Thread: 22LR or 17HMR, your thoughts?

Given the description of what you want in your original post it would be hard to go past a jw15. Maybe wait until @mudgripz has one for sale and youll know your getting a good one..

Thanks Blip... yes 22 ideal for learning to field shoot if it suite your conditions i.e. 0-100m. Accurate, well shot in 22 rifle with a competent shooter handles 0-100 with ease. In Canterbury/Otago we tend to shoot huge numbers of varmints - tens of thousands for our own team - and 22LR has accounted for most of them. These days fewer bunnies, and 223 most used caliber. We thoroughly tested 22 Magnums and 17HMRs, but for our shooting the 223 best now as much less wind affected, and it also covers the wallabies and deer we meet in the McKenzie etc..

Just finishing another JW15. Action all polished smooth, trigger a nice crisp 2lbs - operates very well now. This is a very tidy earlier model wooden stock JW and might be ideal for a newbie. Can come with scope (simple Outdoor Optics 3-4x40), threaded with suppressor, gunbag, sling, cleaning gear, maybe two mags (one is a metal CZ one). Off to range Friday to bench test it, tune it.

This would be ideal package for a newbie at little cost..

Ine used .22 12guage and even the mighty .303 on rabbits hares and possums the blow job is generally fatal and curbs the reproductive urges as intended.yeah Ok .303 &12g are a tad messy closeup but once hit they stay hit -instant compost.my ambition is a horny screaming snarly buck jacko facing my favourite 12g 3"34gm no3 goose load snuggled in the chamber of my trusty escort s/a shotty that should look good in technicolour.
Looking at to getting into some longrange sport with .223

I always had a yearning for a 17hmr back in the day but never got one.
More recently really like the concept of the 17wsm but no money and still don't like the lack of choice with possible accuracy issues.
Not having to reload was a bonus for me.
No I'd go for a 22wmr. Heavier projectiles if I had to but could go to the light ones too.
As an aside a bonus of the 17hmr was it was usually very accurate possibly on a way better percentage than a 22wmr

I just use a 22 hornet...

Originally Posted by Mintie

Tentman is spot on. PCP for closer stuff or anything near houses/horses etc and for everyday cheap running then HMR out to 200m or slightly bigger animals. I have a DPT over barrel centrefire suppressor on my 17hmr and it's just the sonic crack that you hear, which I find is really disorienting for the animals as they can't figure out direction, it doesn't matter how quiet you think your 22LR is running subs the prey you are shooting at will hear it and be able to tell the direction.

The noise gets their attention. I have found they rarely run if they can't see or smell you.(unless they have been recently hammered.) I use cover and wind. Very satisfying. One time I got 3 pigs with a .22 just being sneaky.

What about 17wsm, I’m surprised it didn’t get more traction

Buy a 22WMR and be happy, then buy some subsonic ammunition for quiet work*.


Everyone else on this forum thinks it's a terrible idea, I think it's brilliant!

Originally Posted by tibo

What about 17wsm, I’m surprised it didn’t get more traction

@tibo ammo initially had and possibly still has a reputation for not as good accuracy as you would like.
Not many rifles to pick from (too grunty for nearly all rimfire actions so you need a centerfire action with a rimfire type bolt, they need their own specific model usually). Something like the winchester highwall would be cool. Next one is cost. The couple of rifles you could pick are usually just as expensive or more so than a 17 hornet in the same rifle.
Some of the rifles including the plastic stocked models were a bit naff too
The semiauto option would be good but they seem to be dear as poison. In a time that AR15 clones were quite cheap, the 17wsm are 4 times the price.
Remember too that all the ammo regardless of packaging used to come from the same factory.
A lot of people seem to be waiting for it to sink or swim before committing too.
They really should've got a couple more rifle manufacturers on board when launching it

Best thing i like about the 17hmr is that there is no guessing where to aim. Basically anywhere within 120 metres you are just aiming at the target. I always found guessing the holdover on a .22 was bit more hit and miss!!
No doubt both calibres are brilliant but if using subs on a .22 the ricochets are an issue you have to be aware of.

22LR (sub) is the only powder burner you can use on indoor ranges.

Drop does become a problem when hunting with 22LR past 50m so you need to use a rangefinder. Whereas 17HMR doesnt need holdover or rangefinder till 120m.

22LR supersonic ( high velocity ) has been superseeced by 17HMR for hunting. Ive never fired it through my new 22LR.

You may as well have started a thread asking which is the best all round caliber!
In my experience (which is far less than many in here) the .22 is great for varmint/pest control. I've a Rossi 10/22 and what follows is my experience with it
I paid $400 for my rossi, brand new in the box, a 10 shot SA 17HMR starts at $1099
Cheap as chips to buy and shoot, CCI subs are 35 bucks per 100, thats 35 cents a shot, whereas 17HMR $90 per 100.....that's 90 cents, nearly 3x the cost of a 22
With a suppressor and subs it's uber quiet, quieter than my .22 Gammo
It will happily reach out to a possum/rabbit at +100m distance with HV rounds and same rounds will take out a wallaby at 50m (shot placement is a tad more critical though)
Today it dropped a Magpie at 90m with subs
A .22 will MAKE you improve your shooting to remain ethical at distance
You don't guess your holdover for range, you learn it as you use and get to know your rifle.
So depending on ammo, my .22 is good for bush shooting or stretching out to 180+ metres and with a clip of subs and a clip of high velocity, I can switch up depending on what presents itself as a target, mostly with the .22 I'm after possums and the like, IF a roo presents then I can take it, although I prefer my .243 for roo's and bigger, makes a hell of a mess of a possum and it's bloody expensive possum control!

One of the things I was taught very early on in my shooting career is that a larger caliber allows people to develop bad habits because "if you hit it, it's dead" whereas a smaller caliber, ya gotta be on your best game and every shot, even if it's varmint/pest control is an opportunity to improve our shooting

I would argue that everyone should have a 22LR. For range , trigger and target practise it is ideal as you should not be worrind about how much ammo you use and can focus on getting the basics right. I regularly use the 22 out to 75m or more with practise.....and plenty of practise is a good thing.

As for 17HWR and 22WMR both are capable calibres but I wont buy one myself- for the price of ammo you can run a small centrefire that is even more capable. a 223 will do everything a 22WMR can do and do it better AND it can do a lot more. Same for the HMR. The only advantage of the HMR or WMR is the ability to use a semi auto rimfire rifle. And I dont generally use a semi auto as it is not compatable with the stle and technique of hunting that I do. (but the definitely have their place and I wont begrudge anyone who wants one....just not my jam so to speak...)

A .22 is ideal as a starterin nfact history has proven it so .lost count of number of rabbits ,hares ,targets and best of all bastard aussie jackos have fallen to my baby charms .more than a few who argued like a labour politician met their horny demise at the bellow of a 12guage shotty ( saw a snarler shot at 18"range with both barrels of Dads 12g SXS at once .decapitation and a f..n great hole through the house roof

Im now the proud owner of an ex tim&talon immaculate wee .223 -a birthday present some years ago.spent a wee bit of time on target work but due to physical health changes(age related) not out on game as much as id like .
full sister to .223 is a natty 7.62x39 which has given me great pleasure on assorted target and infrequent hunting expeditions
last but not least-my immortal No4mk1*1942 .303 .with 180gn softnose slugs even off a short run up ,never met anything that played wicketkeeper well to its delivery. Its also bloody good as a chainsaw -used it to sever a branch holding a brainless(courtesy 5 shot .22 removal) possum whose tail didnt know it was bloody dead!skull cavity cleaner than a empty hard boiled egg shell

say what you like and espouse what you like Im an oldfashined bloke with simple tastes and with that array Im comfortable enough to cover the field.
my next challenge a 12guage 3"steel delivery of contraception to a horny screaming buck jacko ...also known as terminal blow job!

Quote: And I dont generally use a semi auto as it is not compatable with the stle and technique of hunting that I do. (but the definitely have their place and I wont begrudge anyone who wants one....just not my jam so to speak...)

ditto mate….just like a garden shed,different tools for different uses!