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Zeroing 17 HMR

woodchuckjohnwoodchuckjohn Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
edited December 2013 in Ask the Experts
Sighting in targets instructions for zeroing 22 long rifle call for one inch high at 15 yards and that should put a bullet on target at 100 yards. What is the theory for the 17 HMR?

Comments

  • TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
  • woodchuckjohnwoodchuckjohn Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Great chart, I will copy and keep it in my shooting bag. 175 yadrs zero looks fine to me. 3 inches high at 100 and 3 inches low at 200 yards. Easy to remember. Belly hold or head hold on chucks. Be fun zeroing it in. Thank you for that.
  • yoshmysteryoshmyster Member Posts: 20,985 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sure up and down will be easy enough but side to side? Unless it's dead calm. I figure that .17 will be blown around something whicked.
  • TRAP55TRAP55 Member Posts: 8,270 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    WCJ, use Google and search ".17 HMR Bullet Drop Chart" and clk on "Images". There's a bunch there for the different brands and bullet weights.
    What Yosh said, they don't do well in a crosswind, and you need a clean bore. I clean every 50rnds on my Marlin. No wind and a clean bore, they shoot like a lazer. The ballistic tips seem to be more accurate and explosive, than the hollow points do.
    Bigger scope the better, at least 16X+. With no recoil, you can watch the red mist.[:)]
  • woodchuckjohnwoodchuckjohn Member Posts: 207 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was thinking Marlin, how about that.
  • beantownshootahbeantownshootah Member Posts: 12,776 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by woodchuckjohn
    Sighting in targets instructions for zeroing 22 long rifle call for one inch high at 15 yards and that should put a bullet on target at 100 yards.
    I guess you could sight them in that way. . .if you intended to shoot your .22 mostly at 100 yards.

    The issue here is that regular .22s are slow and tend to drop off considerably after about 70 yds. So if you're dead zero at 100, you're potentially going to be several inches high at shorter ranges of about 75 or so and may need to compensate with significant hold UNDER.

    Obviously, this comes down to what type of ammo you're using, usual distances you're shooting, and personal preference, but generally for 22LR rifles, I like to sight mine dead zero at 50 yards. With cheapie bulk pack HV ammo that will put them a hair high at 25 yards and about 2" low at 75 yards, basically meaning minimal holdover/under from muzzle to about 75 yards, which is where the majority of the shooting takes place. At 100 yds they'll be 5" low, but I'm usually not trying to hit anything that far with a .22 with extreme precision.

    Some people like to zero 22LR at 25 yards, and then the rounds will be about an inch high at 50, but close to zero again at 75. That's valid too.

    For a .17, the trajectory is different but the same general approach applies, I think. Ultimately things will probably work easiest if the gun is zeroed not too far from the distance you shoot it the most.

    If you're typically taking shots at the 150-200 yard mark, then a 175 yd zero makes perfect sense. But if those shots are more unusual than usual, I'd reconsider the zero a bit.

    Personally, I don't even own a .17, but looking at the chart above, if I did, I think I'd be zeroing it at about 125 yards. That would put the bullet within an inch of line of sight from muzzle up to 125 yards, and only drop about 2" at 150. At 175yds drop would be 4" and I'd expect a tiny bit of holdover. Longer than that, and I think I'd call it a day!

    Again, personal preference comes into play here, but my preference is to have a flat trajectory out to "normal" ranges, and then worry about holdover at what I consider LONG ranges. I think I'd go "cuckoo" if my shots were hitting 3" above point of aim at 75 yards with a .17 rimfire.
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