First rifle - 22LR or 17HMR

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GuitarsAndGuns

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I will be buying my first hunting rifle around September, most likely a .308 or 30.06. But until then I will be buying a small rifle to practice with. My local WalMart started carrying guns just the other day and they have a few excellent and inexpensive choices in rimfires. I am looking at two bolt action Savages, one in 22LR and one in 17HMR. Unfortunately I don't recall the models, but the .22 is around $135 and the 17HMR is around $185, both have poylmer stocks. They have a Ruger 10/22 as well as a semi auto Marlin but I think it best to stick to bolt action. This will be used for lots of target shooting and most likely some varmint hunting in the future, getting used to shooting a rifle in general, as well as learning how to use a scope. I have plenty of experience shooting handguns and I have also put about 150 rounds through my dads .30 carbine, but I have zero experience with a bolt action. Which would you choose? Is there any reason I should stick with the .22 over the 17HMR? All advice will be greatly appreciated, including rimfire scope suggestions. Thanks.
 
if its going to be a rifle to learn with i would go with the 22lr. there have been other threads that have talked about this but when it comes down to it the ammo is alot cheaper which translates to you being able to afford more ammo and get more practice with it. for this reason id say save the $50 and get the 22. you can get around 550rds of 22lr for about 20 bucks at walmart when you pick up the gun
 
i have both and love both......in your circumstance i think id lean towards the 22. Everybody needs a 22, the ammo is cheap (unlike the 17), and its just a great caliber all around to learn/hunt/plink with.
 
The .17HMR has a flatter trajectory than the .22LR, but the ammo is more expensive (and, apparently, the rifle is a little more expensive as well.)

Neither has any recoil.

If you are going to be using it for varmint hunting, I'd lean towards the .17HMR, for a little more useful range. I think you'll be able to plan on 100yds instead of 50yds.

As far as a scope goes, for the .17HMR I use a conventional scope rather than one with parallax set for 50yds. I have a Leupold VXII 6-18X on my Ruger 77/17.
 
rifle needs

Pick a practice rifle simular to what you will hunt big game with and practice all you can. Good luck and good shooting
 
I have a Remington 581s bolt action 22lr as well as other guns of different calibers and the 22lr is my favorite rifle to play with hands down. Be careful, 22 lr's are like Lays potato chips, you can't stop at just one!;)
 
There's no question that the .22LR is best. Don't sell yourself or a .22LR short. You'll be shooting it more than any other caliber, so get yourself a pretty nice one. The WalMart Savages are okay, but you'll probably wish you had a nicer rifle pretty soon.

Unfortunately, there aren't many really good bolt action rifles under $400, but you can find some very nice used ones for $200 that may be better than a new one.

Someone mentioned a Remington 581, which is one of my favorites. Some of the old Mossbergs are good shooters also. The Winchester 69A is one of my all-time favorites and there are a couple of nice ones at the Kittery Trading Post right now and they're under $400.

Marlin 25s are pretty good for the money, though the magazines are a bit tough to load. Just look around at some of the bigger gun shops that sell used guns.
 
I too would suggest the .22LR as you will never out grow it or disappointed in it. On the other hand, you may get tired of the .17 or even dislike it. ... ;)


Be Safe !!!
 
I'd get the 10/22. It can be upgraded with a multitude of aftermarket parts as your shooting ability improves.
 
Get the .22! I love the above comment about how they are like Lays potato chips! I got my first firearm, a .22 when I was 13. It's only been seven years since that and I've owned three additional .22 rimfires. I love them! My wish list of older .22s goes on forever! I just think the old ones have more character! I've been shooting the heck out of a Glenfield 25 and love my Marlin 981T. I had a mossberg 702 but had issues with it. That one got sold, and now I have a project Mossberg 42 to work on and get pieced together! I would love to own the 510-514 series from Remington someday. And I want to figure out how I can swing a Marlin 795 before this summer is over! Did I mention I like .22's?! You can't go wrong with them. Even the centerfires!!! Get the .22, shoot the heck out of it, and really learn how to shoot with it. After some practice, you can make the soup cans dance at some impressive ranges. Once you get out at 100 yards or farther with a .22 rimfire, your shooting technique really starts to influence alot! Enjoy! I know I will, and DO!
 
Buy the .22. Doesn't really matter if it's a semi or a bolt action. A .22 will shoot out to 100 with no fuss. The .17 HMR may not be readily available everywhere. .22 LR is everywhere.
"...around September..." Buy your deer rifle sooner than that if you can. You'll need time to find the ammo it likes(since it's unlikely you're reloading now, (You will be sooner or later) you'll have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo the rifle shoots best.), get it sighted in and learn to shoot it. You'll need to practice shooting with your hunting ammo, off hand(standing), at 100 yards, at a 9" pie plate until you can hit it every time too.
Which chambering you buy will depend on whether you want a long action or short. The only difference between the two is a half inch of case/receiver length and about 100 fps velocity. Max bullet weight is 220's for .30-06. 200 for the .308. You don't need either bullet weight for anything but big bears.
Think 165 grain hunting bullets for either cartridge. A 165 out of either will kill any game you care to hunt.
 
.22lr

.22lr ammo is significantly cheaper. .17HMR tends to tear up small game too much. Your initial, primary use for the rifle is to develop and hone marksmanship skills and .22lr is quite adequate for the purpose.

I consider the .17HMR to be a moderate range varmint round. It is capable of decent accuracy. But the main reason why I'm not interested in it is that I'd be more likely to use it for tree rats, and the round has a reputation of excessive meat destruction in that role.
 
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