"Also, what the strangest?"

I'll go first.

Biggest: Deer-headshot. Was struck by a car and was limping badly. At shot it went right down, head was mush. Also, 2 Impala in Africa at 30 yards (at night from the truck for camp meat) both were shot just behind sholder crease in ribs. Both walked off a few feet, got wobbly and fell over.

No exits and bullets were tiny little mushrooms.

Strangest: A Vervet Monkey!

I use Hornady 20gr Gamepoints.

Time.

Killed alot of time reading about it. Owned one for two weeks and sold it. Don't miss it either.

What didn't you like about it...just curious, since I love it.

quote:

Originally posted by skb2706:
Time.

Killed alot of time reading about it. Owned one for two weeks and sold it. Don't miss it either.

I killed a badger at about 160ish yards a number of years back, one shot in the neck. It took one big bite a dirt, tail twitched about twice and it was over. DRT. Not the rifle I'd a picked for that but it's the one I had and the landowner who's land I was gopher hunting on woulda hung me if he found I saw a badger and and didn't do my best to terminate it's lease. They dig big holes!
I have 3 HMR's shoot em a lot and love em. Actually I only had the one, a CZ and the wife nabbed it (she's my gopher smuckin bud) and I ended up replacing it with two more .
Fortunately I stocked up "LARGE" when MidSouth had Hornady ammo at $7.42 a box. I had one of the original 5MM Mag 592 Remington's when they were new and learned about ammo prices real well from that fiasco.

Rabbit. I have yet to pay $12 a box for it, most of it was bought for $9.99 a box. It is great for PD's out to 125 yds and cheaper than reloading, assuming that my time is worth .03 a round, for a gun that will shoot sub 1" @# 100yds.

I killed a hog that weighed about 175.

I blast my old Cabela's master catalogs.

Big old buck


Columbia Ground Squirrel, that is.

I've killed coyotes. It works great with well placed shots.

It wounds with shots that are not so good.

I'll not use it again on anything bigger than a jackrabbit unless I have to. I have rifles for the size game you speak of.


Leopardtrack,

I think it is unethical to shoot big game with this caliber and wrong to start a thread for you and others to brag about it.

Sorry...my 2 cents.

R,
I am not looking to get into a pissing contest with anyone here but please don't put words in my mouth. I am not bragging about shooting big game with a 17HMR (please re-read my origional) nor am I advocating doing so.

The 2 Impala I shot with the 17 were not "hunted"...they were both shot for camp meat, at night, from a truck, while they were both standing perfectly still and staring into a hand-held spotlight.

I'm not trying to be a wise-ass with you, however, I am NOT "bragging", and I do not consider what I did as "hunting". It was simply killing camp meat, just as a farmer might shoot a hog in the head with a 22 pistol.

Sorry...my 2 cents.

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
I've killed coyotes. It works great with well placed shots.

It wounds with shots that are not so good.

I'll not use it again on anything bigger than a jackrabbit unless I have to. I have rifles for the size game you speak of.


Leopardtrack,

I think it is unethical to shoot big game with this caliber and wrong to start a thread for you and others to brag about it.

Sorry...my 2 cents.

I don't care what you call it, what time of day you did it, or what the meat was for, it could end with a wounded, suffering animal or one that is never recovered.

There are better caliber choices. It's the least you could do. Show some respect for what you kill and our sport.

Things like this give the anti - gun and anti- hunters "ammunition" in their battle against us.

Use your head for something other than a hat rack

It is obvious from your tone that there is no use in trying to have a cordial discussion with you so I will let it go at that.

There is no reason to use insults here on this forum...read the other reply's on this post and then read yours again and you might realize how you are coming accross to other people.

Take Care

I have a NIB 597 17hmr, you know the one Rem wants to buy back for $200, killing up space in my safe for years. I've thought about the buy back thing with Remington but I keep telling myself a NIB 597 17hmr will be worth more than $200.00 some day.

I am being cordial considering the circumstances.

If you want to shoot impala in the chest cavity with a 17 HMR, don't post it here for the world to see. I'm sure the Anti's surf this site too looking for fodder to use in their fight to stop hunting and gun ownership.

It's irresponsible, inhumane, and immature at best. There is responsiblility that comes with firearm ownership and being a sportsman.

I think you should re-read your initial post to see it can be interpreted as bragging and fishing for others to brag about the animals they've killed bigger than yours. I don't know the laws about hunting in Africa, but here you can't use a spotlight to kill big game. You'd be strung up if you were caught. The walls have ears.

Be careful.

OK, I respect your sentiments and your opinion as well.

In Africa, generally, you can use a spotlight on privately owned land, but not on Govt.land.

Take Care

quote:

Originally posted by Leopardtrack:
Biggest: Deer-headshot....Also, 2 Impala in Africa at 30 yards ...

It it was the "ONLY" thing available, I can understand the Deer having the barrel placed near it's head and Killed. Not what I'd use though.

Really see no good reason for bragging about intentionally shooting at an animal the size of an Impala, nor a Hog, with these teenie-weenie Cartridges.
-----

I had a link to a guy Killing a Hog with some kind of Pellet rifle. Absolutely smashed the Hog in his flick. So, a person would think that would be hard to argue with. Not really when you take the time to study and understand External Ballistics and Game Anatomy.

Pitiful!

Groundhogs are the biggest vermin I have shot with the 17HMR. I am a fan of the 17HMR. The rifle to rifle accurracy of the chambering is uncanny! From NEF single-shots to the 597 Remington that has been mentioned in this thread is something to witness! And the CZ's, Rugers, Marlins, and Savages! I either own or have put together and shot in 38 of the 17HMR's including a Savage Striker in 17HMR with a 10" barrel and ALL of them would do 5 shot, under 1" groups at 100 yards. Do I recommend the 17HMR for big stuff? Absolutely not! Do I recommend the 17HMR for "center mass" shots? NO WAY!! I don't rcommend a 308 or 243 or anything else for center mass shots! Point is this, the 17HMR is capable of precision shots on vermin at 100-150 yards. Shots in the head or neck or sternum up render a dead vermin. No crawl offs, just a slump and bow down!! I have shot a number of groundhogs at distances longer than that. 150-200 yards is very doable and the longest witnessed measured shot has been 236 yards on a groundhog.............but I don't recommend it! There are other chamberings more suited for that.......one of them being the 17 Fireball. Bottom line is on the 17HMR, it's efficient in it's realm. It is extremely accurate and it's fun to shoot. GHD

Good perspective!

Speaking of the 17 Fireball, where would you say it "fits" in the relm of vermin/predator calibers? How would you describe it's attributes compared to say the 223, 204, and 22-250? It sounds like an interesting round, but I have no experience with nor do I reload.

Thanks!

A 5 gallon propane tank at 256 yards...

Well it didn't kill it, but you could almost hear the 17g (bead of sweat sized) projectile hit it.

My 22mag made a "tink" sound and the 6mmRem went clear throught it...

The 6mm killed it.

A couple of sage rats. Wind prevented more.
Any wind will drift the bullet too much.

Let me say this up front and without regression.............the 204Ruger( I hate to use the Ruger name period!!) is without a doubt the most versatile varmint chambering to come forth yet out to 500 yards.(and there are going to be the replies of the 20VarTarg or the 20/223 or whatever..........go into the gunshop and buy those rounds off the shelf!!) No recoil, easy to load for, not an "ear splitting" report and accurate!! Blows away a 223 and stays in the realm(actually quite close to 55 BTs from a Swift or 22-250 at 500 yards) and renders dead vermin!!
The 17 Fireball is a 17HMR on steroids!! It doesn't exhibit the problems of the 17 Remington with fouling. It equates the velocities of the 17 Remington using the new 20 and 25 grain Hornady VMaxs. The report is in the 222 Remington range and the accuracy is astounding! A lot of 17Mach4 shooters figured this out a long time ago!! It is a legitimate "watch the varmint get airmailed his ticket home" 300-400 yard varminter!! BTDT!! Shoot the 25 grain VMAXS between 3800-3900(they'll do more than that but the ultimate accuracy without bore fouling is going to be in that range). After that something a bit more substantial is called for. The 39 grain Sierra from a 204 gives a bit more validity to the sub-22's at those ranges.......without losing sight picture and watching the impacts!!....or the misses!
The old tried and true 22-250 Remington(22 Varminter) will always hold a special place in my heart as the ultimate small caliber varminter/dual purpose chambering(deers are varmints too!!) but the little guys are coming on. Long live the 17HMR, The 17Fireball, THE 204 and the 22-250!! You won't get the acrobatics with the 17Fireball or the 204 that you get with the 22-250 but "how dead is dead?" You want real acrobatics? You won't see the impacts but you may see the pieces flying..........shoot the "GOD'S CHOSEN CHAMBERING" 25-06Remington with the 85 grain Noslers, 87 grain VMAXS or Speer 100 grain HP!! Or the 6mm Remington using 75 grain, 87 grain VMaxs(favorite) bullets! Or the 243 Winchester with 70 grain Noslers, 75 grain Vmaxs or 75 grain Speers. The 17 Fireball was a head turner. When it was announced that Remington was bringing it out, I poo-pooed the choice of new chamberings..........til I shot one!! From and old groundhog hunter to whomever might read this, it is a fine choice out to 400 yards!! Then the 204 and then the 22-250 and then the 25-06 and 6mm and then 260 with heavies for real long range stuff. For those of you who are interested, my longest witnessed measured groundhog kill was using the 6mm with 87 grain Vmax at 832 yards. The 260 has a witnessed measured kill at 782 yards using a 140AMAX. The 260 is capable of more! Just haven't got try it out yet! The 204 has done the deal at 771 yards........I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS CHAMBERING OVER 500 yards!! BTDT with these though!! GHD

ldkier, So you haven't really shot any of the 17's with the Hornady Vmax bullets to check for actual wind deflection? You've just read something in the gun rags? Run the bullets(20VMAX, 25 VMAX) through your ballistic program compared to the 40,50,55 grain .224's from the 223Remington or the 22-250 or the Swift at 400 yards. You may learn something. I learned it in the field..........then checked the computer!! GHD

There are two things about the 17HMR, one it has gotten a lot of people shooting it, and another is all the B.S. a man hears from people that shoot it!

quote:

Originally posted by Leopardtrack:
What didn't you like about it...just curious, since I love it.

quote:

Originally posted by skb2706:
Time.

Killed alot of time reading about it. Owned one for two weeks and sold it. Don't miss it either.

Nearly all of my varmint/predator hunting is on the open prairie where the wind blows constantly and the shooting distances can be extended. Given the cost of the ammo, the wind, the range, the animals for which I believe a 17 are suited for...it just didn't serve my needs. My .204s do it all so much better.

I may give it another go as I can get one for a real good price.

Isn't comparing a .17 caliber rimfire shooting a 17 grain bullet at 2,600ish FPS and designed for ground-squirrels etc at 150ish yards, (A task which it's excellent at by the way) with a .20 caliber centerfire pushing 32 grain bullets at 4,100ish FPS designed for p-dogs, chucks, coyotes etc at extended ranges (an outstanding round also) and proclaiming one the winner in a heads up competition a bit silly? Or is it just me?
I guess the significant portion of the last post was the statement;
"QUOTE"
Nearly all of my varmint/predator hunting is on the open prairie where the wind blows constantly and the shooting distances can be extended. Given the cost of the ammo, the wind, the range, the animals for which I believe a 17 are suited for...it just didn't serve my needs.
"QUOTE"
I guess it does make sense if it just doesn't fit a guys needs. Fit's mine to a tee! For certain things that is.
There are many different rounds out there designed for many different purposes and all are "someones" favorite for their needs. I love my HMR's and will never be without one, I also love all the other .17 and .20 calibers I have as well including a Match chambered .204 . That's why they make "BIG" gun safes .
We have a profusion of Richardson's ground squirrels around here (we call em gophers), the .17 HMR is fantastic for gopher smuckin. Does real well for keeping rock chucks out from around the out buildings also.
This Anschutz is a gas for such purposes.

I shot the very first 17HMR that came into Eugene many years ago, bought by a friend of mine before there was even ammo available (remember those days????). It was the one I used to hit the propane tank at 256 yards...

While it was fun to see those teeny, tiny little holes appear in the paper targets pretty close together, I already had a 25MC Marlin 22Mag with a trigger job, that will keep up with a 17HMR, especially if there is ANY wind. I also have a 1416 Anchutz 22LR that will drill anything out to 100yards like clockwork.
Never really felt the need for a 17HMR myself.

Montdoug, that Anchutz must have been one of the docs perscriped firearms, right? lol
Nice gun. Would not mind one of those in 17HMR. Not going to get shot a whole bunch, but like you said,

quote:

Originally posted by montdoug:
This Anschutz is a gas for such purposes.

For squirrels, it might just be the ticket.

---Mike

Flippy I respect your postings and know your not hanging around here to squabble so I want to approach this with all due respect to yourself and the others I have seen post this. It has to do with comparing a .22 Mag and a .17 HMR and giving the edge to the .22 Mag especially when it comes to "any wind".
I've posted a link to Federal and their rimfire ballistics. They sell both .22 Mag and .17 HMR ammo so they are not biased either way, they just post the ballistics their ammo produces.
Click on the link and it will take you to the appropriate page. Go to the 17 V-Max HMR ammo. and click on the red "Get Details" at the right side of things. It will show the .17 HMR ballistics for the Federal ammo using the 17 grain V-Max.
Check that out then go to say Federal's fastest .22 Mag ammo The Speer TNT V-Shock.

Federal Rimfire ammo site.

Note the 150 yard numbers when sighting both at 100 yard zero.
You'll see that : Ft lbs energy is 97 HMR, 89 .22 Mag.
Wind drift in a 10 MPH cross wind. 8.1 HMR 14.7 .22 Mag
Drop at 150 yards sighted in at 100. -2.7 HMR -5.1 .22 Mag.

Better yet, click on "compare" for the HMR and the .22 Mag load your interested in and hit "Compare". It'll stack em for ya to compare one to another, (discovered that after I posted this).
Don't get me wrong here, I've had .22 Mags since not to long after they came out and I love em. My last was a varmint laminate Ruger 77-.22 Mag with a Lilga barrel added. It's just that everything is affected by wind and the .22 Mag fairs worse than the .17 HMR in it what with the HMR's better BC and higher velocity. Check it out. The 50 grain HP .22 Mag fairs a bit better but even it only wins in delivered energy, at 150 yards it has 131Ft LBS to 97 for the HMR, the HMR still betters it in all other areas. For some tasks the extra bullet weight and energy would be substantial though IMO. Like I said, I like em both.
No bad feelings here at all but there's a bit of confusion floating around about .17 calibers in the wind and a bit of research on ammo makers web sites and computer ballistic programs especially can set it all straight. We got beau-coups wind here in Montana and I spend a lotta time shooting in it (bored old retired guy here that's either shooting varmints or fishing at all times ). Research and near daily practice'll teach a guy a lot about little bullets in the wind.
Check this site out and see what ya think.

By the way, your right. That handgun was half of the recommended dose of "Take two Anschutz and call me in the morning" . Little suckers a shooter!

Biggest was a woodchuck. I bought the rifle for my 2 youngest sons for woodchuck hunting. They both have .22's and perfer the .22's. They have no problem getting a little closer. Wait, that's called hunting! I use my .22WMR A-bolt w/ 40gr CCI Maxi mags much more often. The .17HMR is ok, but not the magic lightning bolt you read about.

We're finding where we shoot columbia Ground Squirrels, the .17HMR does it with head shots to 200 yards quite easily, and we had set a max range of 240 yards for them. At that range, we can pretty much keep them in the head and chest which is needed for quick kills. The odd one that crawls us usually jumped on by another and the fight is on. Due to the number of crawl-offs, we've shortened the effective range to 200yards. I've had several .22 mags, and none of them had even remotely close to the acuracy of a either of my .17 HMR's.

Most days, even with a breeze blowing, the Martini will usually keep them inside 5/8" at 100 meters. I use flags for targets and gohphers. My best .22 mag only made 1" and that was with the most accurate of 5 different makes of ammo. Turned out to be 40gr. HP WW - the old ones.

I hunt big game - one or two animals a season - I shoot gophers - 1,500 in 9 days, which is a good 'score' around here.

Elephant...It was just a cow. Shot at a angle running away to the left. The .17 gn tnt went in behind the left ear, and exited out the right eye. Everthing inbetween was rubble!

My .17hmr's are squirrel guns. They loose their appeal around 50 yds for me. I have made much farther shots. I usually grab a bigger gun when shots are over 100yds though. You just don't get the desired effect.

Mountdoug, point taken. The 22Mag I was "cursed" with happens to like three or four different brands/types of ammo. And since CCI loads most of the 17HMR ammo, comparing different brands of HMR ammo, is really almost an apples to apples comparison. With a 22Mag, there is a plethora of different ammo types available from 30g to 50g. While everyones 22Mag will not shoot all of the ammo as accurately as a 17HMR, there is no 17HMR on the planet that can shoot 50g bullets...well maybe ONCE...lol

My really big gripe about the 17HMR is ammo prices. When it first came out is was touted as an economical "fun" round. If I can reload my .223 for about the same per shot, it is hardly economical. With the commercialization of the 17MachIV (17Rem Fireball) I am sure I can load it for the same price or less than the HMR. When I am old and retired (LOL) and have the means to spend what I feel now is a rediculous amount of money on ammo, I am sure I will reconsider it. Although by then I will have the time to load as much ammo as I need for any excursion so it is almost redundant.

I have two friends that go sage rat hunting in Central Oregon fairly often. They said the two of them burned through almost 1200 rounds of HMR ammo in four days, not including all the 22LR ammo they shot. I can't justify shooting $500-600 worth of RIMFIRE ammo in four days. On top of that, with some of the new premium 22Mag ammo out, I really don't see a need YET for one...

With that said, that Anchutz pistol sure is cool!

Flippy, I owned (until a couple weeks ago,) a gunshop. The PREMIUM AMMO for the 22 Magnum (30 grain Hornady VMAXs or 33 grain Remington loading)((and they both are spectacular in accurracy department from the GHD testing)) and my clients also)cost just as much as the 17HMR stuff(MY COST AS A DEALER). The only reason they came into being was because the 17HMR was going to relegate the 22mag into obscurity!! The ammo companies had to develop something quick!! They succeeded. If the available 22 Mag ammo was such that it was 2 years ago, no way for a 22 Mag to compete!! I don't want to hear about the wind!! Shot them both and tested them both and the 17HMR is the most amazing little piece of brass with smokeless powder inside and a projectile on top ever invented!! Hard to convince otherwise!!..........unless you want to argue the attributes of the God's Chosen Chambering.........25-06!!! Charlie (GHD)

quote:

Originally posted by groundhog ..........unless you want to argue the attributes of the God's Chosen Chambering.........25-06!!! Charlie (GHD)

What about the 6mm Rem? lol

Heh Flippy; drop by the gun shop at VRC and I'll sell you another 17 HMR. We just got a CZ American with a really nice piece of wood for the money!
Cheers!

quote:

Originally posted by rcamuglia:
I don't care what you call it, what time of day you did it, or what the meat was for, it could end with a wounded, suffering animal or one that is never recovered.

There are better caliber choices. It's the least you could do. Show some respect for what you kill and our sport.

Things like this give the anti - gun and anti- hunters "ammunition" in their battle against us.

Use your head for something other than a hat rack

I really don't think that the Anti's care about what caliber we use, now do they???

Quote: We have a profusion of Richardson's ground squirrels around here (we call em gophers)

Montdoug, off topic, but how are the gopher populations in your area? My uncle has property in the Highwoods and the gophers have been nearly non existant for the last 2-3years.

quote:

I really don't think that the Anti's care about what caliber we use, now do they???

It's idiotic to shoot big animals with this tiny bullet.

They do care what caliber we use. It's fuel for the arguement that hunting should be banned. It's fuel for the arguement that hunters are irresponsible in the taking of game.

I've hunted and shot competitively for most of my life and would catergorize this as inhumane. Anybody who has a brain would as well.

Pick a caliber that is suited to taking game animals humanely and use it. A true sporstmen hates to see an animal suffer when he's made a poorly placed shot. With this tiny caliber you'll have plenty of suffering animals out there, probably never to be recovered. If you're some kind of twisted animal hater who likes to torture animals, then go ahead and do it but don't post it here for the world to see. It jeopardizes the freedoms that I enjoy and hold dear.


The largest animal that should be shot with this caliber is a prarie dog and promoting the shooting of larger and larger animals with this caliber in some kind of bragging contest like this thread is intended for is pitiful.

It's a kin to the stories I've heard about Roy Weatherby in Africa intentionally gut-shooting big game just to "see what it would do" with his line of caliber choices.

Shooting Impala in the chest cavity with a .17 HMR is moronic.
Putting down a deer hit on the road with the .17 is reasonable.

quote:

Originally posted by Bullshooter:
Quote: We have a profusion of Richardson's ground squirrels around here (we call em gophers)

Montdoug, off topic, but how are the gopher populations in your area? My uncle has property in the Highwoods and the gophers have been nearly non existant for the last 2-3years.

My wife has a cousin with a ranch in the Highwoods coincidentally.
Don't know about up there but here where we live the numbers have been fairly good last couple a years. They do cycle fairly regularly however and for the life of me I've never been able to figure out what causes the upswings and downturns, just seems to happen.

Neighbor's ( PETA Supporter) cat!

Largest animal: 25# raccoon.

Wildest shot: A crow at 162yds, 30mph X-wind. I
aimed a full 6" into the wind, and darned if it
didn't dead-center the black devil!