The 4 Best Scopes for .17 HMR Savage Rifles — Reviews 2023

best scope for 17 hmr savage

Photo by Michael B. / CC BY

The Savage .17 HMR is an immensely popular bolt action rimfire rifle, chambered in a round fast growing in popularity. The Savage rifle is a lightweight, accurate, and easy to shoot rifle with very little need to improve. However, a good optic can aid in improved accuracy, and can really allow the rifle to be used at its max effective ranges.

The Savage rifle is very light and therefore should be topped with a light optic. Too heavy of an optic can make the weapon unbalanced and decrease accuracy. The optic should also be dependable. These rimfire rifles tend to be so sweet to shoot that they are often shot much more than a centerfire rifle. This means the rifle and scope are going to be put to the test. Here are the best scopes for .17 HMR Savage rifles.

BSA Sweet .17

The BSA Sweet .17 garners its name from the fact it was designed for the .17 HMR round. The BSA Sweet .17 fits perfect on the Savage Arms .17 HMR rifle and is designed to work in tangent with bolt action rifles. The scope leaves enough room for the hand to utilize the bolt without issue. The Sweet .17 features a bullet drop compensator, which is designed to calculate the drop of a .17 HMR round over a long distance. This removes the complicated math and technique necessary to make accurate long-range shots.

Bullet drop compensators work by using a specific bullet with a specific weight, and a particular barrel length, in this case, it’s a 17 grain .17 HMR bullet with a 21-inch barrel. The Savage .17 HMR base model is equipped with the perfect length barrel to utilize the bullet drop compensator.

The BSA Sweet .17 is a variable power optic with a magnification between 3-12 power, with a nice 40 mm objective lens. The scope provides a crisp and clear sight picture, and on top the Savage .17 HMR is dead on accurate. The BSA Sweet .17 is also a budget priced optic and one of the best scopes for .17 HMR Savages for sure.

Scope Setups For The 17 HMR

Simmons ProTarget TruPlex 3-12x 40mm with .17LR Turrets

The Simmons ProTarget riflescope in its rimfire configuration is one of the best variable optics on the market. The ProTarget rimfire is designed to be used with .22 LR and .17 HMR. All you have to do is swap the turrets based on the caliber you are shooting. It’s easy to do and doesn’t require any gunsmithing. As long as you can follow instructions, you can figure it out. Tossing in the .17 HMR turrets makes this a good contender for your Savage 17 HMR.

The ProTarget has multi coated lenses for clear and consistent picture and really helps with light transmission. What also helps is the 40mm objective lens, which gives you a bright and clear picture on top of a wide field of view. The ProTarget uses fingertip adjustable turrets and you do get different sets with the scope. This means dialing in the scope is easy to do, and the shooter doesn’t have to break position to do so.

The ProTarget has a 3 to 12 power magnification. This is a well thought range for a rimfire round. Typically, these aren’t long range rounds so what’s the point of the 12x setting? Well, typically, you are shooting at small targets, so the ability to zoom in and see that target is important. It’s hard to hit a prairie dog if you can’t see it. If you are plinking for fun, you can dial it down to a lower magnification. It’s an excellent scope for any .17 HMR and works wonderfully with the Savage 17 HMR.

Simmons Protarget Rifle Scopes

Nikon P-Tactical Rimfire 2-7×32

Few companies in the optic’s realm cover such a massive amount of different optics that Nikon lays down. From cameras to rifle scopes, Nikon builds a little bit of everything, and their rifle optics line is extensive!

The Nikon P-Tactical is one of the hundreds of options out there that Nikon produces. When we are talking about the .17 HMR, the Nikon P-Tactical Rimfire fits extremely well. It recognizes what the .17 HMR can do, and they built an optic around that. The Nikon P-Tactical is a small optic, it’s lightweight, which keeps your 17 HMR rifle nice and light as well.

The optic packs a 2-7 power scope, which recognizes the fact the .17 HMR isn’t made for long-range firepower. It’s a close range round that’s often used for small, quick moving game, or small targets at moderate ranges. The 2 to 7 power magnification level is perfect for both of these tasks. From hunting squirrels to blasting tin cans, the Nikon P-Rimfire optic has you covered.

The Nikon P-Tactical optic also uses its glass that’s arsenic- and lead-free. The lenses are coated with multiple layers of reflective coatings. This helps you see further, and capture light as the sun sets. The turrets make ¼ MOA adjustments and are fingertip adjustable. The Nikon P-Tactical is an excellent optic and well suited for the 17 HMR.

Nikon P-22 2-7x32mm Scope Review

Vortex Optics Crossfire

Built by the same company behind the famed Vortex Spitfire, the Crossfire is its little brother. Designed for rimfire rifle rounds like the .17 HMR, the Vortex Crossfire is perfect on the Savage Arms .17 HMR. The scope is just as tough and as dependable as its older brother, the Spitfire, but scaled back a bit for the rimfire crowd. The Vortex Crossfire is as tough as a rimfire optic gets.

The Vortex Optics Crossfire (see full specs) is a 1-4x power optic, which is a good amount of magnification for a round designed for 300 yards and under. The Vortex Crossfire would be perfect if you were planning to take the .17 HMR hunting for varmint, like prairie dogs or squirrels. The low-powered magnification allows you to focus on a target and keep a look out of your peripheral vision open for potential new targets.

The reticle is illuminated V brite reticle for easy use regardless of the light outside. The Vortex Crossfire is a one piece of aluminum chassis, for increased durability, and overall strength. I would dare to say the optic is overbuilt, and would is tough enough for some higher calibers. The one piece chassis helps with improved accuracy, and better quality visuals, as well as keeping the optic waterproof. The Crossfire is the optic I would suggest for hunting with the Savage .17 HMR, it combines all the right features. This is the best scope for .17 HMR Savage if you want it tough as a tank.

Vortex Crossfire II 1-4x24 Scope

Conclusion

The Savage .17 HMR needs a scope it can depend on, one that fill the role of plinker or hunting rifle. The Savage rifle, in general, is an excellent rifle, and should be topped with a scope that should be equally excellent. We hope you’ve found the best scope for .17 HMR Savage rifles here. Good luck!

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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One response

  1. I’m going to agree that the .17 HMR is a great round, I use mine in a Savage A17 with a BSA Sweet 17 4-9x. Swapped out the trigger for a JARD and can easily pick off ground squirrels at 170 yards with a bipod shooting stick. It would be nice if the glass was a touch clearer for old eyes but… it gets the job done.

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