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HunterTed · Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 11 Location: TEXAS

I've killed close to a dozen coyotes with mine. Most were head shots at close ranges. Nothing over 100 yards. Haven't had one run off yet. The .17 is not my choice as a varmit rifle when I am out hunting, but when I am out at the ranch and I see one I am going to shoot it with whatever I have in the truck. Whatever it takes to make it a dead coyote will work in a pinch.

jfrench · Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 533 Location: New Hampshire

Does anybody remember an article in either Field and Stream or Outdoorlife about hunting Elk with a .17 caliber? It was printed about ten years ago. It was a crazy article describing how the light round explodes from the harsh impacted, scattering its fragments throughout the body. The article was nuts, almost hollywood quality.

yotekiller · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

I have shot many coyotes with my .17 HMR and have never lost one yet. Me and a friend of mine both can consistently hit a two inch steel plate at 250 yards. Of course we have spent a lot of time and money on these rifles. I would only reccomend using one if you can place perfect shots though. Other than that 22-250 is the best choice

gjimenez · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 4

Anyone has any experience with SAVAGE 93R17HMR GV? Please share. depending of what hear today, it will be my next rifle on gun safe. :laugh:

yotekiller · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

I own that very gun and its fantastic. Spend some time breakin in the barrel and get a scope ballistically calibrated for .17 HMR bullet drop. The best i have found is sold by cabelas. I also reccomend only shootin ballistic tips. the hollow points just arent very accurate after 50 yards. I can consitently shoot 200 plus yards with plenty of knock down power for small varmints. ENJOY!!!! :lol:

gjimenez · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 4

I PLAN TO , THANK YOU. WHAT SCOPE DO YOU HAVE? IS IT THE SWEET 17?

yotekiller · Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

Ya its the cabelas version of the sweet seventeen. It seems to be more durable than any of the competitors. Use Sweets formula to break in your barrel. It works very good

cathunter · Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 6

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion on the matter but if you ask me or my cousin we will both tell you the same thing. The .17 hmr are is definately big enough for coyotes if you are a good shot. Ive had mine for about a year now and have hunted only coyotes and bobcat with it. I dropped one last year at 300 yards dead in her tracks and one this morning at 195 yards with no problem. I have had one get away but i shot it at about 350 at a dead sprint. I also killed my first cat with it last January at 50 yards and my cousin killed is first cat last sunday with his.

SoCoKHntr · Joined: 18 Dec 2006 Posts: 733 Location: Pueblo Colorado

cathunter wrote: Everybody is entitled to their own opinion on the matter but if you ask me or my cousin we will both tell you the same thing. The .17 hmr are is definately big enough for coyotes if you are a good shot. Ive had mine for about a year now and have hunted only coyotes and bobcat with it. I dropped one last year at 300 yards dead in her tracks and one this morning at 195 yards with no problem. I have had one get away but i shot it at about 350 at a dead sprint. I also killed my first cat with it last January at 50 yards and my cousin killed is first cat last sunday with his.

The above is high content pure grade fecal matter. As if anybody who's been hunting or shooting one day in their life couldn't ascertain that. 17 HMR one shot kill at 300 yards..................................

cathunter · Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 6

Just because you cant hit the broadside of a barn doesnt mean everybody else cant. Those of us who are actually hunters and take time to sight in our rifles before each and every season know how hey shoot at different distances. Just for the record it dont take much to kill a coyote when you hit it in the ear. I wouldnt have a problem dropping one with my .22 lr if given the opportunity. ::neener:

Hammer1 · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 1611

cathunter:

I find you comments quite interesting, hopefully I can draw on you expertise. Can you tell me at what distance you sight you rifle in and give me the + / - inches for the 50 yard, 100, 150.200,250,300 & 350 yard distances. The only thing I can find is that a 17 gr bullet,zeroed at 50 yards drops a little over 3.0 inches at 100 yards.
My youngest granddaughter calculated it for me and believes zeroed at 50 yards would drop over nine feet & 350 yards. That can't be right, can it ? ::-k

Thanks in advance

wwcoutdoors · Joined: 03 Jan 2008 Posts: 39 Location: Kerr County, Texas

i do all my predator hunts and calling with a ruger .22 hornet. I reload some custom loads but it puts the smack on them. I sometimes use my .204 if longer shots might be required.

ptschafer · Joined: 07 Jan 2008 Posts: 5 Location: Iowa

Hammer1 wrote: cathunter:

I find you comments quite interesting, hopefully I can draw on you expertise. Can you tell me at what distance you sight you rifle in and give me the + / - inches for the 50 yard, 100, 150.200,250,300 & 350 yard distances. The only thing I can find is that a 17 gr bullet,zeroed at 50 yards drops a little over 3.0 inches at 100 yards.
My youngest granddaughter calculated it for me and believes zeroed at 50 yards would drop over nine feet & 350 yards. That can't be right, can it ? ::-k

Thanks in advance

That sounds a bit off. The 17-grn HMR V-MAX will drop 8.9 feet at 425 yds. Sighting your HMR at 100 yds should yield these results:

2600 fps @ muzzle, -1.5" drop.
2250 fps @ 50 yds, 0.1" drop.
1934 fps @ 100 yds, 0"
1653 fps @ 150 yds, -2.5" drop.
1411 fps @ 200 yds, -8.0" drop.
1215 fps @ 250 yds, -18.0" drop.
1084 fps @ 300 yds, -34.0" drop (subsonic after 280 yds).
995 fps @ 350 yds, -57.0" drop (that's almost 5 feet).

For grins: 818 fps @ 500 yds, -179.5" drop (that's 15 feet).

I wouldn't attempt to kill anything with this round over 250 yds. And there is no way anyone who cares about a humane kill would try shooting a yote or big cat with this thing @ 350 yds. I don't believe the 300+ yd kill story for anything bigger than a very lucky shot at a squirrel or bird... for yote's, maybe perfectly through the eye or major artery in the neck, but it's just moving too slow and too light to be anything close to reliable at that range. Shooting at smaller animals beyond that range demands a much higher-power rifle for the job.

cathunter · Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 6

I know every gun shoots different. This must be especially true for my Marlin 917V shooting Winchester's 17 GR v-max bullet at 2550 ft/sec. All the things i have found about drop of the bullet at different yardage has been wrong. I sighted my gun in at 50 yards for shits and grins so i could also squirell hunt with it. But on a calm day sighted in at 50 my gun was shooting 3.5 inches high at 180 yards punching out groups under .5 inch. ::-k As for dropping almost 5 feet at 300 or 350 is a crock of crap. At 300 yards my gun drops maybe and inch to two inches.

WiskeyJaR · Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 169 Location: Oregon, USA

Hmmmm....would be interesting to see a video of your set up? I wonder...is Cathunter maybe talking in feet and everyone else is talking in yards?