Thinking of a 17

[exMember]

This fall I'll be doing a lot of fox and your calling out in the back of the property.  Last year I used a simple 22 open sights,  but have been considering a savage hmr 17 with a simple 3-9 scope.

I got one bookmarked on gunbroker that has wood stock, bull barrel and free shipping for $258.

I think that 17 would let me shoot pretty flat from 20 yards to 100 yards if needed. 

Not really interested in something larger due to the size of foxes.

 

[GLenn]

Jon, I have the 17hmr in a  Ruger 77 with laminated stock. The 17 is very flat to 100 and beyond. The Savage I'm sure will be every bit as good. I'm sure you know that the 17grain bullet is what comes to everyone's mind but it is also offered in 20 grain by various manufactures. I found my rifle to group better with the 20 grain bullet. The 17 grain was certainly "minute of fox" at 100yards.

Often overlooked and mostly ignored today is the simple old 22 magnum. Not as flat shooting as the 17 but up to a 100 yards is pretty deadly. And has more knockdown power then the 17.

I'm mostly shooting ground hogs which are a little tougher then a fox. I've had a hog or two get back in his hole shot with the 17 and I thought they were hit pretty good but not sure. Hit with the 22 mag and they are anchored.

You really can't go wrong with either in my opinion.

Glenn

 

[Marty1]

Never owned one, but I've shot a scoped .17 HMR off-hand and was REALLY impressed with its accuracy at a 100 yard target.  However,  I have owned and hunted with a .22 Magnum and that's what I'd grab first out of my gun case for fox if I had a choice.

 

[Sparkitoff1]

I'd go with the .22 Magnum.....

 

[mark1945]

Jonathan I just picked up a used Savage last week exactly the same as you are looking at 3x9 scope ,wood stock and heavy barrel . Need to take it to range today and see how it does.

 

[mark1945]

Jonathan I took it out to the range took a few rounds on another target to get it close to where I wanted it then shot 15 rounds at 100 yards with a 15 mph wind I like what I see.

 

[exMember]

Thank you! That  certainly will do the job!

 

[Renegadehunter]

My brother-in-law has a ruger in 17 hmr, it is very accurate and a lot of fun to shoot.
I think that little ballistic tip would be very easy on the hide on a fox too as long as you don't hit the shoulder.  Should go in and devastate the internals and not exit.  Might have to see what they do if they hit a rib going in though if you're wanting the hides.

 

[mark1945]

I have shot coons and bobcats with a 22Mag for years does a good job for me .I just got this 17 for no reason other then they say they are flatter then the 22 Mag I hope so .I also have a 204 Ruger barrel for my Contender Rifle I shot a bobcat last year with it and it went in his side right behind the shoulder angling thru his head and the little 20 gr disintegrated and blew his head all apart. Not a good choice for saving a hide.

 

[Renegadehunter]

Yea, I bet a .204 would be really volatile.  How much over 4000 fps do those 20gr's go? 
I worry about what my coyote load in the 22-250 will do to a bobcat if one comes in to a calling set, I sure don't want to ruin the hide on a bobcat.  I run a 50 grain ballistic tip that works good on coyotes, 80% of the time there is no exit.  When it does come out it is a big hole.

 

[mark1945]

Renegade I was wrong when I said 20 grain they are actually 24 grain they run about 4400 fps in my Contender,with my handloads.  I use 50 grain in my 22/250 also for coyotes and hogs .

 

[Firestick]

I have owned both a .22 mag and a .17 HMR. For pelt hunting fox under 100yds I'd go with the .17HMR. If yotes were included i would go with the .22 mag with Vmax bullets. Just my limited experience hunting with them.

 

[Renegadehunter]

Renegade I was wrong when I said 20 grain they are actually 24 grain they run about 4400 fps in my Contender,with my handloads.  I use 50 grain in my 22/250 also for coyotes and hogs .

Wow, that is impressive.  At that velocity the only chance of "fur friendly" is if it doesn't exit.

Winchester makes a 45gr high velocity (4000 fps) in 22-250, white box and usually a double box of 40.  They are a really volatile round, then edges of the hp look like they are crimped like a .22 bird shot does, not as distinct but still nasty looking.  I've shot ground squirrels with them and lets just say they do some pretty gruesome carnage to them.  I wanted to go coyote calling one day and realized that was all I had for ammo.  I told myself that they'd be fine as long as I didn't aim at the shoulder.  Well, sure enough, on the very first set a coyote comes in and gives me a 25 yard quartering to shot.  Instinct took over and the memory of not aiming at the shoulder was gone.  I set the crosshairs on its shoulder and touched it off. It started spinning circles and biting at its side, luckily when I chambered the next round it stopped spinning long enough for me to shoot it again behind the shoulder which anchored it.  The first round had completely splattered on the shoulder and took about a 10" round chunk of hide with it.  The second one behind the shoulder went in and didn't exit.
I've kind of struggled with what to use for coyotes, it seems like a sp is pretty fur friendly but doesn't anchor them very often and the volatile ones will anchor them but you'd better not hit the shoulder or have an exit.

 

[mark1945]

I have my best luck saving hides with my favorite of all the 22 caliibers ,my 22 K Hornet it always seems to do the best job for me .

 

[Marty1]

mark1945...Now there's a caliber I'm not familiar with...the 22 "K" Hornet. What bullet do you use in that wildcat caliber :?:

 

[mark1945]

Marty,The K Hornet is a fire formed 22 Hornet brass that gives you a couple more grains capacity I use Hornady 30 grain bullets hand loaded to just under 3500 FPS . One other advantage the K has is its much easier to reload The regular Hornets are bad to crush the cases when reloading . The shoulder that the K has makes it a much more rigid case  

 

[Marty1]

A rigid case sounds like a great improvement over the tapered 22 Hornet casing I'm familiar with.
30 grainers..wow, that's a real speed demon!
I've lost my share of brass necks when resizing.  Sometimes by simply using too much case lube.
.

 

[mark1945]

I only use Hornady spray case lube every thing else Ive tried I mess up some brass by over lubing . Problem has went away with spray

 

[LR]

I currently use a CZ 527 V in .17 Hornet.  I am loading a 25gr vmax over 8.9gr of Lil-gun.  I am averaging about 3500 fps.  I have also shortened my barrel to 16.5" and also threaded it. It wears a Leupold VX-1 3x-9x with the standard duplex reticle.   Currently it's easily a 1/2 MOA rifle. 

The 17 hornet has performed flawlessly on fox, coyote, raccoon and other fur-bearers with minimal pelt damage a I usually only have a .17 entrance hole and have yet to have a pass through. 

 

[Idaholewis1]

I wish i had my Little .17 HMR Back, I sold the Darn thing when i moved here to Idaho. Back when i bought mine I didn’t like the Feel of the Cheaper Little Rimfire Guns, and to me they all pretty much felt like that. But one day i picked up a REALLY nice Centerfire Rifle (At least I Thought it was?) It was a Ruger Model 77 Bull Barrel in 17 HMR, It was BEEFY, it had a REAL Bolt look and feel like a Big Centerfire, Everything about that Rifle was that way. I will never forget it, Ruger 77/17 VMBBZ was exactly the Model # (Not sure they even make it anymore?) I had a Leupold 6-18 Scope on it, I put a Jard Trigger in it, It was one SWEET Rifle! And actually felt just like a Centerfire. They costed the Same as well 

This was mine, Except in 17 HMR, and mine had a Gray laminate Stock
https://ruger.com/products/77Series7717/specSheets/7212.html