Summer Range Doldrums

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Picher

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The last couple of range visits were not pleasing, since the nasty word "mirage" and the other one, "wind" were problematic. Oh, yeah, I could have been part of the problem too. To say the least, most of my .223 groups weren't wonderful, about an inch at 100 yards, but the.17 HMR was "hummin" right along, keeping 100 yard groups within an inch, which is pretty good for a rimfire. The barrel doesn't heat up like the centerfires, either.

The .223 Rem 700 Stainless Light Varmint rifle's flat forend (picture) rides the bags like a champ, but the .223 ADL likes to squirm around a bit, so I have to hold the forend down firmly. 700 LV SS.JPG

When it's hot and humid, groups tend to string horizontally and diagonally for me. I'm also somewhat impatient, since barrels get hot quickly and cool verrrrry slooooowly.

Still, it's better than sitting home watching re-re-reruns of reruns on the TV, I suppose. Still, I'm amazed when I get to the rifle range and am the only person there at 10:00 am...not that I'm complaining, mind you.
 
What 17 HMR ammo have you found to be the most consistent? Have you tried many different types? There are only two different makers of 17 HMR ammo from what I know: CCI and Winchester.

CCI makes: CCI, Federal, Hornady and Remington offerings

Winchester makes: Winchester and Browning offerings

I wish and have suggested to CCI that they make a match grade HMR line with tighter tolerances all around, they said they have no immediate plans but that they’ll pass the information along. Maybe if enough HMR fans email them they’ll get the message. It would be really fun to have some consistent ammo to shoot.
 
The last couple of range visits were not pleasing, since the nasty word "mirage" and the other one, "wind" were problematic. Oh, yeah, I could have been part of the problem too. To say the least, most of my .223 groups weren't wonderful, about an inch at 100 yards, but the.17 HMR was "hummin" right along, keeping 100 yard groups within an inch, which is pretty good for a rimfire. The barrel doesn't heat up like the centerfires, either.

The .223 Rem 700 Stainless Light Varmint rifle's flat forend (picture) rides the bags like a champ, but the .223 ADL likes to squirm around a bit, so I have to hold the forend down firmly.View attachment 848925

When it's hot and humid, groups tend to string horizontally and diagonally for me. I'm also somewhat impatient, since barrels get hot quickly and cool verrrrry slooooowly.

Still, it's better than sitting home watching re-re-reruns of reruns on the TV, I suppose. Still, I'm amazed when I get to the rifle range and am the only person there at 10:00 am...not that I'm complaining, mind you.

I don't know where you are located but by the humid in your post I know it isn't close to me. My solution is to get to the range when I can just see to put up targets without tripping over something and then get set up at the bench. By then there is enough light to see to shoot and the wind is less than later in the day and it's cool. I can usually get in a couple or even three hours of shooting while it's pleasant. Not every trip but enough to make it worth while. By the way I have to leave the house by at least 4:30AM to do that. I can always take a nap in the afternoon after it gets hot.
 
I don't know where you are located but by the humid in your post I know it isn't close to me. My solution is to get to the range when I can just see to put up targets without tripping over something and then get set up at the bench. By then there is enough light to see to shoot and the wind is less than later in the day and it's cool. I can usually get in a couple or even three hours of shooting while it's pleasant. Not every trip but enough to make it worth while. By the way I have to leave the house by at least 4:30AM to do that. I can always take a nap in the afternoon after it gets hot.
I'm in Central Maine, near the State Capital...Augusta. The Club range is open from 9:00 AM to Sunset. I like to shoot there instead of my little range out back because they have a nice cover over it and the flying insects are few, due to the sandy soils.
 
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I'm in Central Maine, near the Capital of Augusta. The Club range is open from 9:00 AM to Sunset. I like to shoot there instead of my little range out back because they have a nice cover over it and the flying insects are few, due to the sandy soils.

What, do you have range officers that don't want to get up early? :D

Our gun club range hours are from one half hour before sunrise until one half hour after sunset supposedly but there is no one there to check. Honor system. We have covers at the rifle range and at all the pistol bays and it's nice feature in the hot summer months. Bugs aren't a problem. It's flat pasture with small rocks all over it. You shoot to the west on the rifle range so late afternoons are difficult because of the sun. I have room for a small range but too many people have bought up everything around and it would be a danger.
 
What 17 HMR ammo have you found to be the most consistent? Have you tried many different types? There are only two different makers of 17 HMR ammo from what I know: CCI and Winchester.

CCI makes: CCI, Federal, Hornady and Remington offerings

Winchester makes: Winchester and Browning offerings

I wish and have suggested to CCI that they make a match grade HMR line with tighter tolerances all around, they said they have no immediate plans but that they’ll pass the information along. Maybe if enough HMR fans email them they’ll get the message. It would be really fun to have some consistent ammo to shoot.
On the latest range outing, I used CCI 17 grain Varmint rounds and they were quite consistent, though Hornady 17 grain ammo has also been very good in my rifle.

Having considerable experience in testing .22LR ammo, it's obvious that it's only consistent within batches (lot numbers), either consistently good...or bad. With expensive rimfire match ammo, it's possible to acquire test batches and order from the batch that shoots best in your rifle(s). However the best lots sell out quickly and one time, after testing 5 batches the day after receiving them, I numbered them in order of accuracy in my BR rifle and called for an order and NONE were available!!! I stopped shooting Rimfire Benchrest soon after that debacle! There were just too many reasons, including the skyrocketing cost of guns/ammo...and difficulty finding great ammo.

Still, I find that .17 HMR ammo seems to be more consistently accurate than .22 WMR at 100 yards; however the trajectory is also flatter out to and beyond 100 yards, so it seems more useful to me in the fields. I was shooting at the 200 meter gongs the other day and it seemed to drop only about a foot from my (1" over at 100) yard scope setting. I wouldn't shoot game or varmints at 200 yards, but out to 130 yards it's within 1" of the crosshairs!!! Big difference from .22LR HV ammo and it hits harder!!! The only negative is that the ammo costs a bit too much for extensive plinking, IMHO.
 
We have started to shoot more and more 22rf, The 17 HMR does, does indeed, give excellent performance. For a cheap rifle my 93R17 Savage is a wonder. On the down side the rounds are too expensive to plink or do long informal paper punching sessions. I keep the little Savage ready for the neighborhood visitation of the Yotes. CCI is my choice of cartridges.

We have a seldom used rimfire only range at the club that is covered and in the shade. Works to allow us to shoot when the weather is gosh-awful otherwise.
 
Way too hot here in TX for my liking. We've been here one year and I've been to an outdoor range twice. Both morning sessions were tolerable but I could definitely tell the difference in shot POI attributed to the hot conditions. All my load development was done in the cooler climate of upstate NY.

I've always been a rifle guy but have purchased 3 handguns since being here. Shooting short range in an indoor air conditioned range is just not the same. But it is comfortable.
 
As Picher said, it has been windy here in New England. I will go to the range Monday when the weather gets better. I enjoy having the range to myself and most weekdays, everybody is at work, and no range officer requirement, means I can shoot all day long with no bother.
 
It's so hot and humid here that I rarely ever go to the range this time of year. When the air temp is mid-90's in the shade (or worse) the barrel never really cools down. Plus it's just not as much fun to shoot in a t-shirt and shorts. LOL We had a very mild spring that allowed me an opportunity to shoot in the upper 70's a few mornings, until about a month ago. Soon I'll have a new 7mm-08 barrel that needs to be broken in, so I'll be up there for that. But breaking in a barrel isn't so bad since the break in process I use takes cleaning time that allows the barrel to cool down and gives me something to do.

Fall can never get here fast enough. I didn't grow up dreaming about summer like most of the songs and movies say. LOL
 
What, do you have range officers that don't want to get up early? :D

Our gun club range hours are from one half hour before sunrise until one half hour after sunset supposedly but there is no one there to check. Honor system. We have covers at the rifle range and at all the pistol bays and it's nice feature in the hot summer months. Bugs aren't a problem. It's flat pasture with small rocks all over it. You shoot to the west on the rifle range so late afternoons are difficult because of the sun. I have room for a small range but too many people have bought up everything around and it would be a danger.
We don't have Range Officers, except for matches. However, we have neighbors who don't like gunfire within a few hundred yards, any earlier in the morning or after sunset. I don't blame them, especially in the summertime, when windows may be open. In years past, those houses were occupied by club members, but they've passed away. (No clue why the folks would ever buy houses next to a gun range.)
 
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