17 rimfire

[hornetguy]

I'm trying to decide how to go on a .17 rimfire for an area of prarie dogs, where the longest shot would be around 200yds. Quieter would be better, if the ballistics requirements are met. I also need few to NO ricochets..
I was pretty sold on the .17 HMR, until a friend suggested the HM2 instead. He says it's quite a bit quieter, and gives good kills out to 100-150 yds on raccoons (headshots). I'm thinking if that's true, it should be good on dogs to maybe 200. Is that unrealistic?
It seems that the choice of rifles in that caliber are pretty limited, as well.
Any suggestions, pro or con are welcomed.

 

[TMW89]

I'd still go with with the hmr. That savage with the bull barrel and accutrigger for $250 is hard to beat I think

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

200 yards is pushing it with the HMR, much too far for the HM2. Wind is not kind to that tiny little bullet.

 

[L_Killkenny]

Agreed, stick with the HMR. The M2 is no 150 yard coon gun or 200 gopher gun. What can be done doesn't mean it's good at it.

 

[hornetguy]

so, noise wise, is there a huge difference between the two?

 

[Scout]

Zeroed at 100, the 17M2 gives you 4.4" of drop at 150. It'll work, but if you want to work consistently at 150, I'd go with the HMR. If you limit your shots to 100-115 or so, the M2 is great.

 

[Art Eatman]

Went on a prairie dog shoot out east of Colorado Springs. My buddy had a brand new .17 Mach2. "Super zapper" to 100 yards. We were lasering distances. It took him a few shots to figure holdover and wind, but he was getting clean kills to 200 yards.

 

[alex0535]

Go with a bull barreled .17 HMR, ammo is easier to find and about the same price.

On a non windy day, it will be utterly lethal on prairie dogs out well past 150 yards. If your somewhere windy try to find some 20 grain ammo. Shooting prone on a calm day, any prairie dog inside 200 yards would be in mortal danger.

I have and love my Marlin 917v, it's only disadvantage is not having an adjustable trigger. I replaced my trigger return spring with a lighter one and that made it perfect. Paid a little over $200 for it used, I get 1/2 moa groups with it.

Wind is a major factor with the little .17 bullets. They fly very fast but they are so light the wind will push them whatever direction it is blowing. Take note of what the wind is doing and hold a little upwind from the dog before taking the shot.

Also if you are using a v-max bullet ricochet will be much less of a worry, they break up on impact with flesh so a harder surface like a rock will cause it to turn into so many pieces they won't fly very far.

 

[Dc777]

Go with the hmr.... Have you looked for ..17 Mach 2 ammo? I havnt seen it anywhere in a long, long time and that includes online. Cabelas has .17hmr ammo just about every day on their site. I have a marlin 917v and I love it. It has the bull barrel.

 

[hornetguy]

Yeah, I'm seeing that. It's even difficult to find rifles chambered for the M2..

I'm pretty sure I'm going with the HMR. Thanks to all for the discussion....

 

[tuck2]

Most all of my shooting is prairie dogs. I have ben using the 17 HMR which came out in 2003 and the 17 HM2 which came out in 2004. Per Hornady the 17 Gr V-Max bullet muzzle velocity from the 17 HM2 is 2,100 ft/sec and 2,550 ft/sec from the 17 HMR rifles. I have set may scope sites near a one inch point blank range(PBR) for each rifle. The zero for the 17 HM2 is at 92 Yds, at 75 Yds +0.44 In, at 125 Yds - 1.82 In ,and at 150 Yds - 4.32 In.... The 17 HMR zero PBR for the 17 Gr bullet is 111 yards, at 75 Yds +0.51 In, at 125 Yds - 0.42, at 150 Yds -1.79 In , 175 Yds -3.78 Inch. I limit my shots to 150 Yds with the 17 HM2 rifle and 175 yards with the 17 HMR rifle . The rifle are the accurate bolt action Cooper 57 M LVT model. Past the ranges that I set the bullet when hitting the ribs will have a small hole going in and out of a prairie dog. The few that I recovered were a ways from their holes , ran but dident get to their holes. The ones shot at 125 yards with the 17 HM2 and 150 yards with the 17 HMR can be hit at any angle and are dead one the spot. One year before plague and poison hit the prairie dog towns where I live I kept count of the p dogs I shot ,it was a bit over 2,000. I inspected a number of p dogs shot with the little 17 grain bullet. Both the hm2, and hmr are fine spring p dog pup shooting rifles when there are a lot of shots within 175 yards. Iv become a 17 caliber fan and now have a 17 Hornet, 17 Fireball, and 17 Rem rifles for longer shots but for shots beyond the CF 17 s range I got a 204 Ruger rifle...