Author Topic: Can't decide!!.22 mag or 17 hmr please help!! (Read 1534 times)

TXSURVEYOR · « **on:** April 15, 2004, 09:39:06 AM »

I cannot decide between the two. The only rimfire I own is a stainless
10/22 which I love. I do not want another semi-auto.I would prefer a bolt
or lever action. So the question is which to buy? It will be used mostly
for keeping in the deer stand to shoot rabbits and squirrels,but maybe the
off chance to shoot a bobcat or fox.(I will also have my deer rifle in the stand with me but if I want to mount a fox I dont want to shoot it with
my deer gun)When I say deer stand I mean shooting house. Thats how we do it in Texas.Thanks for any replies.

polack · « **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2004, 10:23:21 AM »

I have the Savage .17 in a ss bull barrel that I paid a little over $200 for. Let me tell you this little gun shoots some good groups at a hundred yds. The only need on this rifle is a new trigger, which I'm about to order, otherwise it would be perfect.
Polack

KN · « **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2004, 02:01:33 PM »

17HMR gets my vote. 18" Contender with a nice laminated thumbhole stock. KN

Lawdog · « **Reply #3 on:** April 15, 2004, 03:11:03 PM »

TXSURVEYOR,

Go with the .22 WMR. Larger variety of ammo and cheaper too. The .17 HMR isnt very good on animals over the 10 - 15 pounds. Bullets fragment to much for good penetration. On smaller game like squirrels, if you want to take some home for the pot, the .17 HMR just flat out ruins them. Lawdog

KN · « **Reply #4 on:** April 15, 2004, 03:50:30 PM »

Lawdog, I just read that Hornady is going to offer a 20gr less explosive bullet in the HMR. That should help with the some what larger game. KN

MI VHNTR · « **Reply #5 on:** April 15, 2004, 05:14:20 PM »

Why not get a Ruger 77/17 or 77/22 Mag? Buy an extra barrel and you'll have both rimfire magnums. The same goes for the Ruger 96 lever gun, or the 10/22 Mag for that matter. I bought a 597 Remington in 17 HMR along with an extra 597 22 Mag barrel. It's a simple swap to go between calibers. MI VHNTR

Lawdog · « **Reply #6 on:** April 16, 2004, 09:12:19 AM »

KN,

That remains to be seen whether or not they will work on animals over 12(+/-) pounds. I know that if I have a .22 WMR in my hands and I come across a coyote at say the 75 yard mark I am going to bust him but I wouldnt even think about shooting one with the .17 HMR. To great a chance of just wounding the coyote. One other thing you can go tree squirrel hunting with the .22 WMR and still have squirrel left over to eat, not so with the .17 HMR.

I got to play around with a Ruger 77/17 a while back and seeing I already have a Ruger 77/22 mag. and it was great to compare them side by side. One thing I did find out after a ground squirrel shoot on a day when the wind was blowing somewhat was that the wind effects the .17 HMR much more than the .22 WMR. Shots over 100 yards required more Kentucky windage with the .17 HMR and also accounted for more misses because of the wind. After doing this comparison I came to the conclusion that the .17s(both the HMR and the Hornady Mach 2) were not for me. Ammo is too expensive and has a limited availability(the local Mom and Pop sporting goods store doesnt even carry any) so I cant recommend them to anyone until those things change. Small groups and tight lines to you. Lawdog

DennisB · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2004, 04:50:14 PM »

I had a 9422M for a while and it was OK; traded it for a 9417 which I also keep next to the 25/06 in the shooting house. Last season we had more bobcats than deer. I hit this one on the shoulder at ~45 yards with the CCI ammo. It dropped about 50 feet away. Could NOT find an exit hole on the off side.

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WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #8 on:** April 16, 2004, 05:38:21 PM »

How about both calibers? I know that you didn't mention single shots but how about the H&R Ultra Varmint 22WMR. It runs about $145 or so. You could then send the receiver, stock and forearm back to H&R and they would mount a 17HMR barrel to is. So for about $200.00 you could have a gun that shoots both 22WMR and 17HMR with a 30 second barrel swap. Plus that Ultra Varmint comes with a pretty good looking cinnamon laminate stock and forearm.

TXSURVEYOR · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2004, 04:13:17 AM »

WNY_WHITETAILER, Lawdog
I was not really considering a single shot until I went to the NEF rimfire
board, now I am. That cinnamon stock and bull barrel has my name all
over it. I think the .22 mag is what I am looking for. Lawdog I thing said
it best cheaper ammo and more available. Now if I want the .17 hmr I can send it back to nef and have both. thanks for the opinions.

S.S. · « **Reply #10 on:** April 20, 2004, 06:32:20 AM »

Wise choice,
I think they are both fine rounds!

jskd82 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2004, 10:50:39 PM »

Quote from: MI VHNTR

Why not get a Ruger 77/17 or 77/22 Mag? Buy an extra barrel and you'll have both rimfire magnums. The same goes for the Ruger 96 lever gun, or the 10/22 Mag for that matter. I bought a 597 Remington in 17 HMR along with an extra 597 22 Mag barrel. It's a simple swap to go between calibers. MI VHNTR

Hey MI VHNTR how much did you pay for your .17 barrel? and is it easy to swap barrels? is the barrel all that is needed to shoot in the different caliber?. Thanks.
-Jason-

jrcanoe · « **Reply #12 on:** April 23, 2004, 03:06:47 AM »

I see from the replies that the wise souls here have convinced you to have both. Having only one is like a golfer with one club. I have both set up for different purposes and they wouldn't be interchangable. My taurus 72 pump 22mag is a walk around gun for fast moving targets of opportunity, everything from rabbits to hog. My savage 93 17hmr is for precision work on still targets from turtle head shots to crows. With a good down angle the 17 will make it thru a turtle shell while the 22mag will not, And on the small hogs the 22mag is allready outside the limits of the cartrige and require mutible hits but I have not lost one yet due to 14 shots in the tube and my Dog who most of the credit should go to.

MI VHNTR · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2004, 06:02:58 PM »

Jason, I bought a 597 LS that is chambered in 17 HMR. I then bought a factory take off in 22 Mag for around $40. I figured that it would be easier to find a 22 Mag take off, since the 22 Mag 597 has been out for a while. It's very easy to swap the barrels out and nothing else is needed to go between calibers. It takes about 5 minutes to complete the caliber change. MI VHNTR

TC Shooter · « **Reply #14 on:** April 24, 2004, 04:31:18 AM »

Yeah having both is where I am at now. Although it was hard for me to decide as well to start with. Had a Marlin 783 22 mag many years ago.

So , I ended up with a Marlin 17VS 17 HMR. Decided that the 22 mag would make more sense and sold it and bought a CZ 452 LUX in 22 mag. Incredibly I later sold it as well!

Then I "borrowed" a TC 10 Contender barrel in 22 mag which I will probably end up buying. Might end up shooting it today. To top things off when the Marlin 17vs became more common I bought one of these for $189. So - with a version of both I think I will try to hang on to them this time!