17hmr, yeehaw!

C

centralmainehunters

New member
anyone care to share their 17hmr experiences, I got mine a year ago and it has been to the dismay of squirrels, ground hogs and red fox. Anyone else shooting this fun little rifle?
 
I can only speak about Savage since I have not tried the other brands. My first was not a heavy barrel, and that had poor accuracy. At least much less than I expected. So I sold that to a varmint hunter and he was happy with it. I replaced it with the heavy barrel model, and man oh man what a big difference! I did get the pin-point accuracy I was expecting. I told a buddy to walk out and place a tiny target at whatever distance he chose. He did. He was curious to see if I could hit it. After he came back I asked if he wanted the hole at 12, 3, 6, or 9 o'clock. I then placed the hole where he wanted it to be. So just based on the pleasing results I got, I would suggest the Savage bull barrel. However, it pays to install a good set of rings, scope, and try assorted ammo brands for best results. The target was a postage stamp. Some time has gone by since then and I just don't have any need or application for the little 17. I also remember ammo was a bit costly. My 22's satisfy my rimfire needs for now. But yes I agree they sure can be extremely accurate and fun to shoot.
 
I've got a Savage heavy barrel and LOVE it! I want to start stretching it's legs out to 300 just to see if I can get it done, but so far at 100 it's pretty deadly.
 
Marlin 917v, bull barrel, wood stock. Even with my cheap 3-9x40 tasco scope it is a mean mother. It's funny how sometimes your least expensive guns are your favorite.... I've killed many large rabbits with it, and even killed two deer with it after my sling on my deer rifle broke while walking to the stand and busted my scope. Hell of a round, but I still find myself interested in trying out the new .17wssm
 
I somehow knocked a crow off its feet with one a few years back at 225 yards. Barely had the gun a few weeks and had just gotten used to the bullet trajectory.

I killed quite a few groundhogs with it, a few at 200 yards. I found as long as I took head shots I could consistently kill them at that range. I've since sold it and picked up a .204 to fill its gap.
 
I've put some rounds through one. Very, very effective out to about 200 yards. Beyond 200, it's like that little bullet just goes into a wormhole. It's possible, but you've got to have little wind and lots of luck.

It's a fantastic choice for anything smaller than coyote and it'd be just fine for them with head shots.

As far as I'm concerned <donning flame suit> it completely antiquates any purpose for the .22Mag and most purposes (except high volume target) for the .22LR.
 
It's funny that you should mention that about the .22 mag. I'm getting ready to buy one in the next week or two (a Ruger American Rimfire). Basically I want a gun to squirrel hunt with - head shots only - that also has enough oomph to kill a coyote if I come across one. I also take a few hunts each year where I hike from the truck, call coyotes, and shoot squirrels if I get bored. They are all-day hunts and I need a versatile rifle along side.

To me, the .22 mag is better suited for my purposes because it has a bit more thump for the coyote/bobcat shots. But that's just me.

I also have a .204 Ruger and a .223, so I really don't need my rimfire to do much over 100 yards. So for me, the .22 mag fits my needs better than the .17 HMR. But to each his own.

SR
 
I sold my HMRs when the ammo costs went up to more than the .22WMR premium loads (30gr poly tips).

It's a great cartridge, but the 30gr .22WMR loads don't give up much to it, and the heavier bullet loads in the .22WMR are more useful to me.

I still have a .17HM2, and find it quite useful for small game, but once I've shot up all the ammo I have on hand, I'll probably be done with it as well, since current ammo costs have dwindled it's utility... for me.
 
I live in prairie dog country . The 17 HMR rifle is one that I never plan on giving up. The 17 HMR and 17 HM2 rifles are my spring prairie dog shooting rifles.
 
I have a savage 17 hmr. I forget the designation. It has a laminated thumbhole stock. Absolutely beautiful!! I have only shot rabbits and squirrels with it. But the results have been devastating! Amazing bullet.... amazing rifle.

I live in alabama, a long way from prairie dog town. I cant imagine how much fun that would be with a 17 hmr. :D
 
I have a Ruger 77/17 and love it. Many squirrels, prairie dogs, possums and coons have been taken with it. It tags well with my .204 in p dog towns. It doesn't scare them as badly as larger rounds so that means more can be shot, but I bring the .204 for its extended range.
 
I have a Savage 17HMR,with a heavy barrel and needless to say,"I am impressed". This combination has laser like accuracy.:) Cliff
 
I have a Savage Mod 93 with the bull barrel. Paid $199 for it a little over 3 years ago. Put a BSA Sweet 17 scope on it that was given to me by a good friend who was upgrading the scope on his 17.

At the range, I can be shooting next to guys with $2000 rifles, and that little inexpensive 17 HMR is just as accurate and sometimes more so, out to 200 yds.

The 17 HMR is fun and relatively inexpensive. During the height of the ammo shortage some months ago, when 22 lr could not be found anywhere, there was plenty of 17 HMR to be had.
 
coyote?

anyone used this caliber for coyotes? I tend to carry 17gr mag in the pocket and 20gr TNT's loaded in the hopes of a coyote or bobcat chance encounter. anyone effectively utilized this cartridge in the same way? Not sure I want to try it, but just in case when squirrel and rabbit hunting.
 
Coyote? with a .17?

Well I thought a .17 was a bit too small, but the guy that bought one of my rifles did just that. He claims a 165 yard neck shot. Unsure how truthful he is, but that's what he says. Let's see if some other members can chime in and back up this guy's claim. No doubt the little bugger can be on target at 165 yards, just not sure how effective it might be for a coyote.
 
I'm thinking about one, got a new scope for Christmas and now need a gun for it! Remember, 22 WRF is a nice lower powered round to shoot in a Mag.
 
I bought a Marlin XT-17 VR . Its a great gun firing a great bullet. I haven't shot anything with it yet, but you can't complain with one hole groups at 50 yards, and the heavy barrel means you can do it all day.

Up until now, I have only used Hornady 17 grain V-Max, but just bought a box of Winchester V-Max and Winchester 20 grain Hollow points. Anyone have any reports on how these shoot?

F23
 
I am curious...do any of you guys that shoot at prarie dogs experience ANY riccochets with this little cartridge? I' m thinking of getting one, but where I'll be shooting, I cannot tolerate any bullets skipping off packed dirt and whizzing off into the distance.
 
When I lived in CA I used my 917V on ground squirrels. All were DRT out to 150yds. Mine prefers the 17gr ballistic tips.
 
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