Had some time a few weeks ago and decided to take my 17 HMR out to the range and test all of the ammo I had on hand. I think I have just about every brand and weight that's commonly available.
Excluded from the test was the Winchester 17gr and 20gr stuff. While cheap and plentiful, I'd finally gotten rid of it all as it was nothing but misfires and split cases.
Anyway, here's what I had to test:
Hornady 17gr V-Max (polymer tip)
Hornady 20gr XTP (JHP)
Hornady 15.5gr NTX (lead-free polymer tip)
Federal Premium 17gr V-Max (polymer tip)
Remington Premier 17gr Accutip-V (polymer tip)
CCI TNT 17gr (JHP)
CCI Gamepoint 20gr (JSP)
All shots were taken from a rest at 50 yards. The rifle is a Savage 93R17 BTVS, and the scope is a Nikon 3-9x40 Buck Master. Stock photo of the rifle:
I'm the first to admit that I'm hardly an expert. I was just trying to figure out which ammo the gun liked the best. Here's what I did: I warmed the rifle up with five shots of random ammo, and then proceeded to take five-shot groups of each brand. I shot all seven brands and weights, and then re-shot the three best. The results are fairly clear. I wasn't surprised at the 'winner' as the rifle seems to prefer the 20gr projectile.
The first target board:
50 yards from the shooting bench
The first shoot for the seven different types of ammo. The battery in my calipers was getting low and I couldn't get a good photo, so I put the ruler in for perspective. You'll just have to trust the measurements.
Now the re-shoot of the three best results.
Federal Premium. No idea why this opened up so much:
Remington Premiere. Also a little fatter:
And the winner! CCI Gamepoint 20gr:
Posted primarily for interest sake. Your mileage will of course vary. I was really surprised at the consistency and grouping of the Gamepoint. I've since stocked up on that type, and will likely rid myself of the rest.
Excluded from the test was the Winchester 17gr and 20gr stuff. While cheap and plentiful, I'd finally gotten rid of it all as it was nothing but misfires and split cases.
Anyway, here's what I had to test:
Hornady 17gr V-Max (polymer tip)
Hornady 20gr XTP (JHP)
Hornady 15.5gr NTX (lead-free polymer tip)
Federal Premium 17gr V-Max (polymer tip)
Remington Premier 17gr Accutip-V (polymer tip)
CCI TNT 17gr (JHP)
CCI Gamepoint 20gr (JSP)
All shots were taken from a rest at 50 yards. The rifle is a Savage 93R17 BTVS, and the scope is a Nikon 3-9x40 Buck Master. Stock photo of the rifle:
I'm the first to admit that I'm hardly an expert. I was just trying to figure out which ammo the gun liked the best. Here's what I did: I warmed the rifle up with five shots of random ammo, and then proceeded to take five-shot groups of each brand. I shot all seven brands and weights, and then re-shot the three best. The results are fairly clear. I wasn't surprised at the 'winner' as the rifle seems to prefer the 20gr projectile.
The first target board:
50 yards from the shooting bench
The first shoot for the seven different types of ammo. The battery in my calipers was getting low and I couldn't get a good photo, so I put the ruler in for perspective. You'll just have to trust the measurements.
Now the re-shoot of the three best results.
Federal Premium. No idea why this opened up so much:
Remington Premiere. Also a little fatter:
And the winner! CCI Gamepoint 20gr:
Posted primarily for interest sake. Your mileage will of course vary. I was really surprised at the consistency and grouping of the Gamepoint. I've since stocked up on that type, and will likely rid myself of the rest.
Thanks ammosupply.ca !!.
