It is my opinion that the firearm industry has to re-invent the wheel every few years to sell guns. New, exciting calibers that the impulsive man has to have to make him a better hunter is all the rage right now. There is always that one guy in deer camp that has the new odd-ball cartridge that makes him special. However, once in a blue moon one does come along that really is special, like the .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire.

Now right away, I am going to offend fans of the .22 Magnum. The .22 Mag is a great cartridge. It has all the attributes needed to hunt larger small game like raccoons and bobcats. It takes care of the larger critters that the .22 Long Rifle can’t. What it is missing is the explosiveness of the .223 Remington and the .22-250 Remington that is so popular with prairie dog shooters right now. This is what makes the .17 HMR so special.

The 17 HMR starts life as a 22 magnum; the case is then necked down to fit the .177 caliber bullet. The necking down of the case for the .17 caliber bullet helps build pressure, sort of like your thumb over the end of a garden hose. A small 17 grain bullet traveling 2500 feet per second makes for a very accurate and explosive cartridge. Typically traveling 1900 feet per second at 100 yards gives the 17 HMR an extended range over the .22 Magnum. At 200 yards, the bullet from the 17 HMR is still traveling 1300 feet per second; well over many loads for the 22 Long Rifle. The potential for hits on prairie dogs and crows at this range makes for a fun little rifle.

One of the best parts of this newer cartridge is the cost of shells. Ranging in the $10.00 to $12.00 per 50 bullets makes a very cost effective plinker compared to the .223’s and 22-250’s. This is a great cartridge to introduce kids to the world of shooting. Cheap shells, low recoil, and lower level report make it fun for kids. There is no better substitution for putting rounds down range to hone your skills. Typically, bullets come in 17 Grain ballistic tips and 20 Grain hollow points. I have found that the 17 grain ballistic bullets are the ultimate fox round. A tiny .177 hole penetrates the animal and explodes into about 3 or 4 pieces inside the chest cavity, never penetrating and with no damage to the pelt.

Is this newer rim fire a keeper or bound to go the way of the dinosaur? It already has a good following, with quite a few manufacturers making rifles and revolvers. It also has Hornady’s backing and excellent quality ammunition. Though I feel it will never replace the .22 Long Rifle in popularity, I think it is here to stay. Low cost ammunition and relatively inexpensive rifles should help keep this rifle popular well into the future.