What are the advantages/disadvantages of .17hmr vs .22lr?

[Lightsped]

I know the .17hmr is signifigantly more expensive than .22lr. Why does .17hmr cost so much? Is .17hmr really that much better than .22lr? Pros? Cons? My best friend just bought a new Marlin 917vs (stainless), and I am wondering if I am gonna be outgunned with my CZ-452 Silhouette.... Thanks for any info.

 

[dak0ta]

The 17 HMR shoot straighter, farther, and is more destructive down range. Stuff tends to explode.

22 LR is cheaper, not as straight and cannot shoot as far. Hollow points can cause stuff to explode at closer ranges.

It really depends on what you want to do. 22 LR is easy on the wallet and can get the job done if used in it's range. 17 HMR is fun to shoot but more expensive.

 

[rcmodel]

The .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, or HMR is a true rim-fire Magnum round like the .22 WMR or .22 Magnum.
It gives much higher velocity, shoots much flatter, and in general is a better longer range caliber for small pest / varmint shooting.

The .22 RF uses a lead bullet, as opposed to the jacketed bullet used in the .17 HMR.
It is also generally held to much higher quality standards then run of the mill .22 RF ammo.

That's why it costs more.

rc

 

[desidog]

The .17 rimfires are a novelty/gimmick that won't stand the test of time, IMHO, because there is not a big enough difference with the .22lr; although there is in price. Thats not to say they don't do anything better, but just not significantly enough to merit the price increase for Joe End-user...and many of the guns chambered in .17HMR are pricy as well - so at that price point, I don't understand why you wouldn't just get a .22 or .204, or .223

 

[Vern Humphrey]

One thing that holds down the .22 LR cost is economy of scale. The .17 HMR doesn't sell more than a tiny fraction of the billions and billions of .22 LR rounds sold each year.

 

[GunsAmerica Fan]

Wow desidog that is a gutsy proclamation. I haven't ever heard a negative word from people who shoot the .17 so I don't know why it would disappear. I think it is really just a choice between whether you want a traditional plinking gun or a sexy hot modern caliber that takes advantage of improved metallurgy and advanced gun powder technology. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[rcmodel]

I agree.

There are a lot of uses for the .17 HMR that cannot be served with a bigger center-fire caliber.

Noise may be an issue in some areas of the country.
And you don't need a .204 Ruger at .75 cents a shot to shoot ground squirrels at 125 yards when you can do it just as well at 1/3 the cost with a .17 RF.!

rc

 

[ArmedBear]

at that price point, I don't understand why you wouldn't just get a .22 or .204, or .223

Depending on the state or location, some game or varmints are rimfire-only by law. And for shooting ground squirrels, it can be nice to just buy boxes of (relatively) cheap ammo. The .17HMR groups so nicely from a good off-the-shelf rifle like a CZ, that it would take careful load development to get the same groups from .204 Ruger.

What desidog says does appear to be happening to the .17M2 as we speak (after the top two rimfire rifle sellers, Marlin and Ruger, CZ was the next to go, with no more .17M2 for 2010). Weatherby never did offer its nice Anschutz bolt rimfire in .17M2, but does sell it in .17HMR and .22LR. I'm not sure if Remington ever did sell a .17M2 but, again, it doesn't offer one now.

I believe the .17HMR will survive and thrive, in its context. It's not, and was never meant to be, a .22LR competitor. If anything, it competes with the .22WMR, which also has a fraction of the sales of .22LR.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

.22 rimfires (.22lr and .22 mag) are for hunting small game, as they don't destroy as much meat, and offer better penetration. They are also good for target shooting.

.17 HMR is for target shooting (primarily, IMO), and destroying small varmints, where you don't care if you save meat, because you won't save much.

Two different purposes. What's YOUR purpose? You didn't say.

.17 Mach 2 - well I'm not so sure there IS a purpose for it. But it's kindof a jack of all trades, pretty good for small game hunting, I guess(not TOO much meat damage, although some), and a little more range than .22lr, but not quite as good as .22 mag for longer range small game hunting, IMO. Pretty good for target shooting, although not as good as .17 Hummer past 50 or 75 yards. Cheaper than .17 hummer, that's for sure.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Here in Arkansas, there is a "nothing larger than .22 rimfire" rule for some critters like crows. But there is a loophole; "Except when a modern gun season for deer, bear, or coyotes is in effect."

Coyote season runs from 1 July to 28 February, then starts again on the first day of Spring Turkey season (usually around 7 March) and runs through the end of Spring Squirrel season, 13 June. So for 49 1/2 weeks, my .22 Hornet is perfectly legal.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Shoot a decent .17HMR, and you'll see for yourself. I only have about 25 rounds through one so far, in my case a bottom of the line Savage that I mounted a scope on and zeroed, and it sure has made a believer out of me. The only disadvantage is the cost of ammunition, everything else I can see is an advantage.

I'll be getting my own before the month is out, I think...

lpl

 

[skidooman603]

This cool little .17 has me rather smitten. Think I will have to own one just for novelty sake if nothing else

 

[demonseed34]

the 17 hmr will be affected mor by the wind than a 22 LR ro 22 Mag. The 17 is only a fair weather round when the 22 is an any weather gun.

 

[RonE]

The 17 HMR seems to ricochet less than the .22 long rifle cartridge. This is perhaps due to the smaller bullet exploding or disintegrating because of about twice the velocity of the .22lr.

 

[ArmedBear]

the 17 hmr will be affected mor by the wind than a 22 LR

Have you ever shot a .22LR in the wind?

The .17HMR will be more affected by the wind at 100 yards than a .22LR will be at 20 yards, but, well, so what?

 

[colonelhogan44]

I own (and love) a savage rifle in .17 hm2. I used to always hunt squirrels with a .22 lr, but the frequent ricochets made me nervous. I have yet to hear a ricochet with the 17 (which doesn't mean it's never happening) and it really puts the squirrels down like a sack of bricks within 200 yards.

$5 for a box of quality shells vs. 11-15 for hmr...what's not to love? My buddy owns a savage in 17 hmr, and we frequently participate in "population control" on ground squirrels, so I have shot both quite extensively. The HMR shoots flatter and hits harder (read explosive), but the hm2 keeps up well, and the squirrels are DRT with both. There is little performance difference for a huge price difference.

Bottom line:
-the hm2 is awesome, despite all the talk that it is going away tomorrow.
-I'll take one over an hmr any day for varmints or plinking.
-The .22 falls far short (no pun intended) of both 17s for hunting purposes.
-if you have an hm2, .22 lr and hmr in the safe, 90% of the time you'll reach for the hm2 when something needs dispatching.

 

[KzoneAL]

+1 for the 17M2 its just plain awesome to shoot and hunt with and it isnt going anywhere.IMO 22's are fun and have done thier job for along time but they don't compare to the 17's in overall performance.People who talk about the M2's without shooting one need to stop talkin and start shootin one then maybe thier outlook may change.

 

[SGR]

I cannot believe all the B.S. you read about the .17 HMR round. First of all, you cannot even compare a .22 LR with a .17, maybe a .22 mag, but not a .22 LR. I have all three rounds, and they each have their place, but for varmit shooting out to 150 yards, the other two rounds just don't compare. I also have 2 .223s for varmit shooting, but I don't use it unless the targets are over 150+ yards out. The .223 is more expendsive to shoot, and scares the prairie dogs much quicker then the .17. Everybody that I have taken prairie dog hunting that brings a .22 mag goes home after shooting my CZ 452 .17 HMR, goes out and buys a .17 HMR. It is simply a wonderful, accurate rounds that far outshines either the .22 LR or .22 mag.

 

[rangerruck]

all you need to know is right here;
the 17 hmr bullet is a prime piece of multiple engineering , by the way, which is the main reason of it's high cost.
http://www.varmintal.com/17hmr.htm

a 17m2 rifle is better than both anyway; it can also shoot 17aguila rounds, and is 1/3 the cost
of hmr ammo.

One more thing; if I am reading right, and someone above is saying a 22lr round moves less in the wind than an hmr round, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You also need to read my link above; and just as a quick aside, a 17hmr round is moving faster at 150 yds, than a 22lr is at the muzzle.

 

[demonseed34]

i work at a huntin and fishing club that dose sight in for the public. on windy days people brought 17 hmrs in and they were shooting either towards the left or the right depending on the way the wind was coming from. i brought out my .22 lr marlin mod. 60 and it was shooting where i had sighted it in at.

 

[HunterBear71]

It is funny that folks keep claiming that the 17hmr is useless in the wind compared to a .22mag. According to my ballistic chart, that is simply not the case. It is accepted as fact on internet forums.

 

[jmorris]

I thought about getting one but the price of ammunition drove me away. I shoot .223 cheaper and can reload the cases. Noise is not a factor once you have a suppressor.

 

[ArmedBear]

the hm2 is awesome, despite all the talk that it is going away tomorrow.

I didn't say it isn't awesome. It may be, or it may not be, for all I know.

It is a fact, for better or worse, that one major rifle maker after another has dropped it from their product line, if it was ever in it. Take a look at Remington, Marlin, Ruger, H&R, CZ, Browning, Winchester, Weatherby websites. Of all the rifle manufacturers with a significant footprint in the US market, AFAIK only Savage still offers the .17M2 chambering, in two rifles. Buy one now, if you want one...

 

[Lightsped]

The range we go to is a max of 100 yards. I can easily hit small targets with my .22lr CZ 452. I never hunt or anything like that as I live in the city. I also enjoy the "low" cost of .22lr ammo. So for me, would it be worth buying a .17 hmr rifle?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The range we go to is a max of 100 yards. I can easily hit small targets with my .22lr CZ 452. I never hunt or anything like that as I live in the city. I also enjoy the "low" cost of .22lr ammo. So for me, would it be worth buying a .17 hmr rifle?

No. Unless you want a .17HMR.

I have a bunch of .22 LRs, including a super-accurate Kimber M82, an M1922 Springfield and a Remington 541X. I also have a Ruger 77/22M in .22 WMR. And another Kimber M82 in .22 Hornet. So as I see it, neither the .17 HMR nor the .17 HM2 is in my future.