# 22mag or 17hmr



## pcola4 (Apr 13, 2009)

I have been looking for a 22mag but am hearing a lot about the 17hmr. What are the pros and cons of each. Thanks in advance.


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## minkmaster (Apr 5, 2008)

17 hmr very small, blazing speed, poor penetration, alot of damage on surface but none deep. 22 mag slower deeper penetrating but not near the range of hmr.


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## bobinbusan (Feb 16, 2010)

22 MAG ammo a lot cheaper also :thumbup: :whistling:


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

minkmaster said:


> 17 hmr very small, blazing speed, poor penetration, alot of damage on surface but none deep. 22 mag slower deeper penetrating but not near the range of hmr.


 
Overall that's good information on the .17HMR, but if used on the proper game for the size and weight of the load, poor penetration doesn't exist as the round will blast a squirrel into two or three pieces and the same for smaller rabbits. The trama is amazing and the round is devistating on small game. That is where I question the poor penetration and "Alot of surface damage but none deep part". 

If you shoot an empty aluminum can with a 22mag and shoot another one right beside it with a .17HMR the difference is very obvious. 

Mink, I am not disputing your comments, but I would hope that no one would shoot any wild game that would require deep penetration with a .17HMR. 

Both are great rounds. 



.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Garbo said:


> Overall that's good information on the .17HMR, but if used on the proper game for the size and weight of the load, poor penetration doesn't exist as the round will blast a squirrel into two or three pieces and the same for smaller rabbits. The trama is amazing and the round is devistating on small game. That is where I question the poor penetration and "Alot of surface damage but none deep part".
> 
> If you shoot an empty aluminum can with a 22mag and shoot another one right beside it with a .17HMR the difference is very obvious.
> 
> ...



Very true Curtis! My 17 will blow a squirrel apart at 100-150 yards....Too bad the PFF jacked up my prior reports w/ good pictures!!!! here is a couple links to pics/video....
http://www.gulfcoastfishingconnection.com/forums/forum106/thread4730.html
http://www.gulfcoastfishingconnection.com/forums/forum106/thread4664.html
As fer the ammo, I just bought 4 boxes at Scott's on sale at $10.99, normally $12.99. That's fer 50 so the ammo is not to far from 22 mag. The 17 is a HOT round 2550 fps!!! If I have to choose, my Marlin 17 would be the ticket!!!

Curtis, you have a PM:thumbsup:


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## Doomsday (Jun 30, 2010)

I occasionally take coyotes with my 22 Mag. I think that the 22 mag is the better option for taking anything larger than a ****. It has many more bullet choices and is typically cheaper than the 17. If you want to shoot paper or small critters beyond a 125 yards I'd go with the 17, but I would choose the 22 Mag if I could only choose one rifle to own (of any caliber). My 22 mag gets more use than all my other weapons combined. Pure joy to shoot.


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## Longbow14 (Aug 8, 2011)

I know CZ makes a rifle that comes with both 17 and 22mag barrels. the 455 i think. I know thats not performance info but then you could have legit side by side results.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

There is 2 draw backs with HMR,and that is ammo choices and wind drift. If I had to choose between the 2 I'd have a MAG over the HMR.Or you could get a Ruger 96/22 Mag and a spare 17 HMR barrel and shoot either with just a barrel swap and ammo change.I know some one who has a 22 short only barrel,a 22 LR barrel,a 22 smooth bore barrel,a 22 MAG barrel,a 17 mach2 barrel,and a 17 HMR barrel for his 96/22.He can shoot 6 different rounds with just a barrel and mag swap.If you want to shoot MAG rounds you have to find one in MAG to begin with.


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## Az-Vic (Jan 7, 2012)

Back when the 17HMR first showed, I snagged one, a Ruger M77/17, had to wait over five weeks to find any available ammo though. Im primarily a predator hunter, and all the banter on the forums were negative concerning the little 17. I spent the first three or four weeks of the season using just the HMR for my coyote calling. In that time frame, I shot 26 coyotes, killed 24 and lost two. When the shot is right, either facing head on or a good broadside shot where you can slip it into the lungs or liver, it is a killer, but on a marginal hit, a little to far back or going away, that coyote is gone and not to be found.
Im not a fan of the maggie, for coyotes at least, they seem to "pencil" thru and leave a wound that doesn't let them leak enough blood to trail up reliably if you happen to fringe the lungs or liver poke them.
I like the HMR,very accurate, plentiful ammunition, and hits pretty hard for its size.


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Az-Vic said:


> Im not a fan of the maggie, for coyotes at least, they seem to "pencil" thru and leave a wound that doesn't let them leak enough blood to trail up reliably if you happen to fringe the lungs or liver poke


Have you tried the 30grn TNT rounds? Very explosive. It almost decapitated a dead deer that I tested them on.I did loose some accuracy with them though.

Day old road kill is good for testing....


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## pcola4 (Apr 13, 2009)

Good info.....Thanks.


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## bcp280z (Mar 29, 2011)

Do note there have been recalls for .17 in semi autos.


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## Big Perm (Aug 1, 2011)

I've owned both and my favorite HANDS DOWN is the Ruger 77/22 VBZ .22 Mag with the heavy target barrel. The target gray stainless finish looks great on the laminated stock. Yes it's a little heavier, but the accuracy of this thing is amazing. The Mag ammo is much more affordable and will encourage more use due to this. You won't find yourself plinking as much with the .17. I've got mine paired with a Leopold 3-9 and it will drive nails.


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## Az-Vic (Jan 7, 2012)

Actually; it's a wash, the 22 mag ammo is basically the same in cost as .17HMR stuff. Only exception is if you purchase the cheap stuff by Fiocchi or Armscorp, there you can get it down to about ten bucks a box for the maggie.
Accuracy wise, I had much better with the 17HMR over a 22 mag, and at 100 yards, it would outshoot it all day long. I got groups with my Ruger M77/17 that were every bit on par with my other predator rifles in .223 and .17 Remington, which were all sub moa.
Comes down to what a guy really wants I suppose, but for the hammer effect between the two,my pick is the little 17, Roy Whetherby had it right....speed kills, and the 17HMR out paces the maggie by a good bit.
My experience was the .17 killed coyotes more effectively than a 22 mag,so it ruled out opinion and boiled down to what really was.


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## TURTLE (May 22, 2008)

Garbo said:


> Overall that's good information on the .17HMR, but if used on the proper game for the size and weight of the load, poor penetration doesn't exist as the round will blast a squirrel into two or three pieces and the same for smaller rabbits. The trama is amazing and the round is devistating on small game. That is where I question the poor penetration and "Alot of surface damage but none deep part".
> 
> If you shoot an empty aluminum can with a 22mag and shoot another one right beside it with a .17HMR the difference is very obvious.
> 
> ...


*I agree 100% with you on this. I love the exsplosive trama the 17 makes. When I first got my Savage bolt target rifle I shot a Campbells soup can with it and about soiled myself. My wife was stading in a doorway about 35' away and got splattered with bean and bacon soup. Very impressive round and very accurate. The .22 mag has it's niche as well but I enjoy the 17 more and I can't think of an application for the .22 mag that the 17 could not do better.*


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## Chaos (Dec 21, 2007)

*17 Vs 22mag*

Here's one application that is better in 22 mag, meat left on bone! Lol Chaos


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## aaronious45 (Dec 15, 2011)

bobinbusan said:


> 22 MAG ammo a lot cheaper also :thumbup: :whistling:


It's about 50 cent to 1$ less

I like the 17 better due to the flatter further faster'ness of it...I've killed a bunch of rabbit and squirrels with a 22mag though


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