.17 HMR damage

FISH BOY

Well-Known Member
Used my HMR on the rabbits last night.

Some when picked looked absolutely perfect, not a mark on them as as if they had died of shock, whereas others looked like they had been run over by a truck. All about the same range 50 to 80 yards.

Is the difference hitting a bone?
 
Used my HMR on the rabbits last night.

Some when picked looked absolutely perfect, not a mark on them as as if they had died of shock, whereas others looked like they had been run over by a truck. All about the same range 50 to 80 yards.

Is the difference hitting a bone?

I don't think it is necessarily, ok it more or less takes their heads off. With body shots some are drilled nicely and some explode. However we only ever eat the back legs and saddle so it doesn't bother us too much.
 
What ammo? V Max variants or gamepoints?

I tend to use V Max on rabbits and always take headshots or I cannot sell them. Whilst they generate a degree of carnage, they do not result in head vapourisation like the .222 for example ha ha ha.

If you shoot low and hit the shoulder, it can tear a damned large hole on exit. Sometimes get failures to fragment but on the hole, it is a reliable little round that causes a huge amount of destruction on impact.
 
17gr CCI TNT and all dropped on the spot.

An amazing round

had the same happen to me when i first had the hmr when it hit the uk shores, could not believe the same issues, made me think the ammo was not working right and then when we opened up some rabbits we said the same thing, we thought it was down to whatnthe bullet has struck on the way to it through it etc,

i once had a shot at a corvid and the bullet hit the first one and took out the other on pe at right angles from it, my fellow shooter in the truck with me is on this forum and to say we where gobsmacked apis a joke,

i personally love the 17 hmr, but seldom use mine now,

regards

Bob

there is a great site in the usa where the guys posted a load of data with photos etc, but the name of it escapes me,
 
17gr CCI TNT and all dropped on the spot.

An amazing round

The TNT Gamepoints are the most accurate of the HMR bullets IMO. I use them for informal target comps with mates. They are not as reliable expansion wise as V Max, hence you might be getting some pass through but not surprised they are all dropping on the spot. It is a heavy impact for a small animal like a rabbit

Dead rabbit is a dead rabbit. Onwards.
 
Shooting a few bunnies with the crops off now, I only use Hornady 17g V max. I tend to shoulder/ front end or head shoot them where possible as only process rear thighs / legs and saddles for meat.
 
I've found the same. If I get a headshot one side of their head becomes a huge cavity. Other times I go for upper chest shots depending on distance, wind, position etc. I've found on some occasions instant expansion and other times expansion on it's way back out of the rabbit, as like others I only use the saddles and rear legs. And I use Remington 17gr boat tails and Hornady V-Max.

I was once quite impressed when I took a shot at one down hill from me stood on it's hind legs facing the same direction I was looking at it from, it was about 130m out so aimed for where the heart and lungs would be, once I went down to retrieve it I discovered where i'd hit it in the spine caused the direction of the expansion to have a slightly downward bias and had gutted most of the rabbit for me. The saddles were mostly ruined but legs were still good.
 
I mainly use the 20gr Gamepoints as they most accurate for me, .5-.7" if I do my part at 100m, and have never had an issue but like guys say sometimes a clean pass through without any obvious signs of death and other times eviscerated beyond recognition lol

I also use the FMJ rounds at times and they're accurate as hell!
 
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