What Is the Best Zero Distance for a .17 HMR?
Zero at 100 yards; 125 for a varmint rifle that reaches 150.
Zero a .17 HMR at 100 yards, or at 125 if it is a dedicated varmint rifle that reaches 150. With a 17gr V-Max at 2,550 fps and a scope 1.5" over the bore, the 100-yard zero peaks a third of an inch high and stays within 2" of the crosshair to 142 yards; the 125-yard zero peaks 0.9" and stretches that window to 157 yards at the cost of shooting 0.8" high at 100. A 150-yard zero reaches 174 yards but rides 1.8" high through the middle, which is a lot on a ground squirrel. Whichever you pick, the number that limits the .17 HMR is in the wind column: 8" of drift at 150 yards in a 10 mph crosswind, three times the drop with a 100-yard zero.
Figures on this page: Hornady Varmint Express .17 HMR 17gr V-Max, 17gr G1 .125 at 2,550 fps, Bolt action, standard scope rings, 1.5" over bore, standard conditions. Source: Hornady published velocity and G1 ballistic coefficient, verified 2026-09-13.
Side-by-Side Comparison
17gr G1 .125 at 2,550 fps, 1.5" over bore (bolt action, standard scope rings).
| 100-yd zero | 125-yd zero | 150-yd zero | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near zero | 43 yd | 33 yd | 26 yd |
| Far zero | 100 yd | 125 yd | 150 yd |
| Max ordinate | +0.3" | +0.9" | +1.8" |
| Max ordinate distance | 72 yd | 81 yd | 92 yd |
| Hold-dead-on window (4" vital zone, ±2") | 0–142 yd | 0–157 yd | 0–174 yd |
| Sight in at 50 yd | +0.2" (+0.3 MOA) | +0.5" (+1.0 MOA) | +1.0" (+1.9 MOA) |
| Drop at 100 yd | +0.0" | +0.8" | +1.7" |
| Drop at 150 yd | -2.6" | -1.4" | +0.0" |
| Energy at 100 yd | 137 ft-lb | 137 ft-lb | 137 ft-lb |
How to read it: filled circles are the near and far zero, where the bullet's path crosses the line of sight;the triangle is the peak (max ordinate). The shaded band is the 4" vital zone, ±2" either side of the line of sight. The dashed line marks the edge of the hold-dead-on window. The chart is zoomed to where the zero matters; the tables below run to 200 yards.
Key terms
- Near zero
- Where the bullet first climbs up through the line of sight. It starts below the sight, because the sight sits above the barrel.
- Far zero
- Where it falls back down through the line of sight. A "200-yard zero" is the far zero; the near zero comes with it.
- Max ordinate
- The highest the bullet gets above the line of sight, between the two crossings. This is what makes a zero shoot high in the middle.
- Point blank range (MPBR)
- The zero that keeps the whole arc inside a vital zone for the longest distance, so you can aim at the centre and hold dead-on.
The 100-Yard Zero
How it performs
Hornady Varmint Express .17 HMR 17gr V-Max zeroed at 100 yards with 1.5" of sight height crosses the line of sight at 43 and 100 yards, peaks +0.3" at 72 yards, and stays inside a 4" vital zone (±2") from 0 to 142 yards. At 100 yards it is +0.0". At 150 yards it is -2.6".
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -1.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,550 | 246 | 0.0 |
| 25 | -0.5" | -1.81 | -0.53 | 2,377 | 213 | 0.2 |
| 50 | +0.2" | +0.29 | +0.09 | 2,212 | 185 | 0.8 |
| 75 | +0.3" | +0.43 | +0.13 | 2,053 | 159 | 1.8 |
| 100 | +0.0" | +0.01 | 0.00 | 1,901 | 137 | 3.3 |
| 125 | -0.9" | -0.71 | -0.21 | 1,757 | 117 | 5.4 |
| 150 | -2.6" | -1.63 | -0.47 | 1,621 | 99 | 8.0 |
| 175 | -5.0" | -2.74 | -0.80 | 1,495 | 84 | 11.3 |
| 200 | -8.5" | -4.04 | -1.18 | 1,379 | 72 | 15.4 |
17gr G1 .125 at 2,550 fps, 1.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. Source: Hornady published velocity and G1 ballistic coefficient, verified 2026-09-13.
Who it's for
Most .17 HMR rifles. Zeroed at 100 with a 1.5" scope the 17gr V-Max crosses the line of sight at 43 and 100 yards, peaks 0.34" at 72, is 2.6" low at 150 and 8.5" low at 200. The bullet stays within 2" of the crosshair from the muzzle to 142 yards, which covers a ground-squirrel colony with one hold, and the 100-yard zero is the one every published HMR chart assumes.
The 125-Yard Zero
How it performs
Hornady Varmint Express .17 HMR 17gr V-Max zeroed at 125 yards with 1.5" of sight height crosses the line of sight at 33 and 125 yards, peaks +0.9" at 81 yards, and stays inside a 4" vital zone (±2") from 0 to 157 yards. At 100 yards it is +0.8". At 150 yards it is -1.4".
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -1.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,550 | 246 | 0.0 |
| 25 | -0.3" | -1.09 | -0.32 | 2,377 | 213 | 0.2 |
| 50 | +0.5" | +1.01 | +0.29 | 2,212 | 185 | 0.8 |
| 75 | +0.9" | +1.15 | +0.33 | 2,053 | 159 | 1.8 |
| 100 | +0.8" | +0.73 | +0.21 | 1,901 | 137 | 3.3 |
| 125 | +0.0" | +0.01 | 0.00 | 1,757 | 117 | 5.4 |
| 150 | -1.4" | -0.91 | -0.27 | 1,621 | 99 | 8.0 |
| 175 | -3.7" | -2.02 | -0.59 | 1,495 | 84 | 11.3 |
| 200 | -7.0" | -3.32 | -0.97 | 1,379 | 72 | 15.4 |
17gr G1 .125 at 2,550 fps, 1.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. Source: Hornady published velocity and G1 ballistic coefficient, verified 2026-09-13.
Who it's for
The varmint rifle that works a field out to 150. Zeroed at 125 the bullet is 0.8" high at 100, peaks 0.9" at 81 yards, is 1.4" low at 150 and 7" low at 200; the 2" window runs to 157 yards. It is close to the maximum point blank range zero for a 2" zone (128 yards), so it is the longest single hold you can set for a prairie-dog-sized target without going over on the near ones.
The 150-Yard Zero
How it performs
Hornady Varmint Express .17 HMR 17gr V-Max zeroed at 150 yards with 1.5" of sight height crosses the line of sight at 26 and 150 yards, peaks +1.8" at 92 yards, and stays inside a 4" vital zone (±2") from 0 to 174 yards. At 100 yards it is +1.7". At 150 yards it is +0.0".
| Range (yd) | Drop (in) | Drop (MOA) | Drop (MIL) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Wind drift, 10 mph (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | -1.5" | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,550 | 246 | 0.0 |
| 25 | 0.0" | -0.17 | -0.05 | 2,377 | 213 | 0.2 |
| 50 | +1.0" | +1.93 | +0.56 | 2,212 | 185 | 0.8 |
| 75 | +1.6" | +2.07 | +0.60 | 2,053 | 159 | 1.8 |
| 100 | +1.7" | +1.65 | +0.48 | 1,901 | 137 | 3.3 |
| 125 | +1.2" | +0.94 | +0.27 | 1,757 | 117 | 5.4 |
| 150 | +0.0" | +0.01 | 0.00 | 1,621 | 99 | 8.0 |
| 175 | -2.0" | -1.10 | -0.32 | 1,495 | 84 | 11.3 |
| 200 | -5.0" | -2.40 | -0.70 | 1,379 | 72 | 15.4 |
17gr G1 .125 at 2,550 fps, 1.5" sight height over bore, standard conditions (59°F, sea level), 10 mph full-value crosswind. Positive drop is above the line of sight. Source: Hornady published velocity and G1 ballistic coefficient, verified 2026-09-13.
Who it's for
Shooters whose targets are coyote-sized rather than squirrel-sized, or who dial and want zero to sit at a common stage distance. Zeroed at 150 the bullet is 1.7" high at 100, peaks 1.8" at 92 yards, dead-on at 150 and 5" low at 200. The 2" window reaches 174 yards, but the 1.8" peak is most of a ground squirrel.
Why Sight Height Changes the Answer
With iron sights or a low-mounted red dot 0.8" over the bore, the 100-yard zero's near zero moves from 43 yards in to 24, its peak rises from 0.34" to 0.57" and the 2" window shortens from 142 to 138 yards; the 125-yard zero's peak grows from 0.9" to 1.2". Small changes, because a 17gr bullet at 2,550 fps needs very little launch angle to reach either zero.
The more useful lesson is what the taller sight buys you: a scope's extra 0.7" of height lets the bullet ride a longer, lower arc, which is why the scoped rifle's windows are a few yards longer. On an HMR that is worth having, since the whole useful range of the cartridge is inside 175 yards.
| Zero | Sight height | Near zero | Far zero | Max ordinate | Inside the 4" zone (±2") to | Drop at 100 | Drop at 150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 yd | 1.5" — Bolt action, standard scope rings | 43 yd | 100 yd | +0.3" at 72 | 142 yd | +0.0" | -2.6" |
| 100 yd | 0.8" — Lever action or rimfire rifle, iron sights | 24 yd | 100 yd | +0.6" at 63 | 138 yd | +0.0" | -2.9" |
| 125 yd | 1.5" — Bolt action, standard scope rings | 33 yd | 125 yd | +0.9" at 81 | 157 yd | +0.8" | -1.4" |
| 125 yd | 0.8" — Lever action or rimfire rifle, iron sights | 18 yd | 125 yd | +1.2" at 74 | 155 yd | +0.9" | -1.6" |
| 150 yd | 1.5" — Bolt action, standard scope rings | 26 yd | 150 yd | +1.8" at 92 | 174 yd | +1.7" | +0.0" |
| 150 yd | 0.8" — Lever action or rimfire rifle, iron sights | 15 yd | 150 yd | +2.0" at 87 | 173 yd | +2.0" | +0.0" |
How Barrel Length Changes This
Hornady's 2,550 fps is from a 24" test barrel. The 16" to 20" barrels most HMR rifles wear give up 50 to 100 fps, which moves the 100-yard zero's drop at 150 from 2.6" to about 2.9" and shortens the 2" window by a few yards. A 20gr load at 2,375 fps behaves like a slower 17gr: 0.47" peak on a 100-yard zero, 3.1" low at 150, and it goes transonic near 246 yards.
Which Zero Is Wrong for You
The 150-yard zero is wrong for a rifle that shoots ground squirrels and small varmints. Its 1.8" peak at 92 yards is enough to shoot over a squirrel's back, and the extra 30 yards of window it buys are past the distance where wind makes a first-round hit unlikely anyway.
The 100-yard zero is wrong only for the shooter who genuinely works the 125-to-160-yard band with a hold; there the 125-yard zero's extra 15 yards of window are real.
Every zero is wrong if it stands in for reading the wind. At 150 yards a 10 mph crosswind moves this bullet 8", nearly three times the drop; at 200 it is worse. Zero at 100, confirm it on a calm morning, and put the practice into wind calls.
Try It With Your Load
Prefilled with the load above. Change anything and the full calculator solves your trajectory; pick your own sight height from the list.
Loads Used on This Page
- Federal Premium .17 HMR 17gr Hornady V-Max Rimfire Ammo — 17gr, 2530 fps advertised, G1 BC 0.125
- Hornady Varmint Express .17 HMR 17gr V-Max Ammo — 17gr, 2550 fps advertised, G1 BC 0.125
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a .17 HMR drop at 150 and 200 yards?
With a 100-yard zero and a 17gr V-Max at 2,550 fps: 2.6" low at 150 and 8.5" low at 200, at a 1.5" scope height. With a 125-yard zero: 1.4" low at 150 and 7" at 200.
Is 100 or 125 yards the better zero for a .17 HMR?
100 for most rifles and for squirrel-sized targets; 125 for a varmint rifle that reaches 150, where it holds within 2" of the crosshair to 157 yards against 142 for the 100-yard zero.
How far does a .17 HMR drift in the wind?
About 8" at 150 yards and 2.6" at 100 in a 10 mph full-value crosswind with a 17gr bullet. Drift, not drop, is what limits first-round hits past 125 yards.
What is the maximum point blank range of a .17 HMR?
For a 2" zone, zero at about 128 yards and hold dead-on from 10 to 145 yards. For a 4" zone, zero at 156 and hold from the muzzle to 179 yards, with a 17gr load at 2,550 fps.