17HmR vs 22LR (by default Savage MKii or 93 FVSR)

ATTom · Aug 10, 2014

17HmR vs 22LR (by default Savage MKii or 93 FVSR)OR Ruger American Rimfire

So I was set on a MKii and then I got to thinking that I want to hunt groundhogs with this rifle.

Is their a 22 that will humanly kill at 100 yrds? Is so what and how much is it?

Will the 22 be as accurate at 100 yards as the 17hmr? Is 22 match much cheaper? I would look but I don't know what to look for. 17 hmr Hornady vmax looks to be about 17.00 a box of 50. That's a lot cheaper than my 223 vmax, that is 16.00 a box of 20.

Thanks!
Tom

Mark75H · Aug 10, 2014

I can keep a .65" group @ 100 with $8 a box .22 with my Walther target rifle (looking at some $6.50 a box to try).

There are lighter versions of most of the heavy .22 target rifles that would be decent field guns.

gc27 · Aug 10, 2014

If I were you, I would buy the mkII and test different ammo with it. If accuracy is not what you want at 100, you could always use your .223.
The problem with the .17hmr is that the bullets are so light. An unsuspected gust can easily throw it off at 100. I have a savage 93r17 and it is great until the wind picks up. A quality .22 and good ammo should do fine at 100 but i dont know about its groundhog put down power at that range.

dieselfarmboy · Aug 10, 2014

Why buy a .22lr when you cant even find ammo?

aquashooter · Aug 11, 2014

I do not hunt in MoCo, but my buddy moved to rural TN. He has gardens and orchards on his 40 acres. His PEST control includes deer, rabbits, and squirrels. He uses CCI Stingers in his 22s for the rabbits and squirrels. They are rated at 1640 fps at the muzzle with a 32 gr HP. It's a much more efficient hunting round than standard or high velocity 22. They are hard to find, but with constant vigilance, they are available. I use sub-sonic CCIs in CT for ground hogs in my wife's backyard. Of course, they are going through a Sparrow can.

rico903 · Aug 11, 2014

For a humane kill at 100 yes on ground hogs you'd need a head shot with the .22LR. Much easier to kill with the HMR. Have you ruled out a .22mag? Ammo is $13-$14 box of 50. Too much power for squirrels but will do a job on GH's and up to coyote. May be my favorite round. .17HMR is not as affected by wind as you might think do it's BC and speed. But as mentioned with a good breeze it will move.

Magnumite · Aug 11, 2014

Match 22 ammo typically isn't as powerful as 22 game rounds and wouldn't be a good choice in this application.. Additionally, the RN bullet isn't as efficient as good hollow point loads. Good rounds were suggested for 22LR.

For 17 HMR you would need to use the heavier bullet loads at 100 yards. Those bullets are constructed a little heavier also. Even then it could be a little light on ground hogs. If someone gave positive accounts of practical experience using 17 HMR on ground hogs at 100 yards I would use it. 22 Mag would be my first choice for 100 yard rimfire ground hogging. Several good loads are out there as well.

Better still, a 40 grain varmint bullet from a 22 centerfire.

Speed3 · Aug 11, 2014

I have a savage FV SR and had a 17HMR TRR-SR. The 17HMR round was great at shooting ground hogs, wind would catch it a little. I utimately got rid of it because it was a round I didn't need and it didn't suppress that well. I have my .22lr for small game and my .223 for ground hog hunting/etc.

Choice is yours

mark71211 · Aug 11, 2014

+1 for .22 mag

montoya32 · Aug 11, 2014

rico903 said:
For a humane kill at 100 yes on ground hogs you'd need a head shot with the .22LR. Much easier to kill with the HMR. Have you ruled out a .22mag? Ammo is $13-$14 box of 50. Too much power for squirrels but will do a job on GH's and up to coyote. May be my favorite round. .17HMR is not as affected by wind as you might think do it's BC and speed. But as mentioned with a good breeze it will move.

I was going to suggest 22WMR. I can hit Washington's head on a quarter at 80yrds with my Savage.

ATTom · Aug 11, 2014

montoya32 said:
I was going to suggest 22WMR. I can hit Washington's head on a quarter at 80yrds with my Savage.

What model savage?

Uncle Duke · Aug 11, 2014

ATTom said:
So I was set on a MKii and then I got to thinking that I want to hunt groundhogs with this rifle.

Is their a 22 that will humanly kill at 100 yrds? Is so what and how much is it?

Will the 22 be as accurate at 100 yards as the 17hmr? Is 22 match much cheaper? I would look but I don't know what to look for. 17 hmr Hornady vmax looks to be about 17.00 a box of 50. That's a lot cheaper than my 223 vmax, that is 16.00 a box of 20.

Thanks!
Tom

You've got some moving parts here.

In terms of a dedicated groundhog gun, neither the 22LR nor the 17HMR nor a .22 WMR is going to compare to your .223 Rem. In terms of cost of .223, you won't notice the difference in groundhog hunting. You burn ammo in quantity at the range.

Now if you want another rifle, and more of an all around rifle that you can shoot often and in quantity and comparatively inexpensively? And if you don't own a .22 LR? Then that would be far and away my next choice for purchase. Ammo can be a bit of a challenge to find currently, but it's comparatively inexpensive as opposed to factory centerfire or .17HMR or .22WMR rimfire. And the current scarcity and price point of 22LR isn't likely to last forever. For plinking and small game, a good .22LR is the ticket. To me, a good 22LR is a must have. A 22LR would not however be my choice of rifles for 100 yard groundhog hunting. Not saying you can't make it work. You can. I'm simply saying that you currently own a far better choice for that job in .223 Rem. And either 17HMR or 22WMR would be a better choice.

So with a .22 LR in the collection, the next debate becomes .17HMR vs. 22WMR. I own both and have used both on groundhogs with good results. The 17 is flatter, but can definitely be wind averse. The 22 carries more payload. Either is far superior to 22LR for groundhogs IMO. Neither provides much of a hedge against improper shot placement. And neither is by any stretch a centerfire .223 Rem.

Rockn93yj · Aug 11, 2014

I hunt groundhog with my 17hmr 93r17 savage and love it. great little round, great velocity, great accuracy. Never been windy enough to miss a groundhog at 100 yards, It is a big target for that range with the .17. I practice head shots. 17hmr with v-max is devastating. Glad I didn't buy a .22. Ammo isn't that expensive and you can find it easy.

montoya32 · Aug 11, 2014

ATTom said:
What model savage?

damifinowfish · Aug 11, 2014

I have both savages you are asking about.

I have not been able to take them hunting yet but I can tell you that after buying these rifles I had to make smaller steel targets to shoot at 100 yards.

First was the 2 incher, then that was too big.

Then we made a 1.5 incher and after a year shooting it that became too big.

I now have a 1 inch target sitting on my welder's bench waiting for him to weld it up for me.

Let me know if you want to try my savages. I'm at the AGC most weekends.

DF

Sticky · Aug 11, 2014

I'd go 22 mag over either a 22 or 17 for groundhogs at that range. I do shoot them with my Savage 22lr using CCI Velocitors with great success (in areas where the 223 may be too loud), but my go to Groundhog rifle is a bull barreled 223 with a 40-55gr varmint bullet loaded up.

NY Transplant · Aug 11, 2014

montoya32 said:
I was going to suggest 22WMR. I can hit Washington's head on a quarter at 80yrds with my Savage.

My Savage 93GL will do that at 100 yards with the Hornady 30 gr. V-Max.

Minuteman · Aug 11, 2014

Sticky said:
I'd go 22 mag over either a 22 or 17 for groundhogs at that range. I do shoot them with my Savage 22lr using CCI Velocitors with great success (in areas where the 223 may be too loud), but my go to Groundhog rifle is a bull barreled 223 with a 40-55gr varmint bullet loaded up.

I agree, 22WMR is the ideal round for groundhog. Yes you can do it with great shot-placement from a .17, or even .22LR, and .223/5.56 is overkill. All will work, and even a slingshot if you put it in the right place from close enough.

Landwarrior · Aug 11, 2014

My groundhog rig is a scoped Ruger 77/22 (laminate with SS barrel) in .22 Hornet. It will take groundhogs at 100 yards without any problem. The Hornet round is the smallest centerfire round available. It does not have the lethal range of a.223, and Hornet ammo is expensive. There are different bullet weights available (30, 35, 40, and 45 grain) to include polymer tipped.

Think of it as a.22 WMR on steroids...

Minuteman · Aug 11, 2014

Landwarrior said:
My groundhog rig is a scoped Ruger 77/22 (laminate with SS barrel) in .22 Hornet. It will take groundhogs at 100 yards without any problem. The Hornet round is the smallest centerfire round available. It does not have the lethal range of a.223, and Hornet ammo is expensive. There are different bullet weights available (30, 35, 40, and 45 grain) to include polymer tipped.

Think of it as a.22 WMR on steroids...

Cool. Did not know.

Wiki says:
It was the smallest commercially available .22 caliber centerfire cartridge until the introduction of the FN 5.7x28mm.

The .22 Hornet fills the gap between such popular varmint/predator cartridges as the .22 WMR and the .223 Remington.

347299d1333644135-duda-22-magnum-y-22-hornet-222_2210.jpg

17HmR vs 22LR (by default Savage MKii or 93 FVSR)

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