17 Caliber Build Advice

[YotaEer]

I’m looking at building a 17 caliber for a “walking varminter” setup of sorts. Will be used for squirrels to coyotes and anything in between that I may come across while hiking around the family farm or and adjacent state forest land. Max distance is 200 yards. I use my 6.5 CM (day) or 6.5G AR (night) if i plan on actually calling or shooting over 200 so this won’t be a dedicated Predator gun.

I’m stuck between going 17 hornet or 17 HMR. Pros and cons with both.

17 Hornet

Pros - Reloadable, more power, can use my center fire suppressor
Cons - reloading another caliber takes time, limited selection of manufacturers, more expensive factory ammo.

17 HMR

Pros- cheap ammo, less damage to squirrels/rabbits for eating, no time consuming reloading, I can shoot stuff in my backyard with it as my actual house is in a rimfire only county, tikka makes one along with many other big names.
Cons - non reloadable, less powerful for the random yote, I would have to buy a new suppressor

any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[steve123]

The 17Hornet, will allow better bullets with higher bc's, superior precision, lower ES, more speed, more energy, but more expense.

I had a 17 K Hornet that was a neat cartridge.

I tried to like 17hmr but I wasn't impressed enough to keep it.

20 Vartarg is one of the most effective little cartridges around. The improved version is what I settled on.

 

[kl3309]

What about .17 Remington? 25 gr. bullet at 4100 fps!
And why do you think you would need a new suppressor for HMR if you'd use what you've go for the Hornet?

 

[Supersubes]

The 17 hornet is a fun curiosity, but in the end I just don’t like dealing with the tiny bore size or the guns it takes to feed them. The brass is shady as well.

The only 17 I have left is a 17 fireball. Probably my favorite of the bunch. The HMR is a cool cartridge too, but I wouldn’t shoot a coyote with one unless it was really close.

And that brings us to the 20 calibers. All the coolness of a sub caliber with none of the finicky nature of the 17. I shoot a standard 221 necked to 20 caliber, but the vartarg is great too(same cartridge with 30 deg shoulder). Best part, LAPUA brass! Just finished a 20-221 on a Howa Mini with a 19” #2 Krieger for my girl. I load cheap 32 gr varmageddon bullets at 3350. Gun weighs 8 lbs. if you don’t want to duck around with the neck down, shoot a standard 221. Remington made the 700 in 221 (and 17 fireball, same case) up into the 2000’s.

 

[YotaEer]

What about .17 Remington? 25 gr. bullet at 4100 fps!
And why do you think you would need a new suppressor for HMR if you'd use what you've go for the Hornet?

my understanding is that while you can use centerfire cans with rim fire guns, it’s not a good idea because rimfires are dirtier. Rimfire cans are designed to be easily cleaned out whereas many centerfire cans aren’t. I have a Sico Omega.

I will take a look at 17 rem

 

[kl3309]

my understanding is that while you can use centerfire cans with rim fire guns, it’s not a good idea because rimfires are dirtier. Rimfire cans are designed to be easily cleaned out whereas many centerfire cans aren’t. I have a Sico Omega.

Not in the case of HMR. Shooting .22 lr leaves your baffles coated in lead because of the exposed lead (or even coppr-washed) bullets vaporizing a bit when shot. HMR uses real-deal jacketed bullets so no lead deposition. You will, however, have to deal with loose powder residue but hosing out or dunking (not the "dip") the can with/in solvent will clear out the baffles.

 

[YotaEer]

Not in the case of HMR. Shooting .22 lr leaves your baffles coated in lead because of the exposed lead (or even coppr-washed) bullets vaporizing a bit when shot. HMR uses real-deal jacketed bullets so no lead deposition. You will, however, have to deal with loose powder residue but hosing out or dunking (not the "dip") the can with/in solvent will clear out the baffles.

i didn’t realize that. Thank you sir.

A bit off topic at this point, but do you use CLR or some other solvent?

 

[264win]

I would suggest the 204 ruger. It is a remarkable little round.
Also worth a look would be the 17 fireball, 17 wsm.
as noted above, reloading for the 17 cal is definitely a pita, I literally have to use tweezers .

 

[kl3309]

i didn’t realize that. Thank you sir.

A bit off topic at this point, but do you use CLR or some other solvent?

Generic brake cleaner or Gun Scrubber if you're spraying. Tub filled with MPro 7 if you're dunking.
You could probably even get by blowing the can out with an air compressor so long as the powder residue isn't damp from condensation as the can cools down.

 

[YotaEer]

I would suggest the 204 ruger. It is a remarkable little round.
Also worth a look would be the 17 fireball, 17 wsm.
as noted above, reloading for the 17 cal is definitely a pita, I literally have to use tweezers .

I’ve looked at 204 ruger as I have some nostalgia surrounding the 222 Mag

 

[Codiekfx400]

I have a 17 hornet in a cz 527. Great round if you don’t mind loading for it. Really a excellent killer on prairie dogs out to 300 yards. Very little noise and recoil to deal with.

 

[Just Macca]

20 Vartarg friend, although I love my 17HMR.

I zero my 17HMR at 125 Meters - which makes it .2mil high 25m - 100m. Brain shoot everything and it's never failed, even after 60+ Kangaroos up to 150 meters (which are built a lot like your smaller deer).

 

[Matt L]

20 vartarg over 17 fireball....
20 vartarg out performs the 17s. Larger bullet easier to reload and higher energy retention down range.

 

[YotaEer]

20 Vartarg friend, although I love my 17HMR.

I zero my 17HMR at 125 Meters - which makes it .2mil high 25m - 100m. Brain shoot everything and it's never failed, even after 60+ Kangaroos up to 150 meters (which are built a lot like your smaller deer).

my grandfather is a cattle/deer farmer and carries a 17 HMR in his truck or on his 4 wheeler daily. He’s killed everything from groundhogs to black bears with it. The bears, deer and larger critters were head shots of course.

 

[shoot4fun]

My 17 centerfire is a custom 17 Ackley Hornet built on a CZ527. It wears a Lothar-Walther barrel and is a fantastic shooting rifle.
Yes, it was quite a PITA to do the initial forming just to be able to fire form the brass.
Was it worth it? Yes, it was. I push 20 grain VMax bullets to almost 3,600 FPS, it's fairly quiet and the little 527 action is perfect for the rimmed 17AH.

 

[steve123]

The 17Hornet, will allow better bullets with higher bc's, superior precision, lower ES, more speed, more energy, but more expense.

I had a 17 K Hornet that was a neat cartridge.

I tried to like 17hmr but I wasn't impressed enough to keep it.

20 Vartarg is one of the most effective little cartridges around. The improved version is what I settled on.

I thought I better mention that I get 32's going 3750 fps using 18.8 grains of H4198, in a 21.5" barrel. I also have a reduced load using 6.5gr 800X at 2330 fps. I use the reduced load on rimfire steel, it has good ES, low noise, low barrel heating, low recoil and is cheap to shoot. I paid $12 a 100 box for Nosler HPFB. All out of my CZ527 with Lilja barrel.

My whole adult life I played with all kinds of varmint cartridges, including three 17R's, but this 20-221AI offers the most for the least.

 

[hukset402]

I used to have a .204 and have regretted selling every day. Needed money so away it went. Over kill on squirrels and rabbits probably but will stone cold a coyote. I really should get another one...

 

[st1650]

I'm considering a 204 ruger to double as a featherweight coyote rifle and something for the wife to hit 0-250 yards without having to dial and worry about recoil.

 

[st1650]

Also we're allowed centerfire for turkey here so would be nice to hand load a 204 for that.

 

[hukset402]

A turkey rifle? Thats a new one on me.

 

[st1650]

A turkey rifle? Thats a new one on me.

I got 2 turkeys with my T1X with Krg bravo last fall at 60 yards just seems like it’d be easier with a 204.

 

[shoot4fun]

A turkey rifle? Thats a new one on me.

I took a very nice WY turkey with a scoped 223 bolt gun. May sound easy but it wasn't. This bird was a big old man leading his hens across wide open country. I belly crawled almost 200 yards to the edge of a deep draw, came up to my knees and made a 200+ yard head shot in a 18-20 MPH cross wind.
Several witnesses and no one there said I didn't earn it.

 

[hukset402]

I'm not doubting shooting a turkey with a rifle. Just never heard of it being a thing. Sounds fun though.

 

[kl3309]

I'm not doubting shooting a turkey with a rifle. Just never heard of it being a thing. Sounds fun though.

Take its head off, saves all of the meat.