.17 HMR Now making sense

[The Duncan 802]

Hi folks,

 

 

I took a trip out with my very good friend Chris (Bruno22rf) rimfires and the hmr to hunt some farmyard vermin and corvids.

Having found that the rats have lost their bravado for being out during the day, we mooched around the farmyard with our rimmies and saw little other than feral pigeons of which we took 1 apiece at a very moderate 40 ish yards.

I fed mine to the pigs - they thrashed the feathers off it and crunched it down like a bloody toffeecrisp

 

From a gate I managed to nobble a crow at about 90 yards with my recently acquired CZ 511 semi, with an rws subsonic. A good shot if I might say!

At this point, we decided to swap my .22lr for the hummer, and Chris swapped subsonics for CCI Velocitors (.22 hv rounds) and put a crow and magpie decoy out to see if we could encourage some corvids into range.

As it happened, they didnt' help at all

 

Chris got himself into the hedge (or just below it) against a bank which left him at eye level with the target field. I was leant against a water tank a few metres away.

Having heard him crunching through the undergrowth for some time, I enquired to find out if he was turning around and around to flatten the grass like dogs do before settling down.

He spotted a couple of pheasants about 100 yards away and shot a fine and iridescent cock at 105 yards using HV rounds. Not bad at all for a .22lr! Chris said it was a lucky shot, but he always sells himself way short

As I was less heavily ensconced in the undergrowth, I acted as gundog and retrieved it.

On my return, I looked at Chris' hideyhole and commented on what a perfect spot it was and joined him in the trench.

 

It was perfect! Being adjacent to 160 yards of hedgeline in one direction and quartering onto another 300 yards to the far corner of the fiels, the arc of safe fire was brilliant!

A few minutes later a magpie landed, just a bit further from where I'd retrieved Chris' phessie. Finally a chance to use the hummer 'in anger'.

I rested my leading hand on the bank from a prone position, squeezed the match trigger til the shot was released and followed through to watch the cloud of black and white feathers erupt from the target.

The crack of the bullet going supersonic was followed by a 'whumph' as the bullet obliterated the corvid on its way to the hilly green backstop.

What a buzz!

When I picked the body up, I was pleased to see the POI was precisely where I had put the cross hairs for the shot

My first kill with the new rifle at at least a half decent range (110 yards) suddenly gave me confidence of experience over theory and paper-punching.

I offered to switch positions so that Chris could take his turn at the next target, but he magnaminously declined, saying he was just very happy watching the hummer at work. Chris is one of lifes true gents.

 

Moments later, a hen pheasant appeared at about 90 yards, which I dropped instinctively (let's face it, not a hard shot) and then, without breaking cover I spotted 2 magpies land another 30 yards away.

Cycling the bolt I turned the rifle their way and repeated the black and white feather explosion

120 yard magpie - now the hummer made a lot of sense and the cost and practise all seems worthwhile.

 

Chris' deadline for his SWMBO loomed to end the days fun, but we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are now looking at ways of bringing more corvids into range and making the new found natural hide better for future trips throughout the autumn and winter.

 

Now I've had a go at my 'upgrade', I can only take my hat off to other hmr users who are pushing the boundaries and cleanly dropping

quarry at 150, 200 and even 300 yards; this takes skill and practise, both of which I appreciate and gradually acquire.

 

Currently the pheasants are chilling in my freezer, Chris declining his share of the edible bag in favour of a sunday roast pheasant dinner for my own brood. I guess I'd better give him a portion of my best bunny stew in return

[tegater 789]

Nice little write up, thanks for sharing.

[PMC 2]

A good read, ta.

 

P

[wabbit slayer 16]

Great little read

[bob.243 7,539]

Great write up. Have a .17HMR myself, love seeing the maggies explode.

[The Duncan 802]

Thanks for the feedback guys

 

One thing I was surprised at was the lack of meat damage on the pheasants. I'd read and heard that this was a problem with the hummer, but frankly the bullet seems to have just left a clean entry and exit wound; not much to worry about at all.

 

 

Mmmm - reminded me we're having roast pheasant on sunday

 

Duncan.

 

Ps - Chris texted me last night to say he's putting in for his hmr variation too, after the recent trips we've had out with mine. He reckons he'll get a CZ.

[tegater 789]

He won't go wrong with the CZ!

[pipcock 21]

Hope it weren't a Sunday trip

[markha 99]

Il love my CZ 455 16" varmint, there are many like it but this this one is mine

[BunnyDoom 1]

My 16" CZ452 HMR won't do better than a 3" group at 100 which is very disappointing - I can shoot 1" groups with my .22 CZ452 16" at this range so I'm pretty sure it's not me!

 

I've tried everything suggested by everyone on every forum I can find, and have narrowed it down to 3 possibilities:

1. Barrel damage in percepteble to my eye (crown or inside the barrel)

2. Barrel length - I've been told by several dealers that the etra half twist in the 20" aids accuracy, and there is also still powder burning at 16"

3. Windage - Where I shoot I'm near the sea and south downs and there are always lots of wind eddies that can't be felt from the firing point or even seen with 25yd wind markers. So it could be the lighter round is being affected badly. This may in fact tie up with the barrel length argument as if there's not enough spin it would be particularly succeptible to this

 

Does anyone have any experience on this? I'm prepping to chop in the gun for a longer one but am loathe to do so as it has a special serial number to me!

[tegater 789]

All rifles usually still have powder burn. None of it will be down to the barrel length.

 

Have you had the trigger kit fitted because this make a big improvement.

 

The wind should still allow it to group, but the mpi, will obviously shift if left uncorrected.

 

Obviously you can rule out wind by testing on a rare still day.

 

What's it like at 50m, are you only getting 1.5" groups, or is it better at this range, in which case it may be you at distance.

 

The 452 16" is an incredibly accurate barrel for the money.

 

Have you got another good shot to try it out, straight after you so the conditions are the same?

 

I am sure you have considered the above but hope this helps.

 

I am assuming you have checked all screws etc.

[vitalspark 4]

Hi BunnyDoom

 

My 16" CZ452 HMR won't do better than a 3" group at 100 which is very disappointing

Does anyone have any experience on this? I'm prepping to chop in the gun for a longer one but am loathe to do so as it has a special serial number to me!

Tegater mentioned screws etc.

 

My new Savage 93 was all over the place at 150 yrds and I was very disappointed, putting it down to my rustyness. Out shooting at a later date I noticed that the scope rails on the gun were imperceptibly loose causing variation of the POI - moral being don't trust a dealer to mount a new scope for you.

 

Have you tried shooting directly up/downwind to minimise windage?

 

I'm not convinced that windage in an hmr is any worse than a 22lr and is only noticeable because you are more likely to be shooting at greater ranges.

On a still(ish) day I can group 3" at 220 yrds so don't give up yet.

[riflehunter583 58]

My 16" CZ452 HMR won't do better than a 3" group at 100 which is very disappointing - I can shoot 1" groups with my .22 CZ452 16" at this range so I'm pretty sure it's not me!

 

I've tried everything suggested by everyone on every forum I can find, and have narrowed it down to 3 possibilities:

1. Barrel damage in percepteble to my eye (crown or inside the barrel)

2. Barrel length - I've been told by several dealers that the etra half twist in the 20" aids accuracy, and there is also still powder burning at 16"

3. Windage - Where I shoot I'm near the sea and south downs and there are always lots of wind eddies that can't be felt from the firing point or even seen with 25yd wind markers. So it could be the lighter round is being affected badly. This may in fact tie up with the barrel length argument as if there's not enough spin it would be particularly succeptible to this

 

Does anyone have any experience on this? I'm prepping to chop in the gun for a longer one but am loathe to do so as it has a special serial number to me!

 

never shot a hmr so no direct experience, but i would buy a few different types of rounds, clean my barrel with a pull through, take the gun to a local shooting range which is in an underground 100m tunnel then try all the rounds systematically (sorry for bad spelling) then get the range/gunsmith on site who is a good shot to test ot as well. maybe even bench testing it so it cannot move without mod.

hope this helps.

i have been told that they are sub MOA accurate so it should be doing say apporx 1inch at 100 yards 2inch at 200 so I have been told anything less and i would be unhappy with the cost of the rounds and supposed reputation of hmr for hear say.

regards

Daniel