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

[Jesse Jaymes]

More Varmint than Predator...but I'm a Lefty. CZ just came out with a nice left handed bolt gun with Varmint barrels. 457 Varmint. CZ also sells swappable barrel kits. I could swap to either a 22 Mag or 17 HMR.

I've had a 17HMR since about 6 months after it came out. At the time...I was in the desert of New Mexico. I whacked a truck load or 3 of jackrabbits with it. It's about THE best rig for that. I called in a winter coyote and shot it with the 17. A run off, but I did recover it. Not a drop of blood but I sand tracked it about 80 yards and it was piled up. I realize it's not really made for that, but.....

Shot a few grey fox with it. Worked nicely. I always dreamed of taking a bobcat and let several coyotes pass waiting for a cat that never came over the season.

That rifle is a CZ 452 Varmint in right hand. It's easily able to dance pine cones across the ground at 317 yards from what I recall at a range session. Ammo, like all ammo....has really climbed through the roof.

I've reloaded for decades and really never bought factory ammo. But grabbing a box of 50 rounds and hitting the road was always a relief. I reached for that rifle often.

I couldnt tell you was a box of 17 runs today.....$20? Maybe more?

Enter the 22Mag. Old technology. Generally inaccurate (from what I've read or watched on YT). But it does sling 30-40 lead. Maybe more readily available? Maybe cheaper?

My question is, does anyone reach for a 22 Magnum anymore, and if so....when and why. And how much is ammo on the shelf?

 

[Timplant]

I am in the same boat. I’ve carried a .17 for most of the year for the previous 15 years. But some days I think a heavier bullet would be great for coyotes and cats. Curious to see how this thread pans out!

 

[MattB]

A buddy who has shot both extensively on critters small to as large as wild pigs prefers the .22 mag for anything much larger than rabbits.

 

[TheTone]

I’ve probably had my 22 mag for close to 25 years now. I love it enough that I’ve never had a thought to even shoot an hmr

 

[Arcticmanak]

I've used both a 17HMR and 22mag calling here in Alaska quite a bit through the years. I got a coyote with the 17, and a few foxes, but I've lost a lynx and a coyote also. I just quit taking it after that coyote got up and ran off. It is great for foxes under 100 yds with practically no pelt damage but lacks knockdown power to reliably anchor a coyote at anything other than close range, in my opinion.
This 46 LB coyote was shot at 40 yds last year with the 22mag and dropped in his tracks as did this lynx.
I think for areas where shots are limited to 100 yds on predators the 22mag with 40 grain ammo does well.
The silver tip fox was taken with the 17 and put him down at 40 yds.
I let my young son take the 17 if he accompanies me. It is a Savage and very lightweight with a plastic stock and easy for him to handle.

 

[MHWASH]

Ive only shot ground squirrels with the two but I think the 22 mag puts way more smack down on them than the 17HMR. My Ruger American 22mag is pretty accurate.

 

[mparks270]

I've used a 22 mag and a 17 HMR for woodchucks inside 100 yards. Did not have great luck with the 17 on chucks. 22 mag killed them anywhere on the body inside 100 yards and 17 expanded with little penetration. I will say that I think I was using the lighter bullets offered in the earlier days of the 17. For me and woodchuck elimination purposed the 22 Mag was the better choice.

 

[hh76]

Just bought a 22mag after considering both. My main reason was I already had a pistol chambered in 22m so I could avoid needing another caliber.

I watched a lot of videos and reviews, and the 22 seems to be accurate enough for my needs.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I've used both a 17HMR and 22mag calling here in Alaska quite a bit through the years. I got a coyote with the 17, and a few foxes, but I've lost a lynx and a coyote also. I just quit taking it after that coyote got up and ran off. It is great for foxes under 100 yds with practically no pelt damage but lacks knockdown power to reliably anchor a coyote at anything other than close range, in my opinion.
This 46 LB coyote was shot at 40 yds last year with the 22mag and dropped in his tracks as did this lynx.
I think for areas where shots are limited to 100 yds on predators the 22mag with 40 grain ammo does well.
The silver tip fox was taken with the 17 and put him down at 40 yds.
I let my young son take the 17 if he accompanies me. It is a Savage and very lightweight with a plastic stock and easy for him to handle.

Damn....thanks for sharing. Quite a medley of critters calling up there. Fox in that phase common?

Is a Lynx a product of 1000 or more stands to find success? Just happen to see them staring at you out of knowhere like a bobcat?

 

[Arcticmanak]

The silver fox is quite likely once in a lifetime. Lynx numbers rise and fall with the snowshoe hare population that peaks every 7 years. Lots of hares means lots of lynx. Yes, they sneak in and can be very tough to spot, not charging in like a canine.

 

[Deadfall]

Been using 22mag since started hunting in 80s. Never seen reason to switch

 

[Ridge86]

22 mag all the way

 

[EdP]

I have a .22 mag and a .222 Rem so no reason for a .17 for me. I have seen others say the .17 gets blown around too much. My .22 mag shoots the Win 40gr HPs pretty well but shotguns the CCIs. I'm generally pretty fond of CCI products but they just don't work in that rifle (a Savage Anchutz sporter). I bought a box about a week ago. A box of 50 is going for $20-28 depending on mfg.

 

[B23]

Unfortunately, the industry seems to have forgotten all about the poor ole 17 WSM because for a rimfire it had the most potential of any of the rimfire cartridges but since it's been going on two years since I've seen any 17 WSM ammo anywhere except gunbroker it's pretty hard to even talk about the 17 WSM. I stocked up with ammo for my 17WSM early on so I'm still in good shape but I've definitely gotten much more conservative with how often I shoot it compared to before.

At one point I've had rifles in all three, for me, the 17 WSM is easily my top choice and is most lethal.

 

[FLATHEAD]

22 mag all the way

This.

 

[FLATHEAD]

The 17WSM should have been the 22WSM.

 

[B23]

The 17WSM should have been the 22WSM.

I would have been thrilled if it came out as a 20 WSM shooting something like the Hornady 24gr NTX bullet 3000fps instead of, yet another, 17 cal rimfire.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I rely heavily on a 22mag , we tried.17hmr and it was lacking in thump

 

[Dioni A]

I've had a few 17hmrs and always felt under gunned. Even on rabbits it seemed like I often needed multiple shots for body hits. Went back to the 22 mag and it just seems to hit with much more authority. I split a pallet of 22 mag ammo with buddies a few years ago and hope to never need to buy more so I don't know what it costs.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I've had a few 17hmrs and always felt under gunned. Even on rabbits it seemed like I often needed multiple shots for body hits. Went back to the 22 mag and it just seems to hit with much more authority. I split a pallet of 22 mag ammo with buddies a few years ago and hope to never need to buy more so I don't know what it costs.

Pallet or a "brick" lol. A Pallet would be a few lifetimes!