HMR Ammunition inconsistencies?

[Gav 1,708]

I've had no bother with mice since getting mine

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

After another cleaning session I think I’ve managed to get it back to something like. Shot a couple of five shot groups, 100 yards resting on a bag on the bonnet, very light breeze. Should it be doing better or is this about average as I’ve got used to better accuracy using centrefire and might be expecting too much now from the hmr?

[Deker 3,478]

This is the best I've done at 100 with the HMR, put this up before, it was a while back now.

Good day, right conditions, I would expect sub 1" without too much effort!

 

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

24 minutes ago, Deker said:

This is the best I've done at 100 with the HMR, put this up before, it was a while back now.

Good day, right conditions, I would expect sub 1" without too much effort!

 

Thanks deker, I’ve still got room for improvement thenthought I’d done better before with this rifle. It’s better results than last week, but I’d don’t know if I can get the barrel any cleaner. Maybe it is the ammo?

[Deker 3,478]

1 minute ago, Rimfireboy! said:

Thanks deker, I’ve still got room for improvement thenthought I’d done better before with this rifle. It’s better results than last week, but I’d don’t know if I can get the barrel any cleaner. Maybe it is the ammo?

Like I said, that's my best, it doesn't happen like that every time, but I wouldn't be to happy if I couldn't get sub 1" consistently!

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

3 minutes ago, Deker said:

Like I said, that's my best, it doesn't happen like that every time, but I wouldn't be to happy if I couldn't get sub 1" consistently!

My thoughts exactly, just checking that I wasn’t expecting too much

[Longshanx 833]

Did you try a few shots at 50yrds? 

I tend to to start at 50 then move it out to the 100 mark and usually only takes a few clicks to get a tight group. 

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

4 hours ago, Longshanx said:

Did you try a few shots at 50yrds? 

I tend to to start at 50 then move it out to the 100 mark and usually only takes a few clicks to get a tight group. 

Started at 60 yards last week but only managed 3/4 inch at best. After more barrel cleaning I managed the 100 yards five shot groups above. I’m reading on tinternet about 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards, and then other reviews suggesting 7 out of 10 inside an inch with 3 flyers being the hmr standard. I’ll carry on with it for a while, see how it goes, but I’m considering giving up on the calibre. Not sure yet due to mixed reviews and expectations.

[Deker 3,478]

Had a pal with a HMR who cleaned it and then moaned about its accuracy, this was several years back!

So I told him to clean it and when he was happy with his cleaning give it to me...….this was the result of me cleaning his already clean barrel, I took the pics to show him!

Top, right to left, bottom left to right, with a scrub between each patch!  The HMR is a tiny little calibre that needs careful attention and thorough cleaning.

I am not suggesting for a minute you are not cleaning it properly, there could well be other issues with the ammo, crown, moderator etc, but it does need careful and thorough cleaning, and don't forget the chamber especially where the bolt claws fit!

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

17 minutes ago, Deker said:

Had a pal with a HMR who cleaned it and then moaned about its accuracy, this was several years back!

So I told him to clean it and when he was happy with his cleaning give it to me...….this was the result of me cleaning his already clean barrel, I took the pics to show him!

Top, right to left, bottom left to right, with a scrub between each patch!  The HMR is a tiny little calibre that needs careful attention and thorough cleaning.

I am not suggesting for a minute you are not cleaning it properly, there could well be other issues with the ammo, crown, moderator etc, but it does need careful and thorough cleaning, and don't forget the chamber especially where the bolt claws fit!

Thanks deker. I’ve used a brush and patched it out, then brush, then patches over and over until there’s  nothing more coming out on the patches. Took me hours. It’s improved, but not as good as I’d hoped. Flyers tend to spoil the group size every time.

[Meece 1,958]

8 hours ago, Longshanx said:

 usually only takes a few clicks to get a tight group. 

Altering the scope will move the point of impact of bullets on the target in relation to the bull  but it won't make the bullets form a tighter group.

I've found that if I clean the barrel of my target rifle it takes about 50 Rounds to settle back down to shooting one hole groups . Could be that you're  changing ammo and cleaning it too much and not letting it settle down. Years ago when l started target a bloke used to come shooting at the club and nearly every week shot  maximum scores. I asked him about his gun and cleaning. He told me that he'd never cleaned the barrel. He'd only had it 17 years !  Ive had mine now 30 years and only cleaned it a couple of times and every time it has taken about 50 rounds through it to settle back down. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Meece

[goldfinger 135]

I had a similar problem with a CZ .22 eventually checked the barrel for free floating and found it was making contact with the stock and not free floating, a bit sandpaper and patience soon put as it should be and hey - presto the groups tightened up a treat. 

[Davetyler 26]

Hi i havent been shooting the 17 for that long, i have noticed however that it can be a fussy little thing on ammo. Bought 500 hornady when first bought the gun. Zero near perfect. Ran low on ammo so bought another 200 hornady, went out with it week later couldnt hit a barn door at 100 yards. Re zerod it with that box and shot perfect with the rest of the 200. Came back to my old ammo and was shooting a foot away. Rezero and perfect ever since. 

Just shows how fussy these are even with the same ammo never mind different named ammo thats out there. Best thing ive found, stick to one make, quick rezero on new batch number and your good to go.  

Another is wind can blow these around quite a lot at 100 yards plus 

[Deker 3,478]

2 hours ago, Davetyler said:

Hi i havent been shooting the 17 for that long, i have noticed however that it can be a fussy little thing on ammo. Bought 500 hornady when first bought the gun. Zero near perfect. Ran low on ammo so bought another 200 hornady, went out with it week later couldnt hit a barn door at 100 yards. Re zerod it with that box and shot perfect with the rest of the 200. Came back to my old ammo and was shooting a foot away. Rezero and perfect ever since. 

Just shows how fussy these are even with the same ammo never mind different named ammo thats out there. Best thing ive found, stick to one make, quick rezero on new batch number and your good to go.  

Another is wind can blow these around quite a lot at 100 yards plus 

It took my brand new HMR a while to settle down and different (same type) ammo did perform differently.  I am pretty confident I had the first HMR CZ Silhouette sold in the UK.

After a while, when the barrel was nicely settled/shot in, and using up part boxes, it became evident that the difference was negligible/virtually impossible to see!

I used just about every make available at the time, that was when a few companies made the stuff, I believe it is just CCI and Winchester now.

I use the Hornady 17g V-Max almost exclusively these days and have done as long as I can recall, they all work a treat, re-zeroing is down to daily use/knocks etc, not ammo batch changes in my experience.

Obviously the odd bad batch will turn up but I haven't had any yet!  This of course is ignoring the well known inherent HMR ammo issues.

The HMR does have a reputation for being susceptible to the wind, which it is, but I never understand this as it is LESS wind effected than .22lr, and you next to never hear anyone complaining about that in the wind!

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

I shot a group at 75 yards with .22 for a bit of a comparison to how .17 is shooting at the moment. This reinforced to me that the .17 isn’t shooting as well as it should for whatever reason. I can only try more cleaning and try again. If it’s no better, I think it’ll have to go