Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Tikka T1x .17 HMR

What ammo have you found the be the most accurate in yours?

My T1x seems to prefer the heavier 20gr HP loads over the lighter 17gr. 'poly-tip' ammo. Below I've listed the aggregated averages of many 5-shot groups fired at 50 yards off concrete benches. The local range that I use the most normally has at least light (5-10mph) winds every day. For that reason, I always use at least one wind flag to help me test loads BUT I'm not a hardcore benchrest shooter. Most of the test groups were shot with the Tikka wearing a Weaver Grand Slam 4.5-14x scope with the adjustable objective focused to 50 yards, but early on a few groups were fired with a Burris E1 3-9x scope. Each aggregate listed is at least the average of 50 rounds but in the case of the Federal 'black box' bulk ammo, and the Hornady XTP 20gr HP ammo, those aggregate averages represent more than 200 rounds fired. The velocity data was collected at the same time using an Oehler 35 chronograph.

Hornady XTP 20gr HP = 0.58", velocity = 2,508 fps
Federal 'Black Box' bulk 20gr HP = 0.61", velocity = 2,670 fps
CCI Game Point 20gr JSP = 0.63", velocity = 2,413 fps
Rem. Premier 17gr Accu-Tip = 0.64", velocity = 2,606 fps
CCI A-17 Varmint 17gr poly-tip = 0.74", velocity = 2,667 fps
Hornady V-Max 17gr poly-tip = 0.97", velocity = 2,670 fps
Win. HV Varmint 17gr poly-tip = 0.78", velocity = 2,583 fps

Hmm, mine seems to like the 15.5gr, but that's not a real accurate test like MT. DD FAN did. It was just an observation after several boxes of different ammo. I also think it's kind of like 22 rimfire in that if ya find something it really likes get back to the store quick & buy lots more. The little 15.5 gr. ers do a real number on black birds. Actually my LH T1x shoots a lot of the ammo really well & isn't to picky. GWP. 🐾👣🐾👣🇨🇦

Was this 17 gr or 20 gr rounds? You mentioned 20 gr but wondered as that's screaming for a 20 grainer.

In a couple HMR’s, albeit none are T1X’s, I found Hornady’s 15.5 NTX and Hornadys 17gr vmax to shoot consistently well.

Both more accurate than CCI’s 17gr TNT

My HMR tikka shoots pretty darn well across the board but is lights out with the CCI game point 20gr..

This is 5 at 100yds

Hornady 17 grain stuff is really accurate for me.

Pharm I wish this was the case for me as I laid into a pretty good stock of the Hornady 17.

My tikka shoots it well enough I’m not going to complain but the game points had me grinning

That's excellent @ 100 yds with a .17.

Has anyone figured out what to hunt with a .17HMR? I have one and it's a great plinker. But I haven't figured out what I'd hunt with it. Too explosive for squirrels, too small for coyote. Maybe for shooting coons?

Does anyone regularly use theirs to hunt and if so, what?

My T1x likes the 17gr V-max. I use it to shoot racoons off of the feeders and for turkey during deer season. I aim for the base of the neck on the turkeys which is a fun challenge as they never stand still for more than a few seconds.

If I'm in the deer blind the T1x is there along with the deer rifle.

I even used it to kill a small wild hog. Shot in the ear.

For me, it's more of a plinker than anything. I have used it to shoot groundhogs. The 17gr VMAX do not put them down DRT though. With that, I like the authority of a .223 or .22-250 for groundhogs better.

Based on what I've seen the 20 gr XTPs are much better for the smaller varmints raccoons, groundhogs, etc.) than the 17 gr VMAX.

Great for prairie dogs out to 175 yards or so.

Good catch of my typo- they were 17gr. HPs!

Gsganzer: I have been Hunting with the 17 HMR for 21 years now.
I have used it on Raccoon, as you have, but I have also successfully shot Coyote, Fox, Badger, Porcupine, Rock Chuck, field lions, Prairie Dogs, Ground Squirrels, Tree Squirrels, Jack Rabbits, Cottontail Rabbits, Wild Turkey as well as feathered Varmints.
The 17 HMR is accurate enough that you should easily be able to headshoot Tree Squirrels - thus eliminating any worries about "explosiveness".
Shot a couple of feathered Varmints with the 17 HMR just yesterday in fact.
Yeah "I" have it figured out and have for a long time now.
Long live the 17 HMR.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I was wondering about using a .17HMR or .22 mag on bobcats. Anybody done that?

Either would kill the snot out of a bobcat

It’s hell on big nutria.







P

17gr vmax in mine, but honestly way less than impressed with on game performance. Shot 3 different groundhogs that took off towards their holes.
One I found wounded and shot it twice more to kill it.
I’m not much on wounding anything be it pest, varmint, predator etc. went back to 55gr vmax and .223 for my garden defense. I’ve tried to love the .17hmr, having owned them in Cooper, Anschutz and Tikka.
Got my Tikka in an auction now. Think I’m done with it.

The 17 HMR is a great cartridge for ground squirrels. It fills the intermediate range of range of between 80 and 150 yards or so where the 22 LR starts running out of energy and where the 223 or other centerfire cartridges are just a bit of overkill.

However unlike some other posters I found it lacking on PD's, coyotes, badgers and even crows. I was particuarily disappointed with it on PD's since most that were over 100 yards were crawl offs. I do not like seeing any animal suffer so I gave up on it for anything larger than ground squirrels.

I have tried to like it with three different rifles and while they were all very accurate and pleasing to shoot it never provided the results I was hoping for.

drover