17 HMR field performance

[jimg]

It seems the 17HMR is here to stay, theres a good choice of rifles that shoot it and ammo is reasonably priced. However, whats hard to know is what to expect for field performance. The only 17 rigs Ive seen are at a KD range poking paper or killing cans. In that environment they seem to be super but thats not the field. What Im looking for is input from those of you who hunt and/or use it for vermin control. Does this rd make good clean kills at distance? How does it perform on breezy days? Does it shoot flat enough that you can set your scope and hit anything w/i your zero w/o further adjustment? Does it totally destroy game? Aside from really liking guns my primary use is vermin control w/ squirrel hunting a close 2nd. Before I think of 'replacing' my trusty .22RF I really need to know the 17 is going to be a worthy and useful successor. So, any info you all can give esp of the first hand type would be appreciated.

On a side note I shoot rifle LHed and have resolved to get a 17RF (if I get it) in a LH model. Any recommendations? I like CZ *a lot* from experience but thought the Savage LH w/ the accutrigger might be a good contender. I dont think Marlin makes anything LHed and also their actions are pretty rough. Of course a Cooper would be fun too.

 

[Podunkadunk]

Hey Jim. Because I just got a new .17 HMR for Xmas (a little early ) and have been shooting it religiously almost every day since getting it, I can attest that it's a flat shooter. It's the first one I've ever owned and man, I really like it!

My groups at 100 yds are 3/4" sub-MOA. It's the best I can do with it, the scope I have on it is a fixed power 4x32 and doesn't allow me to fine tune. That is deadly accurate for an out of the box weapon purchased from Wal-Mart.

It's a Marlin 917V model, but you mentioned that you didn't think Marlin has one for lefties. I'm not sure either.

What I can tell you is this. It will drop a beaver like a hot brick. I didn't get to inspect the damage, as the beaver was in a pond when I shot him. He was approx. 60 yards away and it was a head shot (that's all that was out of the water).

You'll have more "knock-down" with a standard .22, but it won't shoot as far, as fast or as flat as a .17 with high quality ammo.

I am shooting Federal ammo. Ballistics for the .17 and .22 ammo from Federal can be found here, to include: Velocity, Wind-drift, Energy and Yardage.

The .17:
Federal Premium: Ballistics Detail

The .22:
Federal Premium: Ballistics Detail

I am positive that a .17 in the hands of a good shot would play havoc on mr. squirrel, mr. groundhog/prairie dog or any other smaller varmint.

I haven't seen this personally, but I have heard from several good ole boys around here that it will do in a deer with a properly placed headshot at distances of less than 130 yards.
Podunk

 

[LC '92]

I too shoot the .17 HMR. I have had Marlins, CZ's and NEF's. It is more comparable to the .22 Mag than to the .22 LR. I used to hunt squirrels with my .22 LR but upgraded to the .22 Mag because of the occasional hog I encountered while squirrel hunting. The .17 was an upgrade from the .22 Mag. It has better 100 yard accuracy than the 22 Mag and is deadly on squirrels, crows, and other smaller targets. I have yet to shoot a coyote with one but would surely try if the shot was 100 yards or so.

I did dump an 150 lb sow with it while squirrel hunting. Shot her right through the ear flap at about 40 yards and down she went. The .22 Mag would have done the same and at quite a bit less ammo cost, but the the 17 leaves it behind at ranges past 50 yards. While the 17 HMR is no real hog rifle, its precision allows it to be placed in critical kill zones and thus be used for animals it is really undersized for.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[WTA]

The only real reason I hesitate to get a 17 is I still think it would be dangerous to use around here. We live way out in the sticks but still there are other houses, cows and horses starting about a half mile away. I have a cast bullet load for my M-14 that I was able to reduce down to about 2000 fps and I made the bullet really hard through heat treating. It literally explodes on contact with anything whether it's the ground or a varmint. So that's what I stick with for now. I still have to be careful about my targets but overpenetration and ricochets are my big concern with any bullet. I think this is the best I can do to be safe.

If anyone is interested in this bullet it's an RCBS 30-165-sil bullet mould and it shoots great from a 1-12 or 1-10 twist M-14 or garand barrel. Try it out if you are looking for a good low recoil varminter that is easy on your shoulder and your barrel. I'm really not knocking the 17. Just saying there are alternatives to keep on using the rifle you may already have. No bullet is completely safe though.

Most people that come to me looking for a 17 think it is safe to use on the small farms around here and unless they have a clear 2-3 miles minimum I always say they are not safe. The ground is too flat and there is nothing to stop it if you miss. I have a couple of 22 bullet holes and one about 9 mm size in my roof now from a kid a little over a mile away. He doesn't have the guns anymore BTW.

Just be safe if you are shooting near anything with it. It's one fast little bullet.

 

[Rara Avis]

I too shoot the .17 HMR. I have had Marlins, CZ's and NEF's. It is more comparable to the .22 Mag than to the .22 LR. I used to hunt squirrels with my .22 LR but upgraded to the .22 Mag because of the occasional hog I encountered while squirrel hunting. The .17 was an upgrade from the .22 Mag. It has better 100 yard accuracy than the 22 Mag and is deadly on squirrels, crows, and other smaller targets. I have yet to shoot a coyote with one but would surely try if the shot was 100 yards or so.

I did dump an 150 lb sow with it while squirrel hunting. Shot her right through the ear flap at about 40 yards and down she went. The .22 Mag would have done the same and at quite a bit less ammo cost, but the the 17 leaves it behind at ranges past 50 yards. While the 17 HMR is no real hog rifle, its precision allows it to be placed in critical kill zones and thus be used for animals it is really undersized for.

Hope this is helpful.

Compared: .17 HMR and .22 WMR (Magnum)

 

[jimg]

Thanx for the replies...I thought there would be more hunters here but guess not.

Podunk...if you find that beaver Id like to know what the damage was. One of my concerns is that the 17 is going to slice/dice what would otherwise be edible. The crows and rabbits I dont care about but I want the squirrels and groundhogs in one piece/not blown up. At any rate Id really be interested in hearing about your on-going 'adventures' w. the 17HMR esp hunting info.

WTA: I thought the bullets being used for 17RF were pretty thin jacketed and would self destruct on any contact. In my experience w/ 17CF thats the way it was w/ the Hornady bullets I used. I just assumed the RF bullets would be the same. My area is heavily wooded and hardly flat. Still there are houses somewhat close but not line of sight.

 

[WTA]

I'm just paranoid of any jacketed bullets anymore is all. After being hit one day by a ricochet and a direct fire bullet and a year later by a ricochet from a pistol and then right after that my neighbor being killed in her own house by a big 30 cal fired from over 2 miles away. I'm paranoid. Even the thin ones tend to hold together too well. I used to use a lot of the speer HPTNT bullets and was loading them really hot. I had 223 25 and 30 cals. I'm finding way too many intact ones in the dirt pile at the end of my range. They are supposed to disintegrate too.

 

[Podunkadunk]

I'm just paranoid of any jacketed bullets anymore is all.

After being hit one day by a ricochet

and a direct fire bullet

and a year later by a ricochet from a pistol

and then right after that my neighbor being killed in her own house by a big 30cal fired from over 2 miles away. I'm paranoid.

Holy smokes WTA! You'd be more of a hazard to hunt with than Dick Cheney! The odds of this many ocurrences are astronomical...

You need to play Lotto...buy me a ticket too while you're at it!

Glad you're ok.

Podunk

 

[jimg]

Thats interesting about the TNT bullets! Ive had the opposite experience w/ them exploding between the muzzle and target. I knew that particular load was pushing their jacket design spec though. In no case did I ever find one unexploded w/i my target (berm/animal). All of the 17s Ive shot seemed engineered to put all their entire energy into the target...*much* better than the TNTs. At any rate terminal ballistics can prove unpredictable at times and being safe is better than sorry. Your point is well taken!

 

[WTA]

I got out of the Army because of one of those incidents above. It was the result of a big dumb kid from NY that I was ordered to get qualified on an M-60 machine gun. He claimed later that it got away from him and wouldn't stop firing. It was bull but the Army bought it and he didn't even get a reprimand. My enlistment was up that week and I went home instead of reenlisting again. 15 years down the drain. Oh well. The invasion happened about 2 months later and I thought about going back in but I am doing a better service for them from here I think. Definitely safer.
That isn't all of the incidents I've seen though. I do a lot of shooting in my line of work and have pretty much seen it all now with idiots and their guns. I've never personally caused an accident but I do always seem to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. My own brother in law put a 50 cal muzzle loader bullet between my legs once. It was close enough to tear my britches on both sides of my crotch. That was about 7 years ago. He THOUGHT his rifle was unloaded and fired a cap to clear the vent but it was pointed in my direction and my son was standing right behind me. My bil was in the Army too BTW. I kicked his butt so bad that day right in front of the whole family that none of them will talk to me anymore. He had it coming. I got lots of near miss stories. This is why these days, I have my own private range. Nobody but me and my son shoot on it and if I even think someone is coming on my property with a loaded weapon I will stop them with whatever force is necessary.