How good is a 17 HMR?
- Thread starter viking499
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hatchetbearer
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I had a savage 93R17 for about a whole month, while it was more inherently accurate than ill ever be, Im more of a recoil junkie. i want not only accuracy, but a satisfying boom to accompany that. The savage was more of a crack. But i could put rounds touching at 200yds all day, to the point i got bored with it. never had too much wind to make a judgement on how it effected it, but a 17gr projectile going that fast should slice right through the wind. Mine liked the cci TNT rounds, a hollowpoint instead of that hornady polymer tipped round.
Its good for small game. Yes wind will have an effect on it like it does all cartridges. The smaller and slower the bullet you are shooting, the more wind will take effect.
Better than the 22 mag at what? Prairie Dogs, Coons, target shooting? They basically fill the exact same niche. One isn't so much better than the other that I would worry about it. If you need more than the .22 mag get a hornet, or .223.
Better than the 22 mag at what? Prairie Dogs, Coons, target shooting? They basically fill the exact same niche. One isn't so much better than the other that I would worry about it. If you need more than the .22 mag get a hornet, or .223.
jerkface11
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17hmr will one shot a squirrel EVERY single time. It's also far more accurate than a .22mag. Go with the 17 and you won't be disapointed.
C-grunt
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I have a friend that is selling a Savage 93R17. Im really tempted to buy it even though I dont really hunt just because its so darn accurate. Ever read about people shooting flies with them?
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...bnw=109&prev=/images?q=17+HMR+fly&gbv=2&hl=en
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...bnw=109&prev=/images?q=17+HMR+fly&gbv=2&hl=en
Had a Savage 93 in 17HMR for a few months, about two years ago. Very accurate. No problem keeping five well inside of an inch @ 100 yards. A tad faster than advertised, according to one chrony test.
Just couldn't figure out what it was good for and sold it. Not enough punch to suit me for woodchucks, no ground squirrels or p-dogs here in PA.
Just couldn't figure out what it was good for and sold it. Not enough punch to suit me for woodchucks, no ground squirrels or p-dogs here in PA.
orvpark
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I regularly shoot off my deck from my lawn chair using the rail as a rest and kill squirrels at ~250-300yds.
This is with a handy rifle I bought cheap enough to barely cover the cost of the scope that was on it. I bought it solely for the scope and intended to sell off the rifle but ended up liking it quite a bit.
This is with a handy rifle I bought cheap enough to barely cover the cost of the scope that was on it. I bought it solely for the scope and intended to sell off the rifle but ended up liking it quite a bit.
AK103K
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I have a Savage with a thumb hole stock and BSA Sweet 17 on top. Prone off a bipod at 100 yards, it will keep its groups about the size of a dime, as long as the wind isnt blowing. With the wind blowing, the group will usually open up horizontally.
I use mine mostly for garden control. My wife is the farmer, I get to hunt over bait.
On critters like rabbits at around 50-75 yards, that little bullet is brutal and explosive, and most every pull of the trigger brings a giggle. I have yet to have anything as much as twitch after a shoulder shot.
One thing you need to watch though, is shooting through vegetation. That alone will sometimes cause the bullet to start to upset, and depending on how far past what starts the break up, your results may vary a good bit. If they are close, its a shredder.
I use mine mostly for garden control. My wife is the farmer, I get to hunt over bait.
On critters like rabbits at around 50-75 yards, that little bullet is brutal and explosive, and most every pull of the trigger brings a giggle. I have yet to have anything as much as twitch after a shoulder shot.
One thing you need to watch though, is shooting through vegetation. That alone will sometimes cause the bullet to start to upset, and depending on how far past what starts the break up, your results may vary a good bit. If they are close, its a shredder.
Pistol or revolver?
See Ruger's website:
"Strong, Durable, Dependable, and Versatile. New Model Single-Six® revolvers are the perfect small bore single-action revolver for plinking, small game hunting or serious competition. Chambered in either .22 LR, .22 Magnum, or .17 HMR, these great single-action revolvers come in a variety of barrel lengths, finishes, sights, and grips."
hub
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I also own a Savage 93R17 BTVS. It is a very accurate rifle and really I'm just now getting it broke in with about 400 rounds through it and after about 200 rounds the groups started shrinking. It's a fun rifle for target shooting and really for the quality of ammo it's pretty cheap too. I know you can reload decent .223 for almost as cheap but that's not an option for some and it's nice to be able to stop by a local store and buy 200rds of Hornady for about the same as 20 rds of almost any quality centerfire rifle.
I haven't shot mine over 100yds yet but windage has not been that big of a deal. I've only taken it out to a local range that's only 100yds or less but in the near future I'm going to go out to 200-300yds and see how it stacks up to my .223 AR with fast 50gr rounds. I'm sure when you get out to 200 the wind will start to really move those 17gr or 20gr bullets.
The only thing I don't like about the HMR is that like what DennyF stated. Other than a fun target/plinking round I don't think it really fills any role that well. That goes for the .22mag too. I personally think it's too much for small game hunting like squirrel but not enough for any bigger varmints or predators at distances past 100yds. It's not that big of a deal to me that's what the .223 is for and the .17 is still fun to shoot.
As for accuracy of the .17 vs .22mag I think they are pretty comparable with the same ammo. The .17 may have a little better trajectory and be a little faster but the 30gr .22mag will should slightly fight the wind better.
If you didn't know Hornady makes a ballistic tipped .22mag with performance similar to the .17 HMR. That could be a good reason to buy a .22mag instead of a .17HMR if you kinda on the fence because you could shoot regular tipped bullets pretty cheap but if you needed more accuracy you could spring for the V-MAX's.
http://www.cabelas.com/p-0064202216860a.shtml
I haven't shot mine over 100yds yet but windage has not been that big of a deal. I've only taken it out to a local range that's only 100yds or less but in the near future I'm going to go out to 200-300yds and see how it stacks up to my .223 AR with fast 50gr rounds. I'm sure when you get out to 200 the wind will start to really move those 17gr or 20gr bullets.
The only thing I don't like about the HMR is that like what DennyF stated. Other than a fun target/plinking round I don't think it really fills any role that well. That goes for the .22mag too. I personally think it's too much for small game hunting like squirrel but not enough for any bigger varmints or predators at distances past 100yds. It's not that big of a deal to me that's what the .223 is for and the .17 is still fun to shoot.
As for accuracy of the .17 vs .22mag I think they are pretty comparable with the same ammo. The .17 may have a little better trajectory and be a little faster but the 30gr .22mag will should slightly fight the wind better.
If you didn't know Hornady makes a ballistic tipped .22mag with performance similar to the .17 HMR. That could be a good reason to buy a .22mag instead of a .17HMR if you kinda on the fence because you could shoot regular tipped bullets pretty cheap but if you needed more accuracy you could spring for the V-MAX's.
http://www.cabelas.com/p-0064202216860a.shtml
hub
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I agree the Savage is very accurate but I think the same rifle in .22 mag would be just as accurate if you used the same quality of bullets.
Sir Aardvark
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Not to be a killjoy, but, wasn't there just a huge recall on 17HMR by Remington - something about 17 HMR being unsafe for ALL semi-automatic firearms...
Uncle Mike
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better than the 17HMR...no,no way! The 22MAG. is much better for hunting, check out the charts, talk to folks who have actually hunted it, and I mean days in the woods with it, not a passing shot.
The 17 is more accurate...bullet type, design.
Bore fouling is a concern, and once it does foul, accuracy stops, period. And they are hard to clean, as far as the barrel is concerned. Harder than a 22MAG., and after you clean several hundred of them....you will agree! lol
Ammo is costly, as compared to the 22MAG.
The 22MAG. will buck wind better, but....
There is a huge recall on Remington 597's chambered in the 17HMR, not the 17HMR ammo. Seems the 597 could not stand up to the pressures generated by the 17HMR ammunition .
Hornady issued a warning to not use 17HMR ammunition in ANY firearm until the owner of said firearm contacted the manufacturer of the firearm and was told by the manufacturer of the firearm that it was safe to use 17HMR ammunition in that particular model/design of firearm.
The 17HMR is a fine cartridge but it will never overtake the 22MAG as far as hunting and versatility is concerned.IMHO
I like em both
but if I could have only one it would be the 17HMR in my Savage BTVSS. The other rifle that I have shot in this caliber was a heavy barreled Marlin and it was crazy accurate as well. Shooting flies or hornets at 100 is pretty easy with these things.
but if I could have only one it would be the 17HMR in my Savage BTVSS. The other rifle that I have shot in this caliber was a heavy barreled Marlin and it was crazy accurate as well. Shooting flies or hornets at 100 is pretty easy with these things.
I've spent time with both. I believe the 17hmr is superior to the 22mag. Take them both and go shoot potatos or other reactive target. The 17 is not only more accurate but has more explosive force using those highly frangible ballistic tip type bullets. Again go shoot apples or potatos with both. The difference is dramatic.
AK103K
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I somewhat agree with the cleaning. They are a bit of a chore, since things are so small. Finding tools is also a bit of a chore. Along with my shotguns, my .17 is one of the few guns I rarely clean. Like the shotguns, it gets used a lot, and it usually gets cleaned at the end of the season before it gets put away.
With that said, I've noticed no degradation in accuracy due to it being dirty. At least not out to 100 yards. The first shot of the season or the last, as long as the critter didnt move at the time of let off, the rounds have pretty much always gone where I was looking when it did, and the few times it didnt, they were "called" shots and my fault.
In shooting around 100 rabbits over the last 3 years or so, I've only had one round that did not cause the critter to come apart when shot. It passed through like a .22, making a small entrance and exit. I thought I missed that one and it was playing dead.
sledhead76
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I also have a Savage BTVSS, it's easily one of my favorite guns to shoot. If I'm taking someone shooting for the first time, I like to take that one out, along with some reactive targets (tomatoes, apples, etc)... that gun will make a shooter out of anyone!
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