looking at a .17HMR or .22WMR
- Thread starter a collector
- Start date
I bought the 93FV in 22WMR as I want to hunt with it as well as target shoot and am very happy with it.The 22mag hits a little harder but the 17 shoots a bit flatter so if you are only shooting at targets or gophers maybe go with the 17.
93FV 22WMR,Boyds Tacticool stock,Harris 9-13 notched leg swivel base bipod with locking lever,Bushnell Elite 3200 3x9x40
93FV 22WMR,Boyds Tacticool stock,Harris 9-13 notched leg swivel base bipod with locking lever,Bushnell Elite 3200 3x9x40
This topic is the gift that keeps on giving. 
It's a question of what you're planning to do with the rifle, from how far, and whether or not ammo-cost is a factor.
In a nutshell, in my experience, ammo cost is a little lower with .22WMR, and it's WAY deadlier inside of 100 yards than .17 HMR on a wider variety of small game. .17HMR is flatter shooting, better suited to smaller game, and has more reach than the .22WMR. Longest groundhog shot I've made with an HMR is 150 yards, but that's the outer limit (again, my opinion) on game of that size with an HMR. Considered the ideal gopher caliber rabbit (head shots) etc. I'd love to own both, but consider .22WMR better for my needs in Ontario.
It's a question of what you're planning to do with the rifle, from how far, and whether or not ammo-cost is a factor.In a nutshell, in my experience, ammo cost is a little lower with .22WMR, and it's WAY deadlier inside of 100 yards than .17 HMR on a wider variety of small game. .17HMR is flatter shooting, better suited to smaller game, and has more reach than the .22WMR. Longest groundhog shot I've made with an HMR is 150 yards, but that's the outer limit (again, my opinion) on game of that size with an HMR. Considered the ideal gopher caliber
rabbit (head shots) etc. I'd love to own both, but consider .22WMR better for my needs in Ontario.
- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Ya i read the charts. But like I said its more noticable. To me anyway. Maybe it was all in my head but it seemed like the wind really pushed it around. Admitedly, I've never had a 22 mag to compare it to though.
I have one of each. They are both great guns, and each has its uses that differ from the other. If you just want to punch paper of small game hunt inside of 100 yards, the .22WMR would be a better choice. The cost of ammo is greatly different between the 2, CCI in WMR is about $12/box at CT while the HMR is about $17/box.
The one on the top is the 93 BTVSS with 6-24x40 Bushnell Banner and a Caldwell 6-9 swivel bipod. The bottom is my newly acquired 93R17 Mako Edition with 3-9x32 Bushnell. Both guns are tack drivers.
The Savages are fantastic rifles and I will not hesitate to buy another one, I especially like the various designs that are available with the laminate stocks. Plus, they are all made in Canada in Lakefield ON, the old Mossberg facility that Savage bought back in the '90s.
The one on the top is the 93 BTVSS with 6-24x40 Bushnell Banner and a Caldwell 6-9 swivel bipod. The bottom is my newly acquired 93R17 Mako Edition with 3-9x32 Bushnell. Both guns are tack drivers.
The Savages are fantastic rifles and I will not hesitate to buy another one, I especially like the various designs that are available with the laminate stocks. Plus, they are all made in Canada in Lakefield ON, the old Mossberg facility that Savage bought back in the '90s.
You might want to have a look at the wind drift chart posted above.
I keep seeing reference to the wind drift table, but I think the temptation is to look at the 250 yard mark and say "SEE??? SEE??? The 22WMR drifts about 13"-14" MORE than the HMR!!!" Hanging your hat on that data suggests that #1. the HMR is still drifting so little that you'll be able to HIT your targets with an HMR while your .22WMR shooting buddy won't, and #2. the wide spread between them, at the far end, is a practical range to be shooting these calibers.
Neither is true in my opinion, and neither speak to the drop factor either. (one of the other 2 charts posted)
If you're attempting to reach out to the outer limits of what's indicated on that wind drift chart, you're rolling the dice. Neither bullet will have much gas in the tank, and both will be heavily influenced by wind/wind gusts/drop etc. They're impractical ranges for magnum rimfires, in my experience.
Having shot countless rounds with both calibers, my opinion is that the OP's original question doesn't have a straight forward answer. While they share some traits, they have more differences than similarities. I honestly hope to add an HMR back to my collection, but I find the .22WMR just a more effective hunting round inside of 125 yards~THE DISTANCE I HONESTLY SHOOT from most of the time.
Anything bigger than .22lr is used for groundhog hunting in my world
so the following is my take on these two calibers;I look at it in a very simple way~I consider .22WMR a heavier, deadlier round useful at, basically, the same distance a fast-shooting .22lr round is. The HMR is a faster, equally (but not more) deadly round at the same range BUT...other than being flatter-shooting (more accurate) beyond that...it loses too much punch to be useful. My gopher-hunting Albertan friends sing the praises of the HMR, and I get that considering their size. Here in Ontario, the only guys I know who use HMRs for hunting use them on rabbits (head shots) at/under 150 yards.
So, get both
or consider just what you plan on shooting and at what distances. One or the other should emerge as the better choice.
