What ammo does you 93R17 like?

[helotaxi]

Per the topic. I've tried only one type of ammo thus far, only been to the range once, and 1.5 MOA @ 50yds was about the best I could do off a bipod and rear bag. Scope is a Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40 (a lot of scope for the little rifle but they mate up well). The particular bench I was at was a bit sketchy but not horrible and pretty stable (if not pretty).

I've got, I think, 5 different loads in the garage but I was wondering what other experiences have been.

[tenwalker]

I have a 93R17BTVLSS (boy do I hate that clip) and it will do a 2" 10 shot group at 200yds. with a Hornady 17gr V-max. I wish some manufacture would come out with a tube feed 17HMR.

[TRAVIS 204]

+1 tenwalker: It's Hornady 20gr HP. Any other brand is a waste of time and money. Same with my 204 - it's got to be Hornady.

[helotaxi]

The magazine is a total PITA, I agree. I have seen a tube magazine 17HMR but it was a lever action.

Winchester and CCI both use VMax bullets in their 17HMR loads.

[rcinit]

When I first started shooting my 93r17gv a 20gr FMJ bullet grouped tighter than the 17gr bullets. Now that I've shoot 1000 plus rounds down the tube it doesn't not make a difference what bullet/weight I shoot with it. They're all sub moa @100 meters. Keep in mind the 17gr bullets shoot a little higher, the groups are the same size. It's more about doing your part than the bullet doing it's part. I've found that all the 17gr V-Max bullets print close enough to each other I'd be hard pressed to tell you which is which. I've shot two different type of Hornady 17gr V-Max tipped bullets right along side Federal and Remington tipped V-Max tipped bullets. Depends on me doing my part. Now I'm not sure about the CCI JHP, might shoot the same spot as the V-Max tipped bullets and might not. I just haven't shot many of these. I do know the CCI FMJ's shoot lower but group really well.

[placek59]

In my personal experience, my .17 likes the cci 20grainers. I think they are called gamekings but not sure. It shot pretty much all of them to less than 1 moa but I think the little extra weight helps with the wind alot more than a person would think. I also read somewhere that cci makes all of the 17hmr ammo for all of the different manufacturers, I'm not sure if they just use different colored b-tips, or if bullets and powder etc... are all different too.

[rcinit]

Yea, I'd agree in the wind the CCI 20gr FMJ are the way to go.

[5spd]

I also read somewhere that cci makes all of the 17hmr ammo for all of the different manufacturers, I'm not sure if they just use different colored b-tips, or if bullets and powder etc... are all different too.


That is correct, the difference is bullet type & weight & charge.
My 17hmr shoots the Hornady 17g vmax load into 1/2"-5/8" @ 100 yds and the 20gr TNT bullet into 1/2".
This is with NO wind. My last p-dog shoot Friday was all with 17gr Hornady load and I removed 197 out of 225 shots and one tripple at 260 yds. My luck held as there was zero wind up in the hills. I averaged 160-250 yards on all shots, missed a few dialing in the range though.

[Teddy Bear]

Never tried anything but the Hornady 17gr v-max for my FVSS. Worked so well that I didn't bother experimenting. I do carry some 20gr also for grouse where the bullet will penetrate through with a smaller hole instead of exploding. But that's only useful when I'm north moose hunting where the birds are real dumb.