17hmr or 22mag ???

[Dennis]

Which rifle would you buy, I had a great 22mag and now own a decent 17hmr, but I am wanting to buy a new one and I will have to admit I miss my 22 mag!

[MrFurious]

Well, since you already own a decent 17HMR and are missing the 22Mag, I think you've answered your own question.

[davemuzz]

Yeah. Get a 22 Mag and try the new Hornady rubber tip ammo. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=764567 Now, not all 22 mag's like it, but if your gun does like it (like my H&R...or is it an NEF??) you will find that it shoots flat out to 125 yards....and I like it as it will kill a fat Pa. groundhog with one shot (that's the explosive v-max bullet) as opposed to sometimes 2 of "brand "X".

Dave

[handirifle]

I had a Savage heavy barreled 17 HMR and really didn't like it.  If you like yours, good for you, but I lived (at the time) where it was always windy and that little bullet almost never hit where it was supposed to, except when at the range n a calm day.

That said, I sold it and bought a skinny barrels Savage 22 mag and love it.  can shoot under 1" at 100yds, with the 40gr HP loads.  less suceptable to wind, and pack more killing power, in my opinion.  I don't care what the number say, the 40gr HP seems to be more effective.

I did drop a yote, at about 15yds, with a neck shot and the 20gr HP load in the HMR, but I'd prefer more power, personally.  JMHO

O ,yea, get eh 22 mag

[ctrout]

I would buy the Ruger 77/22 magnum and then get a 17hm2 barrel for it.  Barrel swaps in about 90 seconds and no headspacing.  Don't have to pull the scope either.

[varmitbuster]

while the m77/22 22mags are more accurate than the m77/22 .22lrs i still won't own anything with the ruger name on it ever again besides a wheel gun. i have a heavy barreled savage .22mag in stainless. they shoot great. mine loves the 34 grain winchester jhp bullets. talk about birds exploding at 100 yards, they do it with that bullet right there!!

[Dennis]

That's what I like about my 22mag, it was bad to the bone at 100 yds, give or take a little.  I have not experienced this with my 17HMR.

[efm77]

I vote for the 22 mag too.  IMO more punch than the 17.  The 17 may be faster but it's half the weight.  I like the new Hornady ammo too.  The 30 grain v-max at ~2200fps is pretty effective and flat shooting enough for anything I'm going to do with a rimfire.

[arc1847]

great little article about the 22mag over the 17hmr... http://www.jesseshunting.com/articles/guns/category16/92.html

[Dennis]

Great little article!  Still makes the decesion hard!

[CL1KKL4C]

I own neither at the moment... Although if I had the cash right now I'd pick up a .22mag I just love that rnd. The 17 is the cats @$$ and all(flat straight shooter) but isnt that what centerfires are for :p just my opinion.

[davemuzz]

IMHO....iffin your gonna get a 17 caliber.....then get the 17 Fireball. I does everything the 17 rimfire will do in terms of accuracy, but the Fireball will do it faster and farther. There is just no comparison.

Yeah, I know one is the centerfire and one is the rimfire. But if you want you can load down the Fireball 20 grain bullets to about 3600fps. Then, when you hit a crow at 150 yards, you will still be able to recognize what type of bird it actually was!!!

Dave

[Snowwolfe]

Owned a couple of Savage 17HMR's and had feeding issues with all of them. Currently own two Savage 22 WMR's and they feed and shoot very well. My vote is for the 22 mag especially if you plan on shooting anything larger than a squirrel.

[tenwalker]

I have a 93R17 and a Marlin 783 both shoot 11/2" 10 shot groups at 200 yds. (Hornady and Remington Priemer respectively). I prefer the 783 for one reason it has a tubular magazine. These clip fed guns suck especially the Savage with a 5 shot clip. And that's what I told the Savage factory rep. The clips are a pain to fill (I have 3) when you are PD shooting. I use both guns on Pd's. Dale

[firemachine69]

My Savage 93GL is my favourite rifle of all times.


Kind of ironic, as all my other guns are "tacticool", but my 93GL is old-school with a heavy laminate stock, and a classy blue'd barrel.