Thread: 22LR or 17HMR, your thoughts?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

I dont own a 17....my 223 does that job..... cant see that changing any time soon.

@Micky Duck…. Well good onya mate!!!!… I have a 223 also… but I have various uses for my guns…. Hunting and range shooting…. At the range I belong too we have Hmr 17 shooting competitions for the young and old… no 223,s allowed…..

So yeah,if yr not into that I get it… I have a range of other guns you probably don’t have either???!!… different strokes for different folks mate!!

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

I dont own a 17....my 223 does that job..... cant see that changing any time soon.

100% agree with Micky Duck. I'll NEVER own a .17. My 222 Remington and 22 Hornet do the job and I cant see that changing any time soon. Longest 222 one shot kill on a bunny 242m, a pair of goats at 267m. Just added a Guide TS450 to the Hornet which opens up a whole new option for long range nighty shooting bunnies.

Hugh Shields
Controlled Rabbit Culling
Wellington

Quote: 100% agree with Micky Duck. I'll NEVER own a .17.

Baaaaaawhaaahahahah!… onya mate!… as I said ,different strokes for different folks,it’s great to have “choices”….

Just sounds like you have a “hate” for this rifle,have you actually had the opportunity to shoot one???.interested to know…. They actually a beauty to shoot

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

Personal bias declaration: I hate air rifles and I hate .17 anything!
The 22LR has been the go to caliber for rabbiting for over 100 years, I see no point in changing what clearly is tried, proven and works.
Distance - Effective Range: 22LR 10m - 200m (.17 The same). Subsonic 22LR, my longest one shot kill is 164m with Winchester 42grn HP at 1065 fps. Best Supersonic 22LR one shot kill 192m Browning BPR 40grn HP.
Projectile Weights: 22LR 28grn, 38grn, 40grn, 42grn, 45grn and I think I missed one or two. HP or solid (Last time I checked .17 only came in three bullet weights? Check)
Velocity: 22LR Subsonic to supersonic lots of options from 700fps to 2000 (roughly). (.17 supersonic only, you can't effectively mitigate the sonic CRACK! You can reduce it, but you can never get them silent!)
COST! COST! COST! Retail gun shops LOVE selling .17 because they know they have then you locked into buying the most expensive rimfire ammunition in the world! Which is good for their sales figures and profit margin, but hard on your Bank Account. The pricing structure is, from cheapest to most expensive; 22LR - 22 Magnum - .17HMR. Basically .17 is DOUBLE the price of 22LR. Do the maths on 5000 rounds and you pack your pants!
Suppressors: Buy quality, buy DPT modular system.
WHAT RIFLE: Weihrauch HW60J (new Model HW66 CH comes factory threaded) should be about $800 - $1000 on TradeMe or $1200 to $1400 retail. Reloaders Supplies Auckland got me the best price on my last on in 22 Hornet. You will buy this rifle, never change it, and pass it on to your grandchildren. Quality German engineering.
SCOPE: Get a good quality scope with magnification range of 3 0r 4 to 14 or 16x. Maximum front lens diameter 40 - 44mm (You don't need 50mm and 26x for rabbits)

Hugh Shields
Controlled Rabbit Culling
Wellington
Mobile: 021 9888 41

You forgot the bit about the flat trajectory and incredible terminal ballistics of HMR, and the lack of ricochet danger. If you are a rabbit culler and hate 17 anything and all air rifles then you must be too stubborn to open your eyes and see a whole range of tools that suit different jobs so much better than a .22lr.

I'm a culler too and my kit that I take out every day includes a PCP, 22lr, 17hmr and a 12ga. And there are often days when they all get a turn due to the varying range of property types I'm on.

Just a side note… so as not to sound like a COCK….I have a Remington .222.. had it for years,beautiful gun to shoot with a specific purpose

I’m a range officer at both my Rifle/handgun range and Shotgun club… NRA Certified… yeah blah blah blah…. My point….Im very much involved in teaching people how to shoot,all disciplines,rules ,regulations,safety,respect etc etc etc….. I use a lot of my own guns and ammo for people,especially kids to shoot,….. .22 all the way through to 50 cal…. I enjoy teaching people how to do it RIGHT!!…. and learn from even very experienced blokes with different artillery to mine….


We have many individuals that are independently $$$$$up that are willing to front up and “pass it fwd”….. hence the reason we have a variety of guns at our disposal….. to see a kid shoot a .22/17/223/270 all in one day is magic…. Pure magic….

Anyway…. Try the 17,fine rifle for what it was intended for

Me … I’ll shoot anything that I’ve never shot and take the opportunity to enjoy that and be educated… you could only be so lucky that someone would give you there time and experience

Quote: . If you are a rabbit culler and hate 17 anything and all air rifles then you must be too stubborn to open your eyes and see a whole range of tools that suit different jobs so much better than a .22lr.

Well said…..

Originally Posted by A330driver

Quote: 100% agree with Micky Duck. I'll NEVER own a .17.

Baaaaaawhaaahahahah!… onya mate!… as I said ,different strokes for different folks,it’s great to have “choices”….

Just sounds like you have a “hate” for this rifle,have you actually had the opportunity to shoot one???.interested to know…. They actually a beauty to shoot

no hate...and have seen them used,definately effective..but cant do anything my 223 cant do better......will never sell 223 so its a redundant cartridge for me....the 22lr nearly is too...use the 12ga more often for hares n rabbits. the other off putting bit for me/advantage of .223 is its legal on DOC controlled land.... which is 99% of my hunting.

If I want to do some serious (or more serious) pest reduction the 17 HMR is what comes out. I use .22s for a change of scenery now. There's still a horses for courses aspect to what calibres people use...that keeps it interesting I suppose.

Sent from my SM-T225 using Tapatalk

Cost-wise of buying a rifle and ammo the .22 still wins , but horses for courses , as above.

If we didnt have the dreaded registration thing I would say go buy one of each.

I am a just recreational hunter, however I work with a lot of professional pest control contractors. All have a selection of tools including PCP, 22lr (all run subs), 17hmr, AR based 223 (because, professionals) and 12ga. They use the right tools for the job in front of them, which could range from shooting pigeons on a construction site to aerial control of goats. However none of this is relevant to the orginal question.

Given you have a PCP, which is accurate and very cheap to run, get the .17hmr, I can assure it will be brilliant fun. Put a surpressor on it.

I am, I guess, your average recreational shooter of rabbits and other small game. I own 22lr (x2), 17HMR and 223rem.
As @Mintie pointed out, different situations call for different approaches. Last night I was out with the 22lr and thermal. Perfect for multipul targets at close range. The other week I was hunting the same piece of land in the afternoon and snipping rabbits across a gully out to 176 yards with the 17HMR. Different approach, same result.
If I were shooting thousands of rounds a week I wouldn't be in a position to use the 17HMR every time but I don't, so 20-30 rounds every month or so isn't an issue and it is a lovely cartridge to use.
As for the 223. That's a deer cartridge.
I have also shot rabbits with 308win subs (just for live practice) so at the end of the day, it's whatever spins your wheels.
My advice to the OPer. If you already have a PPC that will cover the close stuff and if the cost of the ammo doesn't bother you, get a 17HMR.

Originally Posted by A330driver

Quote: . If you are a rabbit culler and hate 17 anything and all air rifles then you must be too stubborn to open your eyes and see a whole range of tools that suit different jobs so much better than a .22lr.

Well said…..

17 Hornet comes to mind.I accept its not everyone's cup of tea but if you are into re-loading and noise is of no concern try 17H. Its cheaper to shoot than the HMR & pretty devastating on Varmints at impressive ranges.....Sold my HMR as the Hornet has been the go to for some time.

Yeah mate,great round..25grain Hornady ….. very effective round with great numbers

Originally Posted by vulcannz

I share my DPT 22 can with my 17hmr, it's the mag setup so it quietens it right down.

I have a 5 baffle DPT on my 17 HMR. It's quiet enough that I can shoot peacocks in the neighbour's place from my place without disturbing the neighbour on the other side. It makes it quite unnoticeable. When I went to retrieve a body, a tradie working there said "I thought I heard a gunshot..."

I used to shoot a lot of subsonic .22rf - still do, and its good dial up practice. Longest rabbit being 300 yards. I went this route to not annoy the neighbors.
Most of the rabbits are sub 100 - and I now shoot most of them with .17hm2 - I was getting a number of ricochets with .22 - and given its mostly sub 20 acre blocks around here it makes sense. Suppressed, the neighbors don't seem to care.