.17 cal question

[Michiana]

Does anyone have experience with .17 cal guns? I've never known anyone who had one yet I see ammo for sale in the stores. I know they make handguns and long guns in that cal. Can they be shot at indoor ranges? Do they use them mostly for varmit shooting?

 

[VanillaThunder]

varmints, yes. i wouldnt shoot at anything larger than a raccoon with a .17, personally. very fun to shoot, hella accurate, and almost no recoil.

are you looking at .17hmr, or .17mach2 by chance?

 

[DRob]

.17 rimfires, etc.

I use a lot of .17 HMR killing paper (outdoor) and prairie dogs. I have bolt action rifles, a bolt action pistol, a revolver, single shot rifles, and a semi-auto rifle chambered in HMR. Brands include Ruger, Savage, Marlin, CZ, TC, and Anschutz. It's obviously an inherently accurate round as it has shot very well for me in all the above, and I ain't that good. I have three .17 HM2 (or Mach II) rifles. They also shoot very well.

I have no .17 centerfires but several of my fellow prairie doggers use .17 Mach IV and/or .17 Rem with great success.

 

[shawkpilot]

.17 mach 2 ammo is WAY cheaper that regular .17 HMR. Wish I would have looked at that before buying, but otherwise I love my Savage. Will turn most birds into a puff of feathers. Kinda cool.

 

[ace1627]

.17 are great for little fuzzy creatures.

 

[keyser]

I have a 17hmr. I haven't shot a coyote with it yet and don't know if I'd even attempt it unless it walked in my backyard, but I shot a coon with it last fall and it did the trick. I'm used to having to shoot coons several times in the head with a .22 to get the job done, and the coon I shot didn't move after he was hit with the .17. It is a great flat shooting round, I'd like to give .17mach2 a try to see how they compare. And yes they can be shot in most of the indoor ranges.

 

[OSOK]

Yes, .17 is great for little varmints and the indoor ranges in Indy do not have a problem with them as long as they have brass casings.