Talk me out of a .17hmr

[michael.birdsley]

I would like to get into more squirrel hunting this winter. Leaves are off the trees all of the vegetation is dead. I have a .22 I picked up for 50 bucks but, needs to be redone. I have a Henry .22wmr which I have about 500 rounds for but, the ammo Midas we'll be gold if you can find them same with regular .22 ammo. Only one local place had .22 ammo for under 5 bucks bought to boxes and felt horrible.
Thinking about either the Marlin or Ruger American in hmr .17 for squirrel ammo is way easier to find and during the depths of the ammo shortage I could always find it. Thoughts.


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[jblee10]

I enjoy the .17hmr for eradicating ground squirrels. I'm using the CCI V Max ammo, and what is left of a ground squirrel shot at 70 yards would not be much to eat. I actually turns them inside out. Maybe a head shot would be OK and there may be better loads for edible small game.

[M-Tecs]

I love the 17 HMR for prairie dogs for under 125 yard shots. I would recommend the CZ 452, 453 or 455 rifles. Ruger has a great magazine but accuracy is hit or miss. The Marlin mag can be an issue. Two friends had them but switched to the CZ do to mag issues.

I am not aware of anyone that went the CZ route that is unhappy with them.

[dverna]

Cheaper to reload almost any CF than buying RF ammo. Reduced loads in a .223 will get the job gone. There are many places to buy bulk jacketed bullets or you can cast as well but cast bullets will not have the accuracy.

[historicfirearms]

My wife bought one earlier this summer. It was one of the Savage rifles with the laminated stock. She bought it because "it is pretty". Whatever, I thought. When we got it home and sighted in the scope, I fell in love with it too. The rifle is hands down the most accurate thing I have ever shot. Now, I'm a reloader to the Nth degree. I didn't think I would enjoy another rimfire, but I have to admit that it is awesome.

[Mk42gunner]

Squirrels aren't all that big, so as long as you hit them right, they don't take a lot of killing. Hit them wrong and all bets are off, (that can be said about a lot of things).

With that said, I don't think a .17 HMR would be a good way to invite a mess of squirrels to the table. By the time the range gets long enough that you won't tear them to pieces, you won't be able to see them bare branches or not. If you did manage to knock one out of a tree, they are hard enough to spot at twenty five to thirty yards once they hit the fallen leaves, let alone seventy five or a hundred yards.

I would either get a halfway decent .22 and a few boxes of shells, or develop some downloaded centerfire rounds (if legal in your state). You don't need to stack bullet holes one on top of the other to bag squirrels, there are about a kazillion .22 rifles that will do the job.

OTOH, if you want a .17, by all means get one.

Robert

[Beagle333]

Plinking loads in a .270 is the way to go. Plenty of brass available and cheap to shoot. There wasn't much left but tail and claws when I'd use a .17 on squirrels. It's fun, if that's what you are after, but for cheap.... reloading cast is the way.
My .02

[shredder]

Ammo is crazy expensive and almost impossible to source up here. Get a .22LR. How is that for talking you out of it?

[M-Tecs]

Does Midsouth ship to Saskatchewan? https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...-max-50-rounds

[MediumCore358]

As stated above I'd avoid another rimfire if I had the choice, but on my last adventure trying to find .22 lr three different Wal-Mart's.had 22mag and 17's but no .22lr...so I don't know lol

[leebuilder]

Shot answer no. I built my own 17HMR, ammo is getting pricy but is fast relatively flat shooting with punch for such a light bullet. Hit a few crows with mine they literally explode. Shredder 17 is getting hard to get out here too.
Be safe

[dkf]

I'd get an .17 hornet instead. You can reload for it and for some reason if you can't get brass, make it out of .22 hornet brass. NOE even makes a mold for the little guy. http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=102_105

[BKS]

I have a Savage with the thumbhole stock and love it. Ive killed fox squirrels at 100 yards in the fall woods.

[Bodydoc447]

I have a Ruger American in .17 HMR and I love it for around the ranch. I don't think it would be ideal for edible game, though.

[HarryT]

As stated, a .17 rimfire will blast a small animal to pieces. You can have a good time hunting small game with a good quality pellet rifle.

[Traffer]

When God invented squirrels, he had a 22 short in mind. Nuff said.

[Greg S]

22 Hornet with mouse fart loads. I don't have to go to 2-3 Wal Marts looking for 22 LR or the more unobtainium rimfires, (22 Mag, 17 HMR, OR 17 M2 which I think is exstinct now). Another nice option is the 221 with Lapua brass available now here in the states. Full house loads with 17-19 gr of powder or download. I'd like to try a 17 but in another crunch, it's really difficult to find bullets unless you make them yourself.

[Jeff Michel]

If you have to get a .17, you may want go the Mach 2 route. The ammo is tough to get as well, which is problematic. I use a .32 S&W Long or a .38 spl with a wadcutter. But in all fairness, I like to eat squirrels. Everything small I've ever shot with an HMR looked like someone backed over it.

[labradigger1]

Hmr is not hard to find.
I bought several bricks of vmax at the flea market a few weeks back for $60 a brick, that's .06 a round!
I always see it on the shelves for around $13 a box of 50.
All hmr ammo is designed to shoot 1 Moa or less.
You would be hard pressed to talk me out of one.

[tazman]

When God invented squirrels, he had a 22 short in mind. Nuff said.

I spent the first 6 years I hunted squirrels using short hollow points. They worked fine, shot accurately, and were very quiet.
I switched over to long rifle hollow points for the extra reach when I became a better shot.