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Do I HMR or not.


Raifuru

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I still have one of the first batch of 17 HMRs that landed in Adenbournes in Oxford many moons ago. It has sometimes made me grin with the accuracy it has produced, but the issue of variation between ammunition is really making it reside more in the cabinet than in the Field. If I am taking rabbits out beyond 100 yards, I take the 20 Tac and to be honest it is not ideal as I want a gun that I can throw around and abuse. If the ammunition was the only issue, then that would be workable, but the limitations of the 17 HMR in wind is adds another niggle.

So I fancy something new and be it the CZ 455 or an HW or Anschutz, but I keep leaning towards the 22WMR rather than the .17 . I know the ammunition issue will still be there, but the newer 22WMR ammunition that is out will have improved the older situation. I appreciate the range will be limited to around 125 yards max, but realistically unless I have really good ammunition and the conditions are perferct, I limit the HMR to 75 yards anyway.

It really pisses me off that I can pull acceptable 1" ish groups then it struggles to produce a 3" group. I have been out with enough other HMRs from a Marlin lever to a full blown Cooper or Anschutz and nothing is different with any of the HMRs. I don't expect sub MOA all day every day and I do not want another centrefire.

Thoughts please............

 

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I've had three 22WRFMags,including an Anschutz;as a cartridge it has never really been a top accuracy number,but has a small niche.You are realistic-125y is about its envelope,just as 75y is for 22rf. Much beyond in wind etc,it gets fairly hit and miss-maybe ammo has improved,but I'd be inclined to consider carefully the transformed Hornets-esp 17.The old Hornets were pretty so so,so I have no brief for them-but if you want a sub-very sub-22 cf which should be better than 17hmr (thank goodness) then listen to realistic users of the new Hornet.

It seems very competent,economical of course,and few obvious downsides-other than over enthusiastic fans-but every cartridge has to bear that burden...as you say,it's what it does nine out of ten that matters,not the one out of ten successes.

In the end,I returned full circle to the 222 and 17 rems,which did it all so much better,but were more than needed for rabbit up to 150ybut had a large margin built in out to 250y,on other permissions.The revamped 17 Hornet is a dinky ,but for it's size,impressive little number.(it's not exactly new-what is-but modern powders and bullets have transformed it.) At least consider it-rifle choice may be an issue,if you are really choosy. Good shooting.

gbal

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I had two hmr's at one point, sold one to fund a fireball. I was testing a current batch of hmr ammo last weekend which seemed to be no better than 1" at 100yds, in a rifle that used to be capable groups half that size. I have to say I'm a bit peed off with it at the mo. Thankfully the fb is working as it should.

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Go Hornet , either 17 or 22 , I run a CZ527 in 22 Hornet , barrel chopped from 22 down to 20 inches , and use a MAE SS 22mag suppressor , get 3000fps using 40gr vmax , shoot it out to 325yds on a big billy goat , and usually between 150-250yds on magpies etc .

The magpies HATE it , it turns them into a pile of feathers instantly .

 

I brought mine as the 17 hmr did not really stack up for me on price of ammo & range & power , when stacked against a 22 centerfire reloaded .

Also wanted something that would not spook the cows on the farm I hunt on , and then the 17 Hornet was not out , now I would have to look into both 17 & 22 hornets and decide which one was best for my use .

 

Later Chris

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I gave up on the HMR for all the reasons already mentioned as well as it suffers badly in the wind with very little real wind drift advantage over the .22lr when you test them back to back.

 

I would have bought a 17 Hornet ages ago but the fact I can only get them in CZ or Savage puts me off. Savage certainly doesn't do it for me and the CZ527 just feels so agricultural.

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The .17 hmr has it's place IMO, great rabbit gun. It's possible to come across some decent ammo and then buy in bulk.

The OP doesn't say whether he wants the rabbit for the table or not. I find a centerfire a bit strong for rabbit shooting if you want them for the table.

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Like pork chop id go hornyt , alltho id prefer 17 Bee . Its a crying shame about the hmr , as im sure in the early days ammo didn't have the splitting issues . Makes me think are hornady even interested in sorting it out ? I bet not because it would of been sorted by now . The hmr for me was a great 150 yard crow / magpie basher !

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The .17 hmr has it's place IMO, great rabbit gun. It's possible to come across some decent ammo and then buy in bulk.

The OP doesn't say whether he wants the rabbit for the table or not. I find a centerfire a bit strong for rabbit shooting if you want them for the table.

a head shot with a hmr or a centerfire = no head , no more meat damage iether way ?

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Ruger do an option on the .17 hornet.Damn smart phone!

 

I had one and I DEF can't recommend it. Their two-piece bolt doesn't make for a stable action- do a search on the Net and you will find info on this. The one I had would only shoot 35 V-Maxs and even then, it was hardly a tackdriver.

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I sold my hmr and bought a hornet. Didn't regret it. So much easier in the wind, more consistent accuracy (HMR ammo batches??) and properly fox capable.

I think it depends how you shoot.... if you are shooting 50-100 rabbits a night a hornet would be a lot of reloading. If you want a lower volume fox and rabbit gun then i think the hornet is perfect.

 

To me the hornet is a perfect 'keepers' gun.

 

I have ended up going pretty much soley NV for foxes these days with little rabbitting so ended up with a .20 vartarg hence my old hornet is in the sales section.

 

hope this helps

 

John

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but I keep leaning towards the 22WMR rather than the .17 . I know the ammunition issue will still be there, but the newer 22WMR ammunition that is out will have improved the older situation. I appreciate the range will be limited to around 125 yards max,

 

 

Why?

I zero my WMR at 100yds and shoot out past 150 yds no bother at all

if I could be bother using mildot scopes or dialling it could go much further

The ammo is much, much better than HMR

easy to shoot ragged holes at 100yds with it

 

I also run a 17M2 - same rifle different barrel and scope

1/3 of the price to feed

ragged holes again

100yd zero

but more drop past 120 yds but perfect rabbit round IMO

some I shoot have no exits and minimal carcase damage but are VERY dead

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Being American, I'm not required to sell off one gun for another which is good, but it does create a lot of 'drift wood' in the cabinet. The biggest pieces I have now are my seven 22WMR's. Not for lack of accuracy, because with ammo favored by a particular rifle or handgun, they would always shoot with a 17HMR, but more for lack of ammunition. 22WMR is almost impossible to get here and when you do, it's forty-cents and more per round. I leave the guns shelved in hopes of better times.

 

My three 17HMR's, however, are blessed with an abundance of cheap, third rate ammo which means they sit in the gun room gathering dust as well.

 

Almost all of my varminting is done with my CZ American Hornet. An 9 cent Berger 34 grain**, five-cents worth of Lil Gun, and a three cent primer. Half the cost of 22WMR and twice the range.~Andrew

 

(** Mid South Shooter's supply Varmint Nightmare 34 grain Hornet bullets. $88 per/1000 and made by Berger. MidWay sells the same bullet under a different label)

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No mention of .222 or .223?

I switched my very accurate Annie 17HMR because of ammuition issues and poor performance in wind.

I now use .223 (M48 Nosler) for any shooting that the .22LR (Mauser 201) cannot deal with; have no knowledge of Hornet or WMR, am sure they are fine calibres but the abundance and lethality of .223 keeps things simple for me.

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No mention of .222 or .223?

I switched my very accurate Annie 17HMR because of ammuition issues and poor performance in wind.

I now use .223 (M48 Nosler) for any shooting that the .22LR (Mauser 201) cannot deal with; have no knowledge of Hornet or WMR, am sure they are fine calibres but the abundance and lethality of .223 keeps things simple for me.

Rick,see post* 7, which made a case for the 222/17rem class;just as you say-beyond 22rf distances this small 22 cf class cartridge does it all with so much more assurance and authority,out to a confident 250,maybe 300in good conditions (light wind). The 17 Hornet is close,maybe quieter,and more economical-though that should never be a decisive reason in live quarry shooting.

At one time though,authority beyond an rf was not always granted,and in some locations a 22 cf might be deemed too much,including on safety grounds. But otherwise I agree,the small 22 cf class are superior in ballistic performance,if perhaps a bit excessive in energy,but then are much superior for fox.They do the jobs better-any shot made with the rfs would have been made with the cfs,but not vice versa.

gbal

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