Hey all,
I am looking for a reasonable scope for my newly acquired .17HMR. Not looking for something too elaborate. It's really going to be a fun plinking and range gun to practice shooting skills with my wife and son. I saw an earlier post about a Burris rimfire 3-9x40 that looked decent for the low price. How about some other suggestions?

Thanks,
Dave

Dave, if you want more scope for slightly more money, this is a good bet. I have one of the Burris rimfires and two of these. https://www.burrisoptics.com/scopes/droptine-riflescopes-series/droptine-riflescope-4.5-14x42mm

The 17HMR shoots flat at 100yd. How far are you shooting? A centerfire scope may be a better fit.

I had a 4-12x40 3200 Elite on my M77/17 and thought it was ideal. If anything I think a regular centerfire scope is going to be more suited for your needs.

I have a centerfire scope on mine and it is a perfect match. Most centerfire scopes are parallax free at 100 - 125 yards, the 17 HMR really shines in the 75 - 175 range which makes the centerfire parallax perfect for them.

drover

A little more magnification is a good thing with a HMR. Mine rarely goes below 8X and often sits on 10-14X much of the time for shooting varmints and targets.

+1 - Have a Vortex Viper 4-12x40 PA on mine. The BDC reticle is minute of rock chuck at 150 and 225.

My identical rifle wears a Leupold M8 12x, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Works great on PDs and ground squirrels.

I'm actually wanting a new 17 HMR and would welcome you guys input.

I won a H&R single shot HMR in a big buck contest a long time ago when the little cartridge first came out. I have played around with it a little through the years and have collected quite a lot of ammo for it.

I want to move up to something in either a bolt or semi-auto that I can run a suppressor on. The bolt gets the nod I would imagine since I'd like to have an advantage in extended range accuracy. I would mainly shoot prarie dogs and other varmints with it, and maybe occassionally hunt squirrels, etc.

Any recommendations on a rifle/optic set up? I would definitely like to stay on the lighter weight side as I would likely do a lot of walking with it during scouting/antler hunting expeditions, etc.

Thanks,
Jeff

KillerBeee: I often take brand new shooters (both youngsters and oldsters!) out to the range with a variety of firearms so they can "shoot a gun"!
One Rifle I always take is my Ruger 77/17 HMR V/T (heavy barrel) with a Weaver V-16 (4 to 16 power) variable scope on it.
To date every new shooter has loved that Rifle/scope combo to pleasantly fire for grouping.
The VarmintDaughterinlaw from the west coast still keeps her target shot with this Rifle/scope at her home.
The five shot group she shot that day measured right at 1.00" there at 100 yards and amongst those shooting that day she turned in the best group.
I recommend PLENTY of scope power for your Ruger rimfire and highly recommend you seeking out a Weaver V-16 for your Rifle - they are only on the used market nowadays and run $200.00 to $250.00.
This scope will perform well for you and the family and enhance your shooting (accuracy!).
Best of luck with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Probably not what your looking for, but I put a SWFA 6X MQ on my HB Ruger .17HMR and it works like a dream. Parallax adjustable for any distance. I simply dial the range to target and hold dead on. Some shooters left the remains of orange clay birds on the 200 yard berm and I had zero problems hitting the broken shards. Plenty of field of view for beginners finding their target. Reticle makes it super easy to hold wind consistently......

I’d buy a brand new Burris not some used piece o crap.

For targets, one of the SWFA fixed powers is an easy choice, maybe for ground squirrels too, but can’t say for certain as we don’t have those here (chucks are big game!). For gray and fox squirrels a variable is better IMO, as shots can be pretty close or pretty far. A Burris Fullfield E1 4.5-14 with side focus would be a pretty good choice. I bought one for my Grendel, but went smaller, so it’s going on my .223. I'm very pleased with my Philippine Burris scopes so far. No plans to try the CCP models.

I asked just about this same question in the rimfire section. Looking for a scope for a CZ457 22lr I just ordered.
So in your opinion the Burris droptine rimfire is a better choice and quality then the Vortex diamondback?
And are the CZ 11mm rings good quality?

I put a Diamondback on my grandson's 22-250. I had a Droptine Rimfire that I gave to him as well. I liked the Droptine better.

The price of the droptine is definitely better.

Another vote for the Droptine.

Just ordered one. Cheapest I found it was at sportsman warehouse. $127 shipped

That is the cabelas price too, $120 plus tax.

The Droptine is inbetween the Diamondback and Diamondback HP.

Yes, the CZ rings hold well.

I have a Burris FFII 4.5-14x44 w/ Ballistic Plex on my .17 HMR. It's a good match to that round.

That's the scope I run on mine.

I have a vari2 4x12x40 on my American target 17. Nice scope but no longer available. And I’m not a big fan on leupolds freedom line. I had one on an AR and wound up selling it, not worth the price.

Great suggestions everyone! Thanks for all the input. I haven't made an absolute decision yet but have enjoyed hearing all of your experiences and thoughts.

Thanks and feel free to add more.

Beee

If you have old eyes like me you need more power. Remember the 17 pokes a very small hole
Hard to see at 100 yards

No rifle yet but did get my Burris 3x9.
This is one tight ass rimfire scope. Worth every penny, $128
Can’t wait to get it on the CZ.
To be continued when warmer weather arrives.

What's your budget? Recommendations will vary based upon that

My 17HMR had a Sig Tango 4 4-16x FFP for longer range daytime target/prairie dog shooting. I'm now switching to a Sightron S-Tac 3-16x42 SFP.

Although the Droptine is decent, it has some obvious drawbacks. FOV is limited and I find the eye relief less than ideal but that's less critical on a rimfire. Also, although the minimum 50 yard parallax is usable, if you can afford something that goes down to 35 or 10 yards you will be better off.

If you can swing the S-Tac, I'd recommend it: https://www.amazon.com/Sightron-260...rds=s-tac&qid=1613871330&sr=8-13 (Note: Amazon mistakenly lists this as made in China...it's made in the Philippines just like the Droptine).