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91xlt · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 173 Location: Phila., PA

Anyone have experience with the .17hmr hunting coyote?
I was speaking with someone earlier, and he felt the hmr was addequate.
I tend to believe it's a little small/light.
Any input?

WeatherbyScott · Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 131 Location: pennsylvania

if you limit your shots to 100yrds and under they are fine without hitting bone, other then that it isnt that good for coyote's.

Hammer1 · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 1519

A 17 or 20 grain bullet is too light in my opinion. The reason is that with higher velocities, more weight is required to maintain stability, regardless of calibre, so I am not picking on the little .17 for any particular reason.
It was just a bad mistake from the start

WAcoyotehunter · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 79 Location: Washington

I tried the .17 HMR and never killed one. I crippled a couple and gave up on the little bullet. Most of my shots were 100-150.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2598 Location: Colorado

I've not hunted coyotes with a 17hmr. However I think the 17gr ballistic tips are too frangile. If I used an 17hmr, I would go with either the 20gr CCI FMJ or the Hornady 20grain HP XTP bullet. A bit heavier and harder.

RidgeRunner_07 · Joined: 25 Jun 2005 Posts: 305 Location: Chewelah,Wa

Dad shot one full of puppies 3 times last weekend all in the vitals....but she kept going like the energizer bunny....LOL...then....my .300 Winnie Mg screamed alive and cut her in two...didnt even wanna bother with pics....nothing left to take pics of...lol

h_talbot · Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 155 Location: Idaho

Not too small if you don't want to find them. They're going to run a ways almost every time. Coyotes are tough. I tried mine on one and hit him square in the chest and I never found him. I'm sure he eventually died but that doesn't do me any good. My farts weigh more than 17 grains. You can't expect that small of a bullet to drop a coyote.
Hank

jvhuse · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 5

I have seen my dad shoot two coyotes with the .17 HMR shooting 17 grain ballistic tips. One jumped straight up about 4 feet and hit the ground dead, the other hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Neither shot was past 60 or so yards, though, and both were 'boiler room' shots.

AlphaMan · Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 155 Location: Deer Woods

Thats interesting, a .17 killing coyote. I have .22lr so maybe I should go looking for yotes.

predatorhunter · Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 114 Location: Wash

i got a 17 HMR and it drops the coyots dead in there tracks but you go tto shoot them in the head. thats the luck i have had i have got three with mine.

SoCoKHntr · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 384 Location: Pueblo Colorado

I hit a bobcat at eighty yards right square in the chest frontal shot with the 20grain FMJ's and it leapt straight up into the air about three or four feet turned and was gone like lightning. I looked for a blood trail and zigzagged that ground for a good while and didn't find anything. I love my 17 and would shoot at a yote out to a hundred if I had a good head or boiler room shot while bunny hunting, but if I am specifically hunting yotes I am grabbing my 243 for anchoring ability.

Cheers

ChesterGolf · Joined: 17 Aug 2002 Posts: 1590 Location: Nova Scotia

I'm still not sure where the 17 HMR fits in the cartridge world but I don't think it should be used on anything bigger than a groundhog. Hell, next thing you know we'll be shooting moose with a .177 pellet gun. I'm not usually one to say a caliber is too small for the job at hand but..................... ::-k

AlphaMan · Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 155 Location: Deer Woods

Thank you Chester, I mean come on. The 22lr has more knock down than a .17 and im not sure if i'll take a yote with a .22lr. I think the only real way to kill a yote with a .17 is a head shot and those aren't always guranteed.

Hammer1 · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 1519

Before you read the rest of the post ,please look here for the purpose of the rifle twist http://www.savagearms.com/93r17f.htm a 1:9 twist is required to give the bullet stability because it is very light in weight. Typically, rifles chambered in 22 mag have a 1:14 twist for example, the .17 simply being a necked-down version of the 22 mag . Big difference !!
The 17, because of its size simply fails.

Was it David that killed Goliath with a stone, maybe so, but I bet he wouldn't try that again :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: would choose a bigger rock ? :thumbsup1:

Txcowboy · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Posts: 13 Location: Stephenville, Texas

I bought a .17 HMR a while back, only thing I have shot with it was a Jack Rabbit at about 50 Yrds. he jumped about 3 feet in the air and dropped dead. Gut shot and very small exit wound. I think it would work well for small varmints at closer ranges. Coyote maybe, but I would think you need to put it through the eye. I like mine because it is less likely to ricochete, making it safer on small acrage.