.22 mag vs. .17hmr

[BigPappaG]

Wondering, which chambering works better on 50 - 75 yard woodchucks, .22mag or.17hmr?
I am looking to get back into "chuck" hunting and am trying to choose a new gun. I have
Owned, and used the .22 mag successfully
to hunt them in the past, but have no exp. with the .17hmr, though, I have heard a lot
of good things about it.
I'm hoping for some informed opinions, to help me decide.

 

[RTH1800]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

Sir,
At the ranges you state, either will be fine. I found the HMR to really fall off in energy and drift badly past 100. The 22 mag with the 40 grain bullets is a good 150 yard killer on ground hogs if you get PERFECT shot placement. I use the Win Hollowpoint. Kills bobcats, coyotes and groundhogs very well.
RTH

 

[bobtodrick]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

X2.
I've shot both and prefer the Mag for hunting. At 100yds, if there is no wind the .17 is more accurate...IF THERE IS NO WIND.
If I was shooting benchrest target I would opt for the .17.
But the Mag carries more energy and is less affected by wind, making it a better hunting cartridge in my opinion.

 

[justin amateur]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

<span style="color: #3333FF">But the Mag carries more energy</span>

True

<span style="color: #3333FF">and is less affected by wind</span>

Not true

check the ballistics table again...

Personal preference for hunting is the CCI .17 hmr 20 gr fmj.
Flatter trajectory than the mag, less meat damage than the 17 gr ballistic tips.

 

[bobtodrick]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

My personal experiences and lots of thread such as this http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=960826 indicate that the Mag definitely bucks the wind better than the .17

 

[SmallBoreSnipers]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

I've had both and personally prefer the 17 much better. More accurate and I dunno about anyone else, but I can shoot mine at 200 very easily even on a breezy day. JMO

 

[justin amateur]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

Bob, I can't offer any personally measured ballistic information
to back up my side of the discussion. Never had access to a wind tunnel
or a way to accurately shoot and compare the two rounds under laboratory conditions.
All I can do is read the books on the subject, pull the ballistics reports
from the manufacturers websites, google the two ammunitions on line
and read the information offered by the professionals.

I looked at the ballistic coefficient of the two rounds, velocity tables,
trajectory tables, wind drift tables, energy tables
and except for the energy at impact, I read the results
as the .17 being the more accurate round...

http://www.chuckhawks.com/compared_17HMR_22WMR.htm

http://www.varmintal.com/17hmr.htm

and the graph that caught my eye...

 

[Ciscoguy]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

+1 - I own both. I never even consider taking the 22 WMR out anymore. The 17HMR is far superior within its effective range. If I were hunting groundhog sized vermin at 50-75 yards, I would not hesitate to take the 17 HMR. Wind or no. Heck, at that range, I'd really be more likely to use subsonic .22LR instead of the mag or the HMR.

P.S. Woodchucks aren't caliber bigots. They won't mind if you kill them with a 22WMR...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SmallBoreSniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've had both and personally prefer the 17 much better. More accurate and I dunno about anyone else, but I can shoot mine at 200 very easily even on a breezy day. JMO </div></div>

 

[HathcockProtege]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

Seriously...we're talking almost PBR for any rimfire so just go with whatever gives the better splat factor, right? The Hummer has the edge in that department, I reckon. You aren't going to be pushing anywhere near the performance limits of either cartridge, so maybe also consider cost factor? (Maybe negligible for you)

-The Kid.

 

[Ciscoguy]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HathcockWannebe</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

The 22WMR has a slight edge on energy at that range. Still, I've always found the HMR to be more accurate. Your milage may vary.

 

[HathcockProtege]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

My experience with the 17 HMR and 22 WMR has been primarily on prairie dogs, on which the HMR seems to be a bit more explosive. I agree that most HMR's I've met seem to be more accurate. Especially noticed that it's easier to make hits with past 100, but that's just my experience.

 

[BigPappaG]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

In the past, I had always tried to restrict my use of my 22lr to inside 50yrds, and use my 22mag out to 100-125 yrds. I wanted to be certain of a
very clean kill. I had always been concerned that
that the light, 17grain bullets in the hmr would lack the down range power to put down a heavy
weight. Chuck.

 

[Ciscoguy]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigPappaG</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In the past, I had always tried to restrict my use of my 22lr to inside 50yrds, and use my 22mag out to 100-125 yrds. I wanted to be certain of a
very clean kill. I had always been concerned that
that the light, 17grain bullets in the hmr would lack the down range power to put down a heavy
weight. Chuck. </div></div>

I know that I'll get flamed for this, but I've taken adult hogs at 125 yards with 17hmr. I don't care what the gam is, a 17hmr in or behind the ear, and it's instant lights out. At 125 yards, my 17 grain V-Max is still moving 1,800 fps o so, with maybe 120 ft lbs of kinetic energy. Rimfire hunting is all about shot placement, I don't care what caliber.

 

[HathcockProtege]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CiscoGuy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigPappaG</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In the past, I had always tried to restrict my use of my 22lr to inside 50yrds, and use my 22mag out to 100-125 yrds. I wanted to be certain of a
very clean kill. I had always been concerned that
that the light, 17grain bullets in the hmr would lack the down range power to put down a heavy
weight. Chuck. </div></div>

I know that I'll get flamed for this, but I've taken adult hogs at 125 yards with 17hmr. I don't care what the gam is, a 17hmr in or behind the ear, and it's instant lights out. At 125 yards, my 17 grain V-Max is still moving 1,800 fps o so, with maybe 120 ft lbs of kinetic energy. Rimfire hunting is all about shot placement, I don't care what caliber. </div></div>

Bro, that's the ticket. Note that the .22 short has less than 100 ft lbs at the muzzle, yet it is an effective small game killer at short range. To say that 125 is too far for the 17 HMR is just silly. In the past two seasons, I have killed about 30 groundhogs with my .22 LR with body hits from 100 to roughly 125 yards (140 paces...no RF with me that day). Using CCI Velocitors, all but 3 or 4 have been DRT and only one of those 4 made it to his hole before he expired. I have yet to use the .17 HMR on groundhogs, but I don't doubt it would do very well out to at least 150 yards with proper shot placement. <50 yards is boringly easy with even the .22. Rimfires are limited primarily by our ability to shoot them well. No flaming from this direction.

-The Kid.

 

[Ciscoguy]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HathcockWannebe</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: CiscoGuy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigPappaG</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In the past, I had always tried to restrict my use of my 22lr to inside 50yrds, and use my 22mag out to 100-125 yrds. I wanted to be certain of a
very clean kill. I had always been concerned that
that the light, 17grain bullets in the hmr would lack the down range power to put down a heavy
weight. Chuck. </div></div>

I know that I'll get flamed for this, but I've taken adult hogs at 125 yards with 17hmr. I don't care what the gam is, a 17hmr in or behind the ear, and it's instant lights out. At 125 yards, my 17 grain V-Max is still moving 1,800 fps o so, with maybe 120 ft lbs of kinetic energy. Rimfire hunting is all about shot placement, I don't care what caliber. </div></div>

Bro, that's the ticket. Note that the .22 short has less than 100 ft lbs at the muzzle, yet it is an effective small game killer at short range. To say that 125 is too far for the 17 HMR is just silly. In the past two seasons, I have killed about 30 groundhogs with my .22 LR with body hits from 100 to roughly 125 yards (140 paces...no RF with me that day). Using CCI Velocitors, all but 3 or 4 have been DRT and only one of those 4 made it to his hole before he expired. I have yet to use the .17 HMR on groundhogs, but I don't doubt it would do very well out to at least 150 yards with proper shot placement. <50 yards is boringly easy with even the .22. Rimfires are limited primarily by our ability to shoot them well. No flaming from this direction.

-The Kid. </div></div>

Heck, do a YouTube search for "17hmr hog" and look at the carnage. It's always fun to watch the seizure that adult hogs have when getting their ticket punched with a head shot. Here's one where a guy killed two hogs with one shot with a savage 93r17.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgUAh6jYtOs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

My point to the OP is to select whatever caliber he wants, and can shoot with precision, and kill with confidence. I'd hunt groundhogs and rabbits at 100+ with my CZ 455 with the .22LR barrel, and Wolf MT ammo. I might miss a couple due to ammo issues, and the occasional pulled shot, but I'm confident in the firearm and caliber to get that job done. If you already have a 22WMR, use it, and enjoy the killing fields. If you WANT a 17HMR, buy one. You won't be sorry! They are a blast! Heck, buy a CZ455 American with a 17HMR, and 22LR barrel, and buy a 22WMR barrel for it ($140.00 I think???) One firearm, three calibers...and it is a sweet rifle!

 

[300winman]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

you gotta have both!! 22mag is almost a big gun and makes you giggle when you shoot it. I have owned both the 17hmr is a sweet shooter, but the 22mag can be as well with minimal meat damage. Depends on the use i suppose. everytime i sell one for the other i miss the latter. Stop lying to yourself and continue your dream of owning one in every caliber. hahahaha

 

[catronro]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

I just got back from Prairie Dog killing in Wyoming (literally today). I took my Savage 93R17 TR (17 HMR) with me and was hitting them out to 175 with Hornady 40gr VMAX. Super accurate and just a blast to shoot. At 50 to 75 yards...would be like fish in a barrel.

 

[bobtodrick]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

.17 Hornady Vmax 40gr??
Where'd you get these...or is it a typo (which I suspect)

 

[catronro]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

Thats right 40 GRAINS BABY...bullet was 4 inch long! No, your right, it was 17gr...I have no idea what I was thinking when I typed that.

 

[I'm in]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

LOL, maybe the whole round was 40 grains.

I really liked the CCI V's but I can't duplicate the
literal explosivness of the 17's in a 22 mag.

 

[john.suthers]

Re: .22 mag vs. .17hmr

I shoot prairie dogs with a 17hmr out to 200 yards. After watching the furry little bastards get hit and crawl away using the other ammo, I exclusively use Hornady V-max. Like Catronor said a 50-75 yard shot will be easy.