.17

[Melpti 4]

I am interested in views on.17 v .22 rim fire 

[delswal 3,819]

One will do what the other one won't. Don't really see the V in it, two different rifles with the options to hunt in two different ways.

[17hornet 188]

For starters you have to compare 17hmr with 22wmr.

There is no comparison 17hmr to 22lr, as delswal stated they are for different purposes.

22wmr and 17hmr, I have both and the 17hmr shoots flatter for further than the 22wmr, great on birds and bunnies, that sized game, slightly prone to being moved around by wind at distance as the velocity drops off, it also has 1/2 the projectile mass so its killing power also drops off. Cost of ammo is getting prohibitive in Australia.

22wmr shoots well over a little less distance, certainly still respectable still, will and can kill up to goat sized animals, doesnt have the legs of the 17hmr not a fast but accounting for trajectory just as far. Ammo still fairly cheap, certainly nowhere near the cost of 17hmr. As for noise they are about the same, recoil the 17hmr is barely less than the 22wmr.

As to the 22lr, both the 17hmr and 22wmr pee on it but with more noise and certainly less variety of ammo cheap.

The VERY old 22lr is the widest and most used cartridge in the world, and for good reason. At the far end it has even been used to poach elephants, by military and police, by the average man, woman and child for food and sport. No one can go wrong owning one for sport or small game.

But if you have a yern for the 17hmr do the homework and dont own a 22wmr or a 22lr, go for it, they do they job well.

As for the 17mach2 and 22lr, ammo is expensive and hard to find now (yep have it as well) shoots flat not much more range than the 22lr, 17mach2 firearms hard to find now also, I actually find it to be a bit of a waste to own it is lucky it is a switch barrel I own or it would be sold long ago.

Remember this is my opinion and experience only and others will differ. 

[Cliff Ray 185]

I don't know what part of Kent you are in, but if you can brave a drive across Essex into the bottom of Suffolk you are welcome to see the two in action and form your own opinion

 

[Meece 1,958]

The 17hmr seems to be a love it or hate type of calibre. It depends on what you want to shoot and if it's rabbits do you want to eat or sell them. Me personally I wouldn't have one myself because all of the rabbits that I have seen shot with one resemble road kill. Fast, flat and accurate, yes but in my experience they are too much for rabbit and a bit marginal sometimes for fox. There is the cost of the ammunition and also too much of a problem with faulty ammunition splitting case necks not going off and not ejecting spent rounds. Some police forces won't issue a 22lr for fox though. This is a load of rubbish. A few years ago no one had a 22 centerfire or used one to shoot foxes with. Fox hunting was for the hunt and hounds. a 22 or was considered a powerful calibre. I have a 222, 223, 243 and a 270 and I have taken more foxes with my 22lr than the others.  It all depends on how good a shot you are and where/how you are going to use whatever you choose.

[PLEDGEY 496]

I use the .22 at night with the N/Vision  when I'm near houses so it don't upset people.  If I use the HMR at night judging distance isn't such a pain with N/V. You can shoot farther with the HMR . Rounds for the .22 are £5ish, haven't bought any .17 rounds for ages but they were in the £17ish. My Granny can fart louder than my 22LR with a Mod fitted but I have to put ear plugs in for the HMR as it sets off my tinnitus. EDIT The MOD'S fitted to the gun,.....not Granny :-)

[FLATTOP 4,541]

These bunnies were were shot with my CZ .17 if you hit them in the head they don't resemble Road kill but a body shot I get where Meece is coming from I've owned mine for 8 years from new I love it they fire very flat and accurate but the ammo is more expensive than the .22 and they are loud even with a silencer as they shoot a lot faster than the .22 my advise try both before you commit to buying either.

[BaldMan 26]

Shot 22lr for last thirty odd years or so , used correctly quiet cheap accurate capable round , owned .17 Hmr for a while noisy , expensive rounds , mixed feelings on accuracy , sold it when i had a misfire and a round became stuck in the barrel ( google HMR misfires )  . i was not overly impressed with the HMR prefer .22  . Rather than Hmr i would  pick .22 Hornet . I am sure many will disagree with me , but those are my thoughts .

[Underdog 2,337]

23 hours ago, FLATTOP said:

These bunnies were were shot with my CZ .17 if you hit them in the head they don't resemble Road kill but a body shot I get where Meece is coming from I've owned mine for 8 years from new I love it they fire very flat and accurate but the ammo is more expensive than the .22 and they are loud even with a silencer as they shoot a lot faster than the .22 my advise try both before you commit to buying either.

Can 17 skin them? It's done a grand job.

 

 

 

U 

[Meece 1,958]

 The picture of that rabbits head is what I was on about. If you just need to clear after the harvest and you don't want to do anything with them then it's ok. I went out with a bloke who was using night vision and it was just slaughter. The rabbits didn't move and it was just, crack flop, crack flop, it wasn't long before the back of the pickup Was full with blood guts and mangled rabbits. A few went to ferrets and dog food but most of them were not really suitable for use at all. I felt sorry for the rabbits because they were just unaware of what was happening and the end result was waste which I thought was wrong and unethical. Even if the farmer wanted them cleared. Even if you are a very good shot you can't always get a head shot.

[PLEDGEY 496]

4 hours ago, Meece said:

 The picture of that rabbits head is what I was on about. If you just need to clear after the harvest and you don't want to do anything with them then it's ok. I went out with a bloke who was using night vision and it was just slaughter. The rabbits didn't move and it was just, crack flop, crack flop, it wasn't long before the back of the pickup Was full with blood guts and mangled rabbits. A few went to ferrets and dog food but most of them were not really suitable for use at all. I felt sorry for the rabbits because they were just unaware of what was happening and the end result was waste which I thought was wrong and unethical. Even if the farmer wanted them cleared. Even if you are a very good shot you can't always get a head shot.

Some times it's just purely pest control and you have to kill as many as possible as quickly and humanly as possible. HMR is perfect for this, just hit them any where chest up and they're killed.

[Meece 1,958]

8 hours ago, PLEDGEY said:

Some times it's just purely pest control and you have to kill as many as possible as quickly and humanly as possible. HMR is perfect for this, just hit them any where chest up and they're killed.

Yep. That's what he was doing. Most of the mangled carcasses were dumped out at various places to act as Charlie bait, a few were kept for dog and ferret food and then the residue of blood and guts was washed out of the back of the pickup.

[PLEDGEY 496]

I've been clearing 250 acres of beet that's just now been harvested. When it was first planted, and just sprouting, was the only time you could hit the rabbits really hard. I zero the HMR at40 yards and it peaks at 1/2'' high at 76yards then drops back to zero at 108yards, then 1/2'' low at 120 yards, so from 40 to 120 yards there is only 1/2'' difference off the cross hair. I have a Starlight Archer Gen3 N/V with a Night Master 800ir illuminator on my CZ452 HMR. This is where the HMR gets one over the .22 as judging range with N/V isn't such a pain as bullet placement isn't so important. I've ordered one of those laser range finders where you can see it flashing through the scope on the N/V. With that fitted should be able to shoot out even further with confidence.

[kenj 131]

If you want to eat rabbits, head shots only with HMR. On a still day it's a precision tool. I shoot most of my rabbits these days with 22lr out to eighty yards with chest shots. No mess.

[Deker 3,478]

As others have said, they are different, I need both, and a WMR as well!