.17 HMR or .22 Mag ?

[Pdvdh]

I have a 22LR but am thinking about stepping up to a riffle that I can plink at 200yrds that is economical as well. Would you recommend a 22MAG or something else?

Something else. .22Mag has petered out, at the end of the rainbow, by ~130-150yds.

 

[Orange Dust]

Has anyone built or bought a custom barreled (Shilen, Lilja, etc.) .22 Mag? I would like to know if it is possible for the .22 Mag to be as accurate as the .17 HMR before I decide which one to build. I have seen a couple of JE Custom .17 HMR's shoot under 1/2 moa at 100 yds, and wonder if the .22 Mag can do it.

Thanks, Tom

I think what matters most is what you intend to shoot with it. In equal guns the HMR is normally more accurate. My Anchultz .22mag shoots really well, but it is not a 1/2min. gun. It is a 1min. gun most of the time with ammo it likes. It is less destructive on smaller stuff than an HMR, and kills bigger stuff better. They both have their place.

 

[tribb]

Has anyone built or bought a custom barreled (Shilen, Lilja, etc.) .22 Mag? I would like to know if it is possible for the .22 Mag to be as accurate as the .17 HMR before I decide which one to build. I have seen a couple of JE Custom .17 HMR's shoot under 1/2 moa at 100 yds, and wonder if the .22 Mag can do it.

Thanks, Tom

Has anyone built or bought a custom barreled (Shilen, Lilja, etc.) .22 Mag? I would like to know if it is possible for the .22 Mag to be as accurate as the .17 HMR before I decide which one to build. I have seen a couple of JE Custom .17 HMR's shoot under 1/2 moa at 100 yds, and wonder if the .22 Mag can do it.

Thanks, Tom

Here's my thoughts 22 mag has a 2 diameter bullet and is crimped in the case. 17 hmr. has a single diameter bullet and not crimped. Yes this all tends to hinder 22 mag accuracy and helps 17 hmr accuracy. All things being equal the 17 hmr should be more accurate! I have shot both for many years and find the 22 mag usually shoots the federal 50 grain bullets really well. I shoot 17 grain in my 17 and flops p.dogs really well. I won't say how far cause it's classified!!

 

[Fl cracker]

I have 2 17hmrs one being a ruger american and a marlin 17hmr as well as a 22 mag. Marlin same model as the 17 marlin and 9 out of 10 time i take my marlin 17hmr. Its more acuratte of the of the 2 17hmrs and more accuratte of the 3 and it has the cheapest scope of the 3.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Love rimfires, but it all comes down to the firearm first with a good barrel and action. The what ammo and if the firearm like the ammo. I still have a Savage model 29B pump that my dad bought in 1949 for $49$. Super accurate even with iron sites. I like the 22mag due to shooting a 40gr bullet, where the 17HMR is limited to 20gr. Correct me if there are heavier bullets. One thing I will say about the 22 mag is it is not the most accurate out of all the rimfires. I know friends that have taken deer with a 22 mag. My father in law had a very accurate 22 mag bolt (can't remember the brand) He is a buyer and seller, he always said he should have kept that one. I have a 17HMR Volquartsen that is very accurate. Volquartsen is also making their 22 mag also accurate. But what a HMR17 20gr XPT will do when hitting an animal, it isn't just for rats. As far as the ammo there are questions that they are all the same manufactured, just labeled differently.
The original question about which is more or less accurate. All depends on the quality of the firearm builder and then the ammo.
I prefer the 17HMR for accuracy, distance and devastation over the 22 mag.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

My first rifle love was a 22 mag... in a HK300--my parents bought it for me as a birthday present the 80s...I used the heck out of that rifle. I will say I have a Tikka TX1 in a 17 HMR , it a great piece of kit--love it suppressed

 

[Nomosendero]

Tom ,the trouble with the rim fire rifles is that your at the mercy of the loaded ammo and their is very little quality loaded ammo for the 22mag. i have a Ruger 77/22 that i rebarreled to 17HMR and have since swapped back to the 22mag with a better barrel. the speed and accuracy of the little 17 was impressive but the on target performance on anyhting bigger than a small rodent not impressive at all , with the 22 mag i can easly kill coyotes , cats and feral dogs easly at 100yds. My little Ruger will consistanly group around an inch with most factroy ammo.

I agree concerning terminal performance, the .17 is a fun round, I shoot targets, plink and shoot small varmints with it but my 22 Mag is better for bigger varmints. My Tikka TX1 will shoot, last time I shot at 100 yards I shot a .437" group and that was a 5 shot group. It takes a really good 22mag to match that, my Ruger American Target 22mag will shoot an inch or a hair over, again 5 shot groups.

I think it is correct to say that with a 22Mag and a 17HMR rifle of the same specs the 17 will be more accurate because of the ammo.

 

[Black Hat]

I have a 22LR but am thinking about stepping up to a riffle that I can plink at 200yrds that is economical as well. Would you recommend a 22MAG or something else?

.17hmr is a great round but for 200 yards I'd grab the .222 out of the cupboard.