17 HMR vs .22LR for new shooter

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Wilson67

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Hey all

So im looking for some advice related to target shooting only. I have no interest in hunting in either of these calibers strictly targets at range. Also.. im pretty dead set on one of savages rifles and im dead set on a bolt action. My question is what should be my deciding factor between good ol' .22lr or a 17HMR rifle? after some reading im sort of leaning towards a .17 but only because it seems like it will give me a little more range as (or if) I progress in distance. other then that I dont have much to go on. hoping someone here can help me make a decision

thanks!
 
I'd go with the .22lr.

Mainly because the ammo is cheaper and plentiful.

I loved my 17hmr. That thing was like a laser beam but was a little more expensive to shoot.

Cheap ammo = more shooting.
 
My vote would be for the .22. Better availability, less expensive and many more brands to chose from. You can learn all the fundamentals of shooting from a .22, perhaps more so than a .17hmr because you will have to deal with holdovers and bulistics sooner and at a closer distance. If you are planning on competing, there are more competitions in .22 than .17hmr. And in the end it might be easier to resell a .22 than a .17hmr. On a side note, the nice thing about .22s most guns out there has a .22 variant, for example the 1911 also come in a .22 whereas the 1911 does not come in a .17hmr.

Don't get me wrong, I love the .17hmr but there are just so many more reasons to chose the .22, especially if it is your first rifle. But ultimately, do what makes you happy. The .17hmr is a good calibre but you wouldn't catch me mag dumping 200 guilt free rounds for the heck of it which is what I did with .22s yesterday, in the woods behind my house.lol
 
I would suggest the .22LR as well. Mainly because you can shoot more for a given amount of money. And like Carnegie Hall & Accurate shooting the best way to get there is practice, practice and practice. Since the cost of l17HMR is about double that of .22LR your shooting will be double.. and the experience gained will give you the knowledge to make a choice of calibre that fits your shooting requirements.
 
I am also a target shooter, not hunting anything. My range has 25m, 100, 200 and 300 with some gongs at 300.

I went with .17 hmr and a very pretty Savage B17G, the wood one.

It is a laser beam and crazy accurate at 100m

With a bit of effort the gongs are hit at 300' not that a .17 rocks them.

My costs to go to the range are time and fuel, so $0.30 a round has no impact. Yes .22 dirt cheep however at 100 is it what you want it to do.
 
Premium .22 LR ammo is the same $$ per box 50 as el cheapo .17 HMR (most of which is made by CCI and re--branded). There exists no "match grade" .17 HMR. While the .17 cartridge has considerable accuracy potential, the ammo currently available will always let you down. For your purposes of target shooting only, go .22 LR and don't look back. You will likely be able to achieve similar or better results at 100 yards with ~$9/box .22 ammo as you will with $18/box .17 ammo. The .17 HMR is a hunting cartridge, and the ammo available for it reflects that. .22 is where the accuracy is.
 
Go 22LR

The .17 is a nice caliber but way more expensive to shoot then the 22LR and for the cost you might as well just jump to a .223 which is a much better option over the .17
 
The .22 is the better choice. The 17 is noisier, while the .22 with subsonics or target ammo is very gentle on the ears to all around. Not so the .17hmr.

If you haven't been target shooting with rimfires, I can tell you that 50 yards is a great distance for informal target shooting, you can test/build your skills if that's what you're looking for. The .22 is perfect for that kind of thing, while the .17 is not. Simple as that.

Personally, I rarely shoot .22's at the range past 50 yards anyway.
 
Don't let the over-used laser beam analogy sway you when it comes to 17HMR accuracy. No rimfire round can adequately make the comparison, not even the high velocity and therefore flatter shooting hummer. Why? As noted above, there is no 17HMR match ammo. It's not made for the purpose of target shooting accuracy. The 17HMR ammo available is not more accurate than 22LR match ammo. The price of top quality 22LR ammo is about the same as 17HMR. Good quality 22LR match ammo is more accurate out to 100 than any flavour of 17 HMR, and there is more varieties of 22LR ammo out there. For hunting and plinking at longer ranges, the hummer is a good round.
 
I really appreciate all the replies here! Thanks all

Lots of good points for the .22 . I hadnt given ammunition costs much of a thought as my local store only seems to sell more expensive .22 LR that seems comparable to the .17 . And the point of learning about ballistics sooner then later with the .22 is also well noted
 
If you are serious about learning how to shoot then there are basically two things you need to do:
1. Acquire good equipment. Good quality gun with a decent trigger topped with a good quality scope.You will save $ in the long run because if you buy cheap stuff you will end up getting rid of it at a loss and buying good stuff later anyway.
2. Shoot as much as you can, then shoot some more. This is where the cost of the ammo comes into play and why you need the .22LR.You do not need to practise with match grade ammo. Perfect your hold, breathing, concentration, trigger control and follow through with the .22 first and learn as much as you can about ballistics, trajectory, wind drift, reading wind speed, mirage, etc. Once you have become profecient with the .22 then you are ready to move on to something bigger and more expensive.
 
Like BB above said, a 22 and practice. Go slow and focus on making thing as close as you can to the same. Consistency is the name. Shoot and have fun, just take your time and think about stock hold, breathing, trigger, and try to watch the bullet hit the target. ( fallow through, not that you will always see it hit). As for the gun, a good used Anschutz 54 single can be found for $800-1000. Get a good scope. Best of luck.
 
Bad Bob said:
If you are serious about learning how to shoot then there are basically two things you need to do:
1. Acquire good equipment. Good quality gun with a decent trigger topped with a good quality scope.You will save $ in the long run because if you buy cheap stuff you will end up getting rid of it at a loss and buying good stuff later anyway.
2. Shoot as much as you can, then shoot some more. This is where the cost of the ammo comes into play and why you need the .22LR.You do not need to practise with match grade ammo. Perfect your hold, breathing, concentration, trigger control and follow through with the .22 first and learn as much as you can about ballistics, trajectory, wind drift, reading wind speed, mirage, etc. Once you have become profecient with the .22 then you are ready to move on to something bigger and more expensive.
Click to expand...

Dont forget dry firing at home. Dry firing is invaluable!
 
If you like the Savage, and are considering the BSEV, I'd say go for it. I love mine. It's an incredible rifle.
 
I asked the same question, when in your same situation. Everyone (for the most part) told me to get the .22LR, and for good reason. I bought a .22LR (Tikka T1x) and it's a pure joy to shoot. You can sit at the bench for hours and punch paper until your fingers hurt, it only costs a couple bucks. It's fun, challenging and keeps you coming back! I have .223's, 6.5CM and 9mm. The .22LR is the ticket!! I push mine out to 200M sometimes. The guy beside me at the range yesterday was shoot impressive groups at 300M. Best bang for the buck, hands down.

But, I will say, I'm not curious to get a .17 HMR. But very happy I bought .22LR first.
 
I will chime in on this one - I would suggest the 17HMR - you will learn alot reading the wind at longer distances which would make you a better shooter. Also, would suggest the 93r17 don't worry about the rough bolt it smooths itself our after your put 5-6 hundred rounds through it like the one i have.
 
.22 for sure! If you are a target shooter skip the .17hmr and go for a .223 bolt gun instead.. you can reload .223 for cheaper then buying .17hmr and have far better performance.

..and no you don't need to spend much on tools and materials to reload .223 for a bolt gun.
 
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