Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 17 HMR vs coyote

I shot this one off my deck at 110 yds. Just a small one, maybe a 2 yr old, it took 3 shots out of the 17 HMR to get the job done (17 gr Hornady V-Max).

The first shot was into the shoulder, he starting spinning and biting at the wound and my second shot was on the other side and just behind the heart/lung area, I put the third one through the ear and into the brain which gave him the big eye look. Yeah, it was a lucky shot because his head was moving as because of him biting at the wound.

The only reason for using the 17 HMR was that it was next to the back door and he was moving into the sagebrush fast enough that if I would have gone to the closet for a 223 he would be gone before I was back. After using the 17 with less than stellar results the 223 is now residing by the back door. The 17 HMR is only a coyote caliber of the last resort for me.



drover

I'd agree that the 17hmr is not a good choice for coyotes in virtually all cases and glad to hear you are getting that 223 by the door instead. Even with good shot placement, there just isn't much energy in the 17hmr for a coyote, especially as you get out to 100+ yards. Thankfully you must be a good shot (and maybe a bit lucky that he didn't run) as more often than not with a non-immediately lethal impact they'll spin for a moment then bolt off into the brush never to be seen again. I've never gone down that small in cartridge on one, but I have shot a few with a 17 Hornet which has about 3 times the energy at 100. The coyotes I got that were 100-150 yards dropped instantly with barely a twitch, but the one I took at 250 yards spun like yours and took a follow up hit to put down. Now I keep it to a minimum of a 204 Ruger or 223 as I want them anchored instantly as much as possible.

17hmr, is of no use to me, we don't have sage rats, or other little critters to shoot and it's not enough gun for Coyotes, and i don't like a 17 for pigs, and i don't shoot enough Grey Fox, to carry a 17, i can't find a spot for a 17 in my safe.YMMV Rio7

I agree. I have seen a few coyote shot with the 17HMR, none were DRT and all needed at least 1 additional fatal hit before dying. I have found that the 17HMR is a more effective killer of small varmints, those weighing under 10 lbs., than those larger and heavier. Out to 75+/- yards I have found the .22 Magnum to be a better, quicker, killer of 'cats, coyotes, and foxes than the 17HMR. While the 17HMR is almost always more accurate than the .22 Magnum, the heavier bullets do a better job on heavier game.

If I didn't have ground squirrels to shoot I would not own a 17HMR, outside the cost of ammo it is the perfect cartridge for shooting them - it adds another easy 50 yards over a 22 L.R. It is definitely a niche cartridge though.

I have been keeping the 17HMR by the back door for flying varmints rather than coyotes and since it was handy it got used, although after this incident it is back to the 223 by the back door.

drover

Try the Hornady 20 grain XTP's

I started using the 20 grain bullets in my 17 HMR for chucks because they penetrate further.

I now have a 223 by the backdoor, using a 40 gr Nosler BT @ 3750 fps it has accounted for numerous coyotes from 100 to 300 yards and they were all DRT kills. The 17HMR is the one in the closet now.

drover

If you had let him spin another 15 seconds he would have been dead right there, probablyless time than that.

Seen the 17 HMR work too many times as well as 3 that I shot with a 17 Mach II.

Been around plenty of spinners with a 223 as well. Stepping up to a 22-250, Swift or a 6mm of some sort stops that spinning schitt but doesn't mean the 223 isn't enough gun.

I would keep both by the door. That 17 is hell on anything sitting on posts or in trees.

Drover: With that caliber and with that bullet (Hornady 17 grain V-Max) I have killed 3 (three) Coyotes - all were kill't with a single round!
NO.... the 17 HMR is NOT my favorite Coyote round but when the circumstances are urgent and the range is right, careful shot placement WILL do the job!
I know - I done it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I thought everyone knew this? Even stepping up to the 22 magnum with something like the 50gr federal hp's, you will get better results.

We have used the 17 WSM with great results on coyotes. Never shot one with the HMR but the WSM ain’t half bad in my opinion. We’ve shot some at night under lights and some from traps. Pretty effective.

The 17WSM has a little more horsepower. What weight of bullet do you run? A buddy of mine does coyote hunting competitions in southern oregon, and gave up on using the HMR for the same reasons the OP stated. Keep in mind my buddy also keeps the pelts and sells them. 1 hole to sew up us much better than 3... Let alone, if the yote runs off, it can't be scored or sold..

I believe the AE 17 WSM stuff is a 20 grain VMAX and we have also used the 25 grain VMax as loaded in the Winchester Supreme stuff. Both of those are wicked accurate in my Ruger so we run whatever we can get our hands on. After getting the 17 WSM I don't muck around with the 22 WMR much. Great round, but the WSM is a blast.

I've kilt critters every day with the 17wsm, since I got it a few weeks ago. Haven't bonked a coyote with it,YET.......

I need you to educate me on the rifle and how you put it together. My little brother is dieing for a 17 WSM and if I could get one like yours I might could pass mine along to him. That is a slick set up buddy!

RimX action, lilja 18"M-24 barrel done by TS Customs. I put it into a AG Privateer stock with TT trigger ARC M-10 rings, LRTS scope and TBAC takedown 22 can. It's a frigging hammer.....

Primal Rights may still have some complete RimX rifles put together.

Perhaps not ideal, but it worked. That 'yote sure looks surprised!

Around 2002 picked one up in Jensens Gun Shop, Tucson Arizona when I first heard about Ruger putting them out. Had them call me when the first one hit the shop, the rifles were just released from factory and ammunition wasn't available at the time. Dropped by two weeks later and stocked up when ammo hit the shelves.
The following winter season I decided to use the 17HMR exclusively for a month just to see how it would do on coyotes, fox and cats. I shot 28 coyotes, 2 gray fox and one bobcat that November. Out of the 28 coyotes, I had 4 runners, the rest pretty solid kills with the obligatory half dozen spinners, but a liver shot coyote will spin before falling over no matter what you smack it with. The get aways I had thought I made good hits, but obviously wasn't the case.
Always liked the HMR, but made my own mind up it wasn't as good of a coyote rifle as my bigger .17s. Fun little rifle for jackrabbits, grackles and gray fox but I never again used it for larger predators.

Thanks for the build.

Great looking rifle. I’ll check RimX