Question on CCI 17HMR FMJ 20 grain ammo?

[DalesCarpentry]

Have any of you used CCI 17HMR FMJ 20 grain ammo? It will not be long before the Groundhogs around here will be waking up. I have a Marlin 917V and have not had the chance to get one of these little buggers with it yet because I got it just before winter and they were going to sleep for the winter. From my understanding 150 yards or so is the max distance for 17 grain Hornady Vmax ammo. I was wondering today if much of that is because the Vmax blows up on contact and is lacking power much past 150 yards. Then I got to thinking a head shot on one at 200 yards with CCI 17HMR FMJ 20 grain ammo might just do it because the bullet will penatrate and not blow up. What do you guys think? Do you think a 200 yard shot on a Groundhog with this ammo would turn out his lights or not? This is my first 17 HMR and have not killed any game with it as of yet but I sure have shot a pretty good bit of paper with it. So I know it is accurate enough to make a 200 yard shot on one but don't know about the knock down power. Let me know what you think. Thanks Dale
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=479224

[Keith L]

I bought my first HMR to use on groundhogs and after the first few I went back to centerfire.  To many perfectly good body shots had them drag themselves back into the hole.  I am now using a .204 Ruger and it is lights out.

[coop2564]

At 200yds the vmax will not blowup it will mushroom, but from about 125yds and in its pretty violent. I haven't tried the fmj but i have the 20gr gamepoints and they work very well and shoot under a inch in my savage. Not near as much meat damage but still blows a pretty good hole in a squirrel up close.

[dorothy daily]

17hmr is not adequate for groundhogs. 22 mag would be better,but centerfire is the only way to go with groundhog. imho

[coop2564]

17hmr is not adequate for groundhogs. 22 mag would be better,but centerfire is the only way to go with groundhog. imho

I kill coons 15-20lb animals with mine all the time, a groundhog at 10-15lbs? Come on!

[bobg]

 coop. What do you get if you shoot a little low and it hits a groundhog in the guts with the hmr?  Will it kill them?  I know my 22-250 sure will. I would like to try my 17hmr this summer but i don't like to see them crawl away if i make a lousy shot.
              bobg

[DalesCarpentry]

17hmr is not adequate for groundhogs. 22 mag would be better,but centerfire is the only way to go with groundhog. imho

The 17HMR 20 GR has 75 pounds of energy at 200 yards compared to 67 pounds of energy for the 30 GR 22 Mag. So I would say you might be wrong about the 22 Mag being better. Dale
http://www.hornady.com/store/17hmr-20gr-hp-xtp-box/
http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR-30gr-VMAX/

[coop2564]

coop. What do you get if you shoot a little low and it hits a groundhog in the guts with the hmr?  Will it kill them?  I know my 22-250 sure will. I would like to try my 17hmr this summer but i don't like to see them crawl away if i make a lousy shot.
              bobg

Its like shooting a Elk with a 30-06, if you hit him in the gut he is going to run off it will kill him but he might be hard to find. If your not sure you can make a good shot don't shoot, but bad shots do happen sometimes but it doesn't mean we should all go Elk hunting with .577 T-Rex so we can blow the guts out of the elk and just fire away! If you want to disintegrate the animal then no you shouldn't use a .17HMR but that doesnt mean its not enough gun to kill it cleanly if you make a good shot and use the proper bullet and stay within the guns range limits. If you want to kill them no matter where you hit em and further than 150yds stay with your 22-250. But the .17 is adequate for that size animal if you make a good shot. Some people just like to see em blowup I guess.

[bobg]

   Darn i guess you have never made a bad shot. .  I have done it a couple of times on grounghogs but it sure wasn't on purpose. I never said i liked to see them blow up. I just like them to die without crawling off.
                 bobg

[coop2564]

Sorry wasn't implying the bad shot just that they happen, and what can happen when a shot goes bad. My point the .17 has range, wind limits if you stay in those limits and make a good shot the .17 can kill that groundhog just as efficiently as a 30-06 would kill an Elk! If you push those limits you have to step up the power to cover your error. I choose to bowhunt and hunt under those limits and can make clean kills. IF you choose your .17 that day hunt under its limits and you will be fine. If those limits are not exceptable take your 22-250.