Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 17 HMR vs 17 Hornet

I was happy with my .22 LR until I bought the Tikka.

What's the best "cheap" 17 HMR? Some of them are hard ugly.

DF

I have had friends get great results from the Ruger American HMRs, and in fact one liked his so much he bought three more for his kids--and was still pleased. But another good friend had such extraction problems with one that he got rid of it.

I have both the ruger 17 hornet and a ruger american in hmr. Also a cz455 varmint in hmr .The hornet is fun as heck from ground squirrels to rock chucks, but for smaller critters I love the hmr. Don't overlook the ruger american, that gun will shoot all day long with the cz. Like what was said no picking up brass either.

A HMR seems to be a popular choice.


I think I can reload Hornet cheaper....but I might get a tax return this year!

As you probably know, I have both. Sometimes, you just don't have time to load ammo, and the HMR is a lot of fun. I remember in 2002 when the HMR came out, I was thinking "WHY?", then I got a good look at the cartridges, and bought the first rifle I saw. I've still got it, and it still shoots really well. A few years later, when the Hornet came out, I was so happy with the HMR I had to buy the Hornet, too. Both are a lot of fun.

Easy choice for me - I hated loading for 20 caliber cartridges I can only imagine what a pain it must be trying to handle those tiny 17 caliber bullets.

I have a 17 HMR that I use on gophers out to 150-175 yds, for longer shots I pull out my 223. My local Ranch Supply store usually has Hornady 17 HMR ammo priced at $8.99 per box of 50 so everytime I am near there I pick up a couple of boxes, it doesn't take long to lay in a good supply before long doing it that way, and also the out of pocket price is not as noticable as laying out the money for a full case at a time.

I love my 22's LR's for gophers but I find myself using the 17 HMR a lot more than I ever thought I would.

drover

Yeah, the .17 HMR is really kind of ideal on gophers!

I've found the ammo to be even cheaper than when the HMR was introduced in the early 2000s, especially if you buy in bulk during sales. This is probably due to its continuing popularity, resulting in more efficient manufacturing.

Jim Conrad: I have had a LOT to do with both cartridges you mention.
I have owned a 17 HMR Rifle from the first month they were ever offered - I now have 5 (five!) Rifles and 1 (one!) pistol chambered in this incredible and and incredibly useful cartridge!
I heartily recommend you add the 17 HMR Rifle to your arsenal!
On occasion I will grab one of my 17 HMR Rifles and plink an invading Varmint around my house without ear protection - a round or two is very easily sufferable in my experience.
In my Smith & Wesson revolver in caliber 17 HMR I would not even consider shooting it without hearing protection.
17 HMR, yeah I can just about guarantee that you will be happy with one!
And it will indeed "compliment" the 17 Hornet also being available to you.
Long live the 17 HMR.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have a 17hmr... It is one of my most useful varmint rifles especially in the summer.. You should be able to get 50rd boxes for about 8.99.. I usually buy mine when I am in Montana.. Saves some on sales tax.. When I come across it at this price, usually pickup a carton.. I think you will love it around the ranch.. The one great thing is, I don't have apile of brass to reload when I am done shooting.. Any more that is a nice option...

I fondled a Ruger American 17 HMR today.

I liked it way more than I thought I would.


The stock was horrific.

Get the 17 WSM and you wouldn't need the Hornet or the HMR. And you won't have to waste time reloading.

"The stock was horrific." Mr Conrad, I've been looking at the RAR's in.223, get on you-tube there are lots videos on stiffening the stocks, some guys use J-B Weld.

DakotaDeer, I have not found much (if any) noticeable difference between the A17 .17 HMR ammo and .17 WSM ammo on varmints in my rifles. Both get 2800-2900 fps, the A17 with 17-grain bullets and the WSM with 20s.

Have seen a BIG difference between the .17 Hornet and .17 WSM....

Have also not found it necessary to stiffen RAR stocks in several years. Sometimes the tip of the forend needs to be rasped a little to make sure the barrel's really free-floated, but the forends have been plenty stiff for a while.

I guess I was not worried about any stiffness problems.....never really looked that hard at it. Not sure if it was floppy or not.


Dang thing is just.........not my style! There is no butt plate.


I guess for the price its pretty good. Anyone make a nice laminate stock for the American?


I was surprised how well the metal was finished. Very surprised. It didnt have the usual bead blast polish job.



They seem to take the same 77-17/22 mags. Is that correct?

BOYDS offers a couple of laminated wood stock options for the rimfire American Predator rifles.
As far as I know, Ruger uses the same rotary mags in their 77-rimfire mag rifles as they do in their American-rimfire mags.

The mags are the same.

I was pretty much in the same boat about them but then I bought one because the price was so good that I couldn't pass it up, after seeing how well it performed I got past those issues. It has a buttplate but it is another piece of plastic and it has never caused any issues. The stock itself, while ugly to a wood guy, is very servicable and will end up growing on you.

What the heck it is just another farm gun that will end up living most of its life in the pick-up anyway.

Try it - you will like it.

drover

Life's easy, don't make it hard. From the factory:
https://ruger.com/products/americanRimfireTarget/specSheets/8369.html