question on the .17 HMR in rifles

[Ned Kelly]

I have used a whole slew of rifle calibers to hunt with. Don't have much use for shotguns aside from slugs.

I have killed groundhogs and other vermin with everything from a cb 22 to a 12 guage slug.

I know that a .22 magnum is a reliable possum stopper with a forward torso shot.

The .17 however seems very unpredictable. Whenever you take the head shot it really scrambles and animals brain up. With the extra accuracy this isn't hard to do. However when I go for body shots usually it either performs very energetically and kills the animal on the spot or the animal takes the slug and goes.

A good example is a possum that was on my porch a few months ago. I went for the upper body instead of the head. Shot the gun and the possum ran off like it wasn't hit. Well I would have dismissed it as that except I know my gun and where to hold at point blank range. I got to looking around where I shot it and in front of the impact area ( not behind) I found lots of fat, skin and hair but no blood.

I have shot squirrels dead center and saw a bloody mess but the squirrel ran right off. The same shot with a .22 lr or .22 wmr would have dropped it in its tracks with not near as much blood splattering everywhere.

It looks to me like it causes hideous superficial wounds at times instead of penetrating into the body cavity.

Is the .17 prone to unpredictable performance on game?

Will going to a 20 grain bullet instead of the 17 grain help this problem?

 

[sbarkowski]

You shooting V-Max bullets I take it? Maybe Give the JHP's a try. Accuracy may suffer slightly but they'll probablly be more consistent in impact performance.

 

[NCsmitty]

The 20gr loads have a little heavier jacket than the 17gr BT and provide better penetration on the larger bodies.
As sbarkowski noted, they are not quite as accurate, at least that's the case in my NEF Sportster.

NCsmitty

 

[shootr]

RE accuracy, the TnT JHPs are noticeably more accurate in my .17 than any Vmax bullet I've tested - and I think I've tested them all. You might give them a try and see how your rifle likes them.

 

[rangerruck]

if shooting at a hard skull, at any kind of angle, the vmax tips will blow up first, and tear up a lot of tissue, but won't get through that skull. Get some solids, or JHP's, or 20 grainers, that'll do it.