Tell us more about the .17 HMR....

[22luvr]

I know next-to-nothing about this recent caliber.

I assume it is a rifle round, although North American Arms and Taurus have built handguns around it.

Being the "22luvr," It looks like a made-to-order varmint eliminator.

I've heard that velocities out of rifles are practically off-scale but I don't know anything about performances out of pistols.

Please, tell us as much as you know about the .17 HMR.

(moderator: I don't know where this fits but will start it here.....)

 

[waynzwld]

It is a good little round. It has flatter trajectory than the 22 Mag. It also tends to be more accurate than a 22 Mag. It's optimal barrel length is 19 inches, so it will be we mite slower than the rated 2550 fps in a pistol.
It really shines at 100 to 150 yards, but the wind will blow the little 17 gr bullet around. It seems to have more "splat" factor than a 22 Mag. At 60 yards the damage to a crow is almost on par with a 222. Ammo is a little expensive, but if you don't shoot it like it was a 22 LR plinker, it's not so bad.

 

[feedthehogs]

Wind is a big factor.
I have had good success with a Savage heavy barrel bolt rifle.
I ordered a Henry lever gun in .17 and I am building a 10/22 mag action for the .17.

I have fired the Hornady, CCI and Remington ammo.

Hornady seems the most accurate out of the Savage.
1" groups at 100 yds, no wind.

 

[Topgun]

It is probably not as effective as the soon-to-be-announced .07 HMR which will achieve 3700 fps with a 6 gr. hollowpoint and be devastating on wren sized game at 400 yards assuming the wren does not pass gas and create any wind.

I betcha the 17 HMR will have a brief life. If you can't hit it with a 22 WMR, it is time to pick up the centerfire.

Too spensive for plinkin........too light for huntin. OK for sales.

 

[Poodleshooter]

The only one that I've fired was in a 12" bbl Taurus revolver owned by a member of my gun club. If it weren't for the muzzle blast (which is sizeable for a rimfire), you wouldn't know that the revolver had fired. It seems plenty accurate at 50yds, but when observing the price of ammo, particularly from the perspective of a reloader,I have to ask "why?"
If I can't do it with my .22lr, I just step up to the .223.

 

[Mike990]

The .17HMR is unique. It offers good accuracy and power out to 150 yards and some are reporting 200 yrds. Its a varmint rifle. It will rip up what it hits. So dont buy it for stuff you want to eat, but rather stuff you want to take apart or dont care about. Why not the .223 Thats easy for those that dont get it. More and More areas are becoming very urban. The .17 sounds like a loud .22 High Velocity round. The .223 sounds like deer rifle, big big difference in the attention each gathers. Even where noise is not a problem from neighbors, it avoids having the warden stop over to see if your hunting deer out of season. If your hunting and not just target shooting 50 rounds for 10 bucks is cheap. Especially considering your using what are essentially sophisticated centerfire type bullets in the round. Problem is the I think it needs a better platform to launch it that the mediocre 77/17 which is not all that consistent in .22 or .22 hornet or .22 mag. It seems ok in .17 but.............it depends if you get a good one. The CZ offers a lot of value for the price, but the Anschutz is suffering from a serious cost hike due to the climb of the Euro vs. the dollar no doubt. Its at least 25 percent higher than what it would have to be otherwise. You can buy a top shelf centerfire varmint rifle for the price of an anschutz in this caliber plus some toward a good scope. Hardly worth it at that price. Then I would just get a .223 varminter. We need a 600-700 dollar rifle with great accuracy and great trigger for this little beasty. Only the Anshutz really fills the bill. They are around 1200 in places now. Possibly cheaper here and there, dont know. Not that many dealers stock them. As the euro climbs in value to the dollar it gets worse

 

[Jaywalker]

There's significant discussion at Rimfirecentral, and you might want to check there, too. Everyone seems to agree that it's fine for prairie dogs out to 150 yards, though you'll get some "crawl away" losses. There's significant disagreement as to whether it's capable of taking woodchuck or larger at that range. Some folks have reported losses down holes, and some say that it's never happened to them. It's almost a religious argument.

As mentioned before, it's less powerful, and likely more accurate, than the 22 magnum - some folks have referred to it as "spooky accurate." It uses a very ballistically efficient bullet, and within 150 yards is still travelling faster than a 22 magnum, so you'll see a little less wind drift. (That's not to say it doesn't drift - just that it's travelling faster than a 22 magnum, and the wind has less time to affect it.)

IMO, the 17HMR is here to stay, and will likely put a dent in 22 mag sales. Cartridges are expensive now because the demand is so high. Factories are tooling up to meet the demand, but for now expect to pay$10 - $12 dollars for a box of fifty - when you can find them.

Jaywalker

 

[Chugach]

22luvr, I have a Marlin stainless rifle and enjoy shooting the round. It's fun. Sometimes it's nice to be out on the pioneering edge with a new cartridge. I had some extra cash at the time and bought it for grins.

Recoil is nonexistent, so it's easy to stay on your target in the scope. Noise level is low compared to centerfire rifles.

For what I paid, I'm happy with the Marlin. Trigger is long, heavy, and gritty but seems to be smoothing out with use. There are after market triggers that will solve that problem for me if needed. It's like most guns I've owned...the more I shoot it, the better I get.

Borrow one and shoot it and see what you think.

 

[ninenot]

Regardless of the caliber, my dealer tells me to "buy the Savage--it's the most accurate out-of-the-box."

The .17 has been written up plenty, for sure. Wonder exactly how it does with woodchucks at 60 yards. My .22LR has to hit them exactly at point-of-aim (usually they are broadside or 1/4 flank and I get a lung-shot.)

But if the shot is low, I have to find them and do it again. Even with a solid hit, they will jump and run between 3 and 30 feet...

 

[Coltdriver]

I have a Savage 17HMR that I bought last fall.

It is incredibly accurate. I have a Bausch and Lomb 9 X 28 scope on it.

I can shoot a dime at 50 yards over and over, a quarter at 100 yards.

For shooting varmits it is great. Anything over 100 to 150 yards and the performance of the Hornady VMAX bullets becomes marginal. Under that distance it is very destructive. There are great arguments over shooting anthing larger than a ground hog, some people are dropping coyotes but they are doing so under 100 yards, some people dont think that is an ethical target for the round. If you use the accuracy effectively, ok. If you miss you may just wound the animal. I have kept my shooting to crows and squirrels. I have a .223 for coyotes.

You can buy the Hornady rounds on the web at less than $9 per box if you buy quantity. If you like to plink I would suggest a .22.

I have not tried the remington or the cci hollow points but have read from others that they are not as inherently accurate as the Hornady vmax rounds. Availability of the rounds is getting better. It was real bad for a while and it is still not perfect. But I did see some cci's at walmart the other day.

The round and the barrel twist give an excellent combination. The limits are that the grain size of the round is not likely to be changed at all in future rounds.

If you want a very accurate rifle these are tough to beat. My savage was right at $200.

 

[plainsman66]

the bride bought me the low dollar marlin 17v for fathers day,and I have been out every weekend since trying to lower the prarie dog population in this area ,and I have to agree with most folks that this rifle outshoots me some days!but from 40 to 175 yards I have not missed or needed a second shot!kids and I smoked a rather large dog sunday and out of curiousity I paced it and counted 236 steps(I'm 5'11")so on a calm day the little bullet will reach out there a little ways.yes the marlin trigger is horrible,but a pen spring and some stone work cleans'em right up.

 

[farscott]

I have a switch-barrel Volquartsen chambered for the .17 HMR and .22 WMR, and I believe the .17 HMR is here to stay. As others have noted, the .17 HMR seems to be very effective out to 150 yards, and it is amazingly accurate. It also appears that the powder has been changed, and the velocity of the newer ammo has increased to around 2650 fps.

As for why not the .223 Remington, the decreased noise and recoil of the .17 HMR is a big draw for me. Not having to reload for .223 Remington or the .22 Hornet is also a plus.

While the .17 HMR is now more expensive than both the .22 LR and the .22 WMR, I believe costs will come down to below the .22 WMR as production volumes increase. I have found CCI ammo at MidSouth for around $7.75 per box of 50.

 

[sturmruger]

Oh Crap!!

Another gun I am going to have to get. I better head over to the Ruger website to see what they have in .17

 

[PATH]

Shot mine finally. Well worth the wait. Woodchucks beware. By the by it is scarily accurate!

 

[TODD3465]

I agree myself. I bought a Marlin 17VS used once I get the trigger cleaned up this thing will be great. It already is acciruate just a pain to hold for those sub-MOA groups at 100yds. This is the perfect rifle for my varmint needs.

 

[benEzra]

A fellow range member allowed me to shoot his .17 HMR Marlin a couple of weeks ago, and I was impressed. Shooting off his bipod and no rear bag, I just aimed and pulled the trigger fairly quickly, and shot a 3-shot group of about an inch at 85 yards or so, all in the X ring (IIRC). When the rifle went off it sounded like someone shooting a centerfire rifle off in the distance. The rifle literally didn't move, and the sound was the only thing that told you you had fired.

 

[Moparmike]

Why do people shoot coyotees, woodchucks, groundhogs, and prarie dogs? I havent lived on a farm, so I just dont understand.

Thanks,

 

[Atticus]

Moparmike: Because they burrow all over the place, leaving holes that can break the legs of people, horses, cattle, etc. Coyotes eat things like chickens, newborn livestock, dogs, cats, etc. And besides.... it's fun. Paper doesn't move, and PETA doesn't care about paper.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Mopar Mike -- my neighbors here in Stone County have lost half a dozen newborn goats and lambs to coyotes this year. Plus a lot of chickens and the occasional dog or cat.

As for crows, ever noticed a crow being harassed by two songbirds in the spring? Next time you see it, note what the crow is carrying in its beak.

 

[Art Eatman]

Mopar, there's a recent discussion of varmint hunting in the Hunting forum.

, Art

 

[bad_dad_brad]

The .17 HMR is a .22 magnum necked down to accomodate a .17 caliber tiny FMJ spitzer style bullet - plastic or hollow point. Ruger and Hornady worked together on the new round and the first rifle to shoot the .17 HMR was a Ruger bolt action based on their 22 magnum.

Any bolt action .22 magnum rifle, rechambered and rebarrelled can fire the .17, hence Marlin, Savage, and others are producing rifles in this caliber.

I have the Marlin bolt action. I would go with the Marlin or Savage, the Ruger is too expensive, and besides reports are that the Marlin and Savage are more accurate (especially the Marlin - a real rimfire tack driver).

I don't think the .17 HMR is a fad and I think it will stay around for the duration. It is by no means a quantum leap over the .22 magnum, but under the right conditions, it will outperform said cartridge. Just don't try to hit anything with a .17 HMR on a windy day.

People that have em, seem to love em.

 

[Hardtarget]

I saw this one for the first time at the range Saturday 8/2/03. He had three brands of ammo...testing to find the one the gun likes best. One group, with CCI ammo, could almost be covered with a nickle...from 100 yds. There were other groups on the target but this was the smallest. The shooter said this was his first trip to the range and he was still tweaking bugs out of the rifle too. My bet iis things will be more consistant with a little more trigger time. It was funny to sit back and watch the shooting. The shooter next bench over was shooting a Win. 300 mag. The .17 goes
"pop"...then the "300" would ROAR! It was just fun to watch.
Mark.

 

[charliebrown]

17 hmr

hey i have a taurus 17 hmr revlover and everything i have read it says it has a 6 1/2 in barrel that makes me wonder mine has a 7 3/4 in barrel... but every thing else is the same excpt ythe weight and the over all lenght... but it shoots great and lives up to it's advertisements.. just went and got a rifle last weekend just hope it lives up to it's name... but anyway does anybody else have a 17 with a 7 3/4 barrel...

 

[db_tanker]

I am waiting with great anticipation for my 21" Contender bbl...

Should be in this Wed.

I already have some 17 and 20 gr ammo to play with...


D

 

[Darkside]

I bought my Marlin 17V right after they came out. It is a GREAT rifle for shooting those pesky invading peanut M&M's off golf tees at 50-80 yards.

At that time the only ammo was the 17gr. Hornady stuff and it WAS scary accurate for a factory rifle.

Soon after I got it sighted in and played with it for a few weeks, I loaned it to my father so he could keep possums out of his garden. He says that it works great on them. I haven't seen the rifle since. I guess someday I will get it back. I would like to try some of the new ammo that has come out.

Darkside