22mag or?

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handgunner308

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Im looking to get another 22 rimfire. I have a custom 10/22 22lr volqurtsen barrel it shoots same hole groups out at 50 yards the gun cost around $1,000. That being said I would like to try some longer range shooting with rimfires. I was looking at the savage bolt action 22mags and 17hmr Im stuck on deciding between a 22mag and a 17hmr I dont know the ballistics between the 2 but I was thinking the 22mag would do good for hunting as well versus the 17hmr. Plus for the price of these savage rimfires whats the real quality and accuracy you get? can the accuracy be close to same as my custom 10/22 22lr? What would be my cheapest option for a 22mag or 17hmr with a bull barrel and great accuracy that reaches out far past 100 yards.
 
what do you consider "longer range" i shoot my .22lr out to 300 yards.
 
well Id like to get out about 150+ without having to adjust the scope to the extreme and aiming making major hold overs and not even aiming at the target anymore. Plus Id like the flatter trajectory and it will hold more energy at longer ranges if I ever decide to hunt coyotes or other small game at a distance
 
The .22mag gives you more energy, but the .17hmr gives you more speed, and hence more range. I can't remember specifically, and don't have time to double check at the moment, but the .22 mag will give you reasonable accuracy to like 175y, whereas the .17hmr will do more like 225y.
 
I wonder if you might just experiment with various ammunitions first. I get a kick outa noting the range/accuracy variations from my higher end .22s as I move through different ammunition.
 
I have the savage 17 hmr. bolt base model with synthetic stock. Bought brand new for 180.00. I got a lot more than I expected out of it. Absolute tack driver.
If you hunt squirrel with it I would strongly recommend head shots as the results are devastating and body shots don't leave much left for eating. Oddly enough when hunting with a buddy who was carrying a 22mag, we were out on about a 20 acre pasture with a gusty cross wind. Out of curiosity we took aim at a berm approx 200yds out to see how badly the round would be affected. Timing for dead spots in the wind, and in heavy gusts, we found that the 17 was less affected than the 22 mag. Not a lab tests so take it as you will,but that was our outcome. I have the sweet 17 scope on mine and it holds well with the range adjustment. I have found though that there are bigger differences from ammo to ammo than other calibers,so make sure you sight it in with the ammo you're going to use the most.
 
I have a savage 93 in 22mag and love it. The hornady vmax ammo is 1" at 100 yards with my cheap crappy scope. I want to do a trigger job on it and a nice scope. I believe these will make it a 3/4 if not 1/2 gun. I also like the mag over the hmr cause In northern Illinois, hmr is 5$-10$ more per 50. Ive never shot an hmr though and really would lIke to fInd one... mIght have to make It my next purchase...
 
I'm still stuck on both calibers the 17 is faster flatter hotter the 22mag is between the 22lr and 17hmr but hits the hardest i would have to say due to that its a heavier bullet than the 17 and faster than a 22lr. Im looking for mainly the accuracy factor in which has the best ballistics and will hold better groups out further, but then i get stumped on if I was to ever hunt I know both is well enough for any small game out there but when I start reaching into hunting yotes and foxes and espicialy If Im trying to shoot em further than 100 yards lets say Im going to need knock down power as well
 
Personally, I don't think a good reason exists to buy a new 22 magnum rimfire rifle today; not since the 17 HMR was introduced in 2002.

I have and have had many 17HMRs, and every one of them has been very accurate. I've owned one 22 magnum Savage bolt action about 12 years ago and sold it because I could not get the accuracy I wanted out of it. 1.5 inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards does not cut it for me.

From what I have read over the last 20 years, this is very typical. People struggle to get great accuracy out of the 22 magnum rimfire. With the 17HMR, excellent accuracy is EASY, even in the cheap Marlins. Of course there are exceptions, but why take the chance? Go with the odds. The odds (based on my and my friend's experience) are that you will get 100 yard groups around 3/4 to 1 inch at 100 yards no matter which 17 HMR bolt action rifle you buy.

I also own very accurate 22 LR guns, but my 17 HMRs will always group better at 100 yards, especially if there is any wind at all. Much better wind resistance and almost no bullet drop to worry about from 0 to 125 yards.

Theoretically at least, the 17 HMR will have slightly less recoil because of the lighter bullet and make slightly less noise because of the smaller hole.

The 17 HMR explodes prairie dogs very nicely out to 150 yards. I've killed them out to 200 yards with it. It is a fantastic round. That is why it is the most successful new cartridge introduced in the last 10 years.

Most of the people who are shooting 22 magnums are shooting them because they bought them before the 17 HMR was introduced, or because they believe they are better on larger game. I doubt that claim, especially since you can get 17 HMR ammo with the better penetrating 20 grain bullets. The 17 grain VMAX bullets expand and come apart very quickly upon hitting something. This makes ricochets much less of a problem, and also makes them very effective on targets up to the size of a jackrabbit or marmot. Many coyotes are killed with them at closer ranges. I would not shoot at a coyote beyond 100 yards with them.

I've never paid more than $9.99 per box of 50 Hornady 17gr VMAX ammo. I just wait for sales and buy thousands. The farm stores often have it on sale.

Add to this the fact that the 17 HMR is flatter shooting, and there is no contest. Get the 17HMR. For best value, get a CZ. If you don't mind the cost, get an Anschutz. If you can't swing either, get a Marlin and lighten the trigger by replacing the trigger return spring.
 
If you want penatration get the 22 mag 40 fmj . At 60 yards it will make complet pass through with quarter size exit on dixie song dogs ! the 17 HMR will not at 25 yards .
 
If you're going to target shoot with a rimfire at longer ranges or hunt the smaller varmints, the 17HMR is the logical choice. If you’re going to hunt bigger varmints the 22 mag is the typical recommendation. However, although it's been done many times, I don't think either one is much of a coyote cartridge, but the 22 mag comes closer than the 17hmr. The 17 doesn't have enough bullet weight and penetration for coyotes. This lack of penetration is in part due to the very fragile bullet jackets usually found of 17hmr ammo. The .22 mag has the weight but not enough power for reliable, one shot kills at longer ranges.

I do agree with Applepie in that the 22 mag usually isn’t as accurate as the 17 and that it’s necessity is greatly lessened by the advent of the 17hmr. I used to be a fan of the 22mag but lately I’ve begun to look at it as more of a “jack of all trades” but master of none. For example; even with FMJ’s the 22mag has too much power for hunting small, edible game and is too expensive compared to 22lr to just plink with. For small varmint hunting, longer range target shooting and just plain “fun” the 22mag really can’t compete with the 17hmr’s flat trajectory and accuracy. And, as I said before, the 22mag still doesn’t really have the power for coyotes at the longer ranges. Now I know that the 22 mag will kill coyotes, but what I’m talking about is being reliable out at 100 – 150 yards. When I shoot a coyote or woodchuck I want it to fall over dead and not just most of the time. I want it dead on the spot, not requiring a “coup de grace” or running away and dying later on. In short the 22mag is too much for small edible game and ordinary plinking but hasn’t enough power for larger varmints and predators. My 22 Hornet does all the 22 mag jobs so much better, while still being just as pleasant to shoot, that I never use my 22 mag rifle anymore. The Hornet will do all the 17hmr’s jobs also but I still find the 17hmr to be a fun, useful cartridge.
 
I thin I have to agree with Bushpilot on that one. For what you want you'd be better off going a different round. 22 hornet as specified by bushpilot, Or 17 fireball, I think they even have a 17 hornet now, a 22-250 a 204 ruger, their is a bunch more but I know I can't remember them all. I haven't had experience hunting coyote with the 17hmr. I never figured it would be a viable tool for the job and opted for something with a bit more bang. If you deer hunt you may even consider a 25-06 or a 243 win. I know this will spark controversy but you can hunt white tail with both and they are still pretty good varmint guns. Hornady makes a varmint round for the 243 that gets pretty dang close to the 4000 fps mark.
 
The 22 mag will give you a bit more killing power at shorter range...my bro-in-law has shot many coons with his. It will kill coyotes at short ranges but when you get out past 100 yds, the coyote will probably run off and die. The 17 HMR is significantly more accurate than the 22 mag, but new ammos are making that less true. That said, you get what you pay for and the more accurate 22 mag ammo is also more expensive. I have two 17 HMRs and both are terrific. My Ruger 77/17 is my squirrel rifle when I need to take longer shots in late fall when the leaves are gone (otherwise I shoot my .22lr). My Anschutz 1517 MPR is wickedly accurate and is my favorite p-dog. I rarely shoot at anything further than 100 yds unless I use my .223 or .204. Certainly it will kill p-dogs out much further, but then you have to factor in bullet drop and I would rather shoot flat with my .223 or .204 and effect a solid kill. I may get a .22 mag at some point just because I don't have one.
 
Being habitually unconventional on such issues....

My answer for something with more zip than a 22 is simply my 223 loaded with pistol powder. It's cheap. I didn't have to buy a new rifle, and I can reload 223 for around $13.00 per 100, which is cheaper than most .17 or .22 mag rimfire ammo.
 
5 or 6 years ago, I bought a 17m2 (17hmr's little brother) and I'm so happy with it, I've parked all my .22lr's. Given that I'm so happy with the 17m2, my next step up is my .223, not the 17hmr. I do have a nice Savage 93, .22wmr that I really like, but don't shoot much.
 
I love my 22wmr revolvers and rifles.

Realistically, 22wmr ammo will range from $7 to $14 per 50 rounds. $10/50 will get you close to 1MOA in a decent rifle with optics.

For solely punching paper I would recommend 17hmr, because of it's accuracy over 22wmr. But if you are hunting for food, then I would recommend 22wmr, for the reason that several manufacturers make bullets designed for weight retention. 17hmr has a reputation for exploding in flesh. This will certainly kill the animal, but it makes it less edible, being both shredded and peppered with metal.

As far as hunting goes, this presupposes that the cartridge is sufficiently powerful enough for a humane kill.
 
The 17 grain bullets in the 17 HMR do fragment very rapidly. I have shot prairie dogs in the body where there is another prairie dog directly behind the one I am shooting at, and the prairie dog behind the front one is not hurt. This is with the 17 grain bullet. Only if the front one is hit in the neck or head does the bullet do any damage to the rear dog. Whenever I try for a "double", I aim for the neck of the front dog.

The 20 grain 17 HMR bullets are designed to not be as explosive, and are a better choice for larger prey. However, I don't think either 17 HMR or 22 rimfire magnum are good choices for larger varmints with any bullet, especially beyond 100 yards.
 
I have a Savage 93 .22 Mag that is scary accurate. That Accu-Trigger made a believer of me. I don't have access to a range longer than 100 yds but at that distance it just drops one on top of another.
 
thanks for all the insight guys I guess you can say 150 yards would be the threshold for any of these calibers anything further I would just upgrade to a centerfire, I've decided to keep my 22lr but buy a lightweight stock probobly the AXIOM 10/22 free floating barrel stock due to very good reviews and the very lightweight'ness. I did think about the 17hmr but heard it gets pushed around alot by wind I guess I would just need to upgrade to centerfire larger loads If I plan to do any real sniper type shooting, plus I can buy another 10/22 and build another custom gun
thanks for all the help and insight guys
 
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