Author Topic: 17 HMR. Must be a good gun. (Read 2372 times)

Questor · « **on:** June 15, 2009, 03:32:10 PM »

I see lots and lots of spent 17 HMR at my local range. Somebody sure likes it. I never saw the application for it, but it's been steadily popular at my range since it became nationally available.

Brett · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2009, 03:39:22 PM »

My arthritic old fingers have trouble handling those tiny little bullets.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2009, 04:25:04 PM »

Mine shoots like a laser out to about 150 yards or so. Five holes you can cover with a dime, and usually three to four touching. It's a fun gun to shoot.

Sourdough · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2009, 05:13:26 PM »

The range in Fairbanks is 300 yards. I can throw 4" clay targets up on the mound used as a back stop and hit them all day with my .17HMR Sportster. I have the Sweet .17 scope on mine. The sacope is dead on at 100 yards and 300 yards. it shoots a little high (1/2" to 1") from 150 yards to 250 yards.

Redtail1949 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2009, 07:05:20 PM »

A friend has one and we shot it several times in the last couple of months...fun gun...extremly accurate...might just get one one day.

OLDHandgunner · « **Reply #5 on:** June 16, 2009, 01:13:54 AM »

Two of my son's have 17 HMR's in the Savage heavy barrel and mine is a T/C Contender 23" heavy barrel.
All are super accurate and a great small game gun. The only down fall the this great little caliber is the cost of the ammo at $ 13 a box. OUCH!!!! But it is a great caliber.

Oldtimer · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2009, 01:24:06 AM »

I'm on my second one. I bought a base model Savage 93, skinny barrel and plastic stock, and it shot so well that I upgraded to a heavy barrel and wooden stock. Actually, I bought the seocnd one just to get the Accutrigger, and I am one happy man. Each of the rifles is dead accurate. My Number One Daughter loved the old one and the new one even better. When she comes home, I have to haul the .17 out if we shoot, because it is "her" gun. In terms of application, the cartridge has the same range of application as the .22WMR I would not use one in areas that allow the .22WMR for deer or hog hunting, but otherwise, it covers the same ground. I have shot a number of .17's and with the exception of one switch barrel pistol, the .17 is more accurate than the .22WMR. As teh old saying goes, "the only interesting gun is an accurate one." The .17HMR is sure an interesting one.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2009, 01:40:03 AM »

it will tear up a crow a long way off and a ground hog almost as far.
That is on a calm day .

Shiner · « **Reply #8 on:** June 16, 2009, 06:55:36 AM »

I love mine!! It's a Savage w/the heavy barrel and Accu Trigger, and it's one of my favorite rifles. It's killed a lot of critters!! I seldom go anywhere without it!!

Keith L · « **Reply #9 on:** June 16, 2009, 02:36:04 PM »

:I would not use one in areas that allow the .22WMR for deer or hog hunting"

Where is that?

Oldtimer · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2009, 03:02:07 PM »

Some of the guys posting over on the hog hunting forum talk about WMA's that do not allow centerfires. A quick look showed Georgia, Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, and my memory is that there may also be some Texas WMA's that have the same restriction.

S.S. · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2009, 02:20:03 PM »

According to the Regs. in Ga, it is legal to hunt hogs in Ga with any gun you use for small game.
this includes air rifles! not saying it would be a wise idea. Not deer though

webfoot56 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 29, 2010, 03:31:37 PM »

Quote from: OLDHandgunner on June 16, 2009, 01:13:54 AM

Two of my son's have 17 HMR's in the Savage heavy barrel and mine is a T/C Contender 23" heavy barrel.
All are super accurate and a great small game gun. The only down fall the this great little caliber is the cost of the ammo at $ 13 a box. OUCH!!!! But it is a great caliber.

yeah that ammo is high! thats why I shoot a anschutz 1502 HB in 17hm2 ammo is half the cost and it is just as fun to shoot as its big brother in 17 rimfire magnum. The 17hm2 does not suffer that much in performance to justify the cost of the 17 rimfire magnum. Yes I do have rifles for both calibers. Just my observations.

oldandslow · « **Reply #13 on:** August 30, 2010, 03:05:28 PM »

I have a Marlin 917VS that I've done a trigger job on and glass bedded. Wonderfully accurate little gun. I really like it for prairiedogs but don't get to shoot it a lot as the dog population is pretty scarce around here right now. Jackrabbits are coming back from their low cycle but I'm leaving them so the coyotes will have something to eat as I like to hunt coyotes too. Don't get me wrong and think I hunt coyotes with the .17. .223 and 22-250 are my choices for coyotes. I'm sure the .17 will kill a coyote---part of the time, but not every time.

drdougrx · « **Reply #14 on:** August 30, 2010, 03:43:13 PM »

I also like mine, a Savage 93R17 BV...or...brown laminated stock, heavy barrel, accutrigger. Has a weaver classic V 4x14 varminter scope on it.....I like it very much!

poncaguy · « **Reply #15 on:** August 30, 2010, 03:49:51 PM »

I have 3 Savage HMR's and one HM2 Savage..............3 have accu triggers, one the wooden thumb hole stock...................they are just plain FUN! Super accurate for sure!

Old Fart · « **Reply #16 on:** September 01, 2010, 07:27:18 AM »

Only targets that made it home with me, but fairly representative.

I generally buy my ammo in bulk so it only hurts ever once in a while.......

tuck2 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 01, 2010, 11:32:17 PM »

I live in prairie dog country and have shot a bunch of p dogs with a Cooper 57M 17 HMR rifle. I also got a 17 HM2 rifle. The 17 rimfire rifles have replaced my 22 LR and 22WMR rifles for spring prairie dog shooting.

ironglow · « **Reply #18 on:** September 04, 2010, 07:18:27 AM »

I have 2 of them, one is a heavy barrel NEF, the other is a Savage 93G with bull barrel.
ACCURACY..is the name of the game with the .17 hummer. Some rounds are quite steep in price. The best prices I can find are usually in the Hornady V-max rounds...my favorite anyway.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #19 on:** September 04, 2010, 07:40:58 AM »

All I can tell you is.
If you do not own a 22 Mag and want something fun to shoot for varmints and small game out to 200 yards - get one
If you do own a 22 Mag and are not using one of the 30 to 34 grain bullets get one.
One of Col Cooper's last rantings in the Guns and Ammo mag was his bashing the 17HMR
I use mine when clearing out ground squirrels and rabbits in semi populated areas that are rocky.
When shooting the 22LR you hear the Bing zip whine of a bullet hitting a rock and sailing off in some direction.
The 17 grain Bullets out of the 17HMR explode if they hit anything solid and the small pieces of the bullet do not go far.
We were playing with a bunch of balloons and a rock to show how far the parts do not go vs. 22LR or the mag.
We also put a rock in a card board box to see what rounds would leave the box after hitting the rock. We had ot prove to my old neighbor that we would not hurt anyone when clearing the ground squirrels out of the rock pile.
If you are looking for a Tree rat gun they little bullet makes a mess if you hit something solid like bone. For edible small game I still like 22LR.

ironglow · « **Reply #20 on:** September 05, 2010, 02:07:21 AM »

I still like the .22 in standards or subsonics for squirrel, but those .17 v-maxes do a number on everything up to woodchucks. I wouldn't specifically go after coyotes with one, but wouldn't shrink from an opportune shot at one either.

Pulled this off youtube, others nearby:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyoEELl007Q

Flynmoose · « **Reply #21 on:** September 06, 2010, 06:53:14 PM »

I have a 23 inch (just measured it) T/C G2 barrel in 17 HMR. It is very accurate and I
am keeping it in the hope I will get to move home to Eastern Oregon next year.
Look out sage rats, I'm coming for YOU!!

coop2564 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 07, 2010, 11:30:26 AM »

Its a blast in the spring time....I took 3 gobblers, around 12 jacks and cottons, probably 30 or so coons, skunks etc.

tangob5 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 07, 2010, 02:05:44 PM »

The 17 HMR is just plain fun to shoot. I've taken ground squirrels and jacks out to 200 yards. Five shot groups at 100 yards that can be covered by a dime, no recoil, you can see the impact on game and reactive targets with the right scope and ammo is not expensive (about $.24 per round). I'm on my second which is a CZ 453 Varmint with a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40 AO. The last one was a Savage with a Mueller APV and I had put the Leupold on it briefly. Nothing wrong with the Savage just the CZ is superior in quality and performance in my opinion.