# .17 Hornet, what do you think?



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Anybody have one? Looks like a fun little cartridge. Is this caliber all that it is cracked up to be? There are so many .17 choices now with the HMR, Fireball, Hornet and now the Magnum rimfire. I really like my .17 HMR, but another 1,000 fps would be interesting.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I'm really disgusted with my 17hmr, nothing wrong with the rifle but I'm disgusted with the performance on critters. :evil: I have tried many different bullet combos and none have preformed half as well as my trusty old 22 mag does. I foresee a sale in the near future, if I don't designate it as my pond turtle removal gun, it should at least be able to handle that. :? 

I'm done with the 17's, I'll stick with the 22 centerfires if I need more power than a 22 mag.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

.17 rimfire's are nowhere in the same class as .17 centerfire.....

The .17 centerfire's are a hoot to shoot and hunt with. I've got a 17 rem, 17 Mach IV and a 17 predator. That 17 predator with 30 gr Gold's shooting over 4,000 fps is too much fun to hunt coyotes with. I haven't played with a .17 hornet.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

The .17 Hornet space on the shelf at our local store has been empty for a long time. They usually keep it next to the .223 WSSM. -Ov-


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Cooky said:


> The .17 Hornet space on the shelf at our local store has been empty for a long time. They usually keep it next to the .223 WSSM. -Ov-


I noticed they didn't have any rifles too......but they have plenty of .17 Hornet ammo on the shelf.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Mojo, what is it that disgusts you about the 17HMR? I have found that it performs quite well on jack rabbits, potguts, and prairie dogs.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I dont have pd, or potguts to shoot down here, im stuck shooting coyotes, and rabbits and squirrels. I have tried every bullet I can find and I still just don't find I get the kind of anchor power I do out of my 22 mag. Nothing angers me more than making a kill zone shot and then having to chase the critter all over hells half acre to lay hands on.

I shot a turkey with it last fall (legal here during our fall season) and despite 4 prefect hits, I still had to wring its neck. I can tell you from long experience you won't have that problem with a 22 mag, one solid hit in the boiler room lays them out flat dead. Ditto for using it on fur bearers, it just doesn't anchor them, I switched back to my Henry 22 mag.

I'm off the love train for the 17's. as soon as my new scope gets here I going back to a Remington 700 .223 as my haul around truck gun.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Sounds like you were expecting too much out of the 17. For game under 10 pounds I haven't found any of the issues that you describe. But then again, I haven't shot edible birds with it either. I'm thinking that the little varmint bullets are having a tough time getting through the feathers. Maybe the 20 grain XTP would have a better chance? I doubt that I would call it an optimal coyote gun, but the 22 mag wouldn't be my first choice there either.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I tried those 20 grains out, still didn't have much luck. 

If I'm predator hunting I carry a 22 center fire ( I have an assortment). Since I retired from the military I spend my days out and about on the ranch, as a general leave it in the truck all time gun I just throw one of my rim fires in the truck. That way is a lot cheaper when I let the sister in laws kids do target practice. 

I have shot a lot of different small animals with the 17 both out there and back here, but I have never been greatly impressed with its overall performance.. Maybe I was expecting too much out of it but I shouldn't have to shoot a skunk 3 times to kill it. But to me the hype surrounding that cartridge didn't nearly match brass nuts of it.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

You would be surprised how well a 22 mag kills within reasonable ranges on coyotes. I hunt a couple of small acreages for the local association that due to left leaning neighbors; the association prefers that I fire something with a little less muzzle blast and report. Most of the shots are close range ( inside 125 yards) and I usually just use my 22 mag. 

While I could use my suppressed 223 i have found when you run subsonic ammo you bullet drop resembles a rainbow. 

My 22 mag Henry sports a red field 2 x 7x 32 with the Acura range reticle, when I shoot fiochci 40 grain bullets zeroed at 50 yard . The lower hash marks are perfectly aligned for that load out to about 140 yards. It works for me.


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## MKP (Mar 7, 2010)

I was impressed with the .17 HMR on prairie dogs, but for Cottontails it did no better than a .22 LR. I'd need to know more about .17 Hornet before I'd get it. If you look at the ballistic charts, it really doesn't have much over a .223.


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## Roperlt (Dec 6, 2010)

I have a .17 Hornet that is the most accurate small caliber rifle I own...It's a blast to shoot...I've shot jack rabbits, skunks and racoons with it out to about 150 yds...bang, flop...I was a little skeptical a first but now I love it...I traded a .17 hmr for this gun...Best thing I've done in a long time...It is a Savage model25, feels really good in your hands...Fun Gun...Later, L.T.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

MKP said:


> I was impressed with the .17 HMR on prairie dogs, but for Cottontails it did no better than a .22 LR. I'd need to know more about .17 Hornet before I'd get it. If you look at the ballistic charts, it really doesn't have much over a .223.


It is not going to have anything over the 223. Smaller case + smaller bullet =less range and power. What it is intended for is small game and small varmints out to about 250-300 yards, with little noise or recoil. It should fit that bill quite nicely. A proper comparison would be to the 22 Hornet, not the 223.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Just do it with a .204 Ruger. Flatter , faster, further. Choice of a few different bullets.


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## Roperlt (Dec 6, 2010)

It was just something new so I had to have one...I have plenty of other rifles that will do the job...A guy can never have too many, that's my thinking anyway...Later, L.T.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Roperlt said:


> A guy can never have too many, that's my thinking anyway...Later, L.T.


That's pretty much how I feel, now just convince my wife of that. It's always fun to change things up and try new guns, no matter what they are. My buddy said we could reload over 600 .17 hornet rounds with 1 lb of powder @ $28 lb. So, with brass, powder, bullets and primers it is a fairly inexpensive round to shoot.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I think this little round has some great potential for varminters, especially prairie dog shooters. And at about $0.25 per round, that is a pretty affordable centerfire round to have some fun with IMO.

I wish the Ruger came in a different configuration, and I'd likely jump on the bandwagon and give it a try


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Where can I find a Ruger .17 Hornet? Does anyone know when Ruger will bump up production on this rifle?


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I have done some work with one and they seem to have a niche....much more power than the HMR, still alot less noise and recoil than the 222-223. Totally necessary, no....totally cool, YES. Pain in the butt to reload though. Reminds me why I got rid of my 17 Rem. Those bullets are small.------SS


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Fowlmouth said:


> Where can I find a Ruger .17 Hornet? Does anyone know when Ruger will bump up production on this rifle?


If you really really want one there are 6 up for bids on Gunbroker right now.


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