.

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Being so accurate you can put that little pill right where it's needed on larger animals as well.

Neat little round - had a couple of 17s some years back and more recently trialled a 22WMR in a heavy barrel Marlin. Same case of course - HMR with flatter trajectory and longer range, while WMR's heavier pill gives more smack and more penetration out to 125 or so. Would not be keen to use HMR if you meet an occasional goat - they tend to do alot of surface damage, whereas WMR could be used if animal fairly close with pinpoint shot.

The limitation for our Cantab sites is wind. We commonly have 30-50-60k breezes which limit HMR/WMR to 60 meters or so - depending on direction. For this reason we've all now gone 223, and last bulk batch of Fiocchi 55SP worked out at 75c per round - cheaper than the rimfires. 223 also brilliant on wallabies/fallow which abound on Tekapo sites. Has become the cover-all round down here..

So its horses for courses. If you've got good sites with fairly still conditions for the little rimfires they are alot of fun. Then I'd grab another one to play with..

Something about the sound profile I like as well, (rimfire dpt muzzle forward) crack of supersonic but no boom like a cannon.

Shot an 8 pt sika stag @ 150m thru the back of the swede in February. It just folded using CCI 20gr. It was looking away and aimed at the top of the ears.My son shot a red hind @ 180m with the same rifle. Just wobbled for about 10 seconds then flipped over. Sako Quad.

Attachment 209786Favourite rifle for sure!

Those dead pukekos made me very happy :) we are overrun with them here at the moment!

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Originally Posted by Billbob

Those dead pukekos made me very happy :) we are overrun with them here at the moment!

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As I'm sure you know they are a cunning bird to hunt on a property long term and this 17hmr is just the next tool in the arms race against them.

Nice to see another HW60J mowing down the critters! I put another stud in mine so that the bi-pod fits neatly a bit further back.Attachment 210009

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Awesome little round. But I find I can hit critters at ranges where it doesn't have enough energy to kill them. So restraint is required.

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You need to place you shots:D could be old age?

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Originally Posted by SL600

Nice to see another HW60J mowing down the critters! I put another stud in mine so that the bi-pod fits neatly a bit further back.Attachment 210009

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They’re an awesome piece of kit!

no good for me as 90% of my hunting is on public land.... the 223 fills the bill nicely.

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Originally Posted by Maca49

They’re an awesome piece of kit!

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Only one thing better.......that's another one in .17 Hornet.Cheaper to shoot than HMR with home loads. As long as the cases hold out.

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Originally Posted by tiroahunta

Ill always have .22s but the HMR is my go to pest control rifle. It just works. Point n shoot.

Running it through a Marlin XT (unfortunately no aftermarket stuff for). Even though its capable, my shots tend to be still close, like well within .22 range.

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Plover? More annoying than a magpie!

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Originally Posted by SL600

Only one thing better.......that's another one in .17 Hornet.Cheaper to shoot than HMR with home loads. As long as the cases hold out.

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Been down that road, if your going to do that get a 204 and really enjoy long range bunny popping, without pissing around with your scope:thumbsup:

The 17gr projectile is devastating on any small varmint animal. I miss mine a lot, deadly accurate.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Or get a 220 Swift and do it properly.

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Only old guys know about the 220 swift

Hi all, I have 3 17hmrs, Ruger 77/17 varmint, CZ457 varmint and Anschutz 15/17HB, so you could say I'm a fan of the round, the only downside is ammo availability and price, at 80 cents a shot I can reload 223 rounds cheaper, so the trick will be to make every shot count from now on.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

no good for me as 90% of my hunting is on public land.... the 223 fills the bill nicely.

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Same here. Mine is extremely accurate and easier to shoot tighter groups than my 223 due to have zero recoil. Unfortunately can't take it into Doc land. In saying that even if Doc allows rimfire, doubt the 17hmr will be of any use. Dama wallaby might be the only "Doc species" the 17hmr can knock down reliably.

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Originally Posted by SL600

Nice to see another HW60J mowing down the critters! I put another stud in mine so that the bi-pod fits neatly a bit further back.Attachment 210009

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Good to see some love for Weihrauch

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Originally Posted by Maca49

You need to place you shots:D could be old age?

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I'd rather be over gunned. I consider myself a good shot, but want some wriggle room if the animal moves, or something similar. Don't like to wound an animal, even a pest like a rabbit.

Find the 17hmr good in those big willows you can sit back 60m and shoot the possums like that rather then been under the tree, had good results on the peacocks with it.
And while out shooting magpies and hares the other week ended up with a red yearling. Head shoot at about 30 yards.
Ammo price was ok when i brought it but getting a bit pricey like all ammo.

Also in the same boat as only very recently moved on from the subsonic suppressed .22 - just didn't have enough range in some cases when the hares bounded off, so CZ 457 it was - suppressed though with the rimfire suppressor - this is now my go-to for night / NV varminting.
Did the same thing with the various ammo varieties and found the A17 ammo shot the tightest - go figure.

Hits hard - and uber flat!

Loving it!

Got this on the same afternoon of sighting in - stoked!

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