Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Small Game .17HMR vs .17HM2 for Squirrel/Rabbit

I'm looking at getting either one or the other for small game hunting. I know the .17HMR has better ballistics but I'm from Indiana and won't need the range to hunt prairie dogs.

I eat what I shoot and am concerned about the destruction a .17HMR may cause to the animal meat. I'm looking to upgrade from a .22LR because there is just too much bullet drop even @ 60 yards, I've missed a couple longtails this season because I miscalculated bullet drop already.

the M2 would work fine for squirrel and rabbit, it's a hot little stinker. I've got a sako quad so I've shot and can swap barrels to shoot both.

If you are eating what you are shooting, go for the HM2..Ive shot the HMR a BUNCH, and its tough on the little critters..
Havent been back there for decades hunting but I have often thought the HM2 would be the ultimate in squirrel rifles...

Have used both the HMR and the HM2 for squirrels. I usually just take head shots. My experience with the HMR is that it is too explosive, taking the whole head off and leaving a messy, bloody stump at the neck. Not good for carrying in a game bag.

The HM2 shoots almost as flat within 60 yds, and is far less explosive with head shots. Kills cleanly, and is very accurate.

Both of my rifles are LH Coopers. And the HMR is great for prairie dogs and ground squirrels.

Steve

Thanks for the info guys, will be looking for a .17HM2 then. Good to know .17HMR will blow off the head.

HMR might not blow them completely in half. but there's gonna be a splat

HM2 here.

The 17HM2 is AWESOME out to 100+/- yards!

1 of the farms I hunt on has a wood lot that is about 100 yards wide and 1/4 mile long; almost all of the trees are big, old, black walnut trees, so lots of squirrels. The wood lot is oriented n-s, borders a soy bean field on the west, an irregular creek on the east, a fence line on the north, and the farmstead on the south. In mid-October, after the beans have been cut, I like to walk from south to north on the edge of the bean field and shoot the black walnuts that have fallen into the field. Often there are fox squirrels in among the nut and it is fun to shoot the nuts and spray the squirrels with "nut shrapnel". With an accurate 17HM2 doing so is almost easy. My Savage Mark II BVSSs have 4-12x40 Pentex Gameseekers on them and I find this to be fine sport.

I currently have 6 17HM2s, 3 Savage bolt guns and 3 Ruger 10/22 conversions with Green Mountain barrels. The Savage rifles are slightly more accurate, but the Ruger conversions are slightly more fun.

JEff

In my use with the M2 on p/dogs it is amazing for what it is...

Well placed one shot laser ranged kills from my portable table

would make you say 'HUH'....

M2 gets my vote....ammo is much less $$ too..

My Savage SS heavy bbl likes Eley

I have 3 of the heavy barrel Savage Mark IIs, 2 in the BVSS format and 1 in the FV format that I will restock with a laminated stock when I find 1 that isn't over-priced.

When I got my 1st 17 HMR, a Savage 93R17BVSS, pre-A/T, I was amazed at how accurate it was. Easily the most accurate factory specs rifle/cartridge combination I'd ever owned. I know that several guys who belong to my gun club shot their 1st ever sub-MOA groups with that rifle and went on to buy their own. The 17HM2 is, in my view, equal to the 17 HMR out to 100+/- yards. For small animals, squirrels and rabbits, I can't think of a better choice. The flat trajectory and lower ammo cost also makes the 17 HM2 a good choice as an "understudy" or practice rifle/cartridge combination.

The 17 HM2 is an under-appreciated, often misunderstood cartridge. Yes, it is less capable than the larger 17 HMR, but ammo costs are about 50% less and performance is only probably about i5% less, so 85% of the performance at 50% of the cost seems a fair trade to me, if the 17 HM2 is used within its limits.

Of course, the market could be right by not embracing the 17 HM2 and I could be all wrong.

JEff

For the record, I think the 17Mach -II is a great 100 yard cartridge. It may be the ultimate tree squirrel round.

However, anyone who claims the MachII is 85% of the 17HMR for half the price has severe difficulties with mathematics,ballistics,and common sense.

Since the rounds shoot the same slugs, the real difference is one of velocity and thus downrange energy and trajectory.

Using Hornady's OWN figures using 17g V-max bullets,the 17Mach -11 has about 67% of the retained energy of the 17HMR loads at 100 and 200 yards.

Actually, Mr. Mathematician, by Hornady's numbers the 17HM2 only produces 64.7% of the 17HMR's foot-pounds energy at 100 yards, 88 fp at 100 yard for the 17HM2 verses 136 fp at 100 yards for the 17HMR. 88 fp is all the power required to kill squirrels and bunnies, with the added value of being able to kill twice as many for the same ammo cost.

Are you always such a [bleep] douche bag?

JEff

J,

In my post I said the 17Mach II is a fine 100 yard round..

I have no problem with the 88 ft lbs at 100 yards from a 17Mach-II.

I just had a problem with your dumb claim that a Mach II is "85% of a 17HMR"- which it clearly is not.

Eley ammo will bore a ragged hole in the target at 50yards with my CZ. Midway runs sales on it from time to time for around 2-3bucks a box. Got them both, M2 goes 17HMR collects dust.

Glad to see that there is anyother 17HM2 fan out there. If you run across anymore $2 or $3 17HM2 ammo deals, please PM me, as I don't think that I've bought it for less that $3.00 per box. www.centerfiresystems.com had some 40 box cases of Remington 17HM2 that I bought for about $3 per box.

JEff

Graf & Sons had it a while back for $3 a pack for Eley...

Seems they caught on and bumped the $$ up......