Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires 20 grain Bullets in 17HMR

Are these really suitable for game, or are they as explosive as the 17 grainers? It seems everything I have read says how explosive the 17HMR bullets are, and I got to wondering...
If I was being attacked by a deer, would one of these to the critter save me?
Between the eyes? Lung shot with no bones hit?

I don't find the 20 gr Hornady HPS as explosive as the 17 gr plastic-tipped bullets. Since my CZ-452 shoots them much better than any 17 gr bullet, I use only the 20 gr or the 16 gr "green" bullets. They work fine on prairie dogs. I'm sure a headshot in the brain would work fine on a deer at reasonable range. A lung shot would work as long as it was behind the shoulder and through the ribs. It's not legal here, though, for big game.

Ken,

they have a 20 gr FMJ and a 20 grain "Game Point"

those would naturally be my first choices..

but I am also aware of them being used with some decent success locally for the job of culling some problem blacktails in orchards..

head shots of course worked great... but also with the "Game Point" some lung shots...

I don't see a lot of them on the shelves locally tho... most folks just see to want the V Max bullets...

22 mags certainly work with head shots, and especially 40 grain
FMJs 1859 fps MV vs 2350 fps MV for the 17 HMR... with a 20 wt bullet..

Thanks for those responses. It sounds like they would penetrate better than the 17 grain varmint bullets, and in a pinch could be used with that in mind.