# .17 HMR



## Blake Hermel (Sep 10, 2002)

Well I bit the bullet and bought a Ruger .17 HMR with a Leupold 3-9 scope. These things sure are fun. I am going to scope it in Saturday. Any pointers on how to save some ammo? Start at 25 then go to 100?


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## fjr0226 (Dec 18, 2003)

get your gun locked in a sand bag or a gun vice.....make sure its locked in and secure.....set ur target at about 50 yards.....make sure ur gun is locked inn the best u can get it and make sure to not pull the triger...just keep aplying presure until it goes off...IT SHOULD SURPRISE YOU WHEN IT GOES OFF.....then you know that you didnt pull or yank the trigger....now set ur gun back in the vice or sand bag with the cross hairs locked dead on the target.....now adjust your cross hairs to be positioned on the bullet hole of your first shot......if you did every thing right your gun should be sited inn.....all you have to do is adjust the up and down for the average distance ur going to shoot....


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Blake,Bring the gun to a gunsmith or the store you bought it at and get it bore sighted.This will get you on paper at 25 yards.If you have some cheap ammo,use it to sight in first at 25 yards then 50 yards and at 100 yards shooting 3 shot groups.Make sure you dont let your barrel get hot with a new gun.Shoot 3 shots then let it cool off(dosnt need to be cold).When you have your cheap ammo dialed in at 100 yards this is when you start testing different brands,bullets etc.Dont worry where it prints on the target,different bullet types will shoot to different places on the target.You are looking for the tightest grouping,then you can dial in that round.There are different meathods for benchrest shooting and here is how I do it.First use something solid like sandbags,or a commercial rifle rest and make sure it is solid with minimal movement,and your crosshairs on the bullseye.If you are right handed,only use your right hand to shoot the gun,you want minimal contact.Slowly let out a breath and start sqeezing the trigger.If it takes more than 3 1/2 lbs of pull your trigger is to stiff and needs adjustment.Shoot 3 rounds and check out the grouping.If your gun is as sweet as the one I recently bought,and you are shooting well,You should find at least a 1" group out of one of the brands of ammo you purchased.


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## Blake Hermel (Sep 10, 2002)

Wow thanks guys. I didnt realize there was that much involved to it! I had it bore scoped, and the store put the scope on for me. I will try what you guys said and report back Sunday night. Thanks again


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Blake,Once you get the hang of it,it is very easy.Do you have a range you can shoot at that isnt full of snow?The one around here,Casselton rifle range, has 4' drifts in front of the target mounds.


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## Blake Hermel (Sep 10, 2002)

Yea I will try and find something. I am taking a buddy along who lives for rifles and am hoping he will know a good spot.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

Blake,

Make sure to sight in your rifle on a no wind day. When I helped my dad sight in his 17 rim the slightest wind blew that little bullet all over the place. I was getting pretty significant drifting even at 25yds so you need to be really careful.

They are fun guns to shoot but on the windy Nodak prairie they might be shortrange weapons. They do blow up small critters when you hit them though and ammo is pretty cheap.


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## fjr0226 (Dec 18, 2003)

I have found also...that some barrels have to be seasoned....a bullet type that shoots a 3" group now may shoot its *** off after you have shot a few hundred rounds...my 22 mag would not shoot the winchester bullets very well when i first got the gun ....but now after a thousand rounds have been shot through it....i can cut bullet holes with them, and is all i shoot....another thing to think about is to keep ur barrel fouled....after cleaning my guns i shoot them a few times to foul the barrel....i see so many people go on hunting trips....get bored and clean their barrles,....if they would see how bad some guns group with a clean barrel...they probally would never clean their barrels again.....My 7mm will go from a 1/2" group fouled to a 3" group clean ! !


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Ya,I forgot about the fouling shots(I run 2 shots through before hunting or target shooting).A serious build up of copper is not a good thing also and can degrade accuracy(this happened to one of my guns).I still clean my guns each time I shoot them.Fjr,barrel seasoning is a break in process some believe increases the accuracy of the gun.First 10 shots,run a patch through after every shot.Next 5 shots,run a patch through every other shot,and the next 5 shots run a patch through after firing the 5 shots.Some people think this helps accuracy,some dont.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

I have a Ruger M77 .223 that shoots accurately clean, after 6 shots or so, the groups continue to get larger. I beleive every rifle has it's own personality and you have to get to know your own gun. As far as trigger pull on the M77's; I own 2 and have a freind that owns 2, anyways we scaled them and they were all from 3 1/2 to 5 pound triggers. Then found to adjust them either have to replace the trigger assembly or have someone who is experienced, grind the asembly for you. If anyone has more info on adjusting the M77's trigger, please let me know. [email protected]


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## fjr0226 (Dec 18, 2003)

For after market triggers go to www.spec-tech-industries.com the trigger pull on a rifle to me is what makes them tic ! !


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## Blake Hermel (Sep 10, 2002)

linky no worky

my trigger is super tough to pull... any suggestions how to adjust it?


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## fjr0226 (Dec 18, 2003)

oopps ...try again www.spec-tech-industries.com


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## mallard (Mar 27, 2002)

Blake,Rugers dont have an adjustable trigger.Bring it to a good gunsmith to have it worked on.On my gun it cost 45$ to have it adjusted to where I like.


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

A good rest, trigger control, and control of your breathing are all key. A light weight trigger is great as long as there's no creep. Also trigger control does not mean it should surprise you when the firearm discharges. If it surprises you then you are not in control.


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

i just took my new ruger .22 out to scope it yesterday (saturday) and i think its a terrible idea to boresight for rimfires. the ammo is so cheap you will end up wasting a good 3 bucks that you should have spent on shells. as for on the paper at 25 yards? please, my 22 was on the paper first shot, with no boresighting at all. i could have spent 5 bucks to get me on the paper for sure, or i could have just spent that 5 on a box of 100 shots, and be on the paper within 5 shots, which i did. For more expensive bullets (centerfire only) i would get it boresighted but thats it.


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

I agree M_T. I just usually shoot at something visible on a dirt bank and ruff it in with a couple shots then move to the paper. That's what works for me. Looking at getting a new trigger, hammer, and sear for my 10/22 and maybe get it down to about 2 1/2 pounds. Have you looked at the KIDD triggers? They look nice. I took the Volquartsen in 17HMR out again today and have been really impressed with its accuracy. Also went out to sight in the new S&W Model 22A-1 with ATN Ultra-Sight today. I was impressed with it. Plinking with the rimfires sure can be fun.

Later....


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