17 Hornet or .222

ackertjosh

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So here is the thing.. I know this might be in the wrong Threat but I was hoping to pick the reloaders brain since the rounds would be reloaded.... But for hunting Coyotes and or Groundhogs what would you all prefer?
A good friend of mine asked me this question and I really didnt have an answer cause i dont know anything about the 17 Hornet other than it propels a 20gr bullet at 3650...
My friends reloads for his .222 propel a 40gr bullet just 100fps slower.. and has the option of going to 50gr if needed(what I shoot from my .222)

What I said to him is his .222 is good enough and there is no need to buy a 17 Hornet unless he feels the need to buy a new Varmit rifle... I recommended either a 204 or 22-250 (I also have) for coyotes and down and then he is covered..

So what do you all think here?? is The 17 Hornet better than the .222 or is he better getting something alongs the line of a 204 or 22-250

Thanks all for your opinion!
Josh A
 
In my opinion is is never a bad thing to buy another new gun.
The 17 hornet has a similar trajectory to the .222, but the tiny bullets are more susceptible to wind at longer ranges.
For reloading I find the .222 is much easier to feed than the 17 Hornet; the 17 requires more attention to detail to achieve consistent accuracy.

Dan
 
.222 is dam hard to beat as a 250 yard varmint rifle. Easy on barrels, very accurate. I don't think the .17 hornet will add enough to make it worth while.

If you want to reach out to 300+ yards, I'd go 22-250.
 
I have a 222 and it is an excellent 200 yard varmint and target cartridge . The 17 Hornet looks interesting,
but uses small amounts of powder , making small loading errors affect accuracy and it's effective range is
close to 222 . I also have a 204R that I have been working up loads for . It has a much flatter trajectory and
is good to use out to 500 yards . I have shot 32 , 39 , and 40gr bullets so far and the accuracy is surprisingly
good . I would advise the 204R or the 22-250 . They both have longer range than the 222's and have similar
ballistics . The 22-250 has a reputation of being a bit of a barrel burner . I have never owned one to confirm
this . If you go with a 22-250 I would not buy a traditional 1:12 twist that restricts you to 55gr bullets , 1:9 twist
would be much better allowing you to use heavier bullets to beat the wind and put down larger varmints .
I would also be the last person to talk someone out of buying a new gun , more is better .
 
Neither cartridge is better. Just different. Most likely to be easier to find .222 components than it will be for any .17. Ditto for a .20 calibre. I'd look for components and ammo/brass first. The 'I want one' rule applies though.
 
I have 17 hornet, 17 Rem and 204 R. Don't have a 22-250........yet........

17 Hornet has the exact same trajectory of a 223 similar to a 222. IMO a 300 yard gun. I know folks who have taken yotes over 300 yards with that caliber. I wouldn't but I have a recovered bullet from a fellow who took a big one at 330 yards. The Bullet did exactly what was needed.

Very fur friendly and extremely efficient and easy on barrels and only uses 9-12 grains of powder or look at it another way almost 700 rounds out of one pound container.

Don't get me wrong the 204R is nothing but a fantastic caliber but cost to reload is higher as it uses 3 times the powder. I really like it though and it is a flat shooter!

The 17 Rem is another option or 17 Rem Fireball. Fireball is more efficient but both great rounds.

I have seen some wind drift but nothing that would cost me an animal. I have to wonder if this is somewhat overstated by some folks....
 
Thanks all for the feed back!! Yeah i love the triple deuce! its just an awesome reliable tact driving cartridge but is funny that when we go out for coyotes ( we use dogs) i always grab the 22-250.. Mine is a CZ550 Lux so the 1-14 twist is great in that i can use the same lead in the .222 as i do with the 22-250 and and get the same results and accuracy with velocity being a big ++ in favor of the 22-250.. Im thinking my friend is going to go with a 17 Hornet or 22-250.. I think the only reason he wants the 22-250 is cause he knows i can make the rounds for him. But he is also one of those guys that can walk into a gun shop looking for a coyote rifles and come out with an SKS .. LMAO.. its has already been done once lol..

Thanks again
Josh
 
I like my 222 'tis a great round generally i use 50 gr sx bullets, but my 204 gets to play more. Don't own a 22-250 anymore but if the right rifle crosses my path it will come home, i used up several 788 barrels back in the 70's shooting gophers mainly shooting 55grsx bullets. I think the 17 hornet would be a fun addition but i have a 17 Rem that hardly gets out and i'm also playing with a 223. Your friend will not go wrong with either the 17 hornet or the 22-250 even though they work well at different ranges.
 
If your buddy is buying a CZ in 17 hornady hornet I'd say it is a great idea, if however he is looking at a Savage rifle in this caliber I'd suggest he forget it. I have friends in the USA that got the CZ's and they are a lot nicer rifles than the low grade chit that savage makes in 17 Hornet. I might not feel as strongly about this if the savage I had, hadn't blown up in my face shooting factory 17 Hornady hornet ammo last summer.FS
 
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