22 Mag vs 17 HMR....does anyone choose a 22 Mag anymore?

[Chuckybmd]

I'm thinking 17 HMR as a desert small game jack rabbit round to 100-125 yards. Lethal without massive meat damage. Does this sound correct?

I think that’s a fairly reasonable assessment. It can take out some pretty fat rockchucks I’ll tell ya.

 

[Still Hunter]

.22 mag for me. My Marlin 25M and my Ruger Single Six. My .22 mags have never let me down. Never even considered a .17 HMR

 

[Buckhead]

I have two .17 HMRs (CZ 452 Varming, Tikka T1x) and one .22 Mag (CZ 452 American). Have used both calibers extensively for hunting and pest control. While I enjoy using the .17 HMR, it definitely doesn't have the anchoring power of the .22 mag when using 35 grain or 40 grain bullets. On predators the 17 grain vmax bullets lack penetration and while 20 grain bullets are better, they still don't match the thump of the .22 mag. The .22 mag has a 100 ft pound energy advantage at the muzzle with superior penetration and expansion.

Attached is a photo of a coyote that I called in and shot with my CZ in .17 HMR. The coyote was hit in the boileroom at about 50 yards. When hit, it did a spin and ran about 75 yards and piled up. No exit, no blood trail, was lucky to recover. Typical result with the HMR, have also lost a couple. Using the .22 mag, they usually drop within sight if a good shot is made.

 

[UpTop]

Shoot coyotes with the old 5mm Rem rimfire and the other 2 pale in comparison.......

Well thanks to good ol Rokslide, again, I now have another rabbit hole to explore.

 

[TheGDog]

I'm thinking 17 HMR as a desert small game jack rabbit round to 100-125 yards. Lethal without massive meat damage. Does this sound correct?

Since Jacks tend to hear ya sooner and run farther when they do spook, the .17 HMR would be perfect for Jacks! But I'd still try to do head/front shoulder if ya can.

EDIT: .17 HMR makes Rabbits do awesome backflips when headshot!

 

[Gen273]

.17 HMR for varmints and .22 Mag for small predators. Although, I have killed some song dogs with a .17, I still prefer the heavier bullet of the .22 Mag for them.

 

[ByrdHunter]

For coyotes with the .17HMR use the 20 gr hollow-points....(or even the 17 gr hollow-points). The V-max (plastic tipped) bullets are way to explosive to reliably anchor bigger game than adult prairie dogs (or rabbits). That said the HMR is not an optimum round for coyotes.

The 17 gr V-max is great for small varmints in that it is not prone to ricochets like the hollow-point ammo, or especially the .22 LR is.

Haven't looked recently with some updated ammo for the .17HMR and .22 Magnum, but 20 years ago, the HMR had less wind drift with available ammo than the .22 Magnum. But on windy days, the rimfires were best put away and the .223 or .204's brought out for prairie dogs.

The .17 seems like it might be my next Amal animal rifle. Shot some crows with the .22LR and never seems to make it through the feathers.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have killed boatloads of jack rabbits and rockchucks with the 17 hmr. If I need more I pull out my 223.

 

[PanhandlePilgrim]

I have shot probably 10k rounds of 17 HMR at ground squirrels all the way up to badgers and rock chucks. For squirrels out to 200 yards, it's better than a 22 Mag but definitely under gunned when shooting anything bigger. I wish a company like lapua would get in to the 22 Mag game and make some better ammo.

 

[TheGDog]

The .17 seems like it might be my next Amal animal rifle. Shot some crows with the .22LR and never seems to make it through the feathers.

Crow Feathers on the Wing are TOUGH! Whenever I've popped 'em with .22 AirRifle that gets like around 950fps w 16gr like PolyMags or Terminators... I've had instances where the pellet didn't penetrate if the path was trying to go thru the wing. Same for some Quail, at times.

 

[Castmaster]

I have hunted lots of small game with 22lr, 22 mag and 17 wsm. I have not taken anything bigger than a possum with the 22 mag yet but its by far my favorite for small game hunting in general because it seems to have enough thump to take crows and bigger stuff like raccoons but doesn’t seem like overkill for squirrels like the 17 wsm. The rifle in the pics is a cz 457 I acquired about a month ago and before that I had a browning t bolt but I sold it because I didn’t really like the feel of it was not getting good accuracy out of it.

The pic is a 5 shot group from 50yds using 30 gr hornady vmax

 

[Rich M]

Just an old fart here - never saw a reason to get a 17. The bullets are neat looking tho.

Been shooting 22 short/long & mag since I was a kid.

If I was just getting into shooting, would consider it.

 

[Montana Matt]

Coyotes and badgers don't seem to die easily with the 17 no matter where I hit them. Inside of 50 yards the 22 magnum will do it. Beyond that, neither are a good option.
For ground squirrels, both are fun.

 

[204_ruger]

I always grab my 22 mag. I have a 17 hmr. Its got less than 50 rds thru it.

 

[204_ruger]

I bought a ruger american 17 hmr rifle. Put a new Hawke Vantage 4x12x40AO IR 17 hmr scope on it. Bought 16 boxes of ammo. Thought i would shoot it all the time. Haven't even put a box thru it. Just setting there. I Always grap my 22 mag. When i go predator hunting. I am trying call a bobcat in. And i have my 22 mag. Killed several armadillos with the 17 hmr.

 

[Turkeytider]

I`ve been impressed with my 17HMR`s accuracy out to 200 yards. A lot of fun at the range! Having said that, I personally wouldn`t shoot anything alive at ranges over about 125 yards., and I wouldn`t shoot anything like a coyote or bobcat sized animal at ANY range with a 17HMR. Just have a personal thing about dropping things in their tracks if at all possible. My .223? Another story!

 

[TheGDog]

I`ve been impressed with my 17HMR`s accuracy out to 200 yards. A lot of fun at the range! Having said that, I personally wouldn`t shoot anything alive at ranges over about 125 yards., and I wouldn`t shoot anything like a coyote or bobcat sized animal at ANY range with a 17HMR. Just have a personal thing about dropping things in their tracks if at all possible. My .223? Another story!

Asking honestly here, have you ever actually shot a coyote with a .17 HMR? I've seen many pics and vids of yotes taken w/ .17 hmr. And Bobcats taken w/ .17 HMR.

Last yote I shot double-lung with the .223 Rem 35gr NTX loading fr Hornady at like 15yds when he stopped... he ran too! (Miraculously) About... maybe 25yds away? Maybe 35yds total? He escaped in like an "L" shape escape route.

My point being, as long as it's like a situation of calling the yote in nice and close (like 35yd and under), I highly doubt there'd be much difference tween .17 HMR hit and .223 Rem hit. I know .17 HMR can go thru 3/8" thick mild steel tubing, 1 wall of it anyway, at 100yds. (Also in this pic is a Muley Scapula, also set out at 100yds, and you can see he projectile which I recovered from that steel tubing somebody left out there.)

 

[Turkeytider]

Asking honestly here, have you ever actually shot a coyote with a .17 HMR? I've seen many pics and vids of yotes taken w/ .17 hmr. And Bobcats taken w/ .17 HMR.

Last yote I shot double-lung with the .223 Rem 35gr NTX loading fr Hornady at like 15yds when he stopped... he ran too! (Miraculously) About... maybe 25yds away? Maybe 35yds total? He escaped in like an "L" shape escape route.

My point being, as long as it's like a situation of calling the yote in nice and close (like 35yd and under), I highly doubt there'd be much difference tween .17 HMR hit and .223 Rem hit. I know .17 HMR can go thru 3/8" thick mild steel tubing, 1 wall of it anyway, at 100yds. (Also in this pic is a Muley Scapula, also set out at 100yds, and you can see he projectile which I recovered from that steel tubing somebody left out there.)

Understand your point and I`m certainly not intending to pass judgement on anyone who might shoot a coyote with a 17 HMR. No, I`ve never shot a coyote at any range with a 17 HMR. If I`m going coyote/predator hunting, I won`t be carrying one in the first place. For me, that`s what my .223 is for. And besides, I`d like the capability to make an ethical shot beyond that 35 yards you mention, should the opportunity present itself.

 

[Montana Matt]

Asking honestly here, have you ever actually shot a coyote with a .17 HMR? I've seen many pics and vids of yotes taken w/ .17 hmr. And Bobcats taken w/ .17 HMR.

Last yote I shot double-lung with the .223 Rem 35gr NTX loading fr Hornady at like 15yds when he stopped... he ran too! (Miraculously) About... maybe 25yds away? Maybe 35yds total? He escaped in like an "L" shape escape route.

My point being, as long as it's like a situation of calling the yote in nice and close (like 35yd and under), I highly doubt there'd be much difference tween .17 HMR hit and .223 Rem hit. I know .17 HMR can go thru 3/8" thick mild steel tubing, 1 wall of it anyway, at 100yds. (Also in this pic is a Muley Scapula, also set out at 100yds, and you can see he projectile which I recovered from that steel tubing somebody left out there.)

I have shot several coyotes and probably around 10 badgers with the 17 HMR. It's not my first choice for either badgers or coyotes. I've found much better more humane kills with anything bigger. The 17 is a great ground squirrel gun. Your 223 will do a much cleaner job on the bigger varmints.

 

[Turkeytider]

I have shot several coyotes and probably around 10 badgers with the 17 HMR. It's not my first choice for either badgers or coyotes. I've found much better more humane kills with anything bigger. The 17 is a great ground squirrel gun. Your 223 will do a much cleaner job on the bigger varmints.

That`s my thought. As I`ve gotten older, I find myself more and more interested in ANYTHING alive that I might shoot being DRT. I guess I`m getting softer in my old age, but I kind of feel I owe them that if I`m going to take their life. I guess for that reason I won`t do what I personally consider to be under gunning.