17HRM Vs 22WMR for Vermin

Sfinn

I'm trying to decide between the two. The main quarry would be Vermin (odd fox). The gs are getting to smart for the shotgun.

I'm aware the 17 is more expensive and the ammo . I'm hearing different stories on the pros and cons

But for range accuracy etc, which would be better

So i would appreciate a comment from someone who has worked with both calibers.

thanks

S

Dusty87

A lad i know has a .17 hmr and its brilliant for rabbits! He reckons he has dropped a fox at over 100 yards but there not a fox gun. I wouldn recommend shooting a fox with one.

bmcm71

Hi Sfinn, I have had a few rifles over the past 20 years starting with a .22 before moving to a hornet, on to a 22 magnum and finally the .17HMR. I have to say of them all the .17 has really impressed me. THe 22 magnum was a good round and I reckon at foxes probably the better of the 2 but if your quarry is mainly crows, magpies and rabbits, then HMR all the way. I've shot crows out to 170 yards with no hold over, just aim at the head and watch them fall over. Like all calibres if the conditions are windy you will get bullet drift on long range shots, but at 100/120 yards I have never had a problem. I have a heavy barrel stainless/synthetic marlin 17vsf with a Leupold VXIII on top and I would advise buying as good a quality scope as you can afford to really get the best out of the rifle. Thats my tuppence worth!!

deerhunter1

bmcm71 wrote: »

Hi Sfinn, I have had a few rifles over the past 20 years starting with a .22 before moving to a hornet, on to a 22 magnum and finally the .17HMR. I have to say of them all the .17 has really impressed me. THe 22 magnum was a good round and I reckon at foxes probably the better of the 2 but if your quarry is mainly crows, magpies and rabbits, then HMR all the way. I've shot crows out to 170 yards with no hold over, just aim at the head and watch them fall over. Like all calibres if the conditions are windy you will get bullet drift on long range shots, but at 100/120 yards I have never had a problem. I have a heavy barrel stainless/synthetic marlin 17vsf with a Leupold VXIII on top and I would advise buying as good a quality scope as you can afford to really get the best out of the rifle. Thats my tuppence worth!!

I agree 100% i have 17HMR magpies greys odd fox the best little all rounder

Sfinn

bmcm71 wrote: »

Hi Sfinn, I have had a few rifles over the past 20 years starting with a .22 before moving to a hornet, on to a 22 magnum and finally the .17HMR. I have to say of them all the .17 has really impressed me. THe 22 magnum was a good round and I reckon at foxes probably the better of the 2 but if your quarry is mainly crows, magpies and rabbits, then HMR all the way. I've shot crows out to 170 yards with no hold over, just aim at the head and watch them fall over. Like all calibres if the conditions are windy you will get bullet drift on long range shots, but at 100/120 yards I have never had a problem. I have a heavy barrel stainless/synthetic marlin 17vsf with a Leupold VXIII on top and I would advise buying as good a quality scope as you can afford to really get the best out of the rifle. Thats my tuppence worth!!

thanks, it was also the view i was coming to. Quarry is mainly crow and maggies. Unless i could take something bigger clean i would leave it.

elius

If your intending for fox why not buy a .22 hornet or swift or .223? Would be much better fox suited than a .22 or .17 i think there only suitable for the odd fox...

dwighet

17 hmr for sure......If your going to use it for the odd fox, treat him with respect and make sure you have a good kill zone shot at the range the caliber is limited too for him...(20-100yds)

emcor

wonderi why youre stuck in gear on rimfire, a .17 centrefire is a famous fox round up my country. Would this not give you some flexability?

Sfinn

What would you recommend?

emcor

Ive shot lots of foxes, rabbits & hares and a share of crows too. Ive used .22 rimfire, hornet, .17 centrefire (remington 700), .220 swift and .223 again a remington 700. This was the first rifle I bought. I would say that on longer shots in the small calibers nothing would compete with the .223. The .17 is a great round too.
I recently sold the .223 to trade to a deer caliber & I regret not having it now. But in my humble view this round gives the most all round versatility.
Lots of the other perole would have strong views but thats my opinion anyways.

elius

The reason i dont like the .22 or .17 for fox shooting is i think your left with very little margin for error.. I would prefer the fox to be taken in one with the .22 hornet .22swift or .223 where the kill to shot ratio would be near 100% as opposed to the .22 or .17 which im not so shore would be........

marlin vs

emcor wrote: »

Ive shot lots of foxes, rabbits & hares and a share of crows too. Ive used .22 rimfire, hornet, .17 centrefire (remington 700), .220 swift and .223 again a remington 700. This was the first rifle I bought. I would say that on longer shots in the small calibers nothing would compete with the .223. The .17 is a great round too.
I recently sold the .223 to trade to a deer caliber & I regret not having it now. But in my humble view this round gives the most all round versatility.
Lots of the other perole would have strong views but thats my opinion anyways.

Hares with a rifle, ??

riflehunter77

Cant comment on the 22wmr as have not used one, but i have a 17 hmr for about 3 years now and cant fault it great for rabbits, magpies and the odd fox within 60 to 70 yards.

ayapatrick

marlin vs wrote: »

Hares with a rifle, ??

nothing wrong with that!

elius

ayapatrick wrote: »

nothing wrong with that!

As far as i know there is.. Hare's to the best of my knowledge are a protected specie's.

c here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055174748

bunny shooter

elius wrote: »

As far as i know there is.. Hare's to the best of my knowledge are a protected specie's.

c here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055174748

They are a GAME species, they have a season and can ONLY be shot with a shotgun within their season (Sept - Jan?) And ignorance of the law is NO defence in law :eek:

ronboy

"hare soup yum yum.."

Off the point here lads and sorry but halle berry is on itv2 jumping around in a catsuit....holy jaysus:eek::eek::eek:

4gun

if your goin after foxes then don't waste time with anything other than a .223,unless your a damn good marksman otherwise with a smaller cal. ..ie rimfire unless you get them in the heart or right between the eyes you'll see your fox gallop across the field to die slowley in its den and you'll doubt you ever hit him in the first place ...and shooting takes confidence in your shooting ability..... just my opinion on it

ayapatrick

bunny shooter wrote: »

They are a GAME species, they have a season and can ONLY be shot with a shotgun within their season (Sept - Jan?) And ignorance of the law is NO defence in law :eek:

my bad!
knew they had a season though!;)

Sfinn

Thanks Lads

As i said my main quarry are greys and mags. There are enough lads around here after foxes.

thanks

S

emcor

Incorrect lads & they are some of the finest game animal going for taste. A german guy living over from me showed me the tratiional german way to have them and its unreal. Also check out the numbers of hares that you see around your patches; there is no shortage at all.

As regards .17 dropping foxes; I'm on about a centrefire .17 which is a solid fox round in my view.

cavan shooter

I have shot foxes with the 22 mag and no bother once you keep it to sensible ranges 100-120 yrds. I have a hornet now for the foxes and recently ordered a 22lr for the bunnies etc.

Theres no real all purpose rabbit and fox gun as even the 17 or 22 mag will do serious damage to the rabbit and your stuck with head shots (messy).

My two pence worth.

Thomasofmel

I planning to get a .223 as a second rifle for rabbits etc. The .22 I have is good only for up to 100m, anything further you can just admire.
How much would a 2nd hand .223 cost? :rolleyes: and how much does the ammo cost?

bunny shooter

Thomasofmel wrote: »

I planning to get a .223 as a second rifle for rabbits etc. The .22 I have is good only for up to 100m, anything further you can just admire.
How much would a 2nd hand .223 cost? :rolleyes: and how much does the ammo cost?

Presume you have read the "guidelines" with reference to a 223 :eek:

Quality ammo will cost you approx €40 for 20

Thomasofmel

Thanks - point taken

bunny shooter

Thomasofmel wrote: »

Thanks - point taken

TBH, though it would depends on your Supers attitude to 223's