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17 HMR accuracy

257izmycal
I know some of you have worked with the 17 HMR and have right answer, so here goes.
I have an H&R/NEF 17 HMR and I am getting around 2" 5 shot groups at 50 yards. My Taurus Tracker can almost do this good.
I "brush" the barrel and then run a boresnake through it before I shoot the next 5 shot group. The first shot is about 1/4 to the left of the 1" dot and the next shot is about 1" high and 1" to the right and the rest of the shots are about as high and from 1" left to the center of the dot.
Is this typical? I think I am going to sell it at the next gun show and buy a different make and model. Any suggestions? Ruger, Savage, Marlin...
I have seen the posts asking this before and searched for them but did not find the information I wanted.
Please give me your input.

Thanks, 257

You're a statistic whether you want to be or not.
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • 257izmycal
    Using 4 different kinds of 17 HMR ammo, all 17 grain loads,Remington, CCI, Federal and Hornady, I cannot get a decent grouping at 100 yards from my Savage model 93R. The best is a 3.5 inch spread and the worst is 5 inch spread. I shot three shot groups of each kind of ammo for this test. I then thoroughly cleaned the bore and shot a seven shot group with Hornady 17 grain Vmax ammo and the group measured 3.65" at its widest shot. I'm frust rated. Yesterday I shot my Savage 243 and got a .375" group at 100 yards using hand loads......any thoughts?

    wcj
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  • duckhunter
    ANY OF THE THREE , RUGER, MARLIN, SAVAGE, ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THE "CZ" GREAT GUN WITH THE BEST TRIGGER. 3/$ INCH 100 YARDS. GOOD LUCK

    I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.
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  • Rafter-S
    Could the problem be in your scope? What brand is it? Also, is everything tight, such as scope in rings, and mounts on barrel?

    Have you tried another scope and got the same degree of accuracy?

    Rafter-S
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  • groundhog devastation
    257, Cleaning or not cleaning shouldn't really affect the grouping on this one. I have shot a few of the NEF's and most have been good shooters. "varminthunter" from this forum had a real pickle of one though!!! He sent it back to the factory twice and finally either gave it away or sold I reckon! I tried to diagnose his problem and we came up with the problem being that the machining of the hinge pin was off enough to cause the accuracy problems he was getting! Anyway, he got a Marlin VS and his problem got cured!!! GHD
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  • Kdub
    The CZ and the Marlins seem to be the most quoted as good accurate rifles.

    I have a Ruger 77/22 that came with a .22WMR barrel. Replaced that barrel with a Green Mountain fluted heavy barrel, glass bedded the action and free floated the barrel channel. Installed a BSA Platnium 8x36x44 scope and it will shoot sub-MOA groups all day long, providing the crosswinds don't exceed 5 MPH. Any wind deflection and you can forget about the little 17 grain bullet staying in any sort of a group.

    Keep off the Ridgeline
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  • 257izmycal
    It is not the scope. I tried 2 different Burris scopes just in case it was the scope. Every thing was tight. I tried 4 different sighting sessions including scope and base checks. It just won't group. I also tried all three types of ammo with basically the same result.

    257

    You're a statistic whether you want to be or not.
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  • allechalley
    Sounds like you may have gotten a "dud". Only thing I can think of is to maybe check the muzzle crown real close. Nothing says who you bought it from, who shipped it or the factory maybe dropped, ect. I would imagine it wouldn't take much of a ding in this caliber to really screw things up.
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  • Rafter-S
    You might eventually get the gun to group like you want...and again, it may be shooting as good as it ever will. It won't be worth the hassle--in fact, you have already put more effort into the project than it is worth. Dump the NEF and go with a Marlin or Ruger. And stay with the good scopes like your Burris or Leupold.

    Rafter-S
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  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by 257izmycal
    I know some of you have worked with the 17 HMR and have right answer, so here goes.
    I have an H&R/NEF 17 HMR and I am getting around 2" 5 shot groups at 50 yards. My Taurus Tracker can almost do this good.
    I "brush" the barrel and then run a boresnake through it before I shoot the next 5 shot group. The first shot is about 1/4 to the left of the 1" dot and the next shot is about 1" high and 1" to the right and the rest of the shots are about as high and from 1" left to the center of the dot.
    Is this typical? I think I am going to sell it at the next gun show and buy a different make and model. Any suggestions? Ruger, Savage, Marlin...
    I have seen the posts asking this before and searched for them but did not find the information I wanted.
    Please give me your input.

    Thanks, 257

    You're a statistic whether you want to be or not.


    Was it it that none of you fellows mention the most accurate 17 HMR on the market[?] Why not try one of these - http://www.winchester-guns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=095&cat=002C

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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  • R-C-NO
    sorry if it does not awnser your question but my nef 17HMR is knocking over clay targets at 200 and 250 yards on a regular basis. I have not yet had a prob with it at all . My question to you is what are you using for a rest? and have you tried differant ammo makers?I know useing CCI hollow points I got the same results you get. When I shot out to 250 yards with Hornady V-MAX I have no prob at all.Now a dealer in Louisiana told me he just recived the first shipment of Fedrel prem. in 17HMR. And as soon as I get some from him will try it out.
    I can tell you however(and i'm sure you know this) You take a chance of getting a lemon no matter who you go with. I say buy the 10/22 mag and a 17HMR bbl and build your own cost will not be much more than any factory
    gun and you KNOW what you have when done.[:D]
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  • Rafter-S
    Nearly any under performing barrel can be made to shoot well...if you have the wherewithall to mess with it enough. May require lapping for smoothing...or lapping in a choke. May require recrowning, may require lots of different combinations of handloads, or may require all of the above. But the point is: most barrels have the potential of shooting tight groups. Some barrels come from the factory shooting well. If you are lucky you get one of those. Some barrels come from the factory not shooting so well. If you are unlucky you get one of those.

    Just because some guy says his xyz gun shoots 1/4" groups don't mean you can go buy an xyz gun and shoot 1/4" groups. Don't work that way.

    Unless you have lots of time, patience and money, I suggest you consider buying another rifle and taking your chances again. Marlins are notorious for shooting well--same with Rugers. But that's not to say you won't get the one that doesn't. From what I can pick up, NEF's are notorious for most of them shooting average...with a few shooting well.

    So with that, do what you think you need to. But if were me, someone else would own the NEF rifle.

    My humble 2.5 cents worth,
    Rafter-S
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