Hornady 17gr vmax rounds weren’t very impressive today on a groundhog at 100yds. First shot in the boiler room, it took off. Walked back to the garden and it was flopping around behind my shop. Another round at 15 yds same placement, still twitching, head shot it.
Killed 3 others out of the garden this week with 55gr Vmax out of my .223. The .17hmr is suppressed so rather use it , Is there a better round for varmints?

Hornady XTP or CCI Gamepoint if you need to get a little deeper.

Probably still get same reaction though if shot through the airbags.

It's what lung shot critters do sometimes.

Flopping around is the fun stuff!

Not a fan of the flopping around. More of a DRT guy. I have no problem with killing, but want it to be as efficient as possible.

I cried at the end of Bambi.

Even head shots have a little flopping, sometimes more.

If you want DRT every time stick with the 223 and explosive bullets.

OP - you are asking more out of the 17 HMR than it was designed for. The 17 HMR is a fantastic round for Richardson's ground squirrels and similar small species, asking for it preform well on something as large as a ground hog is just a step too far.

I suspect that there will be some replies that they have killed rockchucks and grounhogs with the 17 HMR, if that it the case my reply is that I have killed them with a 22 LR but it is not the idea round anymore than the 17 HMR is.
Step up to a centerfire for DRT moments on groundhogs.

drover

For me its the 20 grain XTP

You need to get out more......

I’ll try this.

Stunt shooter ^^

Yep , the 20 gr penetrates better , but some rifles don’t shoot them as well as the 17 gr .
Have killed groundhogs out to 180 yds and can’t recall a lot of flopping .
High brisket or head shots ends it pretty quick .
It’s a bad ass little rd .
Kenneth

20gr HPs (they don’t feed well in a t-bolt unfortunately).

A bud swears by the TNT load for coons in buildings.

Never shoots through em, might be a good choice.

I shoot the A!7s in my 17HMRs because they run a little faster and more speed equals more kinetic energy to dump on a live target.

That said, I prefer to shoot animals weighing over 10+/- lbs. with the .22MAG because the heavier bullets seem to penetrate better and kill more effectively than the 17HMR. i shot a couple of coons when I got my first 17HMR back in 2004 and was so disappointed that I went back to using the .22MAG.

Yep, I also use the A17s. Not sure if that is the same Hornedee bullet or not, but damn they shoot good and hit hard. Shot a fox squirrel at 175 yards, and it dropped out of the little tree like tied to a cinder block. Also shot a chuck at about 50 yards, and it didn't go a foot.

Being an avid 17 hmr and 17 wsm shooter for small furs. I’d say this is a pretty fair assessment 👍🏼

I killed badgers with my hmr. Ear hole shot kills em, right quick. Body shot, might take a few more IME.


🦫

I got rid of my .17 HMR for that reason. Still have a couple .22 mags...We ain't got any ground squirrels around here.

I’ve killed over 100 groundhogs with the 20 grain XTPs, not by choice (I prefer the good ol’ .22 Mag for rimfire chuck shooting) but because the frangibility of the little HMR bullet and (to me) a slightly quieter report than the WMR was preferable in the close-in areas I was forced to use it on. Will have to admit the killing ability of the little round on our big Eastern ‘chucks surprised this usual centerfire groundhog hunter; I killed ‘em DRT regularly out to 130 yards, and one yearling at 200+ (freak shot.) Shot placement and a long-enough barrel are the keys.

CCI gamepoints work the best for me on Foxes, Sod Poodles and Jackrabbits.