.17HMR vs .223?

[mauser]

Hi,

The .17 caliber rifles had virtually no presence back when I was shooting regularly, and they seem to have quite a following today. What is the advantage of a .17 over a .223?

I will be reloading for any centerfire rifle I have, so ammo cost shouldn't be that different over the long haul.

Thanks for the input.

[DougJ]

Hi,

The .17 caliber rifles had virtually no presence back when I was shooting regularly, and they seem to have quite a following today. What is the advantage of a .17 over a .223?

I will be reloading for any centerfire rifle I have, so ammo cost shouldn't be that different over the long haul.

Thanks for the input.

17HMR is basically just a necked down 22WMR. No comparison to the .223 really. There is an advantage though in that you might be able to shoot it in places where you may not want to shoot a .223. For example my place... I bought one specifically to eradicate ground squirrels safely and relatively quietly on my foothills property. Works fantastic for that purpose! It's also a lot of fun to shoot and very, very accurate.

Doug

[r08ert209cali]

Very accurate even in lower cost rifles. Noise level is way lower,See scope hits (explosions of flesh)without a brake. Reason to buy new rifle. A ton of fun to shoot.

[slik556]

I guess it depends on what you are going to do with it. The 17hmr bullet weight is more than half that of a 223 and is roughly 900fps slower. The 223 price is about double that of the 17hmr. I have a 17machII which I love,
But again it all come down to what you want it to do.....

[Unit74]

Where I shoot, there is a restriction on anything over .22 in caliber.

[sevensix2x51]

The 17hmr bullet weight is more than half that of a 223 and is roughly 900fps slower.

17gr/55gr=30.9% bullet weight.
3000fps(avg of hot loads and std loads w/all major powders)-2550fps=450fps slower...