How effective is the .17 HMR

[isldtime]

Last Christmas my son picked up one of those spinning plastic gofers to plink on with my .22LR pistol. Fun because the hole seals up after the bullet exits.
So, after I got my Henry Varmint Express I thought "why not" Well, not was the right idea by the look of the exit holes:





What was more amazing was the holes in my bullet stop:







I was really impress with the performance of that 17gr. bullet from a necked down .22mag.

[PT7]

Not a surprise here. I shot my Henry .22 Magnum rifle (H001M) quite a lot, and the bullet damage to a soft steel target was impressive. With the stronger FPS the .17 HMR runs downrange, I'd expect such impact.

I've never shot the .17 HMR round. What do you think of the accuracy? It's evaluated as having a flatter trajectory with a longer range. Nice caliber!

[isldtime]

I just added the scope and ordered a lazer bore sight tool because I can only get back about 40 yards from my bullet stop but I have more than enough distance for a light beam then off to the range.
I figured the bullet would fragment going thru the soft plastic gopher but instead got damage on the first hit and a round hole on the second.
If it wasn't so hot out I would try it on a liter Pepsi bottle filled with water, that's always a good impact energy test!

[clovishound]

My buddy's shot a 130 lb hog with a .17 WSM. I know, not quite the same as an HMR. Anyway, the hog ran about dozen yds or so and dropped. Center mass shot. Very impressive.

[Sir Henry]

Not a surprise here. I shot my Henry .22 Magnum rifle (H001M) quite a lot, and the bullet damage to a soft steel target was impressive. With the stronger FPS the .17 HMR runs downrange, I'd expect such impact.

I've never shot the .17 HMR round. What do you think of the accuracy? It's evaluated as having a flatter trajectory with a longer range. Nice caliber!

My CZ in .17HMR rifle can get quarter inch groups at 100 yards. Is that accurate enough?

[isldtime]

Not a surprise here. I shot my Henry .22 Magnum rifle (H001M) quite a lot, and the bullet damage to a soft steel target was impressive. With the stronger FPS the .17 HMR runs downrange, I'd expect such impact.

I've never shot the .17 HMR round. What do you think of the accuracy? It's evaluated as having a flatter trajectory with a longer range. Nice caliber!

My CZ in .17HMR rifle can get quarter inch groups at 100 yards. Is that accurate enough?

I read your post about that comparo. great test. And I knew the CZ would rule.
I've shot a .220 Swift heavy barrel with a thumb hole stock that would vaporize a gopher at 200 yards and have a Colt Sporter H-bar .223 that with hand loads does 1 inch at 100 yards. Fun is the main thing we all want like firing a 300gr. hot load from a Ruger Blackhawk .45LC....
But I really like the lighter loads now.....

[Sir Henry]

You must be getting old like me isldtime.

[isldtime]

Growing Old but not up!!
Shot some liter bottles today.
Video to follow....

[isldtime]

Finally got a chance to go out back and plink with the .17
Wasn't as dramatic as it was with the .243 or the .223 but not bad for a 17gr. HP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi14FGf_3w8

Hard to see in the first photo showing the entry:



Same thing on the exit:

[Steve]

I didn't care fore the amount of wind drift or Lack of damage to varmints. I guess it was just too small of a bullet for me. I traded it off. If it was a Henry I would had kept it for practice.