17hmr-crow-graphic

[Rogmatt]

I understand now why it is not good to hunt edible small game with 17 HMR V-max ammo. My son, Rogmatt Jr., hit this crow yesterday at about 175 yards with his Marlin 917. It was the first kill he has had with it. The exit hole is almost as large as a fifty cent piece. This gun and ammo is incredible. Scope is a BSA Platinum 8-32x. He says it is crystal clear.

[mjbgalt]

yeah, i have the same gun. at 90 yards i hit a groundhog - a hefty on at that- behind the shoulder and it was a bang-flop.

the little bullet left a tiny blood spot as its entry wound and that was it. it apparently fragmented inside the groundhog. no flips, no flops, no movement except hitting the ground.

can't kill 'em any deader with a .50BMG.

keep up the good work, whack 'em and stack 'em!

-Matt

[victorcharlie]

Certainly the V-max is much more explosive than either the cci or the 20 grain XTP.  I too love the little hummer, but I wouldn't call that over kill on a crow.

You should see what a 85 grain Sierra HPBT running over 3000 fps out of a .243 does to them..........it vaporizes them........you just see the "ghost" or red mist floating in the breeze........might find a wing.........and a few feathers.....

I do think the .17 HMR is one of the funnest guns I've shot in a very long time, and for me, fills my need for a low richochetting, fairly quiet round to dispatch varmits, crows and feral house cats now that urban sprawl has encroched on my used to be rual adobe...........

[DannoBoone]

Have shot a couple of crows with mine, too. It does do a number on them.
When going for small, edible game, just go for head shots. It is just as easy
to pop a squirrel's head at 100yds as it is to pop a crow at 150 (or better).
I did lung-shoot a squirrel without any meat damage (there were no lungs
or heart left in it, though!).