Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .17-HMR Long Gone!

Well, I have taken the 17 HMR Savage out of use and it will go with me to the trade in doctor. I have had it with lost animals (foxes & coons) and will be bringing home a Savage in the .204 caliber (using 40grn bullets) to keep my .222 Remy loaded with 50 grainers company.

Congrats on seeing the light...grin...

Next we will be seeing all the 22LR and 22 mag. guys trading in to get the centerfire performance their rimfires wouldn't give. Some light indeed.

Tonk, the 22 Mag with 40g Win HP has considerable more killing power over the 17 HMR...heavier bullet. I killed a lot of yotes in Az with the 22 mag with the 40g Win Hp, just remember your limited range and shot placement.

Of course, your CF are a serious upgrade.

good luck!

There is a particular punch that some 17 HMR connoisseurs drink that the 22RF/mag crowd does not. Side effects include shooting stuff they should never be shooting followed by touting its effectiveness.

The 22RF/mag crowd does not seem to suffer from similar side effects as they have a better grasp of cartridge limitations.

I don't know about that as far as the 22 mag goes. Both are pretty capable pip squeaks that are still pip squeaks.

Tonk: Hornet, man. Hornet.

My 17Mach2 takes care of the ground squirrels and crows for half the price of the 17HMR,and my 22 Hornet takes care of the larger animals out to 250 yards or so.

How long did it take you to figure this out? My friend hunts coyotes in comps in southern Oregon and was ready to throw his 17 in the garbage can after he lost the 3rd one. He's since went to the 22-250 and is now back to his favorite the 22 magnum . He also likes to save the hide to sell at the trappers fur auctions and found the 22-250 is a little harsh on the yotes, but puts them down without question.

Rocky Rab, I don't think so, I just never got hooked on the Hornet! Instead I got my hooks into a Triple Deuce (.222 Rem) and have always looked even higher up the ladder. We have them in the .204 Savage, .223 Savage & CZ, .22-50 Savage, .243 Winchester, 25-06 Winchester, Ruger & Browning Bar.

I brought it up stairs and dusted it off to use on the fox, coons and coyotes, while they order in my .204 caliber. It's good out to 250 yards and I am only shooting 75 yards for the most part. I will save that .22Mag for the tin cans and warm up sessions at the gun club prior to shooting my bigger calibers.

BSA......I knew I was in trouble after the first fox I knocked down (center chest shot) cut a trail to the woods after it was down for 3 minutes and then high tailed it in a flash. However, I believe in giving a 2nd chance to new calibers but this did not get any better. So for the .17-HMR "Color Me Gone"!!!

Yep, Hornet is the way to go.

If you are after prairie dogs, and you select your shots, the .17 HMR is a great cartridge. It's a decent rat gun, but marginal at 150-200 yds and not very powerful for bigger targets.

Yes, the .222 or .204 or .223 will do a better job on anything over 6 lbs. or out a long ways. That's why I carry TWO (or more) rifles when hunting PDs. A shot at 300 yards is quite a common thing, but the .17 HMR is not the rifle to use for that occasion. The 22-250 is overkill for these wee beasties at 125 yards.

Choose your armament wisely and kill cleanly.

Tonk: Are YOU able to place your 17 HMR projectiles with consistency in the "kill zone" of Fox and Raccoons?
I have killed 3 Coyotes with my 17 HMR to date and all were one shot kills.
I have also killed large Badgers, Raccoons, Rock Chucks, Fox, large Porcupines, feral cats, Skunks and hoardes of somewhat smaller Varmints with my 17 HMR's, and I very seldom have to shoot one of them twice!
Puzzling your experiences as compared to mine.
One poster apparently contends the 22 Magnum is more lethal than the 17 HMR because it shoots heavier bullets - that contention is also absolutely bass-ackwards from my extensive experience with both cartridges!
I have had MUCH better lethality with my 17 HMR's than any of the 22 "Magnums" I have used for the last several decades.
Listen carefully - SPEED kills!
Especially when said speed is in the form of a tiny, accurate, highly frangible and rapidly rotating 17 caliber V-Max bullet.
I say keep the 17 HMR and re-evaluate YOUR ability to place those tiny (but lethal!) projectiles into the kill zone of both Raccoon and Fox!
You may also need to have the patience and good decision making ability to "pass up" a less than GOOD shot opportunity when using the 17 HMR?
I can do it and so can you.
NOTHING you have posted causes me in any way shape or form to discount or doubt the 7+ years of EXTENSIVE in the field experiences I have had with my 17 HMR's.
My 22 Magnums sit a'home these days and I use my 17 HMR's with tact, care and confidence!
A bad shot with a "Magnum" will also result in a lost "fox & coon".
Its just that simple.
I highly recommend the 204 Ruger cartridge for all manner of Varmint Hunting but there are locations and situations where the rimfires are allowable and preferable!
In those cases I use the 17 HMR.
Best of luck in the future.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

+1 VG...of course if you hit a fox or coon in the guts with a .204, it'll prolly be a bang flop.

And here they come...

Always thought the .17 HMR was about perfect for sage rat shooting. Lots of fun and very effective on those tiny critters.

For bigger varmints & predators, I like the .204 or other, larger cartridges.

The 17 HMR was made for sage rats.

Any visitor to this forum knows that VG fairly worships the 17 HMR with the same intensity that he loathes Blue Dot - and that's saying something!

VG, you can have any and all the 17 HMRs you want with my blessing.

I Loooooooove my .17 HMR..but it very rarely shoots anything bigger than a gopher ( about twice the size of a sage rat..)

Have shot chucks and skunks with it, with mixed reviews and results....

So it is relegated to those "rimfire" days on the killing fields....

RockyRaaab: Don't just take my "worshipping the 17 HMR" as a one of a kind situation!
I hosted AT LEAST 25 (twenty five) Varmint Hunters from my home here in Varminting Central (Montana!) last year alone!
Virtually every one of those sophisticated, experienced and skookum (Indiam word meaning smart!) Hunters brought along at least one 17 HMR Rifle!
Not ONE of them brought along a 22 Magnum!
They have ALL been converted to 17 HMR "advocates"!
And virtually all of those Hunters I hosted are easily capable of owning/using any and all the guns their hearts desire!
Why this "preference" for the wonderful little 17 HMR YOU might ask - well it has to do with the better wind bucking ability of the 17 HMR over other rimfires - the flatter trajectory of the 17 HMR over other rimfires - the increased lethality of the 17 HMR over other rimfires and the increased accuracy of the 17 HMR over other rimfires.
SO, Rocky, when you have a rimfire that is flatter shooting, shoots straighter in the wind, is more lethal and is more accurate (easier to hit Varmints with!) than the other rimfires then YOU are simply showing your ass by denouncing in ANY way shape or form the 17 HMR!
Now, on to blue dot "squib loads" - well its simply this: anyone that endorses or uses "squib loads" in a centerfire is asking for detonation!
Destruction.
Injury.
Loss of fingers.
Loss of sight.
Period!
That is NOT a performance issue - that is stupidity on display!
I don't loathe blue dot loads I simply am smart enough to use powders that the MANUFACTURERS RECOMMEND in my handloads!
Long live the 17 HMR!
Long live blue dot (in the correct and safe applications that it is intended for!)!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy