.22mag vs .17hmr vs .17wsm

[Kryan]

I’ve been considering getting a new rimfire cartridge. So I started doing some research and came across this article.
In the end it seems to sway to the .17wsm as the superior ballistic cartridge, but it has limited rifle and Ammo.
I guess what I’m asking is, if you had to have 1 for a do all, what would you pick?

Rimfire Showdown: .22 WMR vs. .17 HMR vs. .17 WSM

A hardcore ballistic shootout with three of the best rimfires of all time.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[justin amateur]

I have all 3, best option is the 17 hmr for my needs.
Better choice of bullet styles...ballistic tip, hollow point, jsp and fmj.
Meat spray for varminting or if meant for the stew pot the jsp or fmj functions well.
At 2600 to 2700 fps with the 17 grainers,
it's effective past 200 yards.

22wmr is for center of critter out to 75 yards.

The 17 wsm is all about meat spray.
It's a varminting cartridge. Explosive results on small game.

 

[Tortuga]

I was in the same boat and have settled on 17HMR. Selection of both platform and bullets are great. I spent a lot of time on Rimfire Central researching WSM, but there are so few platforms available, and I'm not a fan of the B-Mag. The ammo hasn't really taken off with other companies either, it seems like all of the ammo is made by Winchester straight from their nail gun blank line and re-badged for other companies.

Convenience overrides the performance on this one. If I need more performance from a varmint rig, I'll grab the 22-250.

 

[Nodak]

If I could only 1 then the 17WSM can do it all. No need for bullet choices just hit the right spot. I would wager (a lot) that 95% of all rim fire shots are not at a target you plan to eat anyway.

 

[JG26_Irish]

I have a 17 HM2, 17 HMR, and a 17 WSM. My son has a 22 MAG. The one I use the least is the HMR, why? It is the monkey in the middle. If I want to squirrel hunt I use the Mach2. If I want to coyote or groundhog hunt or if the terrain is difficult I take my light weight Bmag in WSM. I can still squirrel hunt with it and it has the most perfect cold bore shot of any rimfire I own. The only time the HMR is pulled out is for high volume plinking where the WSM will heat up or for prairie dogs where the heavy bbl on the HMR is a benefit. They are all good and the HMR does have the most ammo options but I have not shot mine in 3y. Just sayin....

 

[Wysongdog]

I was in the same boat about a month ago. I live in Wyoming where the wind always blows. We’ve got 3 17 hmr’s in the family. I sent my Volquartsen 17 hmr in because it was one of their early models with a weird thread on the end and I couldn’t run my suppressor on it so I took the leap and had them put a 22 mag barrel on it. It will be back today so I guess we will see how it does.

 

[captainmorgan460]

I would not underestimate a 22 WMR with 30 grain ballistic tips or hollow points. Whole different ball of wax there. I see the author did not include those. That's the secondary rig I bring prairie dog hunting every year in SD. Had a 17 and personally was unimpressed with it.

 

[QRE23]

I have or have had all three even had all three at the same time and of the three, in a rifle, the 17 WSM easily trumps the 22mag, with any bullet, as well as the 17 HMR, also with any bullet.

The 17 WSM shoots flatter and has more energy at all distances and substantially more once you start getting past 100 yds than either the 22 mag or 17 HMR.

I still have a couple 17 HMR rifles but they rarely ever get shot and the only 22 mag I have left is a PMR30 pistol.