tealboy

what is your opinion on the pros/cons of the 17 vs. the 22 mag for a hunting camp knock around gun that would be used for occassional plinking but also raccoons and the occassional coyote? I thought the 22mag was best but a friend said the 17 would give me the added benefit of not having to get as close to the racoons with the 17 b/c of the flat trajectory. My porch is 140 yds from the camp feeder, non hunting, but we try to control the coons. I'm also not sure about the cost of ammo for one vs. the other, but more important is getting the most versatile gun.

thank you. any brand or model recommendations for the 17, if that is a favorite, would be helpful. i am now aware of the 22 mag brands folks like.

DannyD

IMO, 140 yards is too far for either gun on yotes. I like the 22 mag better for yotes 100 or under. On coons either is ok

Doe Dumper

LOL 140 yards is a chip shot with any ammo I have tried from my 17 hmr. Dunno what kind of kill power it would have on arrival but hitting is easy at that range. I havent tried the Federal ammo yet but the CCI will put 5 shots under a quarter at 100 in my Savage 93.

stalkingbear

I'm going to stir up a lot of .17 lovers but here's my opinion. When the 17hmr came out,we tested it extensively on groundhogs,squirrels,rabbits, and coyotes from close range all the way to 200 yards. What we discovered was that larger animals like coyotes didn't go down but 50% of the time,and nowhere near that at longer ranges (over 100 yards). Also on longer ranges not only did wind knock the tiny bullet off target more,it also shed it's velocity quite rapidly. On smaller game animals intended for the table,the bullets expanded violently thus ruining a lot of meat with anything other than head shots. For this reason I still prefer the good ol .22mag. It does a good job on varmits out to 150 yards just fine,while the solid(fmj) bullets provide same exact wound channel as .22 lr hv hp.

DANTHEHUNTER

I guess I too will ruffle some feathers! I dont like the .17hmr for just about anything.I had one for about 6mo and sold it.But I still have my trusty .22wmr and it hasnt let me down yet.Sure the .17 will kill but anything will deflect it and I mean anything,I like my .22wmr when I am calling yotes it works great out to 100 yards.Most of my shots are alot closer and I try to keep them that way.For ant longer range I use my .220swift.

Doe Dumper

No mashed toes here....thats why they have so many different calibers...lol. Notice I said I wasnt sure if it would kill at that range...but it sure is easy to hit with at that range.Good thing about it...its plenty accurate to make head shots on squirrels all day long if the shooter can do his part. Also most any round will be deflected if it touches something....the lighter the bullet the more the deflection.

700bdl870exp

Either will work well on coons, but if there is even a chance at yotes I would prefer the 22wmr. I have both and have shoot both animals with both, but if I had to choose between the two for the listed animals I'd favor the .22 mag

IndyHunter83

I have had both and have shot both pretty extensively. I don't really care about ruffling anyones feathers so here's my opinion and you do what you will. The 17 hmr is a good round. I've killed plenty of coons and ground hogs with it out past the ranges you've talked about. However, I was at a bench and had a high powered scope in supreme at staged feeders or designated stations overlooking a hunting site. I feel that the round in inadequate for coyotes. I've tried to use it for coyotes and have had minimal success. Every occasion I've used or seen a .17hmr used on coyotes it have many times taking more thanone shot for a kill. I've had moresuccess with my 22 mag than I have with a 17. Thats why I'vehad my 22 mag for 14 yrs and its still sitting safely in my safe with dozens of kills. My 17hmr on the other hand issitting on my kitchen tableready to be traded tomorrow after less than two years of being part of my arsenal. Most of which it was sitting and not being used. Long story short, go with the 22 mag

stalkingbear

Wow! I thought I was about one of the very few left that still likes the .22wmr.

kelincp

I've never used a .17 so I can't comment on it. But the .22 mag is one of my favorite cartridges. Accurate and hits hard. The ammo is cheap and wildly available. CCI MaxiMag TMJ being my favorite, I seldom use HollowPoints. My cut off for larger game is 125 yards, but then I don't think I ever had that long of a shot.
I use a Marlin 983 with a 4X scope.