Bought a Savage .17HMR last week and topped with with a Luepold VX1 2-7X. Using teh Hornady game points what do fellow board posters think I can take in FL. Here's why I ask...the guy at the shop told me he owned one and we talked a while over why he chose that one over others. He sounded legit to me and told me that he hunts FL deer, hog, and turkey with it. I was suprised but with deer being 100lbs and turkey of course feasible....I still question hogs but what do others think on the deer and turkey?

According to your hunting regulations it is not legal to shoot deer with any weapon using a rimfire cartridge. You might give your fish and game department a call, they probably would be glad to let you know what is legal and not legal to hunt with a rimfire cartridge.

Good call faucettb. I think a deer, and a hog, are pushing the limits of the round too far.

I'm just curious, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think the .17HMR was a viable round for anything much bigger than a squirrel. I know you're pushing a high velocity, but even at high velocity, you're only pushing a 17 grain(1.1gram) projectile. I wouldn't think it would be effective against much of anything without precisely placed headshots.

Ken

I use the .17 HMR for varmit control and some squirel hunting. It works well for most small game but I would hesitate to use it on anything larger than coyottes.

We have a problem with beavers getting in our ponds and digging dens into the banks and dams. Some luck trapping but more using a rifle. Have to be mindful of light bullet glancing off the water.

To be blunt, if this guy you spoke to hunts deer and hogs with a 17HMR, he's an idiot, not a hunter.

In all seriousness, last year three of us went coyote hunting, I took a 17HMR, and my buddies used a 22 mag and a 12 gauge. To keep it short, my buddy with the 22 mag got one and it took him 4 shots, all well placed to kill a 35 lb coyote. I believe the 17 HMR is very similar yet used a lighter bullet at higher velocity. After that, I would never take one coyote hunting again and wouldn't recommend one for anything other than what you'd normally use a 22 LR or mag on.

As the proud owner of a Ruger M77/22 that sports a Green Mountain .17 HMR barrel and a Burris 3x9 scope, I would not seriously consider shooting any animal larger than a standing ground squirrel at a distance farther than 150 yards with it.

THIS IS NOT A LARGE VARMIT OR GAME CARTRIDGE!

.17 HMR, ???, You really want my opinion ?? Good for anything that walks the face of the earth up to and including anything that weights 15 lbs. (could stretch it to 20) Guided a few yote hunters in Maine that "tried to kill the big NE animals with the .17. They ALL ran off. A couple we found dead,but most even the blood quit after the initial hit. ----- You can reload a .223 for less than you can buy the .17 ammo. And a .223 has more applications,more choice of bullets,can load it allot faster,lots better bullet B.C.,and can load it to some very slow and/or unbelieveably accurate loads. Even the old 22Mag. would be more versitile.---- Accuracy --?-- The .17 is(with specialty guns) pretty darn accurate. It will shoot MOA out to 150yds.(or so) But remember,that is with zero,and i mean zero,wind. Any wind at all and them little bullets drift all over the place.----- As a general rule,the smaller the bore,the easier it will foul. How many ACCURATE shots can you assume to get with a .17 ?? I have read that out west on a PD shoot,the weapons will have to be cleaned after just a "few" shots.---- Ammo availability--?-- Not very much. 17 and 20grs. and I believe that Rem puts out a 25gr. I have shot some of the high end weapons and they are very accurate. A guy at the range a year or so ago let me shoot his $1100. .17HMR and I shot a .430"group at 100yds. He shot even better than that.So If you care to spend big bucks on a .17 I could suppose that you could say that they are accurate. ------- This weapon is not for me but i suppose that they do have their application. My strong reccomendation is ----> don't try to kill anything with it that weights over 10-15 lbs. And remember that if you hunt/hit animals(or birds) with it that you plan to eat---better make head shots--- if not plan on eating mush. I do not own a .17 nor have I hunted with one. These thoughts are based on what I have witnessed during my time as a guide and my (limited)knowledge of ballistics.---------GOOD SHOOTIN'--------pruhdlr P.S. Tell the"guy at the shop" that he's full of _hit !

Saw my dad put 4 rounds in a coyote with a .223 once.... and I put one more behind the ear with my P90, after we walked up to it!

If a .223 won't absolutely yank their feet out from under them ever time (and no doubt, it works just great the majority of the time, don't get me wrong), then a .17 rimfire is just begging for trouble.

Hogs... the only shot I can think of that might drop one is right through the eyeball. I'm not that good, personally.....

I'm with you guys. I know of guys that hunt hogs with .22s and say they've been doing it all their lives. I used to always think to myself they were nuts. I was suprised at what I saw a .223 do do the inside of a small hog but the .17 purchase was for squirrel hunting as a replacement (addition) to the my .22 lever action. When you go into a gun shop though and the guy goes beyond the usual "I've got this one at home" speech you start to get to wonderin"...

How about turkeys? Anyone got thoughts on that?

Interesting link on .17 action http://www.varmintal.com/17hmr.htm

The above is a great write up on the .17.(the link) All potential buyers should give it a read. I would say also that for the people that really want a .17,buy a .17 Rem if they are still available. But you still have to "deal" with the very light bullet. It still drifts in the wind but not much at the closer ranges(under 300yds.) cuz it's soooooo fast. It would be VERY interesting to see how a solid copper bullet would perform outta the HMR.----- Where legal,a turkey shot on the side of the head would be headless. Neck(spinal collumn)---instant death. I would not shoot a turkey anywhere else with a.17.---------GOOD HUNTIN'------pruhdlr