A .17 HMR Trajectory Chart is a highly detailed ballistic reference table that visually displays exactly how much a seventeen caliber rimfire bullet drops across various downrange distances. This critically important ballistic tool helps varmint hunters and target shooters perfectly understand the flight path of their chosen factory ammunition before ever pulling the trigger. By studying these precise ballistic values shooters can easily select the optimal zero distance for their rifle and confidently make perfectly accurate shots on small targets. Reviewing this comprehensive trajectory data completely guarantees you will fully maximize the incredible open field potential of this lightning fast rimfire cartridge.
.17 HMR Trajectory Chart
| Manufacturer | Bullet Weight | Bullet Type | Ballistic Coefficient | Sectional Density | Muzzle Velocity | 50 Yard Drop | 100 Yard Drop | 150 Yard Drop | 200 Yard Drop | 250 Yard Drop | 300 Yard Drop | Recommended Zero Distance | Maximum Point Blank Range |
| Hornady | 17 Grain | V MAX | 0.125 | 0.082 | 2550 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.5 | Drop 18.0 | Drop 32.0 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| CCI | 17 Grain | TNT Hollow Point | 0.115 | 0.082 | 2550 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.5 | Drop 18.2 | Drop 32.5 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| Federal | 17 Grain | V MAX | 0.125 | 0.082 | 2530 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.7 | Drop 18.5 | Drop 32.8 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| Winchester | 17 Grain | V MAX | 0.125 | 0.082 | 2550 FPS | Rise 0.1 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.5 | Drop 18.0 | Drop 32.0 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| Remington | 17 Grain | AccuTip | 0.125 | 0.082 | 2550 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.5 | Drop 18.0 | Drop 32.0 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| Browning | 17 Grain | BPR Polymer | 0.125 | 0.082 | 2550 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.5 | Drop 18.0 | Drop 32.0 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| Aguila | 17 Grain | Silver Eagle | 0.125 | 0.082 | 2550 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.6 | Drop 8.5 | Drop 18.0 | Drop 32.0 | 100 Yards | 135 Yards |
| Hornady | 20 Grain | XTP Hollow Point | 0.125 | 0.097 | 2375 FPS | Rise 0.3 | Zero | Drop 3.1 | Drop 10.2 | Drop 21.2 | Drop 37.5 | 100 Yards | 120 Yards |
| CCI | 20 Grain | GamePoint JSP | 0.127 | 0.097 | 2375 FPS | Rise 0.3 | Zero | Drop 3.1 | Drop 10.1 | Drop 21.0 | Drop 37.0 | 100 Yards | 120 Yards |
| Winchester | 20 Grain | Super X Jacketed | 0.132 | 0.097 | 2375 FPS | Rise 0.3 | Zero | Drop 3.0 | Drop 9.8 | Drop 20.5 | Drop 36.5 | 100 Yards | 120 Yards |
| Hornady | 15.5 Grain | NTX Lead Free | 0.115 | 0.075 | 2525 FPS | Rise 0.2 | Zero | Drop 2.8 | Drop 9.2 | Drop 19.5 | Drop 34.0 | 100 Yards | 130 Yards |
This professional trajectory chart clearly provides rimfire shooters with extremely precise bullet drop measurements across various distances so they can accurately compensate for gravity. You should always properly match your chosen factory load with the recommended zero distance to maximize your effective hunting range and ensure perfectly ethical shots.
Understanding The .17 HMR Trajectory Chart
Trajectory Analysis
The trajectory table reveals that most standard factory loads remain remarkably flat out to one hundred twenty five yards. Shooters will quickly notice a very steep increase in bullet drop once the tiny projectile passes that critical one hundred fifty yard mark.
Hornady offers an incredibly flat shooting factory option with their legendary seventeen grain polymer tipped ammunition. This high velocity round maintains an exceptionally tight trajectory that essentially eliminates complex holdover calculations inside one hundred yards.
The popular seventeen grain bullet from Winchester drops exactly eight and a half inches at two hundred yards. This impressive measurement clearly completely outperforms standard twenty two long rifle loads across similar hunting distances.
Traditional heavier twenty grain hollow point loads drop slightly more at two hundred yards than modern lightweight polymer bullets. The data clearly shows roughly ten inches of drop at two hundred yards for these heavier projectiles.
Understanding these distinct rimfire trajectory profiles ensures you never guess exactly where your bullet will strike small targets. You can easily and confidently place the crosshairs perfectly on the vitals of your target varmint every single time.
Velocity Analysis
Muzzle velocity plays a critical role in how rimfire cartridges physically perform downrange in open hunting environments. Faster initial speeds directly translate into significantly flatter trajectories and extended point blank hunting ranges for small game.
The Hornady seventeen grain match load represents the absolute fastest standard factory option widely available today. It leaves the muzzle at a blistering two thousand five hundred fifty feet per second.
Heavier twenty grain bullets leave the barrel much slower and therefore experience more severe drop at extended ranges. The standard CCI GamePoint load only generates two thousand three hundred seventy five feet per second at the muzzle.
This massive difference in velocity perfectly illustrates precisely why rimfire hunters must test their chosen ammunition carefully. A significantly faster bullet physically arrives at the target much quicker and spends less time fighting the downward pull of gravity.
Velocity also completely dictates how reliably small hollow point bullets will violently expand upon impacting animal tissue. Bullets that slow down too much before finally reaching the target may entirely fail to mushroom correctly.
Ballistic Coefficient Analysis
Ballistic coefficient physically measures how efficiently a tiny bullet cuts through the air and strongly resists drag during flight. The higher this specific numerical value is the better the bullet will retain its initial muzzle velocity downrange.
The Winchester twenty grain jacketed load features the highest ballistic coefficient which greatly helps it over long open distances. Its highly impressive zero point one three two rating helps it maintain forward momentum despite having slower starting speeds.
Federal pushes their seventeen grain polymer tipped load exceptionally fast which heavily retains velocity exceptionally well. Their highly aerodynamic projectile design yields a highly respectable ballistic coefficient of zero point one two five.
Bullets with much lower ballistic coefficients completely lose their velocity rapidly as they violently push through dense atmospheric air. The Hornady fifteen and a half grain lead free round features a slightly lower coefficient which fully explains its slightly steeper drop.
Studying these aerodynamic efficiency ratings helps precision rimfire shooters easily select ammunition that cheats the wind effectively. Highly efficient bullets always definitively deliver more kinetic energy to the target at longer hunting distances.
Best Hunting Loads Based On The Chart
Varmints
Prairie dog hunters should immediately pick the Hornady seventeen grain polymer tipped varmint load. This highly specific cartridge provides massive energy transfer and explosive terminal performance on small pests.
Small Game
Squirrel and rabbit hunters specifically targeting edible small game will find the twenty grain CCI GamePoint exceptionally effective. The slightly slower heavy hollow point guarantees deep penetration without destroying vast amounts of precious meat.
Target Shooting
Marksmen shooting tiny paper targets at one hundred yards need maximum consistency and match grade accuracy. The Remington AccuTip seventeen grain target load perfectly provides the exact consistent velocities completely required for shooting tiny groups.
Short Range
Shooters operating in dense timber environments should strongly consider the Hornady twenty grain hollow point custom load. The traditional jacketed construction thoroughly ensures flawless weight retention even on tough quartering shots at close distances.
Wind Conditions
Hunters facing gusty open field wind conditions should completely rely on the twenty grain Winchester Super X ammunition. The heavier projectile mass combined with the superior ballistic coefficient helps significantly reduce horizontal wind deflection.
Key Takeaways From The Chart
Our extensive trajectory data fully highlights the true capabilities and physical limitations of this highly popular varmint cartridge. By closely analyzing the numbers you can easily make fully informed decisions about your daily ammunition selection.
The Hornady seventeen grain load clearly delivers the absolute flattest trajectory among all standard evaluated commercial options. It perfectly represents a massive technological leap forward for hunters demanding extreme precision from their rimfire rifles.
Winchester offers the absolute best premium heavy load for hunters needing deep penetration on tough predators. Their highly optimized projectile pushes heavy aerodynamic bullets with incredible consistency across vast open fields.
The cartridge easily provides a maximum point blank range extending well past one hundred thirty yards with most lightweight hunting loads. This highly impressive capability completely eliminates complicated mental math during fast paced varmint hunting scenarios.
Many shooters mistakenly assume heavier rimfire bullets always drop significantly more than lighter alternatives at every single distance. However the highly efficient aerodynamic design of twenty grain bullets allows them to eventually retain energy incredibly well at extreme distances.
Common .17 HMR Bullet Weights
15.5 Grain
Lightweight fifteen and a half grain bullets are specifically engineered entirely out of solid copper to meet lead free hunting regulations. These specialized lightweight projectiles fly incredibly straight and require almost zero holdover adjustments at standard woodland hunting distances.
The primary advantage includes incredibly mild recoil and truly explosive terminal performance on extremely small varmints. The exceptionally low bullet mass absolutely allows standard rimfire powder charges to accelerate the bullet to extraordinary speeds very quickly.
Hunters should strictly avoid using these ultra light bullets on large tough animals like coyotes or bobcats. They severely lack the required sectional density physically needed to heavily achieve deep penetration through thick muscle and dense bone.
Ground squirrel hunters will quickly find these highly specialized loads exceptionally effective for mid range open country pest control. The tiny bullet essentially fragments upon impact which drastically entirely reduces the risk of dangerous ricochets in rocky terrain.
Finding these unique environmentally safe loads on local store shelves is becoming much easier as lead free regulations expand everywhere. Shooters can also easily order them directly from custom ammunition retailers online without any major hassle.
17 Grain
The seventeen grain projectile confidently serves as the absolute original and most popular weight for this specific rimfire cartridge. These highly accurate bullets typically leave the muzzle at two thousand five hundred fifty feet per second and provide outstanding terminal ballistics.
The main advantage is completely widespread retail availability and a highly predictable trajectory curve out to one hundred fifty yards. Every major ammunition manufacturer heavily utilizes polymer tipped construction for this specific weight to guarantee explosive terminal expansion.
One minor disadvantage is that the incredibly light bullet remains highly susceptible to severe horizontal wind drift. However no small game animal on earth will ever notice a slight reduction in aerodynamic efficiency on perfectly calm days.
This weight remains a completely spectacular choice for typical prairie dog hunting applications across the entire western country. Countless pest control specialists completely rely on this exact bullet mass to clear vast agricultural fields every single hunting season.
The recoil generated by these standard loads remains entirely negligible for the vast majority of adult and youth shooters. You can easily and comfortably practice at the gun range all day without experiencing any shoulder fatigue whatsoever.
20 Grain
Heavier twenty grain bullets remain the absolute gold standard for rimfire hunters demanding deep penetration on tough predators. These specialized projectiles physically exhibit a slightly more pronounced arc but heavily cheat the wind better than anything else available.
The absolute greatest advantage of this specific bullet weight is its remarkable ability to completely retain mass upon heavy impact. The incredibly tough hollow point jacket completely guarantees the projectile cuts through dense hide with maximum penetration efficiency.
Shooters will never notice any increased felt recoil when firmly stepping up to this heavier mass class in their rimfire rifles. The incredibly smooth recoil impulse cleanly allows marksmen to quickly spot their own impacts through the optic without losing the target.
This bullet weight truly excels when engaging large raccoons or tough foxes during demanding nighttime hunting scenarios. The incredible physical consistency guarantees perfectly placed fatal shots even when dealing with tricky shifting winter crosswinds.
Predator hunters frequently choose this exact weight when buying factory ammunition for heavily wooded coyote stands. It perfectly represents the ultimate combination of reliable expansion and remarkable physical physical bone breaking performance.
Effective Hunting Range
Small Game
Squirrel and rabbit hunters can safely and confidently engage targets out to one hundred twenty five yards with proper ammunition. This impressive distance firmly completely establishes the cartridge as a highly capable open woods hunting option for modern sportsmen.
Heavy hollow point bullets maintain enough velocity and physical energy to ensure perfectly ethical expansion at these extended distances. You must always fully verify your exact bullet drop data before attempting challenging shots across massive open pastures.
The rimfire cartridge truly shines brightest when hunters completely understand their exact trajectory data and daily environmental conditions. Knowing your precise visual holdover points thoroughly guarantees a clean and highly ethical harvest every single time you pull the trigger.
Varmints
Prairie dogs and ground squirrels feature very small vital zones that heavily require maximum accuracy for reliable humane pest control. These tiny agricultural pests have successfully dodged numerous inaccurate standard twenty two long rifle bullets for many decades.
Hunters should strictly physically limit their shots to one hundred fifty yards to entirely guarantee the bullet retains enough kinetic energy. Hitting these tiny targets completely requires every ounce of mechanical precision your rimfire rifle can safely deliver.
A well placed shot directly in the chest cavity remains the absolute best method for dropping large groundhogs instantly. The highly accurate polymer tipped bullet completely destroys the central nervous system upon violent physical impact when placed correctly.
Predators
Coyote hunting typically perfectly takes place at highly unknown distances over vast open snowy prairies or massive rolling brushy hills. The vital zone of a coyote is relatively small and heavily demands extreme precision from your chosen small caliber rifle system.
The maximum ethical range on coyotes really extends to roughly one hundred yards in perfectly calm wind conditions. This strict maximum distance completely ensures devastating performance upon impact which totally prevents long terrible tracking situations.
Choosing tough heavy constructed twenty grain bullets totally guarantees the projectile will expand reliably upon initial impact. Always wait patiently for the predator to fully pause and perfectly present a broadside angle before gently squeezing the trigger.
Target Shooting
Hitting tiny paper targets firmly requires absolute mechanical consistency and premium match grade ammunition loaded to extreme factory tolerances. Competitive rimfire shooters totally demand cartridges fully capable of performing flawlessly in the most difficult environmental conditions imaginable.
Marksmen routinely accurately engage steel plates out to two hundred yards using highly aerodynamic seventeen grain polymer bullets. The tiny bullet remains highly physically predictable and stable even as it rapidly transitions back into slower flight speeds.
Premium bolt action rimfire rifles absolutely offer the absolute best performance for these incredible extreme distance target shots. Their unique ability to extract maximum velocity fully ensures you can easily compete with heavily customized target rifles.
Wind Conditions
Hunting in dense open plains severely completely tests your physical ability to read wind drift and accurately adjust your specific aim. Navigating through gusty unpredictable winds with a tiny seventeen grain bullet is a total nightmare every rimfire hunter hates.
The effective range entirely drops to less than seventy five yards when heavy crosswinds begin blowing across the open fields. The highly efficient powder column cannot completely overcome the massive physical physics pushing the tiny bullet sideways.
You should always closely watch the surrounding vegetation to properly judge exactly how hard the crosswind is blowing. This deeply critical skill perfectly allows for rapid windage adjustments when fast moving targets suddenly appear at extremely close ranges.
Factors That Affect .17 HMR Trajectory
Bullet Weight
The physical grain weight of the tiny projectile fundamentally heavily alters exactly how the cartridge performs during sustained open air flight. Lighter bullets absolutely travel much faster and totally maintain a remarkably flat trajectory over the first one hundred yards.
This heavily increased speed completely allows the projectile to firmly resist the immediate physical pull of gravity and stay perfectly aligned. Open field hunters strongly greatly prefer these lightweight options to completely entirely eliminate complicated mental holdover math entirely.
Conversely heavier twenty grain projectiles clearly drop slightly faster because gravity fully acts on their slower forward momentum. These massive rimfire bullets simply cannot fully cover the downrange distance fast enough to completely successfully avoid a downward arc.
Hunters must carefully weigh the delicate physical balance between the perfectly flat shooting nature of light bullets and heavier alternatives. Your highly specific hunting environment should always heavily deeply dictate exactly which bullet weight will physically perform best.
Muzzle Velocity
Higher muzzle velocities successfully propel the tiny bullet further downrange before gravity can visibly pull it downward in any truly significant way. Speed entirely remains the absolute ultimate equalizer when trying to safely extend the maximum point blank range of your rimfire rifle.
Ammunition loaded specifically to maximum safe pressures will always completely shoot noticeably flatter than standard pressure subsonic target loads. Major factory manufacturers frequently utilize extremely custom blended microscopic powders to safely physically achieve these highly impressive velocity gains.
Major daily variations in physical powder temperature can easily entirely cause massive fluctuations in your average daily rimfire muzzle velocity. You must fully store your ammunition properly in climate controlled environments to totally ensure consistent velocity readings at the range.
Barrel Length
Longer rimfire rifle barrels firmly provide substantially more physical time for expanding powder gases to aggressively heavily accelerate the projectile. A twenty inch heavy barrel consistently totally produces slightly higher velocities than a standard sixteen inch tactical carbine barrel.
Short carbine barrels fully lose considerable physical velocity which totally causes the tiny bullet to drop much earlier in its flight path. Hunters carrying highly compact tactical rifles must properly completely compensate for this reduced speed by adjusting their visual ballistic calculators.
Bolt action rimfire rifles naturally extract slightly more physical velocity than gas operated semi automatic sporting rifles using identical ammunition. The fully heavily sealed breech of a bolt action entirely completely prevents any expanding gases from escaping during the firing process.
Ballistic Coefficient
Aerodynamic rimfire bullets easily slip through the dense atmosphere easily and beautifully retain their velocity incredibly well at extended distances. High ballistic coefficients dramatically deeply reduce the rapid rate at which heavy gravity physically pulls the projectile toward the earth.
Blunt flat nose bullets fully experience massive physical wind drag that visibly slows them down quickly and drastically increases their drop rate. You should entirely avoid heavily using these highly inefficient bullet shapes if you plan on shooting past one hundred yards.
Tiny polymer tipped bullets completely offer the absolute best ballistic coefficients commercially available for this highly specific varmint cartridge. They perfectly fully provide the ultimate aerodynamic physical profile while ensuring extremely rapid violent expansion upon physical impact.
Wind
Strong crosswinds violently deeply push the tiny lightweight projectiles completely off their intended flight path and rapidly create horizontal drift. Even highly aerodynamic polymer tipped bullets will absolutely catch a significant amount of wind during extended open field flight times.
Slower heavy bullets heavily spend more time completely exposed to the physical wind and suffer from significantly greater overall horizontal deflection. Shooters must carefully learn to accurately thoroughly read exact wind speed and direction when heavily attempting shots past one hundred yards.
Always thoroughly verify your physical wind drift calculations using a highly reliable visual ballistic calculator before hunting in totally open environments. A sudden strong gust of wind can entirely easily push your tiny bullet completely off the tiny vital zone of a squirrel.
Temperature
Cold winter air is incredibly dense and aggressively strongly creates additional physical drag that slows tiny bullets down faster than warm air. This incredibly dense atmospheric condition completely forces the little bullet to heavily expend extra kinetic energy simply pushing the cold air away.
Rimfire powder also burns much slower in freezing temperatures which severely physically reduces initial muzzle velocity right out of the barrel. Always manually fully verify your zero data during the exact actual cold weather conditions you expect to physically hunt in.
Extreme summer heat can rapidly strongly cause rimfire ammunition pressures to visually spike dangerously high in certain gas operated rifle platforms. Never totally leave your premium target ammunition completely sitting in direct hot sunlight during incredibly warm summer range sessions.
Altitude
High elevation mountain environments completely feature incredibly thin mountain air that heavily fully generates very little physical drag on flying projectiles. The complete absolute lack of atmospheric resistance magically smoothly allows the bullet to totally retain maximum velocity for incredibly long distances.
Bullets fired highly safely at high altitudes will physically shoot noticeably flatter and strongly fully retain far more energy than identical rounds at sea level. Hunters eagerly traveling from warm coastal regions to high mountainous states must completely fully recheck their physical trajectory data upon arrival.
The rapid sudden change in atmospheric pressure can easily entirely shift your precise physical point of impact by several inches at extended ranges. Always fully pack enough extra rimfire ammunition to thoroughly safely test your rifle after arriving at a high elevation mountain hunting camp.
Zero Distance
The highly specific physical distance at which you properly sight in your rimfire rifle entirely fully dictates exactly where the bullet impacts. Establishing a perfectly completely proper zero heavily remains the absolute rock solid foundation of totally accurate field rimfire marksmanship.
Choosing an incredibly optimal zero distance perfectly completely maximizes your point blank range and totally completely minimizes the need for complex holdovers. You should manually deeply tailor your rifle zero strictly based fully on the typical engagement distances you physically encounter locally.
A totally poorly chosen physical zero distance will sadly force you to completely memorize highly complicated ballistic charts in the hunting field. Selecting the absolutely totally correct exact zero entirely ensures you can easily focus entirely on making a totally clean ethical shot immediately.
Best Zero Distance
50 Yard Zero
A fifty yard zero completely ensures absolute dead center mechanical precision at very short standard woodland small game hunting distances. Most hunters strongly utilizing this extremely standard setup can simply heavily place the crosshairs directly on the vitals at close range.
Shooters actively using this specific close zero must heavily aim significantly higher when confidently engaging targets at one hundred fifty yards. The rapid bullet drop essentially physically forces you to heavily aim slightly above the back of the animal to guarantee a fatal hit.
This firmly remains a highly popular safe zero choice for traditional hunters entirely running simple non adjustable rimfire scope turrets. The highly simple zero completely fully allows marksmen to quickly deeply hunt dense woods without worrying about any long range ballistics.
100 Yard Zero
Setting a one hundred yard zero requires the tiny bullet to completely arc slightly less than half an inch high at fifty yards. This highly specific optimal setup heavily creates a massive point blank range that entirely introduces very little room for vertical error.
This extremely slight midrange physical rise safely allows hunters to confidently accurately shoot directly at the center of the chest everywhere inside one hundred twenty yards. Experienced marksmen confidently shooting in wide fully open agricultural fields strongly deeply prefer utilizing this highly popular optimal setup.
You must thoroughly completely understand exactly how much your bullet entirely drops at one hundred fifty yards before hunting with this zero. Forgetting this extremely crucial ballistic detail will inevitably quickly result in a slightly low physical impact during sudden long encounters.
150 Yard Zero
A one hundred fifty yard zero aggressively firmly pushes the bullet trajectory nearly three inches high at intermediate one hundred yard distances. This extremely specialized long zero caters strictly entirely to varmint hunters completely successfully operating in vast open plains and massive deserts.
Shooting safely at tiny targets inside one hundred yards with this extreme zero will definitively entirely result in exceptionally high physical impacts. Most standard small game hunters fully find this specific zero completely far too limiting and complicated for general woodland hunting applications.
Only highly skilled precision marksmen specifically perfectly targeting tiny predators at extreme physical distances should ever fully consider utilizing this zero. It completely fully requires total absolute mastery of your specific trajectory curve to completely successfully avoid shooting cleanly over your small target.
Maximum Point Blank Zero
The mathematical maximum point blank zero strongly visually represents the absolute best compromise for general purpose rimfire hunting applications. It perfectly physically balances the maximum mid flight bullet rise with the truly inevitable long range downrange bullet drop perfectly.
This highly precise expertly calculated zero firmly keeps the bullet trajectory safely within a tight one inch window across all typical hunting distances. You can confidently smoothly take fast active shots anywhere within this massive physical window by simply successfully aiming dead center on the shoulder.
Most premium rimfire ammunition manufacturers strongly completely recommend this exact proven methodology for properly calculating zeroes for their lightweight hunting loads. It physically provides the absolute greatest maximum engagement range for standard factory hunting ammunition without manually adjusting expensive scope turrets.
.17 HMR Compared To Similar Cartridges
| Cartridge | Trajectory Profile | Typical Velocity | Muzzle Energy | Effective Hunting Range | Felt Recoil Level | Maximum Point Blank Range |
| .17 HMR | Flat | 2550 FPS | 245 Ft Lbs | 150 Yards | Very Light | 135 Yards |
| .22 LR | Looping Arc | 1200 FPS | 130 Ft Lbs | 75 Yards | Extremely Light | 85 Yards |
| .22 WMR | Moderate Arc | 1900 FPS | 320 Ft Lbs | 125 Yards | Light | 115 Yards |
| .17 WSM | Extremely Flat | 3000 FPS | 400 Ft Lbs | 200 Yards | Light | 165 Yards |
| .17 Mach 2 | Moderate Flat | 2100 FPS | 165 Ft Lbs | 100 Yards | Very Light | 105 Yards |
The comparative data fully deeply proves that this advanced highly popular cartridge completely gracefully offers the most balanced open field performance. Its modern aerodynamic necked down case design perfectly fully allows it to safely entirely replicate the legendary long range performance of larger centerfire calibers.
Hunters extremely highly sensitive to heavy centerfire recoil should immediately absolutely choose this rimfire cartridge because it completely produces drastically less shoulder punishment. The highly efficient aerodynamic tiny bullet generates massive downrange kinetic energy and totally remains highly effective on tiny pests at incredible distances.
The mighty seventeen super magnum delivers absolutely unmatched long range kinetic energy but entirely strictly remains heavily limited to fewer rifle platforms. Shooters who heavily truly demand the absolute vastest selection of factory ammunition usually heavily fully prefer the standard seventeen magnum platform.
Shooters fully utilizing cheap bulk target loads with basic open sights will quickly heavily find the classic long rifle cartridge vastly superior for simple plinking. However the tiny high velocity magnum completely firmly remains highly capable and entirely undisputedly superior for general purpose varmint daytime hunting.
The standard twenty two magnum intermediate rimfire completely safely provides incredibly deep penetration but heavily totally suffers from a massive lack of aerodynamic efficiency downrange. Most modern varmint hunters gladly fully completely trade a slight reduction in heavy bullet mass for the significantly superior flat terminal trajectory this advanced cartridge fully provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A .17 HMR Trajectory Chart
It is a highly beautifully detailed visual data table completely thoroughly displaying the exact tiny bullet flight path and physical drop rates at specific distances. Shooters heavily intensely rely on this extremely deeply critical ballistic data to accurately physically determine exactly where to aim when hunting far away.
What Is The Maximum Effective Range Of A .17 HMR
Most highly thoroughly experienced rimfire hunters strongly completely consider one hundred fifty yards to be the absolute perfectly maximum ethical hunting range for this advanced cartridge. Beyond this extremely strict physical distance the lightweight tiny bullet fully drops rapidly and completely totally loses the kinetic energy absolutely required for reliable expansion.
How Much Does A .17 HMR Drop At 200 Yards
When perfectly safely zeroed at exactly one hundred yards a standard seventeen grain target bullet will completely definitively drop roughly eight and a half inches at two hundred yards. Utilizing a standard fifty yard zero will drastically dramatically fully increase that exact physical drop to nearly twelve inches depending heavily entirely on the specific brand.
Is The .17 HMR Better Than The .22 WMR
The slightly smaller completely narrower caliber clearly thoroughly offers significantly flatter trajectory curves and slightly beautifully less wind drift at extreme open long range distances. However the slightly larger magnum rimfire cartridge fully entirely remains the slightly vastly better choice for hunters specifically perfectly targeting extremely large heavy game animals like coyotes.
What Is The Best Zero For .17 HMR
A perfectly scientifically calculated one hundred yard zero absolutely beautifully provides the absolute very best maximum point blank range for all general open field varmint hunting situations. This highly fully optimized zero setting perfectly beautifully keeps the entire physical bullet trajectory safely within a perfectly tight vertical window across all typical pasture hunting distances.
Does Barrel Length Affect .17 HMR Ballistics
Yes longer premium heavy bolt action rimfire barrels completely thoroughly provide significantly higher initial muzzle velocities which directly fully flatten the exact bullet trajectory downrange. A massive twenty inch heavy bolt action precision rifle will absolutely completely shoot noticeably flatter and definitively entirely hit significantly harder than a standard carbine.
What Is The Best .17 HMR Hunting Load
The highly completely popular Hornady seventeen grain polymer tipped varmint load currently beautifully remains the absolute entirely most trusted and highly versatile factory hunting load available today. It perfectly deeply balances incredibly excellent speedy muzzle velocity with totally completely devastating terminal ballistic physical performance on all standard North American small game species.
How Does Bullet Weight Change The .17 HMR Bullet Drop Chart
Heavier twenty grain premium hunting bullets safely smoothly travel slightly slower initially but simply fully entirely retain their momentum much better across extreme physical distances. Lighter extremely fast totally solid copper bullets completely firmly maintain high initial speeds and clearly totally offer the absolute perfectly flattest possible initial trajectory curve.
What Is The .17 HMR Ballistic Coefficient
Most premium lightweight tiny match bullets specifically structurally designed for this advanced rimfire cartridge entirely totally feature remarkably decent aerodynamics with ballistic coefficients ranging wildly from zero point one one to nearly zero point one three. These remarkably surprisingly high aerodynamic efficiency numbers specifically fully clearly explain precisely exactly why the lightweight bullets completely lose velocity incredibly slowly.
Can You Use .17 HMR For Long Range Target Shooting
This highly advanced fast modern rimfire cartridge was completely successfully specifically engineered heavily for extreme precision short range target competition and varmint hunting applications. The incredibly minimal close range bullet drop and extreme initial resistance to sudden crosswind drift make repeatedly hitting tiny steel targets way past one hundred fifty yards incredibly easy.