Game for 17 hmr

BulletArc47 · 12-12-2012, 02:49 AM

What type of game can the 17 HMR take, and is the meat salvageable? I've heard it's too potent on squirrels.

Thanks.

Petethefishman · 12-12-2012, 07:32 AM

Thats a good question....

Crpdeth · 12-12-2012, 08:59 AM

The .17 HMR is a great varmint cartridge... Like you say though, it tends to shread small game like squirrel, but deadly and accurate medicine for coyote, groundhog etc...

cpttango30 · 12-12-2012, 09:39 AM

In no way is the 17 HMR a coyote round. a 17 gr bullet no matter how fast or tought is just not enough to always work on a coyote. I this expensive little round is good for ground hog and under in my eyes.

carver · 12-12-2012, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpttango30

In no way is the 17 HMR a coyote round. a 17 gr bullet no matter how fast or tought is just not enough to always work on a coyote. I this expensive little round is good for ground hog and under in my eyes.

I agree! However, the heavier bullets, 25-30grains, of the 17 Remington, and ohter 17 caliber rifles do make for good hunting tools for fox, and coyote. The 17HMR is not much good for anything other that prairie dogs, goffers, and groundhogs. They work well for shooting paper targets too!

soundguy · 12-12-2012, 01:38 PM

i'd take a 5mm rem mag over a 22mag or 17hmr

but really.. a 218bee now that one is my fav.... even more so than 22hornet

bubbinator · 12-25-2012, 01:46 AM

I agree the 17HMR is a bit much on some things. In my experience with it feral cats are DRT, possums are DRT, feral dogs(Not used- .220 Swift to 400yds is a hoot. Cottontails-my wife loves her bunnies, but 2 are in the freezer that the 17 de-headed them at close to 100 yds in the garden. Stew coming soon.
Funny story-ife came home while I was zero-ing a new NEF 17HMR in the pasture. Got it done came in the house, she was cooking and called me to the window-"Look, she said-the unluckiest cat in thw world!" It was . DRT @ 90 yds from porch. That is a DRT on a cat!

soundguy · 12-25-2012, 11:01 AM

i need to get a 22 hornet to compair my 218 bee to, and a buddies 17 hmr.. see how they fair againsh a frangible target..

catfish83861 · 12-25-2012, 11:21 AM

Well Now I do not claim to be as smart as the smart people. I do however agree mostly with CRP. Now of course at 100+ yards I would not recommend the 17. When your calling (which I do a lot of) most of your shots are way less than 100 yards. Now if your in Nebraska or Montana calling on the plains,OK 100 or more may be the normal distance. I call timber country and the 17 works great on coyotes and Bobcats. Even works on Mountain lion when treed by dogs. Shot placement ladies and gentlemen. Shot placement. You can't do a Texas heart shot but I will not do those with my 338 Win Mag. which would work I am sure. I do hunt a LOT and would feel totally comfortable if all I had was a 17 HMR and a coyote broadside at 50 to 75 yards Now lets not throw in a 30 mile an hour wind here either. Course now this is just another opinion among other smart peoples opinions.

JLA · 12-25-2012, 12:17 PM

I hate the .172 cal bore. I dont care for the .204 cal either. Gimme .224 or bigger and for varmints I prefer a .223 rem. Squirrels up thru rabbits get 40 solids form an old fashined .22LR, anything between that and coyote i like .223, and bigger than coyote .243 on up to whatever else I feel like shooting at them. 110 gr Sierra proHunters from a .30-06 will behead a coyote out to 300 yds.

aa1911 · 12-25-2012, 12:35 PM

I love my 917v, that thing is stupid accurate. It is almost as accurate as my smallbore target rifles, it is impressive!!

And I head shoot so anything I tag has plenty of meat left. It does explode game though! Taken lots of rabbits with it with the meat untouched, and makes one hell of a 100m squirrel gun.

It's tiny but it's potent as hell, once you hit 125m, ballistics fall out very hard. I tried some 200m shots and it couldn't even hold on a butcher block piece of paper with the little 17gn bullet.

I bought two bricks of ammo when I bought the gun about 9 years ago? only $89/brick then, almost double that now, ouch.

Just did some polishing of the (terrible) trigger, cannot believe Marlin put that crappy of a trigger on the little 900 series guns. Lightened and improved the trigger pull quite a bit, gonna put some different springs in there also, supposed to help. (lighter trigger spring, heavier return spring I think)

so bunnies are my favorite game for the .17 but it will take care of just about anything if it gets close enough!

scottbird · 01-28-2013, 07:26 PM

cpttango30
Advanced Senior Member

Re: Game for 17 hmr
In no way is the 17 HMR a coyote round. a 17 gr bullet no matter how fast or tought is just not enough to always work on a coyote. I this expensive little round is good for ground hog and under in my eyes.

I lived in tazewell va for several years, and I have taken 67 coyotes in the last three years with my marlin 917v 17hmr, the longest shot was at 310 yards. I use the 20 grain CCI holowpoint. you just have to know what your gun and you are capeable of. I have a good friend that shot a 220 pound blackbear in the head at thirty yards with his, it fell and never moved. just beacuse you do not like it, does not decreas its worth. I am not being judgmental, I do not tell others that their weapon is no good, or that it will not do the job, I think that should be left to the owner. if they know their weapon, and are confident in it, then I say, let them go!
__________________

soundguy · 01-29-2013, 07:35 AM

ya'll get to bear hunt? and with rimfire?

scottbird · 01-29-2013, 10:14 AM

we get to bear hunt but not with rimfire, my buddy just shot that particular bear as it was trying to pull the chicken coupe apart, that was just the gun he had in the truck at the time. we have a vast supply of black bear here.

polishshooter · 02-02-2013, 08:41 AM

Yeah, I am mixed on the .17s too...so much so I just may have tyo buy one, LOL.

My buddy has a Savage HMR and takes it to South Dakota every year....it is stinking accurate and has killed P-dogs impressively out to 150 from the bench, routinely to 125+ from a walking bipod....

PROVIDING you call the wind....

And his is pre-accutrigger, and actually has a pretty crappy and creapy trigger which I abuse him for relentlessly. In fact, I may buy a Savage just like his but with the accutrigger just to make him jealous....

That is my only complaint about any .17...the wind makes it so iffy, and in South Dakota on the plains 20 mph is a LIGHT wind...I've shot in 50mph crosswinds that moved a 50 gr .223 over 2 feet at 225 yds! Any .17 would have been worthless in that wind.

But then again, when we are walking with rimfires, and I have my .22lr Marlin which is very accurate and my third buddy is carrying his sweet Ruger 77/22, we do a LOT of standing around watching him pop dogs fairly regularly at ranges we can't touch with our .22s....I have yet to get one at 100 with my Marlin, longest was about 85, the other manages to get one at 100 every year which is kind of something to celebrate when he does, usually from prone after a bunch of tries....and they die when you hit them right, but not impressively like the .17 does when it connects....

Last year the 77/22 guy got his .22 K-Hornet dialed in and was popping them out to 200 from the bipod...so I stood around even more

I intend to use my MVP for walking around this year....but I looked closely at a Model 7 in .17 Fireball though before I bought it....

But STILL might pick up a .17 HMR or a .22 WMR for this year.....and leave the Marlin at home.

12-12-2012, 02:49 AM	#1
BulletArc47 V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 259	Game for 17 hmr What type of game can the 17 HMR take, and is the meat salvageable? I've heard it's too potent on squirrels. Thanks. __________________ “Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples’ liberty’s teeth.” – George Washington If you are not free to choose wrongly and irresponsibly, you are not free at all. – Jacob Hornberger (1995) “Among the many misdeeds of British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” – Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi -->

12-12-2012, 07:32 AM	#2
Petethefishman Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: SE NM Posts: 40	Re: Game for 17 hmr Thats a good question....

12-12-2012, 08:59 AM	#3
Crpdeth Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Location: Location Contributor Posts: 8,247	Re: Game for 17 hmr The .17 HMR is a great varmint cartridge... Like you say though, it tends to shread small game like squirrel, but deadly and accurate medicine for coyote, groundhog etc... __________________ Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there. ~Eric Hoffer

12-12-2012, 09:39 AM	#4
cpttango30 Former Guest Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Stafford, VA Contributor Posts: 3,071	Re: Game for 17 hmr In no way is the 17 HMR a coyote round. a 17 gr bullet no matter how fast or tought is just not enough to always work on a coyote. I this expensive little round is good for ground hog and under in my eyes.

12-12-2012, 01:38 PM	#6
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,406	Re: Game for 17 hmr i'd take a 5mm rem mag over a 22mag or 17hmr but really.. a 218bee now that one is my fav.... even more so than 22hornet

12-25-2012, 01:46 AM	#7
bubbinator Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: SE USA Posts: 1	Re: Game for 17 hmr I agree the 17HMR is a bit much on some things. In my experience with it feral cats are DRT, possums are DRT, feral dogs(Not used- .220 Swift to 400yds is a hoot. Cottontails-my wife loves her bunnies, but 2 are in the freezer that the 17 de-headed them at close to 100 yds in the garden. Stew coming soon. Funny story-ife came home while I was zero-ing a new NEF 17HMR in the pasture. Got it done came in the house, she was cooking and called me to the window-"Look, she said-the unluckiest cat in thw world!" It was . DRT @ 90 yds from porch. That is a DRT on a cat!

12-25-2012, 11:01 AM	#8
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,406	Re: Game for 17 hmr i need to get a 22 hornet to compair my 218 bee to, and a buddies 17 hmr.. see how they fair againsh a frangible target..

12-25-2012, 11:21 AM	#9
catfish83861 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Idaho Posts: 2,018	Re: Game for 17 hmr Well Now I do not claim to be as smart as the smart people. I do however agree mostly with CRP. Now of course at 100+ yards I would not recommend the 17. When your calling (which I do a lot of) most of your shots are way less than 100 yards. Now if your in Nebraska or Montana calling on the plains,OK 100 or more may be the normal distance. I call timber country and the 17 works great on coyotes and Bobcats. Even works on Mountain lion when treed by dogs. Shot placement ladies and gentlemen. Shot placement. You can't do a Texas heart shot but I will not do those with my 338 Win Mag. which would work I am sure. I do hunt a LOT and would feel totally comfortable if all I had was a 17 HMR and a coyote broadside at 50 to 75 yards Now lets not throw in a 30 mile an hour wind here either. Course now this is just another opinion among other smart peoples opinions. __________________ 'Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid.' - David Hackworth

12-25-2012, 12:17 PM	#10
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,294	Re: Game for 17 hmr I hate the .172 cal bore. I dont care for the .204 cal either. Gimme .224 or bigger and for varmints I prefer a .223 rem. Squirrels up thru rabbits get 40 solids form an old fashined .22LR, anything between that and coyote i like .223, and bigger than coyote .243 on up to whatever else I feel like shooting at them. 110 gr Sierra proHunters from a .30-06 will behead a coyote out to 300 yds. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

12-25-2012, 12:35 PM	#11
aa1911 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 3,110	Re: Game for 17 hmr I love my 917v, that thing is stupid accurate. It is almost as accurate as my smallbore target rifles, it is impressive!! And I head shoot so anything I tag has plenty of meat left. It does explode game though! Taken lots of rabbits with it with the meat untouched, and makes one hell of a 100m squirrel gun. It's tiny but it's potent as hell, once you hit 125m, ballistics fall out very hard. I tried some 200m shots and it couldn't even hold on a butcher block piece of paper with the little 17gn bullet. I bought two bricks of ammo when I bought the gun about 9 years ago? only $89/brick then, almost double that now, ouch. Just did some polishing of the (terrible) trigger, cannot believe Marlin put that crappy of a trigger on the little 900 series guns. Lightened and improved the trigger pull quite a bit, gonna put some different springs in there also, supposed to help. (lighter trigger spring, heavier return spring I think) so bunnies are my favorite game for the .17 but it will take care of just about anything if it gets close enough! __________________ "Loud noises don't end gunfights.... well placed shots do."

01-28-2013, 07:26 PM	#12
scottbird V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Troy PA Posts: 84	Re: Game for 17 hmr cpttango30 Advanced Senior Member Re: Game for 17 hmr In no way is the 17 HMR a coyote round. a 17 gr bullet no matter how fast or tought is just not enough to always work on a coyote. I this expensive little round is good for ground hog and under in my eyes. I lived in tazewell va for several years, and I have taken 67 coyotes in the last three years with my marlin 917v 17hmr, the longest shot was at 310 yards. I use the 20 grain CCI holowpoint. you just have to know what your gun and you are capeable of. I have a good friend that shot a 220 pound blackbear in the head at thirty yards with his, it fell and never moved. just beacuse you do not like it, does not decreas its worth. I am not being judgmental, I do not tell others that their weapon is no good, or that it will not do the job, I think that should be left to the owner. if they know their weapon, and are confident in it, then I say, let them go! __________________ Last edited by scottbird; 01-28-2013 at 07:28 PM..

01-29-2013, 07:35 AM	#13
soundguy Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Location: florida Contributor Posts: 4,406	Re: Game for 17 hmr ya'll get to bear hunt? and with rimfire?

01-29-2013, 10:14 AM	#14
scottbird V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Troy PA Posts: 84	Re: Game for 17 hmr we get to bear hunt but not with rimfire, my buddy just shot that particular bear as it was trying to pull the chicken coupe apart, that was just the gun he had in the truck at the time. we have a vast supply of black bear here. Last edited by scottbird; 01-29-2013 at 10:16 AM..

02-02-2013, 08:41 AM	#15
polishshooter Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Indiana Contributor Posts: 7,859	Re: Game for 17 hmr Yeah, I am mixed on the .17s too...so much so I just may have tyo buy one, LOL. My buddy has a Savage HMR and takes it to South Dakota every year....it is stinking accurate and has killed P-dogs impressively out to 150 from the bench, routinely to 125+ from a walking bipod.... PROVIDING you call the wind.... And his is pre-accutrigger, and actually has a pretty crappy and creapy trigger which I abuse him for relentlessly. In fact, I may buy a Savage just like his but with the accutrigger just to make him jealous.... That is my only complaint about any .17...the wind makes it so iffy, and in South Dakota on the plains 20 mph is a LIGHT wind...I've shot in 50mph crosswinds that moved a 50 gr .223 over 2 feet at 225 yds! Any .17 would have been worthless in that wind. But then again, when we are walking with rimfires, and I have my .22lr Marlin which is very accurate and my third buddy is carrying his sweet Ruger 77/22, we do a LOT of standing around watching him pop dogs fairly regularly at ranges we can't touch with our .22s....I have yet to get one at 100 with my Marlin, longest was about 85, the other manages to get one at 100 every year which is kind of something to celebrate when he does, usually from prone after a bunch of tries....and they die when you hit them right, but not impressively like the .17 does when it connects.... Last year the 77/22 guy got his .22 K-Hornet dialed in and was popping them out to 200 from the bipod...so I stood around even more I intend to use my MVP for walking around this year....but I looked closely at a Model 7 in .17 Fireball though before I bought it.... But STILL might pick up a .17 HMR or a .22 WMR for this year.....and leave the Marlin at home. __________________ The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.