.17 or .22 Hornet and why?

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prairieguy

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Hello CGN.

I am considering picking up a bolt action rifle in either .17 or .22 Hornet for next summer's gopher adventures and some coyote hunting this winter.

I am on the fence as to whether it should be a .17 or .22. I plan to reload regardless of which one it ends up being. I already have a .17HMR but am thinking I could reach out a fair bit further with a Hornet.

Any thoughts on which one would be a better choice and why you think so are very much appreciated.

Best regards to all,
prairieguy
 
Love the 17.
30 gr bergers @ 3200-3300.
Fights wind well.
Flatter than 223. Or Very close to it..
Deadly on coyotes out to 200y. Maybe further, haven't tried..

I do like the 22H to shot heavy bullets, but she is kinda slow..
Tuff call..
Sure a tiny caliber to reload if ya got SAUSAGE FINGERS.
 
.17 all the way, ammo is plentiful, lays gophers down, hardly use my barky .223 anymore.

I would post some gopher hit pics, but they are nasty!!!!
 
bertn said:
Why not go in between with the .204 ruger?

I know it's not what you asked but maybe worth looking into.
Click to expand...

Because the .204 heats up way quicker , during high volume shooting. A friend used to rotate three .223 rifles during our shoots, to keep the barrels from overheating, while I just kept shooting my 17 hornet, We would shoot hundreds of rounds in a morning.
 
I built my first .17 in 1967, a 17-222 Remington and I had to make my own bullets... it was my dedicated gopher gun for years... My next was a 17 Remington and a 17 Remington Ackley Improved... I always preferred the 17's over a .222... my last 17 was a 17 Hornet and it worked very well too... bigger heavier bullets just aren't needed for gophers...
 
I’ve got the 17 hornet. It’s too much fun. Between the two, which I did debate to death the .17 seemed to “fit” better. When I need that little bit more, 22 Cal’s are to be had in abundance.

Given the actual performance boundaries of the 17, I think it’s the perfect balance of speed, energy and wind drift for animals under 60lbs. Out to 2-300 yards it’s hard to beat although I’d likely keep coyote to under 225. Best of all low report (about 22mag in my experience) and low recoil (also 22 mag territory).
 
40gr vmax and12.6gr of lil gun loaded into a .22 hornet case gi es me 3 shots touching at 100 yards with my Browning A-Bolt Micro II LH. Excellent for Beavers, capable of taking coyotes out to 200 ish yards, but it really is exceptional for gophers. Not that I don't love the 17s (I have a .17 rem fireball), but the .22 hornet is one of my absolute favorites.
 
It's like vintage German automobiles....you will spend lots of $$$ just to have something to fiddle with. But 17 HMR and 22 mag would out perform both... there is the tinker in you that wants the ability to reload and play....
Enjoy the experience and the cost... it the fun ride......

I went down that road...... 22 hornet 45 gr fun loads....
 
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and comments so far.

While I appreciate the recommendations for wildcats such as the .221 Fireball, I really don't want to deal with all the fussing that accompanies a wildcat, been there, done that, no longer want the T-shirt.

I am only considering an off the shelf rifle with readily available ammunition and components.
 
prairieguy said:
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and comments so far.

While I appreciate the recommendations for wildcats such as the .221 Fireball, I really don't want to deal with all the fussing that accompanies a wildcat, been there, done that, no longer want the T-shirt.

I am only considering an off the shelf rifle with readily available ammunition and components.
Click to expand...

^^^good reasoning^^^
I personally would like to have the 17 Hornet can make a bucket of bullets with a pound of powder and effective from 0 - 200 yards all day long
 
prairieguy said:
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions and comments so far.

While I appreciate the recommendations for wildcats such as the .221 Fireball, I really don't want to deal with all the fussing that accompanies a wildcat, been there, done that, no longer want the T-shirt.

I am only considering an off the shelf rifle with readily available ammunition and components.
Click to expand...

Then 17 Hornet. Mind you, 22 Hornet is also available, just not as widely.
 
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