Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires 22 Mag or 17 HMR?

I go with the .22 WMR as well!!! Why? THe .22 mag will do EVERYTHING a .17 can , but not vice-vera. The .22 mag has more thump and in the 2 that i have, are very very accurate (ruger 77/22 and a Rem 597), both are factory spec, except for trigger work on both!

The Rem. Prem 33 gr ammo that was mentioned in an earlier reply is hands down a thunder striker and accurate as as all get out.

Coldbore: Go with the 17 HMR - absolutely!
I can also almost help you two with the second part of your question - I highly recommend the rotary magazine bolt action heavy barrel Ruger 77/17 VBZ (V/T).
They are universally accurate and wonderful afield for reliability and convenience - unfortunately they may not be "reasonably priced" depending on your definition of "reasonable".
I killed my first Ground Hog with a 22 Magnum rimfire - more than 50 years ago and have used many of them over the years - then about 10 years ago I got my first Rifle in 17 HMR and I have been using them extensively since then.
There is NO comparison in lethality or accuracy between the 17 HMR and the 22 Magnum - the 17 HMR is superior in both regards!
The lethality advantage of the 17 HMR over the 22 Magnum is especially notable when used on the larger small game and Varmints like Jack Rabbits, Rock Chucks, Badgers, Porcupines, Coyotes, Fox and Wild Turkey!
Good luck to you both in your search.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Bring your 17 rimfire to Wyoming and shoot a turkey.....please!

22 Magnum will do everything a 17 will do only better and you don't have to buy new cleaning equipment!

I'll bring mine......



Fire up the BGE!!

The local warden might object to a 17 rimfire used on a turkey........ would be my point

Don't tell him about the cause of death, just invite him to partake of the BGE.....

BGE??

Varmintgay is a clueless dumbphuck. Tell your dad to get himself a .22 Mag. and rest assured he has the best rimfire chuck killer short of the 5mm Remington mag..

Think I'd lean for the 22 Mag having owned both ( and still do) the .17HRM and the 22 Mag. 17 will shoot flatter after 100 yds, and I have been amazed at how far away you can shoot praire dogs with it! Had a family of ground hogs move in under my green house a couple years ago, and went to work clearing them out. Shot 5, three with a 17HRM and 2 with 22 Mag. two of the ones shot with th 17 made it back under the green house. Both shot with the Mag were DRT!

Kind of funny how this thread has changed.

At first, it seemed pretty solid 17 HMR. Now it's swung to mostly 22 Mag.

If I ran out early, he'd have the 17 HMR already, and then have to second guess himself due to later posts.

If we go today, he might get a 22 Mag instead now.

Maybe we'll wait till tomorrow to go, and see which way you all are leaning then.


Seriously, I do appreciate the input. Like I said, I've fired millions (well, OK...) rounds of 22 LR, but nothing else. I've been around, and heard plenty about, the 22 Mag over the years. But I just never really tuned in to the 17 talk, as I figured I'd never have one. I still won't, but now that my dad is thinking about one, I wanted to try to at least have *some* basis of comparison.

He did get some sticker shock on Sunday. We were back at the VA for a follow up, and hit another chain sporting goods shop. I grabbed a couple boxes of CCI promo type 22 LR ammo, 525 count for $15. He asked about 17 HMR. Pretty much the same price, but for 50. So I got 10 times more ammo for the same price. That was an eye opener for him. Sure, the CCI stuff is just lead round nose for can shooting, but still... The shop was the Marlin was closed on Sunday, so he had time to let the ammo cost sink in, and mentioned it again yesterday. He was mentioning 17 HMR vs 22 mag, vs 222/223, and I threw in the "downloaded 223" just to really cloudy up the waters. I'm not sure what he's thinking now. Either way, I'm sure I'll be going along for a ride whenever he makes up his mind.

Get a CZ 455 with both barrels...

Did "I" personally ever think of loading a 223 down?

ask anyone on here who knows me....

If I only had a nickel for every time I have been flamed over that info...

and/or had a penny for everyone who has PM'ed me for load data on that subject...

That's strange before VG jumped in and blew the thread apart I saw one post singing the praises of the a Marlin .17 (but that had as much or more to do with the platform) and another post where it stated that the poster had 2 .17's and was gonna get a .22m but didn't really recommend one over the other. Other than that it's been pretty much a .22M thread from the start. What were you seeing?

I've always been a believer that you don't gain killin power buy reducing bullet diameter and weight for a given base cartridge. You may not lose as much as some might lead you to believe but you definitely don't gain. That being said unless you are shooting out past 125 yards it ain't gonna make much of a of difference regardless which one you choose. Both have benefits over the other but it's not like one is heads and tails better. Just different.

I personally like small groups and flat trajectory so I'd go .17 and live with it. But unlike VG, I'm not gonna make claims that it's flat out better than the .22M. I'd be wrong.

CB

BH: You always have such a hard time expressing your feelings...

Don't be so literal. Think more general, overall terms here. It's not a "count the votes" poll.

The first two posts leaned more towards the 17 vs the 22.

If somebody was to make a decision based solely on the first responses, I'd say they would've picked the 17.

Then it got decidedly 22 after that.

Nothing scientific, just my observation.

Then, just to complicate things, you go back to the 17.

I like both cartridges and currently have several rifles chambered for each, but if limited to 1 or the other, I'd pick the 22 MRF 'cause you can shoot varmints with the lighter/faster/quicker expanding bullets and, in a pinch, shoot deer with the 40 or 45 grain SPs. That is why my survival kit includes a Savage 24 combination gun in 22MRF over 20 gauge and a stainless Rossi 515 22 MRF revolver.

Jeff

Got both - Ok I cheated and have a Sako Quad.

17 HMR for effect, flat shooting and reach

If the critter is tough I change out to the 22 Mag -
i.e. - Coons and such that can be tough as nails.

Best thing about the 17 is it made ammo company's develop some new bullet s for the 22 mag. Hasbeen

For folks who are incredbily ignorant of the 17HMR's capabilities, I am SURE that is true..

Just went through this same scenario....

From the info i had heard i saw a Savage stainless .17 HMR at a shop. It was used, but price was good. Took home and it shot really well. Only problem is that it wouldn't extract the spent cases.

Brought it back to shop. No more .17's in stock but had a Marlin XT .22WMR NIB . Was a little reluctant, but for $200....what the hell.

Glad i did. With the Hornady 30g Vmax bullets, this thing is unbelievable..... the crows, the bunnies, and the woodchucks really, really hate that gun.