Best rimfire cartridge for varmints?
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,834
When the 17's first came out, I was trapping a farm not from a buddies house and he had just got a Taurus 17 Raging Bull. He wanted try it out. I took him along and I shot a trapped yote in the ribs to see what kind of "HorsePower" this thing had at give or take 20yds off a fence post into its ribs. It jumped up, flopped over, then got back up and hit the end of the chain looking at us. I then took it between the eyes, end of story.
Upon the skinning, we found out the round just fragged the ribs and blew up the near lung. Nothing more. Would have lived if not haveing not been trapped. I will stick with my heavier and slower rounds for reliable results for I have been around too long to start believing in a better mouse trap now.
Last edited by SecondChance; 01-26-2012 at 09:34 AM.
#13
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 311
If I am correct the taurus raging bull is a pistol. The performance of a bullet coming out of a pistol and a rifle will vary dramatically. The pistol will have a great loss in velocity compared to to a rifle. So this vary well could have been the reason for the poor performance that you experienced on that coyote. If you had been using a rifle your story may have been different. Not calling you a liar or anything just being a devils advocate.
10 inch barrel
Shot 1 2273 fps
Shot 2 2256 fps
Shot 3 2301 fps
Shot 4 2282 fps
Shot 5 2268 fps
Average 2276 fps
Spread 45 fps
18 inch barrel
Shot 1 2538 fps
Shot 2 2507 fps
Shot 3 2525 fps
Shot 4 2542 fps
Shot 5 2501 fps
Average 2522 fps
Spread 41 fps
Now this is with a 10 inch barrel so if you were shooting a shorter barrel than that you could expect even slower velocities.
Now I have personally seen and killed a couple of dogs with the lowly 22lr even with chest shots. So it is capable of doing it but at very close ranges with the longest being around 35 yards away. And the closet about 10.
But if it were me I would choose the 17 HMR or the 22 WMR. I have a 17 HMR and was able to roll a javelina on the run with it so I have no doubt that it would work on a coyote. Plus it is awesome for knocking down jacks at 150 plus yards since it has a nice flat trajectory.
10 inch barrel
Shot 1 2273 fps
Shot 2 2256 fps
Shot 3 2301 fps
Shot 4 2282 fps
Shot 5 2268 fps
Average 2276 fps
Spread 45 fps
18 inch barrel
Shot 1 2538 fps
Shot 2 2507 fps
Shot 3 2525 fps
Shot 4 2542 fps
Shot 5 2501 fps
Average 2522 fps
Spread 41 fps
Now this is with a 10 inch barrel so if you were shooting a shorter barrel than that you could expect even slower velocities.
Now I have personally seen and killed a couple of dogs with the lowly 22lr even with chest shots. So it is capable of doing it but at very close ranges with the longest being around 35 yards away. And the closet about 10.
But if it were me I would choose the 17 HMR or the 22 WMR. I have a 17 HMR and was able to roll a javelina on the run with it so I have no doubt that it would work on a coyote. Plus it is awesome for knocking down jacks at 150 plus yards since it has a nice flat trajectory.
#14
I have a Taurus Tracker .17HMR with a 6" barrel, personally, like the above experience, the 17grn V-max's just aren't great on coyotes except for head shots. They're just TOO frangible. Out of a rifle, you do get better penetration and body shots can work to drop dogs, but frankly, rimfires of any kind are head shot only propositions in my book, regardless of whether it's a handgun or a rifle.
The good news is, that my little Tracker 17 is a sweet shooting lil SOB, so headshots are still possible even at reasonable ranges.
Whether it's smart to admit it or not, I do know a guy that uses an 8" Tracker 17 for whitetail deer and antelope. Headshots only, but DRT results as long as he's scrutinizing with his shot placement.
The good news is, that my little Tracker 17 is a sweet shooting lil SOB, so headshots are still possible even at reasonable ranges.
Whether it's smart to admit it or not, I do know a guy that uses an 8" Tracker 17 for whitetail deer and antelope. Headshots only, but DRT results as long as he's scrutinizing with his shot placement.
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,834
If I am correct the taurus raging bull is a pistol. The performance of a bullet coming out of a pistol and a rifle will vary dramatically. The pistol will have a great loss in velocity compared to to a rifle. So this vary well could have been the reason for the poor performance that you experienced on that coyote. If you had been using a rifle your story may have been different. Not calling you a liar or anything just being a devils advocate.
10 inch barrel
Shot 1 2273 fps
Shot 2 2256 fps
Shot 3 2301 fps
Shot 4 2282 fps
Shot 5 2268 fps
Average 2276 fps
Spread 45 fps
18 inch barrel
Shot 1 2538 fps
Shot 2 2507 fps
Shot 3 2525 fps
Shot 4 2542 fps
Shot 5 2501 fps
Average 2522 fps
Spread 41 fps
Now this is with a 10 inch barrel so if you were shooting a shorter barrel than that you could expect even slower velocities.
Now I have personally seen and killed a couple of dogs with the lowly 22lr even with chest shots. So it is capable of doing it but at very close ranges with the longest being around 35 yards away. And the closet about 10.
But if it were me I would choose the 17 HMR or the 22 WMR. I have a 17 HMR and was able to roll a javelina on the run with it so I have no doubt that it would work on a coyote. Plus it is awesome for knocking down jacks at 150 plus yards since it has a nice flat trajectory.
10 inch barrel
Shot 1 2273 fps
Shot 2 2256 fps
Shot 3 2301 fps
Shot 4 2282 fps
Shot 5 2268 fps
Average 2276 fps
Spread 45 fps
18 inch barrel
Shot 1 2538 fps
Shot 2 2507 fps
Shot 3 2525 fps
Shot 4 2542 fps
Shot 5 2501 fps
Average 2522 fps
Spread 41 fps
Now this is with a 10 inch barrel so if you were shooting a shorter barrel than that you could expect even slower velocities.
Now I have personally seen and killed a couple of dogs with the lowly 22lr even with chest shots. So it is capable of doing it but at very close ranges with the longest being around 35 yards away. And the closet about 10.
But if it were me I would choose the 17 HMR or the 22 WMR. I have a 17 HMR and was able to roll a javelina on the run with it so I have no doubt that it would work on a coyote. Plus it is awesome for knocking down jacks at 150 plus yards since it has a nice flat trajectory.
#18
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019