17 HMR?

[tgallmey]

Whats the hype of them? My friend has a Henry and Im just curious as to why this round is so amazing?

 

[onesurveyor]

Fast and flat. I have a bull barrel bolt action that I love.

 

[sgreen3]

Fast and flat. I have a bull barrel bolt action that I love.

Pretty much this^

 

[Enkrypter]

Exactly! I'm chomping at the bit to get one. I have my eye on a Savage TRR-SR (silencer ready threaded barrel), but I would settle for anything at this point. I really want to get one before this fall's Squirrel season starts. I think I've watched EVERY youtube video on HRM out there. The gun is amazing and the round packs a huge punch. It's supprisingly devastating up to about 200 yards. There's tons of videos of people dropping big 200lb boars, deer, rabbits, coyotes, whistle pigs, and squirrels.

Game hunting appears to be tricky on smaller animals as the round is so devastating you aren't left with much edible meat. Shot placement (headshots) will be a requirement, but form what I've sen and read, with a decent scope, this is something a 4 year old could do.

Went to the 1500 with money in pocket and NO ONE had an HMR. Granted I went late in the day on Sat., but I'm still begining to get very jaded by the 1500. It's really gone downhill.

 

[Que]

I enjoy shooting my Ruger 17HMR, but the price of the ammo is very high and I never complain about the price of ammo. I sure wouldn't mind reloading 17, but I'd bet it would be cost-prohibitive.

 

[Broom_jm]

I enjoy shooting my Ruger 17HMR, but the price of the ammo is very high and I never complain about the price of ammo. I sure wouldn't mind reloading 17, but I'd bet it would be cost-prohibitive.

There is a newer 17 caliber cartridge hitting the market based on an improved 22 Hornet case that I think would give excellent performance with a reloadable case design. As for the 17HMR, it fills a supposed gap between the 22WMR and actual 22 centerfire rifles, like the 223. Personally, I think it is much to-do about nothing. It is a youtube-video parlor trick to hunt big game with one and is simply far too powerful for edible small game.

About the best use I can see for the 17 caliber rimfire rifles is for those hunting fox and coyote for pelts. That small bullet is not very likely to leave an exit wound.

 

[deanald2pt0]

They make great rifles for small varmits. My brother and I use them on parie dogs out in South Dakota. They are devistating on small animals for shoots under 150 to 200 yards, but the velocity falls off quick after that, so they drop and get blown around by the wind.

After seeing the carnage they do to small p-dogs, I don't know that I'd want to use them for something like a squirel that I was going to eat.

 

[longhuntr]

I've been using the 17hmr for about 4 years,in a marlin and a savage bolt gun.they are extremely accurate.I don't think it's due to some magical property,just that it's new and so is the equipment it's made on.decent groups are usually under an inch at 100yds,if theres no wind.with much more than a breeze,it's get pretty erratic.No recoil,you can see shot placement great.I have used it mainly for crows here in southern Ind.I can shoot them out in a picked or bare field,and there is practically no riccochet to speak of.I have used them on squirrel,but only with head shots.I did have one pass thru the head and still tore up the front quarters pretty badly.The biggest animal I have shot was a turkey,loose from a factory farm.At about 130 yds,I hit it thru the base of the wings while it was walking.The bird got up and flew about 50yds,then fell dead in the air.I recovered a little piece of the jacket in one lung.I personally wouldn't shoot a coyote unless it was point blank range,or out in the open where I could get a follow up shot.The guns biggest pluses are the extreme accuracy, and its speed.Dead on at 25yds, it's a little high @ 100yds,then about 4-5 inches low at 150.At that range,the bullet opens like a premium center fire bullet on a deer,with expansion,but no fragmentation.just my 2 cents,but it's a pretty specialized round.It's a lot of fun to shoot on a range though,you can shoot raw eggs at 100yds and see the impact..

 

[churchmouse]

I have (2) bull barrel rifles and a pistol in .17HMR. They all have varmints on them.
The round is fast, flat and dead on accurate. A friend shot a coyote at 25 yds. off hand with my 7" barrel Taurus Tracker, and dropped it. Well placed (or just lucky) shot.
It is a popular poaching round as well.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

There's no reloading; it's rimfire like a .22LR.

 

[Broom_jm]

If you'd like a reloadable 17 centerfire, instead of the rimfire 17 HMR, do a search for "Hornady 17 Hornet".

 

[patience0830]

If you'd like a reloadable 17 centerfire, instead of the rimfire 17 HMR, do a search for "Hornady 17 Hornet".

OR .17 Rem. or .17 fireball. or. . . .or. . . .

Many options.

 

[Colt556]

I have a CZ 452 Varmint in 17HMR and it is an extremely accurate rifle. Very good for dispatching pesky critters or shooting tiny groups of tiny holes in paper.

 

[Broom_jm]

OR .17 Rem. or .17 fireball. or. . . .or. . . .

Many options.

Actually, as far as 17 centerfires go, that's about it, unless you want to get into the real exotic wildcats!

What I like about the 17 Hornet is that it is what you might term "right-sized". It is not so powerful or fast that it is likely to foul the barrel heavily within 10-20 rounds. At the same time, it delivers good performance on varmints up to (maybe?) coyotes, at reasonable ranges. For the handloader, it will probably cost about as much as buying 17HMR ammo, but with the significant increase in performance realized by the larger, centerfire case.

 

[Enkrypter]

I think the .17 Hornet will be pricey. For a few cents more you might as well get .223 and call it a day.

Hornady 17 Hornet Ammo - $21.43
http://www.google.com/products/cata...T9G9I-ja0QGgrs3XBg&ved=0CEoQgggwAA#scoring=tp


Comparable Cheap .223 Ammo - $26.89
http://www.google.com/products/cata...T5bJEMrd0QGVxOnNBg&ved=0CFYQgggwAg#scoring=tp

Granted, there are better sites and prices fluctuate, but with prices that close why not get more bang for your buck? no pun intended...

The 17 Hornet's claim to fame is that it has nearly identical ballistics as the .223. If the costs is going to be so close, and the results are going to be close, I seen no reason to have another cartridge sitting around the house.

 

[Broom_jm]

I think the .17 Hornet will be pricey. For a few cents more you might as well get .223 and call it a day.

Hornady 17 Hornet Ammo - $21.43
http://www.google.com/products/cata...T9G9I-ja0QGgrs3XBg&ved=0CEoQgggwAA#scoring=tp


Comparable Cheap .223 Ammo - $26.89
http://www.google.com/products/cata...T5bJEMrd0QGVxOnNBg&ved=0CFYQgggwAg#scoring=tp

Granted, there are better sites and prices fluctuate, but with prices that close why not get more bang for your buck? no pun intended...

The 17 Hornet's claim to fame is that it has nearly identical ballistics as the .223. If the costs is going to be so close, and the results are going to be close, I seen no reason to have another cartridge sitting around the house.

You do realize the links you show above are comparing 20 rounds of 17 Hornet to 50 rounds of 223...right? There is a BIG difference in price, and not much of a difference in performance.

But, if you're basing your gun choices on economy and practicality, you're missing half the fun!

 

[Enkrypter]

My bad. it's 25 rounds actually. however i did find this..

Reloading Brass Hornady 17 Hornet 50 Cases

50 bass casings for 17 hornet for 30 bones... I will remain skeptical until it comes out.

 

[Reel Man]

good round

All of the that has been mentioned fast, flat, and cheap to shoot.

 

[easy]

Excellent for small and medium varmints. I shoot ground squirells out here and it does a number on them. No hole crawlers like .22LR and even 22WMR. I would doubt the ethics of coyote sized shots at extended ranges.