HI,

Thinking of a coyote rifle. Anyone use a .17HMR?
I would consider a .243, that would do the job, but I live in Connecticut and the rimfire is allowed on state land should I decide to coyote hunt there.

I'd recommend a .17 WSM over the .17 HMR if rimfire restricted. .243 would be a good choice if not.

Shotgun for close range may be an option.

WSM is good - a HMR would kill one but there Isn’t enough margin there for me.

I think that the .22 Magnum is a better choice than the .17 HMR for animals that weight more than +/- 10 lbs.

I haven't shot the .17 WSM, since nobody has produced a good, accurate, and reasonably priced rifle for it, but on paper it looks like it would be your best bet if you're limited to using a rimfire rifle.

The HMR is not a very good penetrator. Some people swear by it, but if you run a few penetration tests, you'll likely end up questioning it.

i shot groundhogs with a 17 hmr, didnt take long for me to go back to a 22 lr with stingers

Actually, someone has produced a good accurate reasonably priced .17 WSM. The early pencil barreled Savage BMags were problematic. If you buy a HB (it's not all that heavy) SS BMag with a laminated stock, that has a K prefix in the serial #, they are very good. I have one (with a thumb hole stock), and it's the best $400 I ever spent on a gun. Killed four groundhogs and a racoon the first month I owned it. Shoots like a laser. Everything I have pointed it at has died. You can read more about it on rimfirecentral.com in the 17 WSM forum.

I guess that if I lived in a place, like Connecticut, that restricted the use of CF rifles, the Savage B-Grade would interested me, but I don't live in such a place, so neither the cartridge, nor that rifle, interest me in the least.

Not true.

As with any caliber, it depends on bullet construction. No different than with a deer rifle.

I've put down sick 1,200lb cattle with 17 HMR FMJs. Bullets went entirely throught the brain pan and logged in the first vertibrae.

17HMR HP slugs have no problem with penetation on most game.

17g Vmaxes at under 50 yards? Yeah too explosive for anthing but lung shots on Coyotes. As the range increases though , expansion becomes more moderate and penetration goes up - (just like using Balistic tips etc in a big game caliber). Due to a better balance of expansion vs pentration , the 17HMR actually kills better with the Vmax slugs as range increases (out to about 200 yards). My range limit on Coyotes would be 150 yards. And ,I would rather slip it behind the shoulder in the lungs.

With properly constructed bullets a 17 HMR will do anything on a coyote a 22 mag will do .

But a good .223 makes both of then look pretty pathetic on Coyotes.

Good for you. I don’t live in a place like CT either, but I am trying to answer the OP’s question. I’m not criticizing CT or him, he’s trying to work with what he has. I own 477 acres and can shoot whatever the hell I want, and one of my 30 something guns is a BMag. The only B grade is you and your crappy response.

Still fcan't figure why they didn't make the WSM a .20 or a .22……

That would've been the ticket

Well, you did reply to my response, not to the OP.

BTW, I own a section and have sole access to many thousand more acres where I could shoot any one of my several hundred rifles, none of which is a BMag. I did buy a BMag on 08/30/16 when Wal-Mart was selling them for under $200, but never liked it, never shot it, felt that it was superfluous and sent it on down the road.

Thank you for taking time to grade and critique my post.

On the light side for sure, but it will kill them with proper shot placement. Maybe try some of the heavier bullets?

22 mag with 50 grain bullets.

22 magnum in a Magnum Research semi auto. Awesome.

Move away from CT next choice.

Years ago I used a 7722 in .22 WMR on several coyotes. I was hunting where the landowners didn't want a lot of noise. Not my best experience. It works if it's your only option, but even moving up to a .222 is highly preferable.

Just this summer I bought a Ruger American in .17 hmr. I will likely take a coyote or 2 with it but have not done so yet. I don't have high hopes for the cartridge on coyotes. Reports from trusted acquaintances tell me that it's a doable thing, but results are iffy.
When the opportunity comes I will shoot carefully and selectively.

^^^^ This^^^^