.17 HMR why
why would anyone want or want to make a .17 HMR especially when you have a .22 magnum or hornet.
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I totally agree.
Jim Kammerer0 -
rimfire vs centerfire
comparing apples to oranges
imay not know it all.....but at least I know that!0 -
Duh, because it sells. Need has nothing to do with it. 0 -
Check out the ballistic difference in a .22 mag and the .17 mag at 100 yards. I thing the best way to look at it is: Why do manufactures make 7MM bolts and 8mm bolts? They are so darn close but for a few situations one does slightly better than the other. Personally, I have 0ne .17HMR (Marlin 17VS) and several .22 mags. If I am going on a 3 day prarie dog hunt there is no doubt which rifle I am taking. The 17 HMR. Try it you might like it!
Worry is the interest humans pay on the debt of miscalculation.0 -
gunzforever, interesting question and I think I have some good answers for you.
I am fans of both the 17HMR and the .22WMR so I can say I'm not biased to one over the other. They both have good qualities and are great fun to shoot. The .22WMR tends to have a slight edge in range and killing power because it uses 40 grain bullets compared to 17-20 grain bullets for the 17HMR. The 17 starts out at a much faster velocity though (2550fps vs 1900fps) and this appeals to a lot of people. The additional velocity makes the 17HMR very flat shooting. Problem is, that velocity drops off rapidly beyond 100 yards.
When I was growing up in Ohio, I hunted groundhogs with a .22WMR and
I still think that this is the best caliber for the job. Larger centerfire cartridges would have been unwelcome where I hunted.
Now that I live in Arizona the main object of my walkabout hunts is the pesky ground squirrel. These small rodents damage the local agriculture and farmers here are grateful to have them eliminated. The 17HMR is the hot ticket for this because shots are not usually over 75 yards and the high velocity and minimal ricochet of the 17 are real advantages. The .22 WMR tends to sail on through these small animals and the limited penetration of the 17 HMR has allowed me to hunt on at least one farmers land where another cartridge would have been unwelcome. Because of the close proximity to his horses and mules, this farmer allows very few guns to be used on his property.
I have a T/C Contender carbine with barrels for both, so I could easily switch from one to the other. Where I am now, I'll take the 17HMR.0 -
I don't have either at this point, but I'd like to have a 17 HMR for squirrel hunting. It seems like it would be great for doing head shots out to 150 yards or so. 0 -
I sold my 22 Mag and bought into the 17HMR craze. I was very disappointed in it. At 50 yards, when you hit a prairie dog center of mass, the rodent would fall over and kick his legs for a minute or two. The bullet rarely exited and did not cause much splat. The same hit with a 22 Mag at 50 yards and the prairie dog would do a somersault and there would be a nice exit wound and entrails all over the place. The 22 Mag is superior, especially with the higher velocity ammo like the Winchester Supreme JHP black box, 34 grain bullet going about 2100 FPS.
Needless to say, I am back shooting the 22 Mag and sold my 17HMR. The HMR had a very slight edge in accuracy, but I was not using it for target shooting, I was using it for rodent control and it did not do the job like the 22WMR.
Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof!
[IMG][/img][IMG][/img]0 -
You are ignorant of the facts, velocities and trojectories are much better with the 17hmr.
Keep the Faith0 -
As I stated in my post, it all depends on the critter that I'm hunting at the time. Each has its advantages. The 17HMR is better for small ground squirrels because of it's flat trajectory and slight edge in accuracy. These very small animals dont take much killing.
The .22WMR is superior for woodchucks and larger varmints because of its penetration and range. If my only quarry were prarie dogs like Chris8161, of course, the .22WMR would be my choice because a little more power is required to anchor them, especially at ranges over 100 yards. It all depends on what you are hunting and what terrain you are in.
gunslinger2005, IMHO you would be very happy with a quality 17HMR for squirrels. It seems almost perfect for them.[:D]0 -
Rogmatt, who are you referring to? Sure the 17HMR is faster and flatter...but in the real world...on prairie dogs...the 22Mag wins!
Chris8161
Admit nothing, deny everything, demand proof![IMG][/img][IMG][/img]0 -
I don't know about P-dogs but on possum at about 100 yards the 17 wins hands down ,, 1 round of 17 thru the ribs and Mr. possum is down for the count with a 22 mag it take 2 or 3 hits to do the same 0 -
If you squirrel hunt and then there is that one squirrel 75 yards away or better, after you have made the head shot, you will under stand. When the 17 HMR first came out I thought my self what is the purpose of this round, so that pushed me over the edge to get a rifle in that caliber to see what it was like,BEST squirrel rifle I have ever had in over 40 years squirrel hunting. 0 -
Chris8161,
My experience with .22 mag and .17 HMR are exactly opposite of yours. I made kills at 225 and 200 paces and had entrails all over the ground, With .22 mag they just fell over and kicked.
We ran thru 500 rounds of .17 on P-dogs with good results but I went back to my Hornets because of ammo expense.
A friend, however, sold his .17 and went back to .22 mag after .17 bullet blew up on a turkey's feathers.
Keep Your Powder Dry
NRA Life Member
The only criminal class that is native to the United States is congress.
MARK TWAIN0 -
the correct answer is ""because it sells""
a good friday/weekend to all,
mallard0 -
The ironic thing is that neither the .22Mag nor the .17HMR can hold a candle to the obsolete Remington 5MM Magnum. I have all three of the calibers in various manufacturers. I took a Ruger 77 bull barrel in .17HMR, a Browning A bolt in .22Mag and one of my trusty Remington 5MM Mags, a model 591, to the range. The 5MM outshoots the .22M abd .17HMR at 25, 50, 100 and 125 yards HANDS DOWN. I hunted small game for years with the 5MM and neither of the other 2 calibers even come close to the stopping/quick kill abilities of the 5MM. That is why I consider this "ironic". You are right, whatever will catch the eye, and pocketbook, of the consumer is what will be offered for sale. It is not necessarily the "capabilities" or "need" that drives the manufacturer. BTW I still like to shoot both the .22M and the .17HMR's that I do own, but if I am going Turkey, Rabbit, Groundhog or Squirrel hunting one of my many 5MM's is the ONLY rifle I will take (if I choose rimfire). And it will take me a long time to shoot up the 500+ boxes of 5MM ammo I have accumulated over the years - so my kids will be shooting, and enjoying, the 5MM for years to come too!! 0 -
Why ?
If you have gotten this far down in the post, you know why.....
but then, 'your' why may be different than 'his' why....
and the post goes on.0 -
17 replies, a record. did we change something?
Jim Kammerer0 -
"to shoot up the 500+ boxes of 5MM ammo I have accumulated over the years" at over $1.00 per shot that's expensive shooting, you may not have paid that much but that's what you can sell it for. 0
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