Rimfire Central Firearm Forum banner

Anyone shot the new CCI VNT 17 HMR ammo yet?

23K views 30 replies 18 participants last post by  alhansen321 
#1 ·
Has anyone shot much of this new CCI VNT Tipped 17 HMR ammo yet and if so how does it shoot and what are your thoughts of it???

I see Cabelas has it on sale for $9.99 and I almost picked up a couple boxes today while I was there but ended up passing on it. I don't really need any because I still have 3-4 cases of the Hornady 17 HMR ammo I need to shoot up and I don't want to start mix and matching this stuff and get all messed up on my POI with different ammo.

I see it shoots 100 fps faster like the CCI A17 ammo does. I think Eric has shot some of it and I'm hoping some of you here have as well and we can get a few different opinions on this stuff.
 
#3 ·
Interesting how this different ammo shoots different in everyone's guns. I've always had pretty good luck with the Hornady stuff shooting well in all my 17 HMR's and like I mentioned above, I've got quite a bit of it stock piled, but I'm always open to something better.

I finally got around to putting more than just a handful of rounds through my Savage HB A17 last week and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it shot the Hornady ammo. It shot that Hornady ammo well under MOA at 100 yards.
 
#7 ·
I fired my VNT (lot # M07Y302) today for the first time, and like Keith, the results were terrible -- perhaps the worst I've ever seen from any 17HMR ammo I've tried. Maybe it was a bad lot. Keith -- Is yours the same lot#?

https://www.firearms4less.com/images/vnt_vs_tnt_1.jpg

https://www.firearms4less.com/images/vnt_vs_tnt_2.jpg

I was going to chrono it, but the accuracy was so bad that I didn't bother as I'm not using it if it was not at least as accurate as my go-to -- CCI TNT.

CZ 455 Varmint precision trainer w/ factory CZ 17HMR barrel (18.5" threaded for suppressor)

The circled number is the order in which I fired the group. VNT, then TNT, then VNT, then TNT.

50 yards:

VNT

0.675
0.762
0.645
0.620 (*see note below)
0.695
*avg w/o flyer on 4th group: 0.679"
avg w/ flyer on 4th group: 1.35"

Have a look at photos linked to above. One shot was over 3" away from the group.

TNT
.425
.295
.538
.278
.320
avg: 0.371"

100 yards:

For grins, I wanted to see what the VNT would do at 100 yards. I shot one group. Point of aim was center diamond. ONLY TWO SHOTS MADE IT ON PAPER. There seemed to be a different sound/report with some of the shots... maybe they were grossly over (or under) powered.

I immediately shot the lower right group with TNT -- measuring 0.92" -- about what I've been getting.
 
#9 ·
VNT 17 did not shoot well

I obtained a couple boxes of CCI VNT lot MO7Y302. Test fired at 100 yards in a very serious manner with bags and repeatedly shot groups while alternating between TNT, TNT Green, A17, etc. Shot 5 and 10 shot groups over and over. TNT, for example, shot groups of 1.250" to .800" but VNT shot all over the target. VNT fliers were extreme. A 2" or more group @ 100 yards was about the norm with VNT if I did not count fliers but the fliers would be extreme and I could not even find some of the shots on the paper. The VNT ammo shot the worse groups compared to the other CCI products I shot.

I was really surprised and disappointed. Was hoping, just like most of us, that the VNT would be the next level of improved accuracy. At least for me, it was not.

Shot Savage B17 with 4x16 Weaver.
 
#11 ·
If you'll notice in the photos of the paper targets in my previous post -- the holes with the TNT is noticeably 'cleaner' than the one with the VNT. The VNT produced more ragged holes. I'm not sure what to make of that but I doubt it's due to the tip of the bullet (i.e., one being plastic and one being an HP).

Perhaps the VNT bullet is wobbling/yawing some. That might explain the poor accuracy.
 
#14 ·
hoping, just like most of us, that the VNT would be the next level of improved accuracy. At least for me, it was not.

Why is this not a surprise? :rolleyes:
It's 17hmr being manufactured by CCI.
Pretty much the same results as all the rest of their rimfire products. :eek:

Yet again, I reiterate, buy or borrow a ballistic chronograph.
Use it when shooting for precision or testing any ammunition.
It helps to explain all that vertical spread and lack of quality control on the CCI line.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I have a chronograph. I use it. There is no "match" grade 17 HMR ammo -- but I've tested tons of it from all the manufacturers/labels, and the best accuracy I've found is with CCI TNT -- as have many others have here. CCI is the best accuracy I have found with 17HMR (TNT -- not VNT). So while CCI is not making match grade ammo -- they are, in fact, making the most accurate 17 HMR ammo (in my experience).
 
#16 ·
Considering there are only 2 manufacturers of 17 hmr, Winchester and CCI
and CCI makes the 17 hmr sold under the Federal, Remington and Hornady labels
so CCI pretty much makes most all of the 17 hmr ammo sold and so yes
CCI does make the most accurate 17 hmr ammo...:rolleyes: :D
 
#19 · (Edited)
Yesterday I walked that rifle out to line up a groundhog. I noticed the action was loose in the stock! Snugged them up. Embarrassing to post that fact, but I should test again.

ETA: I got dead calm this evening before sunset. Snuck out for some 6PPC testing and ran 8 groups of HMR while I let that barrel cool. This time the wind was zero and the stock screws were tight.

This time the VNT went .713 MOA average and the Federal TNT went .588 MOA.

David
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Very small sample size.
Yes indeed. I don't shoot this very often so it is what it is.
Not trying to hijack your thread on the new CCI VNT 17 HMR ammo, but in testing all your various 17 HMR ammo types, in all the different rifles . . . are you experiencing any split cases? I contend that my recent experience with so many split cases "might" be a cause of 1-2 flyers in a group thus causing my frustration with the 17 HMR.

Maybe I'm way off base, but I will be doing more detailed testing including chronograph the shots and checking each round for splits.

Also how many shots between cleanings?

I have not shot any of the new CCI VNT 17 HMR ammo as yet.
I didn't dig for splits this time as it was getting dark, but I would say I get a few splits per 50.

Can't remenber the last time I cleaned this one so at least 100 rounds ago, maybe twice that.
 
#27 ·
Not trying to hijack your thread on the new CCI VNT 17 HMR ammo, but in testing all your various 17 HMR ammo types, in all the different rifles . . . are you experiencing any split cases? I contend that my recent experience with so many split cases "might" be a cause of 1-2 flyers in a group thus causing my frustration with the 17 HMR.

Maybe I'm way off base, but I will be doing more detailed testing including chronograph the shots and checking each round for splits.

Also how many shots between cleanings?

I have not shot any of the new CCI VNT 17 HMR ammo as yet.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top