Advice Needed On Rifle Choice

[stroller 341]

First up I have never shot a .22 or 17hmr so I need to know where I can go in County Durham or Northumberland or even North York's (Will I need a passport for Yorkshire?) to get a days tuition.

 

That aside I have the permission and facility to use either rifle on rabbits on a couple of farms where I work. I have looked at a few comments on various sites regarding the differences and capability's but I would like your comments please on what you find useful and what advice you could give to a complete novice like myself.

 

I've had shotguns most of my life and I've owned and hunted with various air rifles but I am not impressed with their stopping power or range on rabbits. Not knocking air rifles they have their place.

 

Cheers Keith

[Alsone 789]

.22 good stopper due to heavier bullet but limited range with quite a wide ballistic curve so a lot of bullet drop and prone to ricochets especially as the bullet can pass all the way through. Doesn't destroy carcass as bullet stays together and mushrooms. Mostly used at yards or less. Can be near silent when moderated.

 

Either calibre very effective against rabbits.

Edited June 16, 2013 by Alsone

[PLEDGEY 496]

Like Alsone said 22lr is air rifle quiet where the

[PLEDGEY 496]

...HMR, even with a mod, is going to have a 'CRACK' to it. Another thing is price of rounds, winchester 40g hollow points are £5 for 50, 17g Hornady V-Max are any thing from £11 to £15 for 50.

[Alsone 789]

Very strange. For some reason the HMR part of my post disappeared!

 

HMR - flatter shooting and effective out to 200 yds. Much greater carcass destruction due to fragmenting bullet, greater energy, hyper velocity, and hydrostatic shock so headshots only if intended for the table. Effective rabbit stopper. Fragmentation makes ricochet virtually unheard of. Noiser than .22 when moderated.

 

Both rounds will stop foxes at close distance.

[GEOFF.223 83]

Hmr for a all rounder but if you are thinking of getting a larger rifle in the future .223 .243 etc etc

Go for the 22 as I find the hmr a in between calibre before center fire's.

 

But if you only intend to have one rifle go for the hmr very accuarate cheap and will drop Foxes

[stillair1 16]

.22lr sub good to 100yd, hmr 150yds and beyond. Both richocet, the .22lr more so.

[andyf 144]

I would say get .22 every time, especially if your only having the one.

I had both at the same time, but had owned a .22 for years before, the 17HMR was ok but the ammo is expensive compared to the .22, you can 'plink' all day with a .22 for not much money. Not so the '17' also it's noisy and if you have people near where you shoot you may start to annoy them.

I got rid of my 17 and got a centrefire 22 instead, that's another leap you may wish to look at after a year or two on the 22 rimfire.

AndyF

[stroller 341]

Good advice chaps thanks