I'm wanting to upgrade my scope on my 17hmr. I've got a cheap Bushnell 3-9x40 on it right now. It works but I want something different.

What are you guys running on your .17s?

What's your budget lookin like?

Also, what is your intended purpose? Target shoot at 200 yards, or 50 yards? Ground squirrels or paper? Really depends on what you your goals are... oh, and your budget.

I have a Swarovski Z3 3-10x42 with the BRH reticle on my bolt gun. I haven't decided what to put on my Volquartsen.

When I had my 17 HMR I used a 4-12x40 AO with fine duplex and never felt I needed more. Unless serious paper punching is intended I don’t see the need to go much more but that’s just me. Btw it was a 3200 Elite.

REDVANES: Two of my 17 HMR Rifles have heavy barrels (Ruger 77/17 V/T & Ruger American Varmint) and they both wear Weaver V-16 (4 to 16 power variable) scopes on them.
They perform exceptionally well at the range and afield, after small game and Varmints.
I highly recommend the Weaver V-16's to get the most out of your Rifle/cartridge.
I buy them on the used market and usually pay under (sometimes well under!) $200.00 for them.
With these scopes and Rifles I have killed MANY Varmints (both furred and feathered!) out past 250 yards.
Best of luck to you with whichever scope you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Mounted a Leupold 6-18 AO CDS fine cross hair on a volquartsen and I find it a great match. I often shoot (A17) out to 300 yards (+10.25 MOA w/100 yd zero) and am consistently surprised (in a good way) at group size (either shooting w/or against the wind or on those windless days). Just need to find the time and right conditions to go to 400 yds.

Probably $200 - $250 max.

Intended purpose would be plinking and shooting squirrels, crows, etc

With that budget I will definitely 2nd VarmintGuy's suggestion of the Weaver V16s or Weaver V24s if you want some more magnification. Great scopes for the money. Now would be a good time to get a scope because of all the black Friday deals.

I have an older Leupold 4-12X Vari X II AO / Fine Duplex. The only thing I'd change is maybe VH instead of FD or maybe CDS. Don't need it within 100 yards, just put the crosshairs in the middle and squirrels die but once I get to 125 - 150 yards, I start wondering about hold-over.

Tom

I'd give serious consideration to one of the SWFA SS scopes, 6x or 10x. Probably get one within your budget on sale. Accurate adjustments, rock-solid, adjustable parallax. Got one myself as a spare for a couple of Hawkeyes, but a Hummer could appear here without warning and take it over.

This

I have a 3-9x33 EFR on TBolt and 4-12x40 AO on 77/17. 3-9 is small and nice, but I probably like the 4-12 a bit better. Depends a bit on size of the rifle. I also had parallax reset on a 3-9x40 for a 77/22, and that would probably work nice on a 17. You can find pretty nice deals on used like-new Leupold 3-9x40, not so much on the 4-12x40.

I have an older Leupold Mark AR 3x-9x scope on my .17 HMR Ruger American. I bought a custom elevation dial marked for the .17HMR from the Leupold Custom Shop. I can dial the exact range all the way out to 300 yards. It's the bees knees.

I contacted Tract Optics about their BDC 22 scopes and they said to use their ballistics program to run the 17HMR drops for the BDC. They are under $200

https://www.tractoptics.com/products/riflescopes?category=28


22 FIRE 4-12x40 BDC
ZERO:
100 4.0X 5.0X 6.0X 7.0X 8.0X 9.0X 10.0X 11.0X 12.0X
197 179 165 155 147 140 135 130 125
283 255 235 220 207 197 189 180 174
352 318 292 272 257 243 232 222 214
428 385 353 330 310 293 280 268 258
511 460 422 392 368 348 332 318 305
LOAD: 17 HMR Rimfire - 20gn XTP - MV: 2375fps BC: 0.125
CONDITIONS: Temp:59 - Altitude:0 - BP:29.92 - Humidity:78

Ran 50yd numbers for fun.

22 FIRE 4-12x40 BDC
ZERO:
50 4.0X 5.0X 6.0X 7.0X 8.0X 9.0X 10.0X 11.0X 12.0X
187 169 155 144 135 127 120 116 111
277 249 229 212 199 187 179 170 164
347 312 287 267 250 237 225 215 205
423 382 348 325 305 288 273 262 252
508 457 418 388 363 343 327 313 300
LOAD: 17 HMR Rimfire - 20gn XTP - MV: 2375fps BC: 0.125

Thanks tk.

Hawke makes models specifically for all the rimfire rounds, even the Mach 2.

I had forgotten about Hawke optics.

Mine see service wasting sage rats each summer...

so I slum along with a Weaver 6 x 24 V series on the Ruger 77
and a 4 x 16 Trashco on the Marlin.....

Oh yeah, the Hawke Vantage series would be a good value.

I think I’m going with the Hawke vantage 4-16 with side focus. Will see what kind of deals are available tomorrow.

My brother and I use the Minox 3 x 9 BDC on a couple of 17 HMR

I put the same scope on my T1x that I have on my big game rifles. Leupold VX2 3-9x40 CDS.







P

Taking your price range into consideration.....another vote for the Weaver V16 .

no idea why you wouldnt get a black friday SWFA w free rings. 6x is extra versatile, but you can have 10x, 12x, 16x, or even 20x! the world is your oyster for $259

Super Chicken 10x Mil quad. Love it.

For The original posters intended use, I think they would be better served with either a variable power scope or a 6x max fixed but I could be interpreting their intended use wrong.

I'll vote for that one as well. I recently ran across one at a local gunshop and it was surprisingly low priced for what it is. I'm using it on a 22-250 at the moment, but can see where it would work great on a 17HMR.

6x MQ by lightyears...but it's FUNNY to watch you gals try.

Hint................

My M77/17 .17 HMR wears a Leupold M8 12x40 with duplex reticle, paid $225 for the scope on this board a couple years ago. Wouldn't change a thing, though there are some prairie dog towns that wish I would.

A 6x MQ has more moves on the windshield,than the Reupold 12x does in entirety. Hint.

Also boasts VASTLY superior parallax. Hint.

I'll save zero retention,tracking and erector travel for later.

Hint............................