.17HMR Max Effective Range

[MaddSkillz]

Wow, good work!!!

 

[Serenity Bushcraft]

Here is an update on the testing........
I have decided to stop using paper targets for this test. I have already determined that this rifle is accurate so measuring groups is not really needed. I will still attempt to "ballpark" a rough group size based on the impacts on the steel plate. So for all the future testing the target will be a 12" x 12" steel plate suspended 36" off the ground. I have to get the target above the grass. This will make spotting the shots a little more difficult but not impossible. Tommorow I plan on stretching the range out as far as my rifle/scope combination will allow.
To ensure that the resulsts are repetable I will only use hold overs using a mil-dot scope. For that I will have to swap scopes. So lets hope that I have enough internal adjustment to get to 400 yards. In any case I will post the results here.
Well here is looking at a good day at the range tommorow.............CHEERS

 

[dennishoddy]

Thanks for keeping us updated! I'm learning.

 

[MarcusR]

I am going to be using my .17 this weekend for squirrels. If i am on at a 100 would that say the same for the closer shots? The 20 yrd to 50 yrd range.

 

[Old Fart]

There's a good chance probably not.
The bullet arches as it travels.
Most likely it will be higher closer in.

 

[flatwins]

Cool thread!!

 

[MaddSkillz]

There's a good chance probably not.
The bullet arches as it travels.
Most likely it will be higher closer in.

Well, it doesn't really arch... Or come out the barrel and then go up and then down... It comes out of the barrel and then drops over distance.

Trajectory charts give the impression that it arches though. But remember, it's only basing the drop based off of what the scope is seeing, not where the barrel is pointed.

But you're right, he may hit high at closer range.

 

[Old Fart]

Just trying to make it easy for him to understand.
Bullet reacts to gravity the same as anything else.
Arch just kind of give a nice mental picture.

 

[MarcusR]

So does this mean i should sight it in at 50yrd to be able to get the 20yrd to 75 yrd shots

 

[Serenity Bushcraft]

OK I use a 50 yard zero for 90% of the shooting that I do with the .17HMR. With this zero I hit dead center of a 1" circle with every shot. Now using the same zero at 100 yards I hit the bottom of the same 1" circle. So for all practical purposes the 50 and 100 yards zeros are the same. If ,for instance, your target area is a 2" cirlce then you can run that same 50 yard zero to around 120 yards and you will not ever "fall" out of that 2" target zone. As far as how the impact will be as if you shoot at something in the 20 to 30 yard range then you will hit high by as much as the height of your scope. I will test this but I am sure that using the same 2" target zone you should still be placing shots inside of that area. Just keep in mind that the level of accuracy that you desire may require you to do some adjustments to your scope. For most small game hunting a 2" target zone is about right.

Thanks for the intrest in this post. I am sorry that I do not have any new data to add at this time. I was unable to make it to the range over the last few days. I do however plan on making it this weekend and will post the results here as soon as I decipher my notes..............CHEERS