What is a .17 Good For?
Emma Payne
Published Jan 16, 2026
. 17 HMR is primarily used for mid-range small game and varmint hunting. The bullet's velocity and accuracy make it ideal for hunting rabbit, possum, and raccoons from up to 200-yards.
Is .17 or .22 better?
22 LR offers the most versatile array of ammunition and is the least expensive to shoot, but for hunting it's best limited to about 50 yards. The . 17 HMR shoots the flattest and is considered the most accurate, but it is expensive and ammunition options are limited.
What game is 17 HMR good for?
17 HMR which drops only about 3 inches at 150 yards, a . 22 LR drops more than 11. This makes it reliable for hunting small game only out to 75 yards, depending on your gun, cartridge, and hunting situation. Fast and flat shooting is usually better for hunting, but not always.
Is 17 HMR any good?
Though being prohibited from being used in semi automatic rifles the 17 HMR is a truly excellent round for vermin all the way up to fox. Developed by Hornady in 2002 from a necked down . 22 Magnum the tiny 17 or 20 grain bullets are propelled at around 2,300 - 2500 fps and produce around 250 ftlbs of energy.
Can you use 17 HMR for self defense?
17HMR is a wonderful rifle round but maybe get a . 22mag or higher for self defense instead. There is something about firing 4,200 thirty millimeter rounds/min that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
27 related questions foundDo they make a 17 HMR handgun?
17 HMR Handguns. Handgun choices in . 17 HMR are fewer and almost exclusively revolvers. The Taurus Tracker is one such revolver.
What is the difference between 22 mag and 17 HMR?
While the 17 HMR boasts a superior velocity at all ranges, the 22 WMR is able to deliver greater energy throughout either round's effective range thanks to its far heavier bullet. Energy is only one factor that determines how deadly a bullet performs upon finding its target.
Can you hunt deer with a 17 HMR?
The question is “Can you go deer hunting with a 17 HMR rifle?” The answer is a categorical no you can not hunt deer with a 17 HMR. Only a criminally negligent poacher would take a shot at any animal larger than a coyote with a . 17 HMR. A 17 HMR is woefully inadequate to take a deer ethically.
What does HMR mean in guns?
17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, commonly known as the . 17 HMR, is a rimfire rifle cartridge developed by the ammunition company Hornady in 2002. It was developed by necking down a .
Is 17 HMR too much for squirrels?
Ammunition for the . 17 HMR are a good bit more expensive than . 22 long rifle cartridges, but not enough to make them impractical to use for squirrels.
How far is a 17 HMR good for?
To what range is the . 17 HMR capable of shooting? We routinely shoot our . 17 HMR rifles to 200 yards and will shoot out to 300 yards in calm conditions.
Is a 17 caliber good for coyote hunting?
Yes, with decent shot placement and a non-plastic tipped bullet, they'll put a coyote down as well as a . 243 will put down a deer. It'll probably run 20-50 yards and fall over.
What's the difference between a 17 HMR and a 17 WSM?
17 HMR is often known for its high velocity, but the . 17 WSM offers an even faster small bullet. Right out of the muzzle, we can see that the . 17 WSM is flying 450 ft/s faster than the .
Is 17 HMR louder than 22 LR?
Depending on which study you go off, barrel length, and that kind of thing, 17hmr and 22wmr are around 4 dB louder than 22LR and 223 is about 10 dB louder than 17HMR/22WMR. Note, that because sound pressure is measured in a logarithmic scale, noise power is double for every 3 dB.
How fast does a 17 HMR bullet travel?
The muzzle velocity of the 17 HMR Hornady 20 gr Ammo is 2,375 fps compared to the 2,525 fps of the 17 HMR Hornady 15.5 gr Ammo.
What is the smallest caliber bullet for deer hunting?
Starting from small and working up, deer rifle calibers on the smallest end begin in the . 22 calibers. Hunting with a . 223 for deer in states where it's legal is an option, but that is the very bottom end of calibers that might be right for a deer hunt.
What is the best rifle for deer hunting caliber?
In our opinion, the best rifle calibers for deer hunting are the . 270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum, . 30-06 Springfield, . 308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .
What is the smallest caliber for deer hunting in Texas?
30 caliber in diameter and at least 150 grains in weight with a minimum muzzle velocity of 800 feet per second or any combination of bullet weight and muzzle velocity that produces muzzle energy of at least 215 foot pounds of energy.
Is a 22 mag more powerful than a 17 HMR?
The 22 WMR starts with more power more than comparable 17 HMR rounds and due to using much heavier rounds, they hang onto that energy much further out. So if I were to use a rimfire for hunting coyotes, I'd probably opt for the 22 Mag over the 17 Hornady Magnum.
What does 22 WMR stand for?
22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR), or more commonly known as the . 22 Magnum. Winchester developed the . 22WMR to respond to small game and varmint hunters who requested a . 22 rimfire round that would accurately reach out to 100-plus yards and carry more downrange energy to the target.
Is a 17 HMR bigger than a 22 mag?
22 WMR's and 1.6 inches less than the . 17 HMR's. Most telling might be the energy numbers. Thanks to this heavier, faster, higher B.C. bullet, the .
Is a 17 caliber centerfire?
17 Hornet is a . 17 caliber centerfire rifle cartridge originally offered as a "wildcat cartridge" developed by P.O. Ackley in the early 1950s. He created this non-factory (wildcat) offering by simply necking-down the .
Where are Excel arms made?
rifles, Excel Arms, Manufacturer of innovative weapon systems Ontario, CA Home.
Can you shoot a 17 HMR out of a 17 WSM?
17 HMR cartridge is 26,000 pounds. This difference in pressure makes it unsafe to fire a . 17 WSM cartridge in a rifle chambered for . 17 HMR.
How far can a .17 caliber rifle shoot?
17 HMR rifles to 200 yards and will shoot out to 300 yards in calm conditions.