I have a CZ Varmint rifle in 17 Hornet.
Besides my various 221 Fireball rifles, the 17 Hornet is my favorite prairie dog rifle.
I find myself wanting a smaller, lighter rifle for work around the farm. Mostly pigeons and winged varmints.
Looking around the websites, I was surprised to see that 17 Hornet ammo is nearly a dollar a round. Looks like HMR ammo is about 12 to 15 dollars for 50.
I reload for the Hornet so price isn't quite as important.
Will I be satisfied with a HMR for a pickup gun, or should I just buy a lighter, smaller Hornet like a CZ American?
Is there 1000 fps difference? Is the HMR too loud to shoot with out ear plugs?
Any insight would be appreciated.
This has been (so far) a great discussion as there's a lot of potential alternatives.....but not among the two choices the OP has asked about. (I plead guilty here).
If it were me, I'd buy a good CZ in .17 HMR as I'm not wanting to spend that much time reloading these days. When one tries to balance the advantages of a centerfire against a rimfire he is often confronted with the question of the value of his time and how much is he actually gaining sitting at the reloading bench.. It might just be prudent to buy one and see how it works rather than to contract analysis paralysis and spend the remaining days of his life wondering. One could starve to death trying to decide if he wants a footlong hotdog or two regular ones six inches each.
