Some of the places I varmint hunt are in close proximity to barns. ranches, and roads. To gain permission on some of them they want me only to shoot .22LR for noise and safety concerns. I will ask to if I can shoot a 17 HMR instead, but sometimes they only want the .22LR and it is that or nothing.

I have a few accurate .22 rifles and pistols, and I do use them in those places. I am just very, very aware of where or what the backstop is each time I squeeze the trigger. My experience with the .22LR even with nice wide hollow point rounds like the Winchester PowerPoint is they ricochet much worse than just about anything else. I have shot through ground squirrels with solid hits that definitely opens them up, and watched the bullet skip off the round 100 yards away, and then another 100 yards beyond that. It is much worse with the smaller hollow point bullets and the subsonic rounds for all the obvious reasons.

I haven't seen the same thing from 17 HMR though I am sure it could happen. Whenever possible I shoot the 17 HMR now simply for the ricochet reason, well that and they are so darn fun, accurate, and effective. So has anyone had a 17 HMR ricochet of a flat angle shot enough that they either heard it or saw the next bounce some distance away?

uncommon for a 17 to ricochet. usually they just blow up. another suggestion might be the 17h2. its quieter than the hmr but the same little bullets show the same explosive tendency's. i didn't used to see much use in this little round, but experience has changed my mind. you might show them a round next to a 22lr and the size might make up their minds for you

Thanks for the recommendation. I had been strongly thinking about getting a 17H2. The difference in ammunition prices between the 17 HMR and the 17H2 was the main reason. They run 50% less in the stores near me...and you can still find them. If they run quieter than the larger round then better still. Anschutz had a 1502 in 17H2 that was discontinued. They were going at a decent discount for a while, and I wish I had picked one up.

I used to demonstrate the superiority of the 17HMR by shooting a can of soda with a sheet of cardboard behind it. The 17 would burst the can dramatically but wouldn't make a hole in the cardboard. The 22 made a less-spectacular show of another can of pop but would always make a hole in the backer. Put the cardboard 2 or 3 feet behind the can and put the can on a stump, post, rock, off the ground.

It's rare anymore that I shoot a 22 on pastureland for exactly this reason.

Mark

Your exactly right redial! I shoot both the Mach2 and HMR, haven't shot a .22 for years since discovering them except in a handgun.
In fact one rancher I eradicate pests for actually called me at home after I'd explained the soft lead ricochet factor, the fact the HMR/Mach2 bullet only weighs 17 grains while the .22 weighs 36 to 40 and explained what a frangible projectile was etc etc. He said "Doug I got some chucks moving in around the out buildings and the barn, would it be possible for you to bring that {little tiny gun} of yours out and shoot em?". Being the nice guy that I am I went out and head shot a bunch of chucks with my Mach2 for him , how could a guy say no to a friend in his time of need ???
I think when my rancher friend saw the Mach2 and a .22 Long Rifle laying in my hand side by side he got it instantly.
On the other side of it I have had a few ricochets with the Mach2 not near like a .22 but a few. Seems like possibly more than with the HMR??, I was thinking the extra velocity of the HMR maybe popped em a bit better??? Sure no real evidence on that but they are both much safer than a .22 I.M.O.

I've had the same good fortune, Doug! Once word gets around among the ranchers that you're OK, you're in! Seriously, I don't have enough time to handle the requests - quite a happy dilemma, huh?

My 22's are aimed only at paper anymore. Thank God for 17's!

You guys "get it" and that makes me happy but I shouldn't expect any less from AR.

I see some folks just plugging away with 10/22's and 30 round magazines when I am out, and I can hear what is going on downrange. I just get as far as I can from them. Nothing against 10/22's or semi autos meant by this BTW...I have some and like them.

Anyhow it usually sounds something like this: "bang, bang, bang...twanggg!, bang...pop (when they eventually hit one), and then bang...pop again as they have to shoot it twice because they crippled it as they were shooting solids not hollow points, or crappy, tiny cavity hollow points.

It really makes the rest of us look bad. I also hate seeing it where they have shot up the irrigation stuff to by shooting critters off them or sheer wanton destruction generated stupidity. I am not surprised it is harder and harder to get on in places. The other issue is people leaving their brass all over pasture where they will be running cattle. I bring a couple Ziplocks bags with me and pick up other people crap as I go.

Okay I will climb down off my high hobby horse now...I do so love the view from up there though.

I think I need to go find myself a 17 HM2...I see Sako Quads in 17 HM2 on GunBroker for $300ish. I have a Sako 94s (Finnfire) and I love it so if it is anything like that... Anyone use a Sako Quad? I have read the articles that fawned over them but not talked to anyone who has one.

I think I've fired a 1000 rounds or so of 17HMR shooting squeakers (sage rats) and have yet to have a ricochet.

quote:

Originally posted by webfeet:

I think I need to go find myself a 17 HM2...I see Sako Quads in 17 HM2 on GunBroker for $300ish. I have a Sako 94s (Finnfire) and I love it so if it is anything like that... Anyone use a Sako Quad? I have read the articles that fawned over them but not talked to anyone who has one.

I picked up a 4 barrel kit. The thing is a death ray!

just because you don't hear the projectile does not mean you did not have a ricochet. rifle report hides a lot. try shooting a 22 lr with a silencer out at about 100 yards. you will hear a lot of shots bouncing up the hill and into the trees.

390ish: I couldn't agree with you more. The twang for me is just one thing I recognize as a ricochet or bounce. I see my lots of pistol and revolver rounds bouncing up higher into the sand at the range, and I never hear the twang like I do with rifles. It might have something to do with the velocity, or like you say just the initial report muffling it. I really don't really know.

One thing I do know is that .22LR doesn't stop or dig in much on flat or oblique angles, and that makes me nervous. As you said redial, thank god for the 17 rimfires!

I like "WHOP"!! That's the sound of a VMAX contacting a varmint!! Be it a 17 grain VMAX from the 17's or a 32 grainer from the 20's (THE 39 GRAIN SIERRA IS THE CAT'S MEOW FOR THE 20's) or a 50 or 55 grainer from the 223's or 22-250's..........y'all ever hear the report of a 75 grain VMAX in the quarterbores(or 87's from the 6's) or the unmistakable report of the 110 VMAX in the 30 calibers????????? A 110 VMAX at 3650+ from a SAUM causes much destruction!!! A 17 grain VMAX from an HMR or HM2 renders a dead varmint!!(how dead is dead??) (provided you target neck up!!) I never recommend "center of mass shots" regardless of caliber!! Charlie (GHD)

All the shots on Rabbit that I have watched through the bino's while lamping with friends using .17HMR have exibited through & through at all ranges out to 200yds, sometimes the position watched from has enabled me to see the frangible effect as a 18" plume of dust mixed in with what appears to be a small cloud of tissue particles, I also have relegated my moderated 22LR to absolutely the jobs that have to be done in silence, On the subject of ricochets opinions from others that have been shooting for much longer than I, have it that the louder the whine the more unstable the round, & so less likely to travel far, even so , not a happy thought wondering where it went!