I just want some input from folks that have shot either of these or like one or the other. My son is turning 10 in April and he wants a coyote rifle and a rifle to shoot at the outdoor gun range. We can only use rimfire .22 and smaller. Bass Pro has a heavy barrel Savage .17 w/ scope for 279.00. Thanks for any imput.
i own a HMR and i love it, its very flat out to 150 yards and is a tack driver! most all HMR's are tackdrivers. even the modestly priced model you speak of, i have seen some shoot MOA groups. as far as coyotes, the HMR is borderline...... sure it will take them down well out to 100 yards if the shot is well placed. i recommend either the 17g TNT bullet or the 20g XTP bullet, as they are far less explosive than the V-Max and penetrate coyotes a little better IMHO. the .22WMR on the other hand carries is energy a little further, and hits a little harder at most ranges, but at the expense of slightly more wind drift due to a lower BC, lower velocity which means not as flat of a trajectory.
Ownedboth but currently have a .17hmr Savage heavy barrel.Accuracy the .17hmr's.The .17 works well for smaller varmits but for larger varmits like coyotesthe heavier bullets lend the .22wmr a little better, howeverI don't think either are good choices for yotes.
I own 2 .17 hmr and 1 .22 mag. They both have there pros and cons. The .17 hmr is so accurate. Its a very flat shooting rifle. I either shoot tnt or v-max in my rifle. The tnt penetrate a little more then the v-max does but the v-max is like what ever you shoot swallowed a grenade. I would feel comfortable taking a coyote at 150 yards with my .17 hmr, because the gun is so accurate. The .22 mag on the other hand is a heavier bullet which flies slower. My .22 mag is very accurate though I have no complaints with it. But you can not beat how flat shooting the .17 hmr is. If I had only one choice 4/5 times id choose the .17 hmr. As the other folks say check out varmintal.com there is a very very good review on there.
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An outdoor range that only allowed rimfires? Think I'd be for finding another range?!
If you're calling them in, either is so-so in terms of reliably knocking down a coyote. At close range, a hit is a hit and will oftenkill, even with a good .22LR. However, even at that range, it'soften easy to overestimate the size of the target and send a bullet through nothing but fur - and it won't matter then what you're shooting. That effect is amplified as the range increases. I wouldn't say they're terribly tough, but I've had coyotes take a 50 gr V-Max from a .223 at 100 yards-plusand still require a second shot to finish them off. If I know I'm going to be shooting coyotes beyond100 yards, I generally take a .22-250 or .243.
Were it me, I think I'd make sure your sonhas a good, lifelongquality .22LR to take to that range, and find him adecent used .243.The 75gr V-Max (which is alsoloaded commercially) is death on coyotes, and he'll beable to hunt deer with it (in most states)as well.If he decides he needs something bigger one day, let HIM make that choice.
.17 HMR or .22 MAG
