Ballistics by Cartridge

.17 HMR Ballistics Chart

Drop, wind drift, velocity and energy for the loads .17 HMR actually shoots — solved by a real trajectory engine, not copied from a box.

Muzzle velocity
2550 fps
Bullet
17 gr, G1 0.125
Drop at 300 yd
35.2" (3.3 MRAD)
Ballistics chart: drop, wind drift, velocity and energy by range (100 yard zero)
RangeDrop (in)MOAMRADWind 10 mph (in)Velocity (fps)Energy (ft-lb)TOF (s)
50 yd0.00.04 DOWN0.01 DOWN-0.822121850.06
100 yd0.00.00 UP0.00 UP-3.319021370.14
150 yd-2.41.56 UP0.45 UP-8.01621990.22
200 yd-8.23.93 UP1.14 UP-15.31379720.32
250 yd-18.67.11 UP2.07 UP-25.71187530.44
300 yd-35.211.19 UP3.26 UP-39.01055420.57
350 yd-59.516.23 UP4.72 UP-54.8969350.72
400 yd-93.122.23 UP6.47 UP-72.7904310.88
450 yd-137.329.14 UP8.48 UP-92.5851271.05
500 yd-193.636.97 UP10.75 UP-114.1804241.24

Solved at standard sea-level atmosphere (59°F, 29.92 inHg) with a 100 yard zero, 1.75" sight height and a 10 mph full-value crosswind. Drop is relative to your zero.

Quick answer

With a 100 yd zero, a 17 gr V-MAX .17 HMR load (17 gr, 2550 fps) drops 2.4" at 150 yd, 18.6" at 250 yd and 193.6" at 500 yd. Change the load or zero above to see your own numbers.

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.17 HMR trajectory

50100150200250300350400450500Range (yd)-195-130-65065Drop (in)

The .17 HMR drives a tiny 17 grain polymer-tipped bullet at 2,550 fps, giving rimfire shooters a flat 150 yard trajectory before wind and drag catch up with the light projectile.

Zero at 100 yards and you are within half an inch of line of sight from 35 to 110 yards — ideal for small varmints, though wind drift grows fast past 125 yards.

Ballistics charts for other cartridges

Frequently asked questions

With a 17 gr V-MAX load at 2550 fps and a 100 yard zero, a .17 HMR drops about 35.2 inches at 300 yards (11.2 MOA / 3.3 MRAD), and about 8.2 inches at 200 yards. The full chart above covers every range and load.

A typical 17 gr V-MAX load leaves the muzzle at 2550 fps with 246 ft-lbs of energy. At 300 yards it is still moving 1055 fps and carrying 42 ft-lbs. These figures are solved from the load data, not copied from a box chart.

A steady 10 mph full-value crosswind pushes the 17 gr V-MAX load about -39.0 inches at 300 yards. Wind drift grows faster than drop with distance, which is why wind reading matters more than memorizing holdover.

This 17 gr V-MAX load stays supersonic to at least 200 yards under standard conditions. Accuracy degrades through the transonic band (roughly 1,340 fps), so treat that as the practical ceiling for predictable precision. Terminal effectiveness on game depends on the energy column above — most hunters watch for 1,000 ft-lbs on deer-class animals.

Your barrel length, actual muzzle velocity, and the day’s density altitude all shift the solution. These tables use standard sea-level atmosphere and published velocities. Chronograph your load, solve for your real conditions, and true the result against actual impacts — the Atlas Ballistics app does all three.

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