17HMR HELP

[Plenty Coups]

I got a Sportster in 17HMR and groups are around 2" at 50 yards with a Simmons Aetec. Tried the different brands and weights but she needs some assistance to bring up accuracy to where it is capable for 100 yard kills. So where do I begin? So far the Winchester 20 grain rounds work best. Using this ammo, should I free float the forearm or glass bed it? BTW the trigger is VERY good. It is light and crisp with very little creep.

[mechanic]

I'm at a loss, I can't make mine shoot bad no matter what I stuff in it.  Have you rechecked the factory scope base for tightness?  They are prone to be a little loose.  If thats ok, shoot it with the fore stock off, rested on the receiver.  That will give you a clue.
 
I've been told, but don't know for sure that all the 17HMR ammo is made by one company and private labeled.  POI changes with mine for different bullet wts., but accuracy is consistent, about 1/2 MOA.
 
Ben

[8uck5nort]

Try shooting without the forearm installed. That will be the quickest way to tell if you need to bed it. If it shoot good then free float and bead or add do the o-ring/washer fix outlined in the FAQs.
 
I free float and bed all of my rifles regardless. Makes no sense to me not to, but that is my personal preference.
 
Good luck. Mine is very accurate if I do my part. Trigger is a little rougher on mine from the way you describe yours.

[quickdtoo]

I bought my 17hmr Sportster used in 2004 with Japanese Tasco scope for $125, the fella couldn't get decent accuracy with it, he had already epoxied the scope rail, all I did was clean it up, degrease the latch and shelf and put a different scope on it and it shot great, 99.9% of accuracy issues are addresses in the FAQs, if it still won't shoot good, contact H&R and make arrangements to have it repaired, it may have a bad or poorly fitted barrel. 

Tim

[PHATINJUN]

Take and run a patch down it with JB and polish the bbl with about 50 full strokes,then go to clean patches once clean just start shooting it. As long as every thing is tight and the scope is for sure good your groups should start to tighten up. Most HMR bbl's do not like to be clean but they should be smooth.Mine does not start to loose good groups til it is filthy dirty as many as 150-250 round before any of my 17's get cleaned then it takes anywhere from 15 to thirty rounds to start the bug holes again. Don't give up on it .I have yet to see one that didn't shoot good that didn't have factory defect problems. Kurt

[hoytcanon]

I agree with the chubby red guy... JB that sucker... we use a snake... smear the snake up to and including the bristles... then pull from nreach to muzzle ten times... run a clean snake or patch through with bore shine, then repeat with ten more pulls with JB... repeat three times... go shoot and see how it groups... repeat the whole process again if necessary.