Why would someone buy a .17HMR?

I was facing the same problem about 2 years ago... I decided that a .22 Hornet made more sense. Reloading would get the price down to below .17HMR by a decent margin.

However I ended-up going with a .221 Fireball, which can be loaded down to Hornet velocities and noise, or can be pushed to very nearly .223 levels, using less powder.
 
sold my 17 HMR too ,, cost too much to shoot,, didn't have the splat factor I was looking for like my 204 Ruger,, Next is going to be Centerfire 17/222 for me.
If I can hit it with my 22LR its dead,, if its too far,, the centers come out. When you are shooting 500-1000 rounds a day ammo price makes a difference, plus your not cleaning all the time with the 22LR.
 
mikeystew said:
honestly, i had the same dilema and bought one. i found it useless and while really accurate and better for longer ranges than a .22lr it is filling a gap that dosen't need to be filled. if you want more punch the next logical step would be a centerfire. i NEVER use my .17 EVER. the only thing a .17 will do that a .22 won't is mabey add 70 yds in accurate range, and make a can go splat a little bit more violently. Velocitors have nearly as much energy as a .22 mag but the difference is moot. they all range btwn 100-300 ft/lbs, all rated to kill small game and not much else. also that 30grain .22 mag drops in velocity quickly, compare it to a 40g velocitor at 100 yds and believe it or not the velocitor is going about 100fps faster than the hornady .22mag, and its a heavier bullet with more energy!! for the versatility and affordability of .22lr it can't be beat. Buy a 30-30 and you will be much happier than had you got a .17 hmr. if you for sure want one or the other, go .22 mag all the way!
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so what your saing is, you have a 17HMR rifle for sale cheep?:D
 
I can get 17hmr for around 30 cents and can relaod 223 for anywhere between 25-35 cents depending on bullet choice . I choose 223 i dont own a 17hmr but a gopher will vaporizes with a 36grain varmit gernade and 25 grains of vargret . if you dont handload 17hmr may be a cheaper choice but handloading will add another aspect to shooting sports . as some one said earlier there 22lr and next step up is 223
 
I'm getting a 17 Firball and will be reloading so $0.30 is probably realistic per round. The effects I hope to achieve at 200-300 yards should be well worth the price of admission.:D I definitely won't give up on the .22lr though.
 
For what your trying to accomplish take a hard look at the 22Hornet or 221 Fireball. I had a 17HMR and like a lot of posters I sold it. I gave it a fair trial, about 1k rounds in the gopher patches. I shoot 22H, 204R and 223, get out the 10/22 when they are thick and close.
 
Wool is often less than $1.00 a ball and needles are realatively inexpensive and last a really long time. The noise is annoying to some but really not that bad.:p

noneck180 said:
30 cents a round,, I would still be shooting a 17 HMR,,,, last box I bought was $23
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I just bought 4 bricks in preparation for the upcoming annual gopher safari. I paid less than 30 cents.

OP, if cost and noise is a big issue, or if shooting has to be a business, calculated down to the last penny, stick with the 22lr. If you want to have a bit of fun without reloading, a 17 is a nice intermediate between a 22lr and a centerfire.
 
someone pee in your cornflakes Joe,, or you just spending time on the computer,, if you would read the posts you might understand,, I sold mine because for the money the results were not what I wanted, for the cost of ammo, I have spent more money on a box 22LR shells than 17 HMR,, so it has nothing to do with counting pennies,, its RESULTS for the money.
 
You said for .30 you would still be shooting 17. I pointed out that you can get it for less than that.

That's all.
 
Wham-O said:
Realtree....not trying to be a A-hole here, but if your concerned about noise, don't use either of them.
Get a .22 that shoots shorts. ;)
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Full house 22 shorts are not what I would call a quiet round, and the ammo can be difficult to obtain. CCI CB's now those are quiet. Sub sonic's from Win or CCI or Rem in 22 may be a better choice. FS
 
I love my .17. But I don't reload. Just not practical here.... But when I was down south it was a blast. And I found it was also a nice intermediate if you were shooting near buildings or within earshot of a farmhouse you got permission for. A couple of the owners I know didn't like centrefires going off for hours...

It's wiped out a lot of gophers, and I didn't find 12 bucks a box was that bad. That was last year and I haven't looked at what it costs now. Is it really 22 to 24 bucks??? That's getting silly.
 
Because it looks like a little 3006 instead of an artillery round. I have both and have enjoyed 22 rim forever but I couldn't resist the Savage heavy barrel in .17 and put a leupold rimfire scope on it. What fun.
 
.17 HMR makes the most sense for someone who doesn't reload and wants something with more reach than the .22LR. If you do reload, you can reload .22 Hornet, .221 Fireball, or .223 reduced loads for less than the cost of .17 HMR factory ammo while getting comparable performance.
 
I won a 93R17 BTVS a few years back at a wild turkey fundraiser near here. I never would have bought one as there's not a gopher within 100 miles of here anymore.

I bought a "Sweet 17" for it and shot about 25 rounds through it one day that month and haven't touched it since. Nice rifle! Useless to me though.
 
Mike Oxbig said:
shot about 25 rounds through it one day that month and haven't touched it since. Nice rifle! Useless to me though.
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Exactly! if you hunt alot of gophers o.k., otherwise useless and an expensive plinker. .22lr and centerfire were doing the job just fine long before the rimfire .17's
 
Arctic Blaser said:
I love my .17. But I don't reload. Just not practical here.... But when I was down south it was a blast. And I found it was also a nice intermediate if you were shooting near buildings or within earshot of a farmhouse you got permission for. A couple of the owners I know didn't like centrefires going off for hours...

It's wiped out a lot of gophers, and I didn't find 12 bucks a box was that bad. That was last year and I haven't looked at what it costs now. Is it really 22 to 24 bucks??? That's getting silly.
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If you buy in bulk, you can still find it for $13-14ish a box. I want to see people reload for $28/100. $18 for bullets $3-4 for primers. Add some powder and you will sit at the reloading bench for $4@hr?

If that's the going rate, I'm hiring!:D:p
 
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