.17HMR vs .22LR

[Werewolf]

A local gunshop has a CZ-452 American in .17HMR and I'm considering buying it.

I have a CZ-452 LUX in .22LR. Very fine rifle. Very accurate. Very nice wood so the fact that the .17 is a CZ is a big plus.

I've no experience with .17HMR at all but I think it would be a nice addition to the .22 as I believe I could use it out to 200 yards or so.

All I do is punch holes in paper or shoot little metal sillhouettes so it's irrelevant whether or not it will kill rats out that far. I just want a small caliber, cheap to shoot rifle (I reload and I really don't want another caliber I'll feel obligated to reload) that'll go out to 200 yards with some accuracy.

Will the .17HMR do that?
If anyone has experience with the CZ-452 American in .17 I'd be interested in your thoughts too.

Thanks...

 

[gbran]

The CZ 452 is a fine gun with a lot of bang for the buck.

The 17hmr is a very flat shooting and accurate round. With the right scope setup it can be very accurate out 200 yds for your purposes. It's fun to shoot, but not cheap. .22's are cheap. 17mach2's and 22mags are about the same cost. 17hmr's used to be on par with surplus 223's before they went up.
Buying online will be your best bet for cheaper ammo.

Check out http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/ and click on the 17hmr forums.

 

[Jeff F]

The .17 HMR will accurately reach way out there. A couple of guys at work use it for coyotes at 150+ yards and drop them regularly.

 

[Werewolf]

but not cheap. .22's are cheap.

Yep... .22's are cheap so I did a quicky check on the .17HMR. I can get 50 rounds of Aquila, 20gr FMJ .17HMR for $5.25. That's way, WAY(!) more than .22LR but still relatively cheap to me.

Most pistol rounds that I reload cost me about $4 to $5 per 50 which is the cost standard I use. $21 for 200 rounds - that's doable - especially since I probably won't shoot the thing more than once or maybe twice a month.

 

[cobrian45]

I'm currently doing a little smithing for a friend on his .17 HMR Taurus pump. I'm putting a scope back on it. He took out a mountain lion at 150 yards. It's a pretty impressive little round.

 

[GunTech]

My CZ-452 Varmint will shoot dime sized groups at 100 yards very reliably. I've been amazed at how accurate this rifle/cartridge combination is. Yes, ammo is more expensive than 22LR. But it punches paper far better than most 22LR, and is a reliable killer of small varmints out past 150 yards.

The trigger on the 452 leaves a lot to be desired, but that cxan be easily remedied for about $16 with the Brooks trigger kit. If you don;t mind spending more, the RifleBasix and Timney triggers are both outstanding. I have a Timney in my 17HMR and the trigger breaks clean at 2 pounds.

 

[rangerruck]

a 17 hmr is faster at 150 yards, than a 22 is at the muzzle. a 17 hmr , zero'd at 100 yards, with a regularly mounted scope, only rises, .5 inches at 50 yards, and is only down 3 inches at 150 and 8 inches at 200 yards.
After 80 yards, the 17 hmr has more energy than a 22 mag, and because of it's better b.c., it drifts less in the wind than any other 22.
A great rifle, and a great small game hunting round, you will find that the 17 hmr is proly the most inherently accurate round you will ever fire, and it will be factory. tty to buy on sale, or off the internet, as rounds are now about 15 bucks per box. There are approx 12 diff brands/types of 17 rounds now;
cci 3, horny 3, feddy 2, remmy 1, winny 2, sellier @ bellot 1, I think that is it.
check here for your ammo prices, or if you do not see what you want on their site, they can get or proly allready have what you want , so email them.
they are my buds, and will give great price.http://ammunitiontogo.com/

 

[rangerruck]

1 more thing, the 17 mach 2 will smoke any 22lr, and can also fire the 17 Aguila/pmc round. and it is only about 5 or 6 bucks per box.