is target shooting .17HMR considered Precision?

Fenix.NZ

Fenix.NZ

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hi guys,

im picking up a Savage .17 HMR primarily for varmint shooting but i do want to do some target .. i figured since im wanting to do target shooting i can post this here :D

my dilema at the moment is OPTICS that will suit both purposes ( recommendations please )

and is it possible to reload for this round ? im not so clued up on reloading
its cheap enough to buy .. but i wouldnt mind getting into reloading
( around where i live the larger calibers are hard to find space to use )

Fenix
 
Depends what you consider precision, but for the most part I wouldn't consider .17hmr precision. Maybe precision as far as rimfire goes, but even going up to a .223 with handloads should be more accurate and cost approximately the same as .17hmr ammo.

You can't reload .17hmr as it is a rimfire cartridge and part of the rim is crushed in order to ignite the primer. This leaves no way to re-prime the case and it is essentially scrap after being fired.

I bought a .17hmr for the same purposes (varmint and target shooting) and ended up selling it. It was fairly accurate, but the ammunition costs are high for a rimfire. If you want a cheap plinker, go .22lr. If you want something a little more for shooting varmints and more serious target shooting go .223 and reload. Ammo costs will be similar to the .17hmr and you'll have way more gun as far as accuracy and power goes.
 
I agree, get a 223 with a twist rate to shoot some of the heavier bullets if you're wanting to shoot distance. There are so many bullets available for it, you'll never run out of load developement.
Optics wise, personally I'd go Nightforce 3.5-15x50mm. With the right ring and base setup, you'll be able to swap the scope from gun to gun. One good scope is worth it's wieght in gold.
 
reason i didnt choose .223 .. which i really wanted to .. is because of the range and power that it has.. we shoot rabbits hares turkey possums and magpies ( for those who dont know.. same as a medium sized crow ) for our varmint shooting.. possibly some goats , but thats the extent of it .. if i cant get within 200m of something then its not likely im going to shoot it
and as i said.. not alot of space to really shoot a higher power round around here ( thuroughbred country - lots of expensive horses and lifestyle blocks )

really after pest control, not pest decimation when it comes to varminting :p

and i didnt even think about the whole rimfire thing when i asked about reloading.. was thinking i wonder if you can get primed cases and load your own.. see what i mean when i say im not up on the whole reloading thing
 
I think anything that puts a bullet into either the same hole or into teeny tiny groups is precision. I think a lot of guys look down on factory/hunting rifle style because it doesn't "look" precision enough but I have seen some sporter weight rifles that could produce better groups then some varmint rifles. Albeit you couldn't hammer out rounds fast as the barrel would heat up faster but they were pretty darn accurate.
 
I have a little savage 17 hmr. Shoots amazing. I just have a bushnell banner 6-24 on it. Probably overkill, but its cheap. Rifle was 350, put a rifle basics trigger in it. I am not going to through massive amounts into optics unless I was doing competitions. If you want to go really high for the hmr, a falcon menace of some type would be fine. My 160 dollar dusk till dawn does the trick just fine.
 
take what some of the previous post have mentioned with a grain of salt.

The .17 was designed to be a precision cartridge and to reach out further than a .22, so yes it's a precision rifle. Not to the standards of some in this forum but to each their own.

As for optics, you do not need a Nightforce or any other $500 plus scope. Take a look at something from Bushnell in a variable. The 3200 series are very nice and the optics are very clear.

I just don't get why everything has to be a wallet busting rig in order to be considered precision. It doesn't have to be custom nor top of the line. If it puts the bullet where you want it, then isn't that the definition of precision?

Sorry for the rant but Ive just been reading to many posts telling new shooters to spend crazy amounts of cash. To be good at prcecision, practice is key but how can you practice if you can't afford ammo becuase you spent it all on optics? You can always upgrade later.

Hit the range and enjoy. I just bought a Savage Mako in .22 for some cheaper fun than my Savage .243. Both are accurate enough for me and they aren't worth more than 500 each.

Ask mysticplayer about the whole cheap rifle / accurate rifle debate.
 
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You can't reload rimfire cartridges. .17 HMR ammo is a whole lot more expensive than .22 LR ammo too. Any 3x to 9x scope will do nicely though.
 
i threw a tasco varmint 6-24 on my Savage HMR....high magnification looks like you are looking through a glass of water :eek:

but you will never really need to go past 12x

the gun SHOOTS......5 shots in 2.5 holes at a 100 meters and a 1.75" 5 shot group at 200 meters is pretty damn precision to me

especially out of a 400 dollar combo :sniper:

to me it sounds like the .17 hmr is exactly what you are after....i have had the gun for almost a year now and i havent touched any of my 3 .22's since i got it LOL
 
17 hmr

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in here.

You said you may take the odd goat with this rifle....

I would recommend not doing this.

A goat is a little bit tougher skinned than anything else you are going to be shooting. Head shots are the ticket but are tough. If the goat is looking at you, you've only got a small small target to hit. minisucal. A 17grn bullet just ain't meant to kill something that big.

STOP right there everybody that says "duh, it can be done"

Yeah it can be done but thats a lucky shot and your not going to get lucky every time.

B
 
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