Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which is the most accurate rimfire cartridge?

Like the title says, which is the most accurate rimfire cartridge? Just curious what others have noticed when shooting groups.

17 HMR in my experience.

GreggH

With a capable rifle and ammo that it likes, it is hard to argue against the .22 LR.

The said, every 17HM2 that I've had has been exceptioally accurate with Eley/Remington ammo and less accurate with CCI/Hornady.

If you take away the human factor, rimfire accuracy often comes down to the ammo you're shooting.

I probably lucked into my Tradewinds 311A because the previous owner only shot inexpensive ammo and this is a rifle that does its best work with mid-grade and higher ammo. 3 MOA with bulk ammo, sub-MOA with a variety of Eley, Lapua, RWS, and Wolf.

I'd say a 22 LR. Their are some very accurate rifles made for it, along with some very accurate ammo.

.17hmr

When the HM2 came out some years back, there was a good deal of fuss made about it being the most accurate RF, and Eley was making ammo for it sold under their brand and IIRC, Remington. That ammo is still highly regarded, and in demand by fans, but is no longer being made. I had a good bit of various brands purchased for a Kimber 1911 conversion, but sold it all after selling that unit.

A few years ago, Whittaker had a special run of RARs in HM2 made up and I eagerly bought one, but the accuracy was no better than a decent .22 with the ammo I could get; random, unexplained flyers just like ordinary .22s have, so I sold it. My guess is that the ammo wasn’t up to the old standard, and therefore the round was of no interest to me. Some squirrel hunters swear by it, and they can have my share. If I ever venture that way again, it’ll be a Hummer, but I don’t see that happening unless I get bored and pick up a barrel for my CZ455 SS.

Look to the match shooters if you want to answer the question. Benchrest rimfire is won with Eley and Lapua .22 Long Rifle rimfire ammo, not .17 HMR or anything else.

My experience mirror’s yours.

I have always wanted to try the17 HM2. Too bad there aren’t many options.

Do they allow the 17 HMR in these competitions?

I have owned and used a Cooper 57 and an Anschutz 64 in 22 LR and used Lapua and Eley ammo. I hate to say it but my Marlin heavy barrel in 17 HMR shot better groups at 50 and 100 yards.

I can’t talk about this without saying there is match accuracy and hunting accuracy. Match being a known set range with wind flags and hunting estimated ranges and wag’s on the wind. (well, maybe not wild guesses but…)

Matches really come down to the ammo and what you’re willing to spend (on ammo and guns). The 22rf has the highest quality and priced *modern* ammo made and I believe the most accurate. Now, if you’re talking accuracy vs cost, I have some Eley 17M2 that will outshoot any 22 rimfire ammo. I paid $3.00 per 50rnd box and the high dollar Eley or Lapua was probably $15-$18 per 50 when I bought the M2 ammo. But, that’s an entirely different argument and my guns and my budget, everyone is going to have different opinions.

Now, if you’re talking hunting accuracy where you’re estimating yardages, doping the wind and such, hands down I think it’s the 17 HMR followed by the 17M2. The HMR’s are just freaking amazing… It’s one bandwagon I wish I’d jumped on but never did and now ammo prices are just stupid so I’m not going there. That and I have a .17 Fireball so I don’t “need” a 17 HMR.

For general use it’s the .17HMR.

The real answer is .22LR in the proper rifle. Talking Vudoo, Anschutz, and the like. Ammo is Lapua or Eley. This accuracy only works out to about 100 yards. After that…….see above.

What size groups are you accustom to with the .17 HMR beyond 100 yards?

Probably the 17's are more accurate, all ammunition considered, or averaged. The 22LR's accuracy range is much broader, from bughole to washtub.

Bruce

Exactly.

The 17 HM2 got off to a great start because Eley was making match grade ammo and selling it at mid-level prices. When Eley stopped making 17 HM2 ammo for themselves and for Remington, the accuracy of most rifles dropped off noticeably 'cause the CCI/Hornady ammo has never been as accurate as the Eley/Remington in any of my 17 HM2 rifles. I still have a couple thousand rounds of Eley/Remington that I use sparingly for hunting fox squirrels and shoot the CCL/Hornady in non-hunting situations. The Hornady 15.5 grain NTX ammo is the least acurate 17 HM2 ammo that I've shot from any rifle, little more than plinking grade IME.

I have one of the Whittaker non-cataloged 17 HM2s and it is probably the second least accurate of the 15 or so that I've owned. The Anschutz 1502 is the most accuate, but the Marlins 917M2s are a close second and the heavy barrel Savage Mark IIs are capable of shooting sub-MOA groups with Eley/Remington ammo. The Remington 504 is accurate, but takes more concentration than the Anschutz. With the right ammo, the 17 HM2 is noticeably easier to kill squirrels with beyond 50 yards than any .22 LR that I've owned. It isn't difficult to kill squirrels at 100 yards with a good rifle, scope, ammo, and a solid rest.

The Ruger was cheap, $250? Still, if the ammo currently available was good, I’d consider another, either hunt down one of the older ones you mention, or even a Shilen for my 455. As it is, I’ll stick with .22s.

Wise of you to “squirrel away” a bunch of the good stuff while the gettin’ was good.

I tried to read through your post, but I sure as hell wouldn't buy a 17HM2. Just sayin...

Centerfire Systems in Versailles, KY, closed out the Remington 17HM2 that was made by Eley for around $2.50 per box, so I bought 100 or so boxes to ensure that I'd have ammo to feed my rifles. I have also bought a few thousand rounds of Hornady when it has been on sale. The guys in the 17 Mach2 forum on RFC keep a pretty close watch out for ammo sales and give the diehards a heads up when ammo is both available and on sale. I bought 1K rounds of the 15.5 grain NTX because it was cheap, but the accuracy is so poor compared to even the CCI/Hornady 17 grain ammo, that it is really only useful for tearing apart empty cans and such.

One of the things that I enjoy doing at the range during the late summer is to put up a large dayglo pink target board and shoot the grasshoppers that settle on it at 100 yards. Now you see it, now there is a splatter mark and a small hole in the target board. Biodegradable natural targets that place and replace themselves for free, what could be better?

I don't recommend the 17 HM2 to anyone since the Eley/Remington ammo has become so scarce and expensive. After all, what good is an accurate rifle that you can't buy or make accurate ammo for?

EDIT: I received my RAR in 17 HM2 from Whittaker's in 10/19 and booked it in for $334 delivered to my front steps. The 17 HM2 is a great tree squirrel cartridge if you have a supply of Eley/Remington ammo. Everybody knows that rimfires are almost always ammo sensitive and the lack of accurate ammo, in most rifles that I've shot, made it a flash in the pan cartridge. Like many others, it is a useful niche cartridge that just never caught on with the majority of the shooting sports public.