17 HMR Use

[northmn]

I have a 17 HMR but don't seem to use it much. I see some like the 22 mag for coyotes but I don't feel the 17 is adequate with its small bullets. Could be wrong. Just wondering what some of you use one for as I am thinking about selling it.

DP

[Mk42gunner]

One of my friends had one when he lived in Colorado, he used it for prairie dogs and long range plinking.

Myself, I have never figured out the perfect niche for one around here; we don't have a lot of small varmints, and the 17 HMR seems to me to be too much for squirrels and rabbits meant for the frying pan.

Robert

[Rangefinder]

It'll take a yote quick as a 22 Mag--IF you place it in the CNS. Head or neck shot is an instant lights-out because that tiny bullet is explosive on impact. But it leaves little margin for error and body shots are a bad idea all together. It's a really fun cartridge for whistle-pigs.

[hawgfan]

It'll take a yote quick as a 22 Mag--IF you place it in the CNS. Head or neck shot is an instant lights-out because that tiny bullet is explosive on impact. But it leaves little margin for error and body shots are a bad idea all together. It's a really fun cartridge for whistle-pigs.

that's exactally what I use mine for.

[bangerjim]

My buddy wants one of these so bad he can taste it. But has absolutely NO use for it!!!! Other than wanting it.

After seeing what I can do with a 223, various loads for it, and realizing you cannot reload the HMR and CAN reload the 223, I think I have him won over!

banger

[dale2242]

Wanting one is all the reason one needs to buy one, in my opinion.
That`s why I bought mine. I use it for sage Rats, read Belding Ground Squirrels here. Good to 150 yds and no wind.
It works well on Gray fox with a call.
There is 20 gr FMJs available for shooting rabbits and squirrels you want to eat.....dale

[Randy C]

I would think the 17HMR or 22Mag would be a excellent choice for coyotes with in range the bullets explode on impact, I always wanted a 22-250 for yots. I bought a 243WSSM new in the box from a friend instead I wanted something I could also shoot deer with and retire my Browning Bar 11 safari 308 it was my grandfathers, Its an auto and I don't like chasing my brass.

[owejia]

I bought a Taurus ss pump, looks like a rolling block design ,several years ago to carry with me in the tractor cab, it is short and fits in a corner of the cab, to shoot coyotes when I put out hay in the winter time. Have never got the scope mounted and never carry it. Maybe someday.

[crowbuster]

17 hmr for chipmonks, starlings, blackbirds, pigeons, crows, p.d's,and ground hogs as stated. Right on bout the coyotes. Didsome testing early on and would not penatrate the shoulder of a freshly killed and hanging yote. Them 17's sure are fun

[Uncle R.]

I've long wondered about this same question. I have a CZ .17 HMR and it's very accurate. It will keep 'em all on a dime - easily - at 50 yards. I always figured it was too explosive for squirrels and wondered if it would make a coyote rifle. I have a farmer friend whose place is near overrun with coyotes. He kills several every year just as he goes about his chores. He says the .17 is just too dang light for coyotes and much prefers the .22 magnum. I can't argue with him - he has a lot more experience on 'em than I do.
I've shot a few coyotes over the years but usually with a deer rifle. I did shoot one coyote with a .22 long rifle - dropped him right in his tracks with a shoulder hit at about forty yards but he needed a finisher. I wouldn't claim that makes the long rifle a coyote cartridge, but it did penetrate the shoulder. I've never shot anything but paper with my .17 HMR.
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Uncle R.

[DLCTEX]

My son has one in a Marlin that is really accurate. I used it to take some prairie dogs to 150 yds. The wind will play havoc with the bullet though.

[ravelode]

All I have used mine for (so far) is Sod poodles and ground squirrels it does a great job on both. right now there is zero 22lr in the local stores and cases of .17MHR. Mine is a Marlin plastic stock with a Bushnell 10x40 scope

[Jeff Michel]

I had a CZ in 17HMR right after it came out, put 500 rounds through it and came to the conclusion, perhaps erroneously, that I could do the better with my 22 Magnum with twice the bullet weight at approximately the same speed. I've only seen it really effective on Prairie dogs and a couple groundhogs. A couple years ago on the Cheyenne River, a friend poked a medium badger with a 17 right in the chest at 50 yards. I finished it off at 100 yards with a 77/357 loaded with a 105gr. semi wadcutter. The post-mortem revealed that the 17 didn't penetrate into the chest cavity. The 105 Gr. Lee took out two vertebrate just beneath the skull and penetrated completely. Not too impressed, I think they are "fun" I still have a 17 Mach 2, I limit it's use on starlings and pigeons in the barnyard on real calm days.

[HarryT]

The .17 kills water moccasins instantly (I kill 50 to 60 a year on my property). Much better than a .22 long rifle. I've shot a few beavers with the .17 and have found that it does not penetrate (had to kill the beavers with a .45 acp). The .22 magnum is a better choice for beavers.

[GabbyM]

222 Rem with cast boolits.

With a 50 to 60 grain boolit going 2,300 fps you don't have to worry much about penetration on any varmints.
If you need more quiet. Use a Rem 6 1/2 primer. Since they are the low power compared to the Rem 7 1/2.
With the low charge Unique for your boolit. Or you can load 22 Hornet bullets at Hornet velocity. If you don't want to cast boolits.

I'd actually rather have a 22 caliber air rifle than a 17 HMR.

[AK Caster]

Biggest advantage to the 17 HMR currently is you can basically find ammo for it in any store you walk into. They are usually very accurate but the ammo is pricey. Fantastic for smaller game as it shoots flat and hits em good. But for anything bigger than a rabbit my personal choice would be to grab any of my 22 mags.

[northmn]

Wonder if the cost is not why they are available. Also maybe the popularity. Still it is getting harder to find a 22 mag as the manufacturers seem to think we all want a 17 instead. I picked up a Henry lever in 22 mag and like it. To me the 22 mag is kind of a modern 32-20 or 25-20 while the 17??

DP

[Blanket]

Here is my take on the HMR. It is not a good coyote round for the dogs where I hunt, and a 22 mag is worthless for that as well. Small game to eat it is to destructive. Where a 17 HMR shines is on prairie dogs. It is flat shooting, kills well and the dogs don't dive for cover on the first shot. And yes you can shoot slow quiet cast bullet loads in the CF 22's but they don't shoot flat. My experience in varmint rifles and calibers in guns I own as well as ones I have built are 17M2, 17HMR, 17 Ack Hornet,17MK4, 17-223, 17 REM, 204, 20 Practical, a couple of 20 cal wildcats on the 223 and 221 FB, 22 Hornet, 22 K Hornet, 221 FB, 222, 223, 223 AI, 22-250, 22-250 AI, 220 Swift, and on up. In my opinion an adequate coyote rifle starts with the triple deuce. Flame on. Russ

[rking22]

I had a beautiful 9417. After a year or so decided that it did absolutely nothing better for me, than a 22 LR. If I lived out west with the small varmits I might still have it ,but in Tennessee I found it rather useless. I like subsonic 22s and flint guns for squirrels. Rather costly to shoot and lacking in penatration for bigger varmits. Just my opinion, I know some folks love the little 17.

[Lefty Red]

As a former lover of the 22lr short, I have to say the 17M2 and the 17HMR is a pretty good round. I have seen the 17HMR take larger game, with a lung and heart completely destroyed by the little pill, in the 80-90 pound range.

I never likes much new, but the 17hmr seems to be here to stay. And yes, it doesn't hurt that its the only rimfire on the shelf.

Lefty

[Larry in MT]

I have a 17 HMR but don't seem to use it much. I see some like the 22 mag for coyotes but I don't feel the 17 is adequate with its small bullets. Could be wrong. Just wondering what some of you use one for as I am thinking about selling it.

DP

The 17 HMR is not good for much of anything unless you want to spend the extra ammo $$$$ to use it instead of a 22 Long Rifle.

I have had a heavy Barreled Savage for years and use it very little.

I'll NEVER use it on Prairie Dogs again --- too light for Dogs over 50 yards --- really it's too light for any Dogs except close range Pups.

It's no Coyote gun --- too light.

It IS a GREAT Richardson's (or also Belding's) Ground Squirrel gun ------- but so is my heavily modified 10-22. The 10-22 is much cheaper to feed and I might use 3000 rounds in a single season.

I DO use my HMR when I want to kill something (or a few somethings) no larger than a Ground Squirrel @ 100-150 yards as it is very accurate for a rimfire. Under that distance my 10-22 works just as well and over that my .223s work much better: especially if there is ANY wind.

[220]

I'm a bit the same, plenty of people her in Aus love them for foxes but I have found the 22mag far more reliable with anything other than head shots.
For rabbits I find the 17HM2 does everything the hmr does at almost half the cost.
I've found accuracy no better than 22mag or M2 and if I want the best accuracy I can get in a rimfire then quality 22lr target ammo that costs similar to hmr ammo shoots far better.
If I have a varminting session where ranges are over 150 then the 222 gets used or the swift if I'm really going to do some barrel stretching.
For me it gets caught in the middle does a reasonable job in a number of situations but not really the best tool for any of them.
17WSM might make its life very hard if we see some decent rifles chambered for it.

[GabbyM]

Here is my take on the HMR. It is not a good coyote round for the dogs where I hunt, and a 22 mag is worthless for that as well. Small game to eat it is to destructive. Where a 17 HMR shines is on prairie dogs. It is flat shooting, kills well and the dogs don't dive for cover on the first shot. And yes you can shoot slow quiet cast bullet loads in the CF 22's but they don't shoot flat. My experience in varmint rifles and calibers in guns I own as well as ones I have built are 17M2, 17HMR, 17 Ack Hornet,17MK4, 17-223, 17 REM, 204, 20 Practical, a couple of 20 cal wildcats on the 223 and 221 FB, 22 Hornet, 22 K Hornet, 221 FB, 222, 223, 223 AI, 22-250, 22-250 AI, 220 Swift, and on up. In my opinion an adequate coyote rifle starts with the triple deuce. Flame on. Russ

My daughters Father In Law. Lives up close to you in North east Colorado.
He loves the 17 HMR for PD control. His cattle operation is infested with them. So do I have a good daughter or what? Lol He also does not reload more less cast boolits. He just needs to kill x numbers of rats per year. He’s an avid hunter and enjoys popping rats but doesn’t have time to play around for days loading ammo. Solution is right on the store shelf. 17 HMR.

But how far do they reach out to a rat? My cast 22’s are still dead on at 200 yards with about 3 ½” over a 100 yard zero. IIRC. I’m new at 22 CF cast so haven’t tried them past 200. Wind for sure will blow the slower cast 22 bullet around more. But you are supposed to be able to shoot. At anything over 400 yards, using a 223 full power load, it’s not uncommon on for me to have 12 MOA dialed into my scope windage. That’s where the fun comes. Holding over four to five feet to hit an inch and a half wide target. I’ve this new little triple deuce for cast. Way I look at it is targets will be closer so I won’t need such a huge piece of glass. Then you range, hold and shoot. When calculating level of personal satisfaction. If I was shooting my 243 AI with a 4,000 fps bullet and 24x scope off bags. Or my 222 with simple sights and a 2,300 fps cast bullet. Any shot with the little gun that gave me a big charge would be a bore with the big gun. Big gun cost lots of money. Return on program expense is measured in fun factor.

So another thing. What’s the bore life on a 17 HMR? Round count.

I have to get busy with tillage and planting in spring so don't get to shoot rats anymore. Someday I may get caught up.

[rbertalotto]

I have a few rifles and a TC pistol barrel in 17HMR. Amazing accurate! Under minute of egg at our 100 yard egg shoots is no problem. Out to 200 yards with reading the wind, under 1.5" groups are easily accomplished.

Coyotes with will placed shots are humane with little pelt damage.

Love the 17HMR

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/bore-guide-for-the-17hmr-rifle.html