17 hmr or 22lr handgun - which...

[Lolly]

Hi all

I can only afford one. Narrowed down to Ruger Single Six in 17 hmr or the 22lr/22wmr conv. I have rifles in both, but I want a handgun. THey are both good guns, but...

Why would you NOT choose one ?  ie. what are the disadvantages, negatives, issues etc. that would elliminate one caliber or specific model over the other ?

Thanks for any opinion here

Lolly.

[buffermop]

I would choose the LR over the 17.The cost of the rounds won;t bankrupt you over the cost of the 17 rounds. Shoot longer for less money.

[Lolly]

I have sufficient rounds in both calibers to keep me happy for a long time. That being said, my tendency is towards the 22lr/22wmr convertible. I just want to be sure that I have not overlooked any model or caliber specific significant negative issue that usually crops up with field use.

[Keith L]

I have both HMR and .22 guns and like them both, but decided on the .22 convertable Single Six.  I am not sure that the revolver format allows the HMR to develop the speed that makes it work so well in either my Contender pistol or either of the rifles.

I really don't think either one is a bad deal.

[K.K]

I also have both calibers in rifles and love them both, but my old Ruger SIngle Six Convertible in .22/22mag allows more inexpensive target and plinking (mostly in .22 LR, of course), than would a .17 HMR. I don't own a chrony, but I'm not ure that you get the benefit of the HMR in terms of performance from the Single Six, along with the incresed cost of the ammo. I would like to have both, but if I were choosing only one, it would be the .22 that I already own. I have shot many thousands of fun rounds through it over the years, and I still have fun with it!

K.K

[Lolly]

Bought the Single Six in 22LR/22WMR. Nothing wrong with 17 hmr - I have the Anschutz MPR in 17 hmr and I love shooting that rifle.....but for a revolver the 22LR/WMR is

           : - More versatile - can shoot very low power LR to WMR.
             - Will not get the full benefit of 17 hmr through handgun barrel - ie Mv down to about 1,900-2,000 fps
             - Stainless Steel  - just like it - nothing wrong with blued steel.
             - 5.5 inch barrel - compact for carry
             - More affordable shooting in tougher times despite the fact that I have a "good" supply of 17 hmr for now.
             - Will always find ammo to buy in almost any store anywhere

Thank you all for your input.

Now I gotta wait 10 days...

[yooper77]

Ruger single six, excellent pistol in 22LR/22WMR.

Ammo price alone will make me stick to my 22 LR.  I have some 22 WMR ammo on hand, but mostly shoot 22LR for rabbits/squirrels.

I have shot coyotes with my Ruger single six and 22 WMR within 50 yards with deadly results.

The 17 HMR is too pricey for what it offers alone, so I will never own any 17 caliber.

yooper77

[bscman]

You'd be wasting ammo shooting HMR out of a revolver. You'd get no benefit over the HM2, except for ammo costing twice as much.

Go for the 22lr/22WMR convertible.
It'll be MUCH more versatile (everything from 300fps up to over 2,000fps) and much cheaper to shoot.

[Empty Quiver]

 +1 , no real advantage in a handgun for the hmr round. .22 mag in a pistol gives .22lr out of a long gun performance. The rest of the week shoot it cheap with plinker loads.

[Davemuzz]

I once owned the 17hmr in the Smith & Wesson revolver. Smith no longer makes that revolver. That's because the round can only muster 1800fps at best from the 8" barrel. i believe the Model number was 642 and it was the worst gun I ever owned. that's because I just believed that if I tried every ammo made for the 17hmr, I would eventually find one that would get over the 2000fps mark and be good enough to kill a groundhog with one shot......and not the 5 that it was taking.

I sold the gun to a woman who used it for indoor target practice. A suitable use for this lousy handgun cartridge.

MHO

Dave

[Keith L]

Even the best fitting revolver looses some power with the gap between cylinder and barrel.  And with tiny projectiles you need lots of speed to make things work well.

[Davemuzz]

Even the best fitting revolver looses some power with the gap between cylinder and barrel.  And with tiny projectiles you need lots of speed to make things work well.

Agreed. These little speedsters work very well from a rifle or a closed breach short barrel such as the T\C. But the long gun is best as it gets them up to the 3K plus speed they need to do the job.

But for me, on the longer shots I just use my .223. And for the areas where a low report is better and the distance is no more than 100 yards, those new Hornady 22 mag V-max 30 grain bullets are working out great. Big fat groundhogs go down in one shot...and I mean right now!

Dave

[Lolly]

"Agreed. These little speedsters work very well from a rifle or a closed breach short barrel such as the T\C. But the long gun is best as it gets them up to the 3K plus speed they need to do the job."

I am not sure how you get 3,000+ fps MV, but I agree that 17hmr needs the 2,500+ MV to deliver its intended terminal performance. My MPR succeeds very well - consistent accuracy of about 1/8" at 50 yards with explosive fragmentation on impact.

I elliminated the 17 hmr in revolver for a number of reasons, the afformentioned being the primary one. The 22lr/22WMR will also suffer in terminal performance due to the drop in MV from the 5.5" revolver, but it's acceptable for the intended pupose of plinking, close range pest control and small game and varmint hunting at close range.

I think I am going to be very happy with my Single Six..

[Davemuzz]

LP,

Yeah...my mistake. I just took a look at the ballistics of the 17hmr. First time in a few years....and they list 'em at 2550fps. My memory gets fuzzy when I try to forget about bad things like Smith model 642's 'n such. 

BTW....have you ever shot one of those Heritage Arms Rough Rider 22LR\22Mag's? My local guy has 'em for about $200. I just don't know anyone who has shot one to tell me how they are in the accuracy department.

Dave

[Lolly]

Dave

I could not comment about the Rough Rider since I have never even seen it. I have the Browning Buckmark pistol which shoots very comfortably. It fits my hand beautifully and points naturally, so I really like shooting it. Grouping is ok around 1/2" to 1" at 25 yards, but I just mess with it.

There is something about a revolver, especially traditional style single action with a loading gate in stainless steel that has a certain elegance and prestige about it.

I used to have the Freedom Arms in 454 Casul Premier Grade. But I had a difficult time justifying keeping $2,000+ collecting dust. It is hardly a comfortable plinker. I would download to 45 Colt loads and that was fun, but any more than 15 rounds of full power 454 and it became downright unpleasant to shoot.

I know the Single Six in 22lr will be used a lot 

[mcwoodduck]

I have all three in rifles and Have a Ruger Bisly as a revolver for hunting in 22lr.  Small game falls to it all the time and for a while I had it loaded with the super Aguilla's as a mouse cannon for use in the garage.  BB's tend to bounce all over the place while the little lead slugs make no noise and you scoop up the projectile with the dead mouse.  The 22LR would give you the widest selection of projectiles and loadings from the Aguilla Hummingbirds to the big 60 grain Aguilla Super Subsonic Sniper.  Yes 60 grains.   
I agree with Keith L and think that the 22 mag and the 17 do not generate the added speed out of a revolver to make a real difference.  While the cylinder gap does rob some of the velocity the short barrel really is the reason.  Yes I have shot soda cans with a 22 Mag out of a pistol and they do a lot more but I don't think they do that much more on game.  My uncle carry's one around with him when he hunts and can not tell the difference on tree squirrels or other small game critters.
If you have your heart set on a 17 convertable, get one! it does not take a lot of energy to kill small game.  Heck rabbits fall the the BB or pellet gun on a regular basis. 
The other added reason to get a 22 or 22 mag is to be able to have the little shot shells to get rid of snakes and vermin like mice and rats on cement with out worrying about where the solid shot is going to end up.

[Davemuzz]

Lolly,

Yeah....I own a Buckmark also. I love the gun. I have the wooden grips and they are just a "natural fit" in my hand. The barrel that came with mine is the 7" (I think it's 7") and I picked up a 5.5" used barrel for a cheap price. I had a 2x scope that required drilling of the mounts into the barrel....which is why I bought the shorter barrel. So, I put Williams firesights on the longbarrel and if I want to fool with the scope, I will just swap barrels.

Here in Pa. we can't use a semi-auto for hunting. So, the Buckmark is just a plinking gun. When I do a "woods walk" I usually carry my 44 mag or my Smith Airlite 357. Both of those are fine shooters, but they are LOUD and anyone around certainly knows where I am if I shoot a few rounds. So, I was considering the 22 mag handgun. It will get used and not be quite the BANG the current magnums are.

BTW, I hear you about your FA 454. I had a Colt Gold Cup 1911 that sat in my gun safe for 2 years and was hardly ever fired. This year I traded it for a Smith M-29 44 mag Performance Center 6.5" barrel with an unfluted cylinder. Exceptionally accurate gun and in my favorite caliber. I've been out whackin groundhogs with it.  No such thing as too much fun!

Dave

[Lolly]

Received my Single Six.   What a pleasure just to hold a S.S. single action revolver again. The action, tolerances and finnish is not as refined as Freedom Arms, BUT, It did not cost $2k   AND from my past experience with Ruger equipment, this machine is rugged, reliable and durable, and will do it's intended job comfortably, and most enjoyably for a very long time.

I am really happy for many reasons that I bought this piece. 

Sorry about this "useless" reply, but I wanted to conclude this thread on a high note !!

[Davemuzz]

Not useless. Good to hear you have what you want and feel you got value for the money you paid. Congrats! I'm sure the small creatures have either packed their bags or are shakin in their boots!

Dave

[diesel instructor]

OK, I'm convenced. been on a lot of boards checking out 22 revolvers for quite some time now. Charter,Taurus, Ruger, and any others I could find any reviews on.ALL others except Ruger had MANY negitive comments, both CS and quality. I have yet to find a negitive comment on Ruger 22, any of them, 'cept mabey the Bearcat being just a little light. Tell me something, bore diameter .224 in mag and .222 in lr, since the single six is convertable, does this make the 22lr slightly less accurate? Planing on a red dot or mabye a 2x. These sighis will make any difference in accuracy quite apparent. Mabey I should go for the 22lr only. This will be mainly a squirrel piece.

[Keith L]

In my single six the .22 mag groups are twice the size of the .22 long rifle.  If you try the jacketed mags the groups open up even more.

I never slugged the bore to find out why.  I by far shoot more lr than mag, so I am happy with things the way they are.

[diesel instructor]

Keith L, I thought all mags were jackets, which ones aren't?

[Keith L]

Many .22 mags are copper washed, or at least were.  I haven't looked for a couple of years. 

[Keith L]

Looking on line I see now Remington is the only one that has a soft point.  I don't know what brand they were.  It may be a moot point if I can't get them any more.  I have been using the Remington with the polymer tip in my other 22 mags, and haven't given the mag cylinder a thought for a whlile.

[Brett]

I vote .22lr/.22mag. in a hand gun.  I agree with others who feel the .17s are a waste of money in a short barrel.  A rifle might be a different story but I'm not all that convinced that I would trade off a good .22mag rifle if I already had one just to switch to over to the .17hmr.     

[bunkysdad]

Hello all, I don't know if anyone is still interested in this thread or not but I like the topic. I did not see any posts from anyone who actually had a Ruger Single Six .17 HMR but sure did like reading all the different ideas. I have the 6" .17 Ruger and I have to tell you that it is simply a pleasaure to shoot. Only 1800 fps instead of 2550 from a rifle? Dang that's a shame. I'm kidding! What's wrong with that? I would not hesitate to shoot a squirrel or any other similar critter that the rimfires are made for, as long as I could see it good. In the same way that you lose velocity and energy from the .17 don't you also lose in the .22? I agree that you get the full advantage of the .22 at lower velocities than the .17 HMR but it seems that the ratio would not be that different between the two, without getting too scientific. At the range the sound of the .17 HMR on the pistol range is kinda exciting. I wish the ammo was a little cheaper and noticed that it has gone up again recently at Walmart for the 17 gr loads. I like the fact that the Single Six is slow enough to load, shoot, and reload that it paces me somewhat so that I can make 12.00 worth of ammo last long enough to have a great time. I also have a Walther P22 that I usually shoot at the same time to help make my shooting experience more enjoyable. Even the .22's are going up so seems like a great time to stock up.

[mcwoodduck]

There is nothing wrong with the 1800 FPS out of the pistol.  I bought a 17HMR in a rifle for three reasons.
1.  Col Cooper said it was a dumb idea, and I wanted to write an article about it and show what a good idea it was but became moot when the Col died later that month.
2.  My friend has one and we shoot varmints a lot and we could share ammo if needed.
3.  Where we shoot varmints there are a lot of rocks and a pretty populated area.  The 22LR zings rounds all over the country side if a soft tissue hit or a miss is made.  The 22 mag is better but you still have large chunks of metal that carry pretty far.  The 17 comes apart on hitting anything and I never have to worry about a richochette.  We did tests into a 2 gallon pretzel bucket, from Cost co, filled with Jello and a 3/4 sheet of marine plywood as a backer.  We shot steel plates infront of them as well as shooting into them with all three calibers and about 5 bullet designs.  The slower heavier 22 LR gave the worst richochette as far as total mass and penitration.  Neat tests and suprising what the little 17 bullets can do.  We were suprised at what the 17 grain bullet did.  Really awesome.

[bunkysdad]

mcwoodduck thanks for the post. You made some great points about the richochets and that is a good idea to remember. The safer the better. Very interesting information. I am looking forward to some similar shooting tests.

[mcwoodduck]

Bunkysdad,
What tests do you have in mind?
We thought that the 2 gallon plastic pretzel container would be big enough to contain the 17 HMR and 22 Mag with the various hollow points with really thick Jello.
We took the first one out of the fridge and placed it about 25 yards away.
First shot was about 1/3 of the way down the barrel with the Hornady 17 grain bullets.
My friend took the shot while I held his dog. 
The top shot off of the container breaking the locking ring of threads and splitting the hard plastic.
I headed to the barrel and my friend stopped me as about 1/2 a gallon of red liquid jello came raining down.
We could see the wound canal and could see most of the bullet fragments.  A couple larger fragment made it through the whole container.
Next we shot a 50 grain JHP 22 mag through the same container and it made a nice neat hole all the way through the center.  Into the ply wood back and out into the dirt berm.
The next shot was with the 17 hornady again and we wanted to see what it would do with more pressure on it so we shot it at the bottom 1/3 of the barrel.  The round entered lifted the barrel about 18 inches off the ground and blew out the bottom of the barrel.  When it slammed back to the ground the whole thing cracked and spilled Jello all over the ground.
we then moved on to splatter tests and shot at a 1/2 piece of steel at the base of the container to see how the different bullets would come apart or zing off if hitting a hard object.  The splatter test we were using 2 liter soda bottles lined up filled with water to see what and how far the bullets or pieces would go.
We were forced to go to water after my friends wife found his kitchen with the red jello envelopes all over the counter the week before and se forbid us from ever bringing jello into the house again.

[CPHILL]

I have a heritage 17 hmr for the money they are a good gun . I am not going to say it is better than a ruger but it is a lot less money. Accuracy is good for me out to about 40-50 yards . I have not shot it on paper any farther than that. The 22lr would be better gun for plinking for money part but for damage on a critter the 17hmr would do a better job. The noise of a 17hmr in a short barrel is very loud and if you mis it will get there attention. this is just my opinion