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.17 hmr range


Ultrastu
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Im considering getting  a .17 hmr  

Could i ask from owners what are peoples thoughts are  as to the effective max range on rabbits (presuming a front end body shot ) so say 3 inch target ..

Lets say in calm weather with a range finder and we know the drop on the ret. 

Im not looking for crazy ,"once shot a bunny at 350 yds" stories .

But that range where when you feel every thing is good and you know within say 75 % probability  the shot should be good. 

Cheers stu. 

 

Edited by Ultrastu
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I have shot rabbits out to 180 yrds and actually shot one tree rat at 190. The cartridge is supremely accurate and down to the nut behind the trigger. Yes , as ranges grow the wind will have an effect.  I shot a half dozen tree rats today with mine at 100 no problem at all.  It does disembowel them though.  Love the 17HMR, my favorite calibre bar none.... and I have a few weird ones.

My CZ 455 will print a touching group at a 100 if I do my job, but that normally extends it to about 3/4 inch. 

It is fairly flat as well. The 190 tree rat was sat eating some grain facing me and I centred the cross hairs about the same height as its head above the ears and hit it mid chest.  The tree rat was surprised but not as much as I was.

Edited by Walker570
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Well i was hopeing 

150 = bread and butter shot .

175 = tricky but doable when conditions good .

200 yds = an absolute max when every thing is spot on .

Is this realistic for those rabbits ? 

Considering i was smashing coke cans at 150 yds with my airgun last week. 

Im thinking that a .17 hmr would basically double the range of my .25 cal .so from 90 yds (humane shot ) to 180 for the .17 hmr .

Sound about right ? 

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On the nail. I am convinced you will enjoy a 17HMR. By all means try a few but my CZ455 does the job and shoots far better than I can.  Very adaptable too. Yesterday I had shots from 4 yrds (yes, on a feeder directly under the cabin window) out to 100 plus and the only one I slightly altered my point of aim was on the 4 yarder because I knew the bullet would be a couple of inches low being so close.   DO NOT take what some say that it will not rico, I have had a couple do just that on stubble when the bullet must have hit a stone, but less likelyhood than 22RF by a mile.

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150 yards if taking Heart and lung shots, 110/1120 yards for head shot.

Loved mine.

Had my .22lr 4 months and sold it, yes it was cheap to feed and quiet but the trajectory just didn't match the .17HMR and it gave so many ricochets regardless of backstops and elevated shots. I got shot of it. .22 FAC Air and the HMR covered all my pest control needs as I could take fox with the HMR. Already having the PCP charging gear the FAC Air  makes it as cheap to shoot as its just the cost of a tin of pellets which are cheaper than .22lr  so that has me covered for quiet area shooting above sub 12ftlb air rifle work.

Go for the HMR, I wouldn't hesitate to have one back in my cabinet if I had the opportunity. :good:

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If I had to sell either my fairly old .22LR or my HMR, it would be the LR. However since its a Sako Quad I would only be able to sell the barrel and mag so not much point it doing that.

I also have a MINT Sako Quad heavy barrel HMR that's had less than 200 rounds through it if you are interested. The reason I bought it is no longer practical.

 

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My HMR comes out of the gun safe a lot more than the LR these days, as said 150 + readily available and a very destructive little round if you hit anything off centre.

Zero is set at 125 so anything further out is just holdover and go.

Can be noisy depending on your surroundings, but one thing l've found is if there are 4 of a kind sitting in a field you shoot the first one, then 2, 3 and 4 sit and wait their turn, don't know why but it happens, weather they don't hear it or what it's happened a few times of late.

Never had an ammunition problem and have used all makes in 17/20gr.

lf you haven't tried one, try and locate someone locally to yourself who will take you out for a session, you might just like it.

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12 hours ago, Ultrastu said:

Well i was hopeing 

150 = bread and butter shot .

175 = tricky but doable when conditions good .

200 yds = an absolute max when every thing is spot on .

Is this realistic for those rabbits ? 

Considering i was smashing coke cans at 150 yds with my airgun last week. 

Im thinking that a .17 hmr would basically double the range of my .25 cal .so from 90 yds (humane shot ) to 180 for the .17 hmr .

Sound about right ? 

That's about right. My longest is 220 yards but I've found the vmax bullets don't seem to expand beyond about 160 which makes precise shot placement a must. 150 is easy, 200 needs a quick range find and aim off using mil dots

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Just now, Pigeon Shredder. said:

My HMR comes out of the gun safe a lot more than the LR these days, as said 150 + readily available and a very destructive little round if you hit anything off centre.

Zero is set at 125 so anything further out is just holdover and go.

Can be noisy depending on your surroundings, but one thing l've found is if there are 4 of a kind sitting in a field you shoot the first one, then 2, 3 and 4 sit and wait their turn, don't know why but it happens, weather they don't hear it or what it's happened a few times of late.

Never had an ammunition problem and have used all makes in 17/20gr.

lf you haven't tried one, try and locate someone locally to yourself who will take you out for a session, you might just like it.

Cheers .

My buddy has just got himself one ,again , after 4 years without . So we were out with it last week zeroing it and putting it through its paces .

Its early days but i guess i will see what it can do soon enough .

The main use for the hmr on our land is for a few rabbits and the occasional fox , but mainly corvids over open fields and some long range pigeon shots .where when we are out decoying and they land 150 yds away and make there own decoy pattern .i just hate firing the shotty up to disperse them id rather at least shoot one .😅.

So i was wondering if .17 hmr would give me the accuracy at fairly long range over what can be windy flat fields. Or whether i should go for a cf instead .something like a .17 hornet or a .204 ruger .

Im looking for long range but lower-  recoil ,noise , cost and ricochet issues .

 

Just now, bumpy22 said:

great little round which i have shot a lot of rabbits with over the years and a lot of foxes when the situation calls for it. i dont think you would be using it as a regular 200 yard rabbit round thoughor would need to to be fair. 

I guess your right about 200 yd rabbits you should always be able to stalk in closer than that to a rabbit .

Its the crows that will spot you from 300 yds and lift off the field. 

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There's a common thread currently going through PW which is starting to get really boring.

How far will this that or the other do.

' How far ' is down to skill.

Over the years I have witnessed folk consistantly nailing stuff with, PCP Air riflles, shotguns, 22lr subs, and Deer Rifles at really ridiculous, mad distances due to much practice and extreme skill.

The common denominator is the above are all pro's who make the best of the equipment they have and not folk who play at it.

 

 

 

 

 

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