Help W .17 HMR

[Swifty Morgan]

Today I went outside and shot a few rounds from a .17 HMR Savage bolt-action rifle with a Burris Fullfield II scope. I was shooting at about 100 yards. It's my understanding that this gun is only accurate to something like 150, and I'm not a great shot anyway, so I didn't push it. I don't have any training, so I need some help.

First of all, does anyone here know how well this rifle will shoot with Hornady factory ammunition, at its best? I can't tell how well I'm doing until I know how well the equipment will perform if someone shoots it perfectly. The rounds from my first 5.5" target all went into (or bordered) the center ring, which I suppose is around 2". That's a good performance by my dubious standards, but for all I know, the gun will shoot 1/2 MOA.

Second thing: I feel like my elbows are not stable when I shoot. I was using a plastic folding table, and it's slippery, so I thought too much about my elbows, disturbing my concentration. I can put a rubber mat or something on it, but then if I shoot a bigger gun, the recoil will rub my elbows raw. I assume other people must have had this problem and come up with a solution. Should I be using elbow pads or something?

Final thing: what's the best tool for measuring the distance to the target? I can do it with a tape measure if I have to, but I assume with all the gadgetry available these days, there is probably some reasonably cheap tool everyone else is already using, which I need to know about.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Axis II]

Buy a Simmons rangefinder, its cheap but works well. If you don't want to buy one just pace off the target and that will give a ballpark of 100yards. Get some rubber floor mats or runs and put on your table or build a wooden bench. I would imagine that plastic table is wobbling a lot and this is causing bad groups. Does this rifle have an accu trigger? I cant shoot my non accu trigger as well as the accu trigger. The gun may not like the ammo either.

Here is what I would do. Build a sturdy wooden bench, check the rings on the scope and bases to make sure they aren't loose, get a good front and rear bag (Caldwell bags-$25) once you get all that done I tuck into the corner of the bench and lay my right elbow on the table and put my left arm across my chest, under the rifle and hold the rear bag pushing it into my shoulder, find a target with a small red dot in the center or crosshairs drawn on the paper and line the crosshairs up and hold on that red dot, take a deep breath and hold it and slowly with the tip of the finger push on the trigger until it breaks. I can never get groups with circle targets.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Thanks for the reply. I would love to have a heavy bench, but I have to move it myself. I have been thinking of making one I could move with the tractor. I could put a roof on it for shade.

The gun has an Accu-trigger. I like it a lot. The stock leaves a lot to be desired. I thought about replacing it.

I will post a photo of the type of target I use. I like them because I can see the bullet holes through the scope. Also, Midway USA had a great offer on factory seconds.

 

[Bfh_auto]

If there was any crosswind that is about all you can hope for.
I bought a thumbhole bull barrel Savage 17. With no wind and a mil-dot scope I could hit clays at 400yds off a bipod. Since I moved from the upper peninsula to Oklahoma it became a 100 yd gun. Shows how much where you are changes your caliber choice.
Try both 17 and 20 gr bullets. Mine liked the 17 better.

 

[LoonWulf]

I had a 93r17btvs, that supposedly was a 1/2" gun, best i could ever do with a 3-9x scope was .75-1"

I agree a cheap simmons, halo, or other range finder are nice (youll find stuff to use it for.) But not necessary.

I use a home made adjustable (made from a jack) and socks full of rice as rests. If shooting off a plastic table preload it the same as you would a bipod, helps take some of the wiggles out.

A great deal of headache can be avoided by having someone teach you the basic positions and techniques for producing good accuracy. I learned to shoot on my own in highschool, and while im fairly proficient, i had a guy who REALY knew what he was doing help me for 1/2" a day and that made a major difference in my repeatability.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Buy a Simmons rangefinder, its cheap but works well. If you don't want to buy one just pace off the target and that will give a ballpark of 100yards. Get some rubber floor mats or runs and put on your table or build a wooden bench. I would imagine that plastic table is wobbling a lot and this is causing bad groups. Does this rifle have an accu trigger? I cant shoot my non accu trigger as well as the accu trigger. The gun may not like the ammo either.

Here is what I would do. Build a sturdy wooden bench, check the rings on the scope and bases to make sure they aren't loose, get a good front and rear bag (Caldwell bags-$25) once you get all that done I tuck into the corner of the bench and lay my right elbow on the table and put my left arm across my chest, under the rifle and hold the rear bag pushing it into my shoulder, find a target with a small red dot in the center or crosshairs drawn on the paper and line the crosshairs up and hold on that red dot, take a deep breath and hold it and slowly with the tip of the finger push on the trigger until it breaks. I can never get groups with circle targets.

Very good advice.

 

[Axis II]

Thanks for the reply. I would love to have a heavy bench, but I have to move it myself. I have been thinking of making one I could move with the tractor. I could put a roof on it for shade.

The gun has an Accu-trigger. I like it a lot. The stock leaves a lot to be desired. I thought about replacing it.

I will post a photo of the type of target I use. I like them because I can see the bullet holes through the scope. Also, Midway USA had a great offer on factory seconds.

Tell me about those 2 shots to the left of the crosshair top post? If that is YOUR target from the other day all you need to do is move the crosshairs right and up a little bit and your going to send them all through the center of the crosshair. that's actually not a bad group and yes, if its windy that little 20gr bullet will be blow all over the place. I used to use the same target but got 3'' shoot n cee circles at amazon and just aim at the red dot on them and it helps a lot. AIM SMALL MISS SMALL

As for a bench I would build it out of wood and drill some holes in the legs and put dolly tires on it somehow or buy a long dolly and tip the bench over and roll it around on the dolly.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

If there was any crosswind that is about all you can hope for.

In that case, there was a crosswind. In all seriousness, there was a little wind, but not much. Few mph. Enough to shake the targets a little.

I have a real problem with moving the scope in the wrong direction when I try to adjust it. I started fooling with it and got a 15-shot group about 5" wide, with all the screwups.

As for the two shots to the left, well, that's me shooting badly, unless there is a way to blame the ammunition. I need to start practicing and get consistent.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I think my rifle is the 93R17 FSS. The stock is just a piece of molded black plastic.

 

[Axis II]

In that case, there was a crosswind. In all seriousness, there was a little wind, but not much. Few mph. Enough to shake the targets a little.

I have a real problem with moving the scope in the wrong direction when I try to adjust it. I started fooling with it and got a 15-shot group about 5" wide, with all the screwups.

As for the two shots to the left, well, that's me shooting badly, unless there is a way to blame the ammunition. I need to start practicing and get consistent.

put the rifle on the bags and hold right on that target crosshair and have someone else turn the turrets to chase the bullet holes so in this case the crosshairs on the scope need to go right. I do it myself I just hold the gun tight into the shoulder and turn the turrets until they hit the group.

 

[Axis II]

I think my rifle is the 93R17 FSS. The stock is just a piece of molded black plastic.

make sure the front bag is as close to the mag well as possible to eliminate the stock touching the barrel.

 

[LoonWulf]

Just a note you may want to keep an eye on the boyds rapid fire closeouts if your looking for a new stock. They will sometimes have some nice stuff realy cheap.

 

[imashooter]

Just skimming the thread what caught my eye was "Second thing: I feel like my elbows are not stable when I shoot. I was using a plastic folding table, and it's slippery, so I thought too much about my elbows, disturbing my concentration. I can put a rubber mat or something on it, but then if I shoot a bigger gun, the recoil will rub my elbows raw. I assume other people must have had this problem and come up with a solution. Should I be using elbow pads or something?".

Don't rest your anything on the table. If you don't have sandbags, store-bought rests, etc, take a range bag, gym bag, garbage bag etc, stuff a little firm but not brick hard with clothes, etc.

If you're sitting in a chair, the height of the rifle resting on top of the bag needs to be comfortably aligned for you. Have the bag positioned on the table where it's nearest you.

If you're punching paper and going for accuracy, just let either the forestock or barrel rest atop the bag. If setting it up for a hunt, grasp the forestock simulating your hunting hold and if length allows, let the barrel rest atop the bag or if not, rest your hand atop the bag.

Now of course the "operators" will cringe when reading this but just do as I say.

 

[.308 Norma]

If there was any crosswind that is about all you can hope for.

In my experience, that's sure enough the truth. We keep a .17 HMR sitting by the back door for starlings in our current bushes behind the garden. It's one of those heavy barreled, New England Firearms (break action single-shot) rifles with a 4-power Weaver scope.
We've exploded many a starling in our current bushes (about 30 yards from the rear deck) with that little rifle. But here in SE Idaho, where the only thing constant about the weather is the gusty wind, starlings in our apple trees (about a hundred yards from the rear deck) are pretty much safe to eat all the apples they want.
It's fun to plink at the starlings in the apple trees though. The sound of the shot scares them off temporarily, and one of these days I'm actually going to hit one of those wascals.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I would like to be able to use this rifle to kill the miserable squirrels that infest my farm, so I suppose maybe I should learn to shoot it in a way I can hope to replicate while dealing with the rodents.

Are "operators" the guys who wear $400 sunglasses and tactical pants with 42 zippers to the gun range? I have noticed that the more tactical crap a guy wears to the range, the more his groups open up, sometimes to the point where not much hits the paper. At least it works that way with pistols. I think they save a lot of money on targets.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I was thinking I would like to buy something similar to the 17 HMR with more punch. They say we get coyotes here. Wonder if a .22 WMR would be a good idea. But I want to stay accurate, cheap, and low on recoil. I feel like I can learn a lot from cheap, accurate ammunition which is easy on the shoulder and ears.

Thanks for the tip RE Boyd's. The factory stock seems indestructible, but it's not comfortable.

 

[easy]

Are you shooting 17gr or 20gr ammo? My 917v likes the 17gr better than the 20gr.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

You made me get up off my comfortable couch. I had to go look at the box. It's 17-grain Hornady.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I have a similar Savage 17HMR. It's a bull barrel, wood stock, lefty and it is very accurate. Easily 3/4" at 100 yards. I use 17 grain Hornady almost always, it shoots 20's to the same POI at 100 yards but that's just luck or coincidence.
With a 3.5-10X scope starlings and sparrows out to 150 yards are easy 200 yards is doable. At close range it is very effective on coon, possum, skunk etc.
The fast little bullets cause far more damage than 22LR.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I just read that a 10 mph wind will move a .17 HMR about an inch and a half over 100 yards. Can that possibly be true? It sounds like I had no chance today. I never dreamed a little breeze could do that over such a small distance.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

More like 3 inches according to JBM Ballistics.

 

[imashooter]

I would like to be able to use this rifle to kill the miserable squirrels that infest my farm, so I suppose maybe I should learn to shoot it in a way I can hope to replicate while dealing with the rodents.

Are "operators" the guys who wear $400 sunglasses and tactical pants with 42 zippers to the gun range? I have noticed that the more tactical crap a guy wears to the range, the more his groups open up, sometimes to the point where not much hits the paper. At least it works that way with pistols. I think they save a lot of money on targets.

Winner winner, chicken dinner. Seriously, I'm just wanting you to take as much of "you" out of the equation for a "perfect" zero. Perhaps can't define it but you'll know it when you see it and feel it. Once you meet that, if you prefer bending over and doing trick shots between your legs; have at it. But you'll know that the weapon is zeroed at a particular distance no matter what though it's imperative you memorize those ranges which are closer in and at greater operational distances. I never mind blaming me as I fire but I'm not a happy camper if it's the firearm due to an oversight or laziness on my part.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

It's kind of insulting to buy a gun and then find out you have to isolate it from the main problem--yourself--when you shoot. But I get it.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I just read that a 10 mph wind will move a .17 HMR about an inch and a half over 100 yards. Can that possibly be true? It sounds like I had no chance today. I never dreamed a little breeze could do that over such a small distance.

It does get blown around, but it will make you good at calling wind speed. It can kill coyotes to about 150yds.
Try taking your time and wait till the wind dies for each shot. Depending on your sight height 30 yd zero puts you 1 high at 50 and back on just over 100. You can tweak it a bit from there but it makes a good starting point.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I shot the gun again today with no wind, and I took my left hand off the stock. I got a little row of connected holes within about one inch. I am very happy. Then my buddy decided to ruin the target by deliberately shooting another round into it, way off course. I have to deal with him. Will post a photo.