What is 17 HMR for?

I've never had huge success finding a dead-accurate .22 WMR. They always seem to be "almost, but not quite" as good as a .22LR. I ran 100 each of Stinger, Mini-Mag, Quiet (all CCI) and some standard velocity SK ammo though a Mark II and each one was sending entire mags into the orange dots (1") at 50 yards. For whatever reason the similar rifle in .22 WMR was never as accurate. The extra pop is nice, but not enough to justify the rifle - I have a .223 for stretching it out.

The .17 HMR seemed to be much better than the .22 WMR in terms of accuracy and hit harder than the .22 LR.

I must've looked like a weirdo walking out of Cabela's with a Mark II, 93R17, and Model 93 all Minimalist brown laminate models, but I swear it was for science. I only kept the .22 LR, the rest went on to new homes.
 
prairieguy said:
You were paying $37 a box taxes in for .17HMR ??!!??

That's bonkers.
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Yeah - probably is so - what I get for not having one, until about two weeks ago - should have bought ammo years ago, like I did for 22 Long Rifle and 22 Mag. Looking at the receipt, here - box of 50 shells was $32.99 - I bought 6, so total was $197.94 - add 5% GST and 7% Sask PST and is $221.69 for 300 shots = $0.73898 each. I suppose I should also count the gas that my 2001 Chev 4x4 used to drive that 100 kilometres to there and the 100 kilometres back here ... I am picking up 10 boxes of 50 Hornady 17 grain in Saskatoon this weekend - Cabela's brought it in on my order - that was $288.49 after taxes. So those will be $0.57698 per shot. Not sure that I could actually reload .223 Rem for those prices, at the prices that I read people are paying for powder, primer and bullets, today. Since I have not yet fired it, I have no clue whether the rifle will prefer 17 grain Hornady or 20 grain Super-X.
 
Potashminer said:
Yeah - probably is so - what I get for not having one, until about two weeks ago - should have bought ammo years ago, like I did for 22 Long Rifle and 22 Mag. Looking at the receipt, here - box of 50 shells was $32.99 - I bought 6, so total was $197.94 - add 5% GST and 7% Sask PST and is $221.69 for 300 shots = $0.73898 each. I suppose I should also count the gas that my 2001 Chev 4x4 used to drive that 100 kilometres to there and the 100 kilometres back here ... I am picking up 10 boxes of 50 Hornady 17 grain in Saskatoon this weekend - Cabela's brought it in on my order - that was $288.49 after taxes. So those will be $0.57698 per shot. Not sure that I could actually reload .223 Rem for those prices, at the prices that I read people are paying for powder, primer and bullets, today. Since I have not yet fired it, I have no clue whether the rifle will prefer 17 grain Hornady or 20 grain Super-X.
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Yikes! Check Heights Archery next time you make it into Winnipeg (if you do). They're showing $25/box of 50 for both 16gr TNT and 20gr XTP cartridges. Plenty in stock.
 
Site Sponsor Tenda has a bunch of .17 HMR in stock for $20.99 to $22.99 a box depending on type. If you buy $300 worth of ammo shipping is free.
 
Potashminer said:
sodburner - I was in to Yorkton, Sask. Canadian Tire yesterday - pleasantly surprised to see a selection of 17 HMR ammo on the shelves for sale - perhaps 4 or 5 brands - 17 grain and 20 grain. Healthy prices, though - I picked up some Super-X 20 grain - $0.74 each, after taxes. So, apparently is easy enough to find, even these days, but pretty healthy price per shot for a rimfire ...
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I had an OK-sized stockpile of 17HMR going into my long-awaited gopher trip last week. I paid $20/box (+13%) when I bought it 3 years ago. Gopher #s were good, we had to stock-up locally to top-up. Sell price was $28.99/box out there, but the store itself seems to have inflated pricing on everything.

IR_Mike said:
Wrong...its approaching its 20 year birthday and is popular. Its here to stay.
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^probably true, but the ceiling would have to remain notably lower than half-decent .223 factory ammo. Unless you're buying kegs of powder, bullets/primers in bulk qtys., your 223 COST to reload is likely hovering around the $1/shot range. I know when I loaded a bunch of it years ago (powder in 1lb. jugs, bullets/primers 100 at a time) cost was in the $.75 range/per. And that was before the prices we're seeing today.

I think for those not wanting to reload, but still wanting some reach and small game power=17HMR will have a place. I also think if you like .223 and can load for it (even in small batches like I did) you're getting a heck of allot more accuracy/power/reach/consistency out of a $1-ish handload than what you get out of a $.74 HMR round.
 
I stocked up real good last time there was a shortage of components. Probably got a lifetime supply of 22 Hornet brass and `LiL Gun. 22 K-Hornet costs to re-load: 3.2 for primer, 7.5 for powder & 27.0 for bullet, plus 12% tax, works out to 42 cents a round. Figure in some brass "depreciation" and real cost is an honest 50 cents a round. If you are impressed with the 17HMR wait till you see what a 22 K-Hornet does and you can actually shoot it in the wind.
 
prairieguy said:
Site Sponsor Tenda has a bunch of .17 HMR in stock for $20.99 to $22.99 a box depending on type. If you buy $300 worth of ammo shipping is free.
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If you live in the boonies like I do, is no courier of any flavour that comes here - we have to arrange for courier to deliver "free shipping" somewhere else - like minimum hour drive or more to get from here to there and back - is no "free shipping" anymore, in that ... The closest business that I know of that will act as a courier drop off for us is in the same town that we get our mail - a 30 minute drive from here, one way.
 
Bad Bob said:
I stocked up real good last time there was a shortage of components. Probably got a lifetime supply of 22 Hornet brass and `LiL Gun. 22 K-Hornet costs to re-load: 3.2 for primer, 7.5 for powder & 27.0 for bullet, plus 12% tax, works out to 42 cents a round. Figure in some brass "depreciation" and real cost is an honest 50 cents a round. If you are impressed with the 17HMR wait till you see what a 22 K-Hornet does and you can actually shoot it in the wind.
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I suspect that you will be subjected to some serious price "sticker shock" if you have to replace your components - if you can find any to buy - I think now-a-days is more like $0.10 for each primer, at $75/lb 'Lil Gun at Cabela's.ca (Out of Stock) is like $0.17 for mid-loadings of 'Lil Gun from Hornady #14 manual, and then whatever you pay for bullets - so, is 33.99 per 100 x 50 grain V-Max at Cabela's right now. So, $0.68 each shot for 22 K-Hornet, after 12% taxes. That is $0.26 more than your costs listed - so like 62% more, if you had to buy components today? Is saving yourself a nickel per shot, at prices these days, to load 22 K-Hornet, versus buying at 0.74 per shot 20 grain 17 HMR at Yorkton Canadian Tire.
 
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Potashminer said:
If you live in the boonies like I do, is no courier of any flavour that comes here - we have to arrange for courier to deliver "free shipping" somewhere else - like minimum hour drive or more to get from here to there and back - is no "free shipping" anymore, in that ... The closest business that I know of that will act as a courier drop off for us is in the same town that we get our mail - a 30 minute drive from here, one way.
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Surely a 30 minute drive timed to coincide with picking up the mail would be preferable to burning gas to get to Winnipeg or Brandon just so you can pay 50% more for ammo once you arrive . Even if you factor in gas you come out way ahead. I ordered some from Tenda and the all in to my door in Alberta cost was $0.386 per round or just over half your cost.
 
I shot a 22 magnum for years and years. Killed piles of Beavers, gophers, upland, coyotes, dispatched many animals in traps. The 22 mag always did what I asked it to do. My twin brother always had a 17hmr and it did the exact same thing as my 22mag, no better and no worse. My sole reason for going to mainly a 17hmr now is because no one makes a quality 22mag that's left handed and I don't want another savage....

17gr vmax for everything, 17gr fmj for upland. Where as I once used 40gr maxi-mags in my 22 mag and 40gr TMJ fmj for upland.
 
Mine likes 17 TNT the best. Good all around, a bit better for getting multi gopher kills with one shot. Still rips the head off the Grouse.
 
Bad Bob said:
That is precisely why I "stocked up" real good when prices were reasonable, will never have to buy any components again :d
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Last time prices were reasonable was in the 1980s. I got a 5000 rd case of practice target ammo for under $200 including tax in Vancouver.. So long ago I forget which store. You could get Eley Tenex for a whopping $75 a brick.
 
I have three 17hmr's, 2 455's and a nice new 457. I shoot gophers with a .22lr most of the time, but I crack out one of the 17's for a fun change. Wickedly accurate and fast. Something different to use. I use a shotgun on gophers once in a while as well. I stocked up on .17hmr a few years back, right after I had my first one out in a gopher patch. Lots of guys will poo-poo the .17hmr, but it is here to stay now.

I am not a perfectionist, so whatever seems to work for guns and ammo is fine. FMJ .17hmr ammo is available, so be careful when you buy, check the boxes. I had a few rounds mixed with my gopher ammo and couldn't figure out why the gophers weren't exploding. Therein lies the answer. :p
 
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.22LRGUY said:
HMR seems to be either the ballistic tip variety, or hollow points. I don't believe there is a soft point variety, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
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CCI makes a 20 grain Jacketed Soft Point for the 17HMR called GAMEPOINT.

Cheers
Jay

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I thought about getting a 17 HMR but I just download (reduced velocity) .223 Rem using 35 or 40 grain bullets instead. But if you don't reload...
 
Jay said:
CCI makes a 20 grain Jacketed Soft Point for the 17HMR called GAMEPOINT.

Cheers
Jay

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Thanks Jay-I've seen that ammo, didn't know that's what it was. I stand corrected...or at least, informed. :) Being 20gr, I have to wonder if guns preferring the 20gr. HPs would prefer this too. My western gopher rifle in 17HMR likes the 17gr. BTs. Thank heavens. Like the hammer of Thor on those little rats.
 
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