.17 Rimfires · Volume 10
Cheatsheet
The .17 HM2, .17 HMR and .17 WSM on one page: dimensions, pressures, loads, drop, drift, energy, rifles, cost and the rules
10.1 Cheatsheet
All figures are from the makers’ own pages or boxes and from ANSI/SAAMI Z299.1, read on 19 October 2026. The volume that argues each line is given in brackets.
10.1.1 The cartridges
Table 1 — 10.1 The cartridges
| .17 HM2 (Mach 2) | .17 HMR | .17 WSM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 2004, Hornady (patent filed 2003) | 2002, Hornady | 2013, Winchester with Savage |
| Parent | .22 LR head; CCI Stinger-length case, primed then necked | .22 WMR head and body | A new case |
| Rim × thickness | .278 × .043 in | .294 × .050 in | .333 × .066 in |
| Body | .226 in | .242 in | .269 in |
| Case length (max) | .714 in | 1.064 in | 1.200 in |
| Overall length (max) | 1.000 in | 1.365 in | 1.440–1.590 in |
| Bullet | .1725 in | .1725 in | .1725 in |
| Headspace (chamber) | .043–.051 in | .050–.056 in | .066–.071 in |
| Bore / groove | .168 / .172 in | .168 / .172 in | .168 / .172 in |
| Twist | 1:9 RH test barrel; “optional” on the chamber drawing | same | same |
| SAAMI MAP | 24,000 psi | 26,000 psi | 33,000 psi |
| Test barrel | 24.000 in | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| SAAMI proof recommendation applies? | No (≤ 26,000 psi) | No (exactly 26,000) | Yes, the only rimfire |
[Volumes 2 and 3]
10.1.2 What fits in what
Table 2 — 10.2 What fits in what
| Cartridge | Chambers in | Do not fire it there |
|---|---|---|
| .17 HM2 | a .17 HM2 chamber; also goes fully into a .22 LR sporting chamber | .22 LR rifle |
| .17 HMR | a .17 HMR chamber; also goes fully into a .22 WMR chamber | .22 WMR rifle |
| .17 WSM | a .17 WSM chamber only | — |
| .22 LR / .22 WMR | will not enter a .17 HM2 / .17 HMR chamber (bullet meets the shoulder) | — |
Fire only what is stamped on the barrel. A .22 LR rifle converted to .17 Mach 2 needs every action part approved by its maker for the Mach 2 (CCI). [Volume 3]
10.1.3 The loads
Table 3 — 10.3 The loads
| Cartridge | Load | MV (fps) | 100 yd (fps / ft·lbf) | 200 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .17 HM2 | Hornady 17 gr V-MAX | 2,100 | 1,531 / 88 | 1,133 / 48 |
| .17 HM2 | CCI 17 gr VNT | 2,010 | 1,460 / 80 | — |
| .17 HMR | Hornady 15.5 gr NTX | 2,525 | 1,830 / 115 | 1,291 / 57 |
| .17 HMR | Hornady 17 gr V-MAX | 2,550 | 1,902 / 137 | 1,379 / 72 |
| .17 HMR | Hornady 20 gr XTP | 2,375 | 1,755 / 137 | 1,274 / 72 |
| .17 HMR | CCI 17 gr A17 / VNT | 2,650 | 2,000 / 151; 1,986 / 149 | — |
| .17 HMR | CCI 17 gr V-Max / TNT | 2,550 | 1,915 / 138; 1,757 / 116 | — |
| .17 HMR | CCI 16 gr TNT Green | 2,500 | 1,642 / 96 | — |
| .17 HMR | CCI 20 gr Gamepoint / FMJ | 2,375 | 1,754 / 137; 1,776 / 140 | — |
| .17 HMR | Federal 17 gr V-Max / TNT | 2,530 | 1,884 / 134; 1,804 / 123 | — |
| .17 HMR | Remington 17 gr AccuTip-V / JHP | 2,550 | 1,901 / 136; 1,757 / 116 | — |
| .17 HMR | Remington 20 gr JSP | 2,375 | 1,754 / 137 | — |
| .17 HMR | Winchester 17 gr V-Max; 15.5 gr NTX | 2,550 | not published | — |
| .17 WSM | Winchester 15 gr Varmint X (lead-free) | 3,300 | 2,496 / 207 | 1,821 / 110 |
| .17 WSM | Winchester 20 gr Varmint HV | 3,000 | 2,504 / 278 | 2,058 / 188 |
| .17 WSM | Winchester 25 gr Varmint HE | 2,600 | 2,230 / 276 | 1,892 / 199 |
Hornady’s figures are from a 24-inch test barrel; the others do not state one. [Volume 5]
For the pot or the pelt: CCI 20 gr FMJ (“no expansion”) or Gamepoint (“minimal meat and hide damage”), .17 HMR only. Lead-free: Hornady NTX, Winchester Varmint LF, CCI TNT Green (HMR); Winchester Varmint X (WSM). [Volume 7]
10.1.4 Zero and hold
All the makers’ tables below use a 100-yard zero with the sight 1.5 inches over the bore. That is a sound starting zero for all three: within an inch of the line of sight from 25 to 100 yards, so no hold inside 100.
Table 4 — 10.4 Zero and hold
| 50 yd | 75 yd | 100 yd | 150 yd | 200 yd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .17 HM2, CCI VNT | +0.7 | +0.8 | 0 | — | — |
| .17 HM2, Hornady V-MAX | — | — | 0 | — | −13.8 |
| .17 HMR, CCI A17 | +0.1 | +0.3 | 0 | — | — |
| .17 HMR, Hornady V-MAX | — | — | 0 | — | −8.5 |
| .17 HMR, Winchester 20 gr reference | +0.3 | — | 0 | −3.1 | −9.9 |
| .17 WSM, Winchester 20 gr | −0.2 | — | 0 | −1.2 | −4.1 |
| .17 WSM, Winchester 25 gr | 0 | — | 0 | −1.8 | −5.6 |
Inches; minus is below the line of sight. Verify on paper with your own rifle and lot. [Volume 6]
10.1.5 Wind
10 mph full-value crosswind, inches, makers’ own figures except where marked:
Table 5 — 10 mph full-value crosswind, inches, makers' own figures except where marked
| 100 yd | 150 yd | 200 yd | |
|---|---|---|---|
| .17 WSM 20–25 gr (Winchester) | 1.6–1.7 | 3.8–3.9 | 7.0–7.3 |
| .17 HMR 17 gr polymer tip (Federal, Remington) | 3.2–3.3 | 8.0–8.1 | — |
| .17 HMR 17 gr hollow point (Federal, Remington) | 3.8–4.3 | 9.4–10.5 | — |
| .17 HM2 17 gr (this dive’s calculation from Hornady’s table) | 4.5 | 10.5 | 19.6 |
| .22 WMR 50 gr (Federal) | 4.7 | 10.7 | — |
| .22 LR 40 gr (Federal) | 5.1 | 10.9 | — |
| .22 WMR 30 gr (Federal) | 6.0 | 14.7 | — |
The .17 HMR drifts about a third less than a 50-grain .22 WMR or a 40-grain .22 LR, not half. The fast 30-grain .22 WMR drifts more than the .22 LR. The WSM halves the HMR. [Volume 6]
10.1.6 Barrel length (.17 HMR)
Flat from about 18 to 22 inches; about −1% at 16 in, −5% at 12 in, −10% at 10 in (one barrel cut down, Bullberry data). Box figures are from 24-inch test barrels. [Volume 4]
10.1.7 Semi-automatics
- Do not fire a .17 HMR in a semi-automatic unless its maker says it is built for the cartridge (ammunition makers’ warning, 20 August 2009; still on CCI’s pages).
- Remington recalled its Model 597 in .17 HMR in August 2009: stop using it.
- Hornady, which designed the cartridge, said in September 2009 that the ammunition meets SAAMI standards and the gunmaker decides.
- Savage’s delayed-blowback A17 (2015) and A Series are built for the .17s, with CCI’s A17 load matched to the A17. Savage catalogues semi-automatics in all three cartridges in 2026.
- A bolt, lever or single-shot rifle is outside the question. [Volume 8]
10.1.8 Rifles and cost, October 2026
Table 6 — 10.8 Rifles and cost, October 2026
| Rifles (makers surveyed) | Cost per round | |
|---|---|---|
| .17 HM2 | Savage only: Mark II F and FV (21 in), A Series Magnum (20 in) | 22–26¢ |
| .17 HMR | Savage (34 models), Ruger American Rimfire and Precision Rimfire, CZ 457, Henry lever actions | 28–52¢ |
| .17 WSM | Savage B.MAG ($489–$739), A17 Sporter and A Series; Ruger 77/17 ($1,279–$1,379) | 45–50¢ |
[Volume 9]
10.1.9 Suppressors
All three are supersonic in every load; a can is a comfort device. Use a can whose maker names the cartridge: a .17 HMR rating does not cover the .17 WSM. [Volume 9]
10.1.10 What this dive does not assert
- Who manufactures Hornady’s rimfire ammunition.
- Who wrote the August 2009 warning, or who supplied Remington’s 17 HMR ammunition (a 2011 complaint alleges CCI).
- The outcome of the 2011 class action.
- Any failure mechanism for the 2009 problem beyond reasoning labelled as such.
- That the .17 WSM case is a necked .27 powder-actuated-tool blank (reported, not documented by Winchester).
- Any barrel-length curve for the .17 HM2 or .17 WSM.
- Any spin-failure threshold for .17 bullets.
- Any terminal-performance measurement: none is published by the makers.
- Whether SAAMI’s 2026 reaffirmation changed any figure here.
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