Most Accurate .17 HMR Load?

[woodchukhntr]

I've been shooting the Hornady 17 gr. plastic-tipped and a box of their 20 gr. hollow points with good results, about 3/4" @ 100 yd. from both a Ruger 77/17 and a Contender Carbine.  I just picked up a couple of boxes of the CCI 17 gr. hollow points at $9.00 close-out at Wal-mart and sighted-in with them, but haven't really tried shooting for groups.  How are the rest of you doing?  What's your favorite load?

[ShottieMan]

I have a Savage that shoots the Hornady 17 gr. V-max the best. Anything else and groups open up!

Only ammo I haven't tried yet is the Remmy ammo.

[huntersmurf]

Your gun may like different ammo than my gun likes. My Marlin 917V likes the CCI TNT 17gr and 20gr hp ammo, the 20gr has given the tightest group but the 17gr is more consistant.

[victorcharlie]

My 93R17 BVSS likes the Hornady V-max 17 grain.

[LaOtto222]

I have a Ruger 77/17 and I shot the 17 grain plastic tipped bullets out of it and got such good results that I have not tried any thing else.

Here is a target I shot a few weeks ago. It is typical, and I have shot better ones on a calm day. It will shoot CCI, Federal and Hornady the same, time after time. This is why I have not even tried any thing else.

[bscman]

The 17gr plastic tips seem to be best in my marlin HMR...
But I dont' get too hung up on brands. They are all loaded by the same company, no matter the brand. Furthermore, I find more variation in group size based on lot numbers than I do from brand to brand.

So for me, it's whatever is cheapest.
Usually the Federals for $10...

[woodchukhntr]

Do you know who loads them?

[Graybeard]

Do you know who loads them?

CCI loads ALL of them offered by US companies.

[Ladobe]

Two of my 17 Hummers shoot the 17 gr. V-Max (Hornady) and the 17 gr. Speer TNT's (CCI) so close to the same POI that I don't have to change my scopes or my aim.   Did try Remington and Federal ammo too, but there was no need to look further for these two Hummers.   In the third Hummer I've only shot the 17 TNT's, which it also shoots very well, so again I just settled with what works.   I no longer post what the groups I've shot were - don't want to listen to the ridicule.

As suggested each Hummer will dictate which load and lot it likes.   But if bug hole groups are your goal, once you find what it likes you also need to buy your ammo in large quantities of the same lot.   Same with the 17HM2 rimfire ammo, although the two of the three of mine that I've shot so far really like the same ammo from the same lot.   I bought a ton of the preferred loads/lots of both HMR and HM2 ammo, so I am good to go for many years with all of my 17 cal rimfires.