[Remo]

Originally Posted by sevans105

Don't have any long rifles at the moment. As for the AR-15, yeah, they look cool and all, but I really don't see a need or desire to own one.

Remo, what is a 17 HRM?

I don't hunt, so this will be more of a target rifle. Mostly interested in seeing how far I can shoot and maintain accuracy. I'm kind of a math/stats geek so ballistics tables and striving for "perfect" is what I'm trying to accomplish. I realize that an "off the shelf" gun will never be able to do that for me, but I need something to start with.

The .17 HMR round is similar to rounds developed by dedicated rimfire wildcatters who worked to create a rimfire cartridge with an exceptionally flat trajectory. These wildcatters were seeking to match the ballistics of the obsolete 5mm Remington Magnum Rimfire, which was made from 1970 to 1974, and was to that point the fastest rimfire cartridge ever produced.[4] With 5mm (.20 caliber) diameter barrels and bullets being virtually unavailable at the time (the 5mm RMR was the last commercial 5mm round until the 2004 release of the centerfire .204 Ruger), the commercially available .17 caliber became their bullet of choice. The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire was the logical parent case, rather than 5mm RMR (with its unique case head size, which requires a significantly different bolt and magazine), because it was commonly available, and it is a far larger and stronger case than the next largest .22 Long Rifle. The .17 caliber wildcats not only met, but far exceeded the 5 mm RMR's velocities and flat trajectory. The accuracy of these cartridges was also quite good. However, the downrange energy of the 5mm RMR is superior to both .22 WMR and .17 HMR, so there is still potential in the 5mm rimfire for wildcatters.[5]

Hornady, in conjunction with Marlin Firearms and Sturm, Ruger (manufacturers in the rimfire rifle market), followed much the same path. With the .22 WMR case as the starting point, a simple barrel change was sufficient for most .22 WMR firearms to chamber the new cartridge. In 2002 the first rifles and ammunition began appearing on the market. While the ammunition was relatively expensive due to the high-performance .17 caliber bullets used, it was still cheaper than most centerfire ammunition. By 2004 CCI, Federal Cartridge and Remington had each introduced .17 HMR ammunition offerings.[3]

[edit] Availability





A .17 HMR round (left) compared with a .22 Long Rifle round (right)
Cartridges for .17 HMR come with bullets that weigh 15.5-grain (1.00 g), 17-grain (1.1 g), and 20-grain (1.3 g), and come in designs such as polymer (ballistic) tipped, hollow points, soft points, and FMJ. The terminal ballistics of the lightweight expanding bullets limit the .17 HMR to small game animals and varmints. .17 HMR ammunition is less common and more expensive than the .22 caliber rimfire rounds, but this is changing as the popularity of .17 HMR rifles gathers momentum.[6] 17 HMR rifles and ammo have continued to sell briskly. It may be interesting to note that large retailer Wal-Mart sells CCI .17 HMR in some of their suburban locations. The same cannot be said for similar special purpose cartridges such as the 6.8 SPC that are rising in popularity because of their ballistic properties.

Following the success of the .17 HMR, the .17 Hornady Mach 2 (.17 HM2), was introduced in early 2004. The .17 HM2 is based on the .22 LR (slightly longer in case dimensions) case necked down to .17 caliber using the same bullet as the HMR but at a velocity of approximately 2,100 feet per second (640 m/s) in the 17-grain (1.1 g) polymer tip loading.

A growing number of companies offer .17 HMR ammunition. CCI Ammunition loads all of the .17 HMR ammunition for the CCI, Federal Cartridge, Hornady, and Remington brands. However, the ammunition is loaded with different bullets to different specifications.[7] Ammunition is also available from Winchester, PMC and Sellier & Bellot.

Citing safety concerns about the round's use in semi-automatic firearms, Remington issued a product safety warning and recall notice.[8][9]

[edit] Comparison with .22 LR Ammunition

[edit] Advantages
■Faster flight: 2350-2550fps compared to the popular ≈1255fps .22LR High Velocity. (.22LR Hyper Velocity can reach ≈1700fps)
■Flatter trajectory. This means that the user will not have to adjust for the projectile's drop as much as with the .22 LR
■Longer range
■As the round is smaller there is less chance of ricochet
■More accurate, 1 MOA or better
■More powerful
■Less susceptible to cross winds due to high ballistic co-efficient
■More effective on larger game.

[edit] Disadvantages
■Much more expensive
■Too powerful at close distance for small game, although soft point bullets are available
■The cartridge is louder and there are no subsonic bullets available




[edit] Comparison with .22 WMR Ammunition

[edit] Advantages
■Faster flight: 2350-2550fps compared to the 1910fps 22Wmr 40gr rounds
■Flatter trajectory and better ballistic co-efficient
■Longer range. Bullets expand better especially at long range e.g. 150 yards
■As the round is smaller there is less chance of ricochet
■More accurate, 1 MOA or better
■Less susceptible to cross winds due to high ballistic co-efficient

[edit] Disadvantages
■Less kinetic energy
■Slightly more expensive



Look into them