[Jdrawdy]

Me and a friend were talking and got to discussing the difference between the .22 mag and the .17. What do you prefer and why?

[R-BOLT]

I have both in bolt action rifles. Marlin in .22 mag and Savage in .17hmr. I shoot the .17 more as it seems to be more accurate and less drift. It is a hard hitting rimfire.

[big shrek]

.22 WMR for coyote/large raccoon & smaller out to 150yds with the new 34-grain rounds is as accurate as you could ask for. You can shoot farther, but your scope better be set up just right.

.17hmr for anything smaller than a 'yote out to 200yds works real fine too...and I'm hearing of more & more 250-300yd shots on groundhogs.

Now the only real difference between the two is the cost of the ammo & the cost of the guns. .22 WMR is usually cheaper by about $2 a box on average & about $50-100 cheaper on the rifles.

What I truly suggest for either...is to get the Heavy Target Barrel (Bull Barrel) if you are going to shoot over 100 yds.

The really fun part is they are both fairly inexpensive rifles to buy...you can get a Marlin 982VS .22 WMR for around $229-269 (depends on what part of the country you are in) or a Marlin 917VS or VT from around $300-399. The best part is you can switch magazines back & forth depending on your shooting choice for that day, as they are interchangable

In used, you can usually find regular barrel .22wmr's for $89-200 depending on condition & accessories...

I've got a Marlin 25MN, regular barrel & pre T-900 trigger which is dead nuts out to 125 & pretty darn good out to 150, but I'm planning to upgrade the Marlin 982VS with bull barrel & T-900 trigger after I get enough High Cap magazines for my Calico's After that a nice Marlin 917 -VS or -VT will find its way to my home. Much to be said for interchangeable magazines

Whatever you get, make sure you can trade magazines back & forth...it's too perfect a setup not to

[stalkingbear]

For hunting, go with the .22 magnum-especially on yotes or edible small game. If you're mostly going to be punching paper, the .17HMR is hard to beat.

[dnthmn2004]

I'm goin with the 17HMR.

[montveil]

I went with a NEF single shot with two barrels 17 hmr and 22 mag.
They are very accurate and really inexpensive if you can live with making the first shot count

[Jdrawdy]

Just wanted some more opinions i prefer the 22 mag. I have shot a few of the 17 and after hearing all the hype i was not as impressed with it as alot of my friends were. We mainly use these on squirels and rabbits, with the occasional yote and fox. We also do alot of hunting in areas with a large amount of wild hogs, and i dont really trust a 17 to bring down a 100 pound animal. But thats just my opinion.

[rugermike]

Originally Posted by Jdrawdy

Just wanted some more opinions i prefer the 22 mag. I have shot a few of the 17 and after hearing all the hype i was not as impressed with it as alot of my friends were. We mainly use these on squirels and rabbits, with the occasional yote and fox. We also do alot of hunting in areas with a large amount of wild hogs, and i dont really trust a 17 to bring down a 100 pound animal. But thats just my opinion.

I've hunted hogs for several years and I personally wouldn't trust either to bring down a hog reliably? JMO

For rabbits and squirrels it's hard to beat a accurate LR 22 in pistol or rifle? Again, JMO

[Jdrawdy]

Well you are right about not really trusting either to bring down a hog, but in georgia we have special small game hunts that are rim fire only, well you can use a shot gun with shot smaller than number 4. The places where these hunts are are overly populated with hogs. On these i would rather have my 22 mag if i have a close encounter with a boar hog.

[big shrek]

Just to cloud the issue a bit more, you could also choose a 5mm magnum or an .17Mach2 which are about the same ballistics-wise, but less powerful than th .17MHR & .22WMR, but CLOSE

But neither really holds a candle to the .17MHR or .22WMR, IMO.


For .22WMR...I suggest these for optimum performance at 100-200 yds.
Winchester Supreme 34-grain JHP's...2120fps @ muzzle.
CCI 30-grain poly tip V-max...2200fps @mzzl
Hornady 30-grain V-max...2200fps@mzzl
Federal Premium 30-grain Speer TNT JHP V-shocks...2200fps@mzzl