.17 HMR Ammo Choices

liamnjs

Well-Known Member
I am taking delivery of my new HMR tomorrow (thanks Gadget!) and am wondering what to put through it. I have it on my ticket for Fox and Vermin, and intend to use it predominantly for close range (sub 125 yard) foxing.

Of the HMR ammo currently available, which is best suited to this use? I am assuming 20 grain Gamepoints, but are there benefits to V Max or TNT rounds for fox?

I have my reasons for choosing this calibre and while I appreciate this is a little contentious please don't use this thread to debate the ins and outs of using the calibre for foxing if you don't agree with it!

Thanks for your thoughts!
 
hi mate she shoots the 17gr v max hole in hole at 100mtrs and i have shot alot of foxs with them.

gadget
 
hi mate she shoots the 17gr v max hole in hole at 100mtrs and i have shot alot of foxs with them.

gadget

Agree with gadget. Hornaday Vmax 17g red tip(buy a brick of 500 to ensure consistency within the rounds), dont bother with the 20g you get more drop and the round is more likely to go straight through ratehr than expand. My best shot on fox was 148 yards right between the eyes(never go for body shots with such a small round) and best ever shot 180 yards on a hare both with 0 wind. As you are probably aware this round is BADLY affected by even the slightest breeze but you do get used to it and its good experience determining the wind speed and associated compensation prior to the shot. I really love this round and rifle and ahev taken a lot of bunnies with it since buying it last year. Which force gavce you fox for the HMR? Most dont recognise it although my FAC did actually say if one trotts out in front of you give it the good news!!
 
Last edited:
Hi guys,i'm in kent,when i applied for a .22 for rabbits and a .243 for fox/deer the FEO wanted me to have a .17 for rabbits so i could shoot foxes if i was out rabbiting, in fact he realy wanted me to have a .17 instead of the .22 as the .17 doesn't richochet? i still went for the .22 and .243 though.

Tikkat3
 
Hi guys,i'm in kent,when i applied for a .22 for rabbits and a .243 for fox/deer the FEO wanted me to have a .17 for rabbits so i could shoot foxes if i was out rabbiting, in fact he realy wanted me to have a .17 instead of the .22 as the .17 doesn't richochet? i still went for the .22 and .243 though.

Tikkat3

I think different forces have different rules, I think its BASC that dont recommend the HMR for fox but we all know it will do the busienss in the right hands. The bullet is frangible so breaks up on slightest imapact, much safer IMO than the .22 from a richochet perspective.
 
The HMR is a fantastic little round mate. I have as CZ 452 Silhouette {16 inch}. It has been deadly from day one right out the box. I put a Bushnell Legend 5-15-40 scope on it and a cheap moderator. I have tried all the different rounds and find that Hornady shoot the best, {the blue tips} £10 a box from Glenluce Gun Room. Didn't think much of the 20 grain. I can also use mine on fox and have shot five with it over the last few months. None ran further than a couple of yards with a well placed shot to the chest, although to be fair none were much over 80 yards.
 
Got a box of CCI 20gr gamepoint just to try in my .17HMR Savage. Spraying them all over the place. Back to V Max. I also have fox and vermin but never used it on fox. Certainly has it's place in the cabinet but slightest wind and that's where it stays.
 
Last edited:
Wow! The 17HMR! Remington, Winchester, CCI, Federal! All these brands to choose from and all, unfortunately, made at the same plant by the same company. My advice is to buy a single box, see if it shoots well and the bullet performs as expected, then if it meets your satisfaction, go back and buy as much of the same LOT # as you wish. My partner and I tested the first Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Co barrels in this chambering and have had LOTs of ammo from prototype run through 3rd production run. The HMR's reputation was built on these early LOTs but after the 3rd cycle of production (near as we can tell) something changed. We suddenly saw a lack of expansion and the accuracy was no longer phenomenal. It was good, but not that mind-blowing accuracy we'd come to expect.

I currently have a couple of 10-box bricks in my basement that delivers zero expansion on even prairiedogs. They just shoot through. This is the "red tipped" ammo. Other ammo has worked well but it is largely hit and miss in my experience. Hence my advice to buy a small quantity and go back for more if it's a good LOT. I like HMR and have several of them, all customs. All very accurate.~Muir
 
Got to agree with Muir on the lack of expansion thing.
For no good reason they sometimes just don't expand, even on rabbits, but then I found the Blue Tip Hornady's.
Now my thinking is this (maybe completely wrong) the blue tipped bullets were made for Eley to load in HM2, so "possibly" designed to expand more, or at a lesser speed, either way I have now used about 8K of them on bunnies etc. and all have performed as they should.
I have also seen on US forum people saying later HMR bullets are tougher than they used to be.
Maybe because so many people had complained that they were not working on bigger animals, fox size and over.
The manufacturers may just have listened and increased the jacket thickness ?
If that is true it would be a shame, because once I can no longer get Blue Tips the HMR will become next to useless to me.
HMR is a bunny gun, nothing more, and if you try to stretch it to regular foxes you will have runners, as have I, centerfire only for fox these days.

Neil. :)
 
Last edited:
As far as I know, the tip color is just that: a different color. I don't believe there is any difference in construction. I asked Hornady about the differences between M2 and HMR bullets at the S.H.O.T. Show one year -the logic being that the bullets would need to be of different construction for different velocities- and they said that the bullet is the same. At 1900 fps+ expansion was complete. I haven't seen concrete evidence on that. I believe the quality control varies enough to make one think that there is a difference. I have two, M2 barrels for my Ruger 77/22 and I'm not even sure exactly where they are. They certainly aren't on my rifles! ~Muir
 
No M2 rifles here anymore either, It just seems weird that the blue tip hmr stuff works so well, when the red tip from the same maker is questionable.

Neil. :)
 
No M2 rifles here anymore either, It just seems weird that the blue tip hmr stuff works so well, when the red tip from the same maker is questionable.

Neil. :)

thats strange, as i find the blue tips just goes stright through, no expansion,
im back on the remingtons now
 
Which force gavce you fox for the HMR? Most dont recognise it although my FAC did actually say if one trotts out in front of you give it the good news!!

Wiltshire Police, who have been excellent throughout. To be precise I have a .17 HMR for FOX and VERMIN control and a 6.5x55 for DEER and FOX control on my ticket. In fact I was given a very short briefing on exactly why they thought the HMR was an appropriate fox round.

Thanks for the input everyone, especially gadget, I will stick with the 17 grain V Max.
 
Wiltshire Police, who have been excellent throughout. To be precise I have a .17 HMR for FOX and VERMIN control and a 6.5x55 for DEER and FOX control on my ticket. In fact I was given a very short briefing on exactly why they thought the HMR was an appropriate fox round.
.

Cool, it looks like they are coming around to it.
 
I have tried all available rounds for the .17 HMR and I settled on the Hornady .17 v-max for a while now.

I tried the others in all conditions and distances and the v max has my stamp of approval, I buy them in bulk and they just keep doing the job.

Perfick
 
Gents.

Blue tip Hornady works well and at £10.00p a box was good value. Pity Glen Luce sold out. Very effective on 100yard + rabbit.
 
No M2 rifles here anymore either, It just seems weird that the blue tip hmr stuff works so well, when the red tip from the same maker is questionable.

Neil. :)

I have given up trying to figure it all out. The reason the M2 is scarce is that it is being dropped from production by almost all the major makers. Here in Montana it is known as "too little, too late" for hunting. In the local Trading Post I can get a dusty M2 for below dealer cost -and that includes the exotic Thompson Center Classic auto. It is losing favor fast with serious hunters. The 22WMR, however, is enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Beware of purchasing a M2, fellas. Industry support will fade before you can wear it out.~Muir
 
Hi. I've been using Federal V Shok with black tip for a while and providing there's no wind they seem spot on, good rounds.
 
Back
Top