Does anyone use .17HMR for any specific purpose?

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Aaron Terry

My stepfather uses one for shooting squirrels, says there is not much left and very accurate, I think the rifle is a Mossburg. He does not eat the squirrels (a vegetarian but they tear up his property he tells me that the hollow points don't seem to recochet like a .22lr.

It's accurate as can be, compared to the standard rimfire, and the .22 Mag. It uses high quality Nosler BT bullets, a real plus.

Very flat trajectory, for a rimfire, very easy to get good hits at twice + the yardage of the .22 Mag.

Marginal on coyotes, unless you really place the shots. Has worked well for me, a GREAT little cartridge.

My CZ will put them in 3/4", or less, at 100 yards. You will NOT, as a general rule, get that accuracy from the others.

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NRA Instructor

Curmudgeon Alert!--- I think it is a solution to a nonexistent problem. I have rimfire benchrester friends who love it, and in some guns, it can be more accurate than a .22 WMR, but other than that, .22 WMR will do everything better, at longer ranges. My plain-Jane 10-22Magnum will group WW Supreme loads inside an inch at 100 yards, and it has no mods except a scope and a Volquartsen trigger kit. I've whacked prairie dogs out a little past 200 yards with it, easily. As far as coyotes, I consider both .17HMR and .22 WMR to be insufficient.

Needless warning. We all know already.

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All Rights Reserved

I have a taurus tracker revolver 17hmr with a 8 3/8" barrel. I use it for racoons. It's very accuarte and I like the 2550 fps.
spricks

My hunting partners and I use the HMR for ground squirrels and short range prairie rats. We also use the Mach 2 on the squirrels. The main advantage to either one is flatter trajectory than the RF or the Mag. The Mach 2 isn't much of a killer, however, and doesn't seem to be very popular.

AS A RULE, either .17 is more accurate than a RF or a Mag. Cost is the main negative factor with the .17s.

My understanding is that regardless of packaging, all of the US branded .17 ammo is made by CCI, using bullets made by HORNADY.

Good shooting.

Well, Shaun, one of the above posters has seen fit to send me a tacky private message, calling me names and accusing me of being rude, despite my tongue-in-cheek "warning." It must be tough, having no sense of humor. Regardless, to whomever might have been offended by my post above, whether you sent me a nastygram or not, I apologize. Part of what makes this country great is that we have so many choices and a well-protected right to our own opinions. If somebody loves their 17 HMR, whether I do or not, I'd fight for your right to have and express your own opinion, whether I agree with it or not.

"...3/4", or less, at 100 yards."

I got a 6-inch group at 100 yards from a bench rest with a Benjamin Model 347 .177 that I've had since I was a kid. Does that count?

I've got a Savage .17HMR and a S&W 647 .17HMR revolver. They're both stupid-accurate and flat shooting. That little pill pretty much turns a squirrel inside-out... so if you're planning to eat them, stick to a .22. I use them for squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and if presented the opportunity would be comfortable using them on a fox or coyote at reasonable ranges.

I don't know if it was a solution looking for a problem initially, but I like mine, and wouldn't be inclined to give them up!

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Some try to make life miserable for the rest of us because they want to share their own miserable existance.

As far as the 17HMR, I also had a Taurus Tracker but got rid of it. Ammo is too expensive and the Taurus had issues. Also had a Savage with the Accu Trigger. A lot of fun. But I agree the 22WMR is just as good. These days a plain ole 10/22 with Stingers works just fine. So does Aguila Colibri.

I am glad to see this thread. I just took my 17HMR Marlin out the other day to fine tune the scope. I use a BSA Sweet 17 on it. I am sure others use much better glass, but I keep my HMR inside of 150 yds.

At 100 yds I was not shooting at the x ring. I was shooting at the ring numbers, and hitting them with consistency off of a bipod. I have never seen that kind of accuracy from any .22 that is in the same price range as a plinker Marlin.

As far as using it on small furry mammals, the operative word is small. I would not use it on anything over the size of a fox unless I had an absolute accurate shot, such as putting it in the eye or ear of a 'yote. It will take a gopher (ground squirrel) and put its insides on the outside just about every time. That is why I bought mine, for the gophers in Montana and Alberta.

It does a number on flying rats (pigeons) and crows also.

Yes, the ammo is more expensive than a .22, but I bought about 5K rounds a few years ago, so I am happy with using it as my primary small animal plinker.

bob

My Savage 17 is equipped with a SWR Spectre silencer, a BSA Sweet 17 scope, and it scares the bejesus outta the tree rats around my house. I know the 17 is supersonic, but the can makes it a bit quieter on my 5 acres.
Hitting a squirrel sounds like a watermelon falling off a 5 story building, and they drop right where they were sitting....
I really like my 17.....I like my 22's as well, but my 17 has first duty for whacking tree rats around my place

si--------

No worries here, but thanks. Too much of actual importance about which to worry these days, anyway!

I have a Savage 17hmr with the BSA Sweet 17 scope, extremely accurate. I have shot a number of coyotes and fox with it, head shots only. I also have a Marlin 22mag, I can't even remember how many varmits and crows have been shot with his rifle. I think the 17 might be a flatter shooting gun, but I usually find myself carrying the 22mag most of the time. I would recommend either caliber!! Joe

My ranch manager swears by the 17. He says it raises pure havoc on prairie dogs.

He should know, he and other shooters killed about 15,000 this summer on the ranch.

Iggy,

Does he need any help this year. I have a 17HMR, 220 Swift, 22-250 , 223 and a 243. Can you guess what type of shooting I enjoy most?

bob

Couldn't agree more.

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Sure you did

Yup, we can use a little help now and then.
There are a couple of guys from this forum that shoot PD's out here, and a couple more making plans to do so this summer.
A pair of brothers from AZ spend a week out here every year. One year the two of them killed 4000 themselves.

We have 45,000 acres and there are still a few PD's left over from last year.

We do have a very strict limit policy however, You can't leave until you have killed at least 100.

A well known handgun stock maker, the manager of a well known gun powder company, and the president of a well known single shot pistol company have been known to collaborate on new guns, wild cat cartridges etc. and use Antelope hunting as the excuse to come out to the ranch each year.

One guy provides the actions, another makes some exotic pistol stocks for the guns and the other guy develops some the appropriate cartridges, and these guys come out and play with the resultant combination's just to get out of Dodge.

They usually have scraped down their antelope by noon of opening day with loooooong range pistol shots.

Then they get down to serious business. One year they came with a suburban full of guns and a U-haul trailer of ammo.

They killed 7000 dogs in a week.

So, yeh, we could probably find some shooting for you if you were so inclined.

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Sure you did

I use a flintlock. It's cheaper!!

38-44 HD45 and carmel10512, I used to say it was an answer to a question that didn't need to be asked, then I bought one on a whim. I got the heavy barrel, thumbhole stocked, accutrigger model on sale at Dick's. Got rid of the cheap 3x9 that came on it and put on a little better quality 6x20 target scope. With the Hornady 17 gr. ammo it will shoot under a 1/2" at 100 yds. all day if there is no wind. I get the Hornady ammo for $10.50 a box locally.

I'm still not sure it has a specific purpose, but it is a lot of fun to shoot. Paintballs at 100 yds. every time. Paintballs at 150 yds. almost every time.

It is devestating on groundhogs in the back yard, I'm talking 50 yds. and under. Yeah I know a 22 would kill them at that range, I've killed a lot there with an older Marlin 22, but the damage the 17 does is amazing.

If nothing else it is a fun gun to shoot and I quess that is reason enough for me !

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Big Fred