Zeroing .17 HMR.

[vole]

Just had the Marlin HMR to the range. Time was short as am working so I took a box of 50 Hornady 20gr xtp which were on offer. I quickly got the shots onto paper then within an inch or so,sometimes bang on target. Bit windy so not great conditions and was planning to zero at 50 then move out to 100 yards.

Its the first time I have used the Marlin and shot off a bipod,prone. There is no way I would be happy to use it on any quarry yet and can see me on the range plenty in the next weeks. I used all my ammo then had to come home.

Any tips on getting zeroed with a new rifle and how many rounds before it becomes accurate ? It would be nice to factor out my own errors and inaccuracy but any advice would help alot. Thanks very much :look:

Edited May 2, 2010 by vole

[kyska]

Just had the Marlin HMR to the range. Time was short as am working so I took a box of 50 Hornady 20gr xtp which were on offer. I quickly got the shots onto paper then within an inch or so,sometimes bang on target. Bit windy so not great conditions and was planning to zero at 50 then move out to 100 yards.

Its the first time I have used the Marlin and shot off a bipod,prone. There is no way I would be happy to use it on any quarry yet and can see me on the range plenty in the next weeks. I used all my ammo then had to come home.

Any tips on getting zeroed with a new rifle and how many rounds before it becomes accurate ? It would be nice to factor out my own errors and inaccuracy but any advice would help alot. Thanks very much :look:

 

I've had a few problems zeroing, ad have got through lots of ammo doing so, but at least I now feel confident with it.

 

I went straight out to 100 yards and used a rifle bench rest in the field, that negates the human error, and obviously zero on a fine day.

[Billy.]

Find the zero you want, say, 127 yards. Work out the bullet arc and then zero it at the point where it first crosses the zero. It'll be around 30 yards. So you can cut out your inaccuracy over distances.

[wymberley]

Hi, Have a ballistics programme already set up, left over from a previous thread so if you want any ideas on what you can expect the round to do, just sing out. It may not be spot on, but it does save time and ammo (unless you have plenty of both and, of course, it's not so much fun).

Cheers

[kyska]

Hi, Have a ballistics programme already set up, left over from a previous thread so if you want any ideas on what you can expect the round to do, just sing out. It may not be spot on, but it does save time and ammo (unless you have plenty of both and, of course, it's not so much fun).

Cheers

 

 

Thats interesting, what should the 'first' zero be if I want a 100 yard zero on 17g?

[vole]

I would not mind a look at that too. Going to take some 17gr and 20gr along next time to see how they behave.

[Billy.]

Thats interesting, what should the 'first' zero be if I want a 100 yard zero on 17g?

 

42.4 ft

 

You will find that the 129 yard mark is the optimum to get the best efficiency for a bullet, allowing only a +/- of 1" over 9-147 yards, whereas a 100 yard zero will be +/- 1" over 11-128

 

Hope that helps :look:

Edited May 2, 2010 by harfordwmj

[kyska]

42.4 ft

 

You will find that the 129 yard mark is the optimum to get the best efficiency for a bullet, allowing only a +/- of 1" over 9-147 yards, whereas a 100 yard zero will be +/- 1" over 11-128

 

Hope that helps :look:

 

 

Thats superb, thanks!

 

Just to check, It doesn't seem far, 42.2ft, should that be 42.2 yards or 14 yards? If its the latter I can get a 147 yard zero in my hallway..

[Billy.]

Thats superb, thanks! :look:

 

Just to check, It doesn't seem far, 42.2ft, should that be 42.2 yards or 14 yards? If its the latter I can get a 147 yard zero in my hallway..

 

Sorry, I meant to write yards.

 

I've rerun the software and it says 43 yards for a 100 yard zero. (that's for a .17grn bullet)

Edited May 2, 2010 by harfordwmj

[bullet boy]

Zero it to 100 yards I'd say.

[kyska]

Sorry, I meant to write yards.

 

I've rerun the software and it says 43 yards for a 100 yard zero. (that's for a .17grn bullet)

 

Thanks so if I were to zero at 129 yards for the optimum for the bullet, what would the first zero be then, if 43 is for 100?

[Billy.]

Thanks so if I were to zero at 129 yards for the optimum for the bullet, what would the first zero be then, if 43 is for 100?

 

It's 32 yards for a 129 yard zero.

and 43 yards for a 100 yard zero

 

Sorry for the confusion! :look:

[wymberley]

Assuming a BC of 0.125 for the 17 which most, but not all, are and for the specified 20 which is, then:

For a 2" sight height the 17 is 54yds and the 20 is 48.

For a 1.5" sight height the 17 is 42 (0.01")yds and the 20 is 37(0.01")

Cheers

[bennyblanco]

It might be worth trying some 17gr as quite a few guns seem to struggle with the 20gr, mine opens out to a good inch and a half from quite a tight group with the 17's

 

I do check zero at 40 odd yds but find zeroing half an inch high at 100yds more accurate if its a still day, you can then also tell if the gun is still grouping.

 

ben

[kyska]

It's 32 yards for a 129 yard zero.

and 43 yards for a 100 yard zero

 

Sorry for the confusion!

 

 

Thank you sir.

[Ozzy Fudd]

not going to get too complicated in this response (half cut heh heh!) but couple of simple tips for zeroing; get a ballistics calculator and get the rough figures, first zero at 30 yards, once zeroed at 30 yards then move out to 100, this means you should be at least hitting the target and wont be chasing rounds all over the place, just need to do the fine tuning at 100 yards then

 

also good tip for getting used to a new gun, lift it out of the cabinet every chance you get no, seriousley, i always say this and always do it. take the gun out while your watching tv, etc, practice loading and unloading the mag into the gun (EMPTY MAG!!), operate the bolt, push safety on+off, etc, pull it up to your eye as if taking a shot, etc. main thing is though this helps you get used to the layout of the gun, even just walking around the house with it on your shoulder gets you used to the weight and feel of it

[kyska]

Are snap caps available in .17rf flavour?

[the running man]

Zero with one shot,Others will say this is nonsense mate but I do it this way,unmount the scope,put the scope onto a card shoebox with little precut grooves in for your scope.now watching the crosshair and slowly turning the scope adjust crosshairs until they are spinning in the middle ie the cross is in the center not going around the outer part as it were,this will reset ure scope,now undo the ***** and put them back on zero completing the reset.remount scope .next put a target up at watever distance u want to zero at,a plain white piece of paper and put a black mark on it u can see at you're disired distance.with ure rifle resting on a shooters rest ie dead still I would use a bore sighter to ensure ure on the paper,ok aim at ure mark and fire ure shot will be not far off the mark if uve used a boresighter ok here's the important bit,with the rifle clamped down or tied down ie it dosent move (u need to make sure uve tied it down with the cross hairs on the aiming mark) wen its still and on aim on ure aiming mark move the crosshairs accross to where the bullet hit(using the nobs on the scope ),ure now zeroed! (At that distance)a still day is best and greater or shoter distance can be easily gauged from here. Hope this helps . Edit-its worth noting that if u zero prone the ure point of aim will be prone u will be ever so slightly out if u stand and shoot as the cones of ure eyes won't be at the same angle as they were when prone,tilt of the head you see.

Edited May 4, 2010 by the running man

[Billy.]

Are snap caps available in .17rf flavour?

 

Avoid snap caps like the plague.

 

You can dry fire the HMR without doing much damage. Just double, triple check it's empty before firing. I have found a round which the bolt failed to catch, stuck in the breech.

[Billy.]

Zero with one shot,Others will say this is nonsense mate but I do it this way,unmount the scope,put the scope onto a card shoebox with little precut grooves in for your scope.now watching the crosshair and slowly turning the scope adjust crosshairs until they are spinning in the middle ie the cross is in the center not going around the outer part as it were,this will reset ure scope,now undo the ***** and put them back on zero completing the reset.remount scope .next put a target up at watever distance u want to zero at,a plain white piece of paper and put a black mark on it u can see at you're disired distance.with ure rifle resting on a shooters rest ie dead still I would use a bore sighter to ensure ure on the paper,ok aim at ure mark and fire ure shot will be not far off the mark if uve used a boresighter ok here's the important bit,with the rifle clamped down or tied down ie it dosent move (u need to make sure uve tied it down with the cross hairs on the aiming mark) wen its still and on aim on ure aiming mark move the crosshairs accross to where the bullet hit(using the nobs on the scope ),ure now zeroed! (At that distance)a still day is best and greater or shoter distance can be easily gauged from here. Hope this helps .

 

Like, what?!

 

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

[Dekers]

Zero with one shot,Others will say this is nonsense mate but I do it this way,unmount the scope,put the scope onto a card shoebox with little precut grooves in for your scope.now watching the crosshair and slowly turning the scope adjust crosshairs until they are spinning in the middle ie the cross is in the center not going around the outer part as it were,this will reset ure scope,now undo the ***** and put them back on zero completing the reset.remount scope .next put a target up at watever distance u want to zero at,a plain white piece of paper and put a black mark on it u can see at you're disired distance.with ure rifle resting on a shooters rest ie dead still I would use a bore sighter to ensure ure on the paper,ok aim at ure mark and fire ure shot will be not far off the mark if uve used a boresighter ok here's the important bit,with the rifle clamped down or tied down ie it dosent move (u need to make sure uve tied it down with the cross hairs on the aiming mark) wen its still and on aim on ure aiming mark move the crosshairs accross to where the bullet hit(using the nobs on the scope ),ure now zeroed! (At that distance)a still day is best and greater or shoter distance can be easily gauged from here. Hope this helps .

 

 

Like, what?!

 

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

Whatever floats your boat, but it does seem a bit of malarkey to save a couple of rounds (which I think debateable anyway)!!

[Dekers]

With regard to earlier posts about tables/charts/computer programmes for drop....they are at best only a guide (they do not deal with length, cleanliness, wear etc etc of your barrel, crown, moderator)...some can get close, and by all means use them to do this BUT...then zero YOUR gun at 100-125, whatever you want.

 

After you have done this and are 100% happy, by all means bring the distance back to find the first zero, make a note of that and you will then always be able to check at first zero knowing this will give you your desired zero!

 

Remember to check again if you change ammo!!

 

ATB!!

[the running man]

Sorry it was so long,you got the phonebook there ,it only takes me a moment to zero this way with a shooting rest.and yes sometimes 1 shot but usually 2 or 3 ,I zero this way always,it works for me,I've seen people get through 100 .22 rounds tring to zero things! Thought u would find it herlpful.

[Renfield]

I'm not saying this is the best way to do it, but what I did was start at 50 yds, fired three rounds. Looked at the target, adjusted the scope, fired three more, which were fine, but a little high. Moved back to 100 yds. Fired three more. Made final adjustment and fired five rounds at a fresh target to confirm. It only took about quarter of an hour and fourteen rounds to get it set up.

 

I was amazed to see the back of the fence post I pinned the target to was shot out. Hadn't realised the HMR round was that powerful. A fried of mine reckons he's taking out bunnies at 200 yds with his, but I've yet to see him in action. Seems like a big ask to me.

[Dekers]

Sorry it was so long,you got the phonebook there ,it only takes me a moment to zero this way with a shooting rest.and yes sometimes 1 shot but usually 2 or 3 ,I zero this way always,it works for me,I've seen people get through 100 .22 rounds tring to zero things! Thought u would find it herlpful.

 

 

Couldn't let that pass...100, .22 rounds to zero, I think they need to consider another sport!