.17 HMR, Good Coyote Gun?

least we forget.................THEY ARE COYOTES around this part of the country we have no fox, rabits, squirls, and there getting into the deer population by eating the fawns!! I lost two cats and had a dog chewed up last year!!! SHOOT EM WITH WHAT EVER YOU GOT !! They give us the same respect!! Mark
 
Originally Posted By: MNSHOOTERleast we forget.................THEY ARE COYOTES around this part of the country we have no fox, rabits, squirls, and there getting into the deer population by eating the fawns!! I lost two cats and had a dog chewed up last year!!! SHOOT EM WITH WHAT EVER YOU GOT !! They give us the same respect!! Mark


Having grown up on a farm, farmed for 30 years, and still owning the farm and now letting someone else do the hard work, there was a standing order......varmints were to be shot on sight, regardless of what caliber rifle you had, and if you just wounded them and they ran off, then dragging them off was one less job you had to do. I have killed coyotes in every month of the year. I have destroyed dens with pups inside. I have shot them with 22LR, 22 Mag, and the 17 HMR, plus a large variety of centerfire calibers. Unlike some on here, who more than likely do not and have never lived on a working farm or ranch, I do not view the coyote as a magnificant game animal to be treated with the same respect such as would a deer or elk. There is a reason the season is open on them 365 days here with no bag limit. Now, having said what I have, I do a lot of coyote hunting when other seasons aren't open, and always use a centerfire caliber, never a rimfire. The rimfires are for short range only, and I want don't want to be restricted that much. If I were to shoot and lose a deer, I would probably lose sleep over it and regret taking a bad shot. But, it would not bother me in the least to put a bullet in a coyote and have it run away wounded, except that I would go home and check the zero on the rifle and make sure the rifle was not off. I guess I just don't view the coyote like a lot of others do.
 
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Use a .338 Win Mag and back up a ways, that's what I say. And I haven't even got mine yet ...
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The .17 HMR is a great caliber, and I like the price of the ammo. It will do a lot, like people have said, just isn't the best caliber to set out on a coyote hunt with.
Welcome to the forum. You'll have a lot of fun reading and posting here, and there's plenty of guys with experience here to help you learn. So don't be afraid to ask questions.
 
Originally Posted By: Josh-PetreeThanks guys I guess I'll get out my .223 I was just trying to avoid it cause the ammo is so expensive

If you don't "spray and pray", you won't use that much 223 ammo. The 223 is a fine caliber for coyotes, just don't use FMJ on them.

Now, go and kill some coyotes, and have fun!

Shayne
 
Is it because Kymailman98 & me are from the same state & think the same on this subject?
Dont know. But I do agree with the way he says it.
 
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Originally Posted By: Josh-PetreeI have a .17 HMR rifle and plenty of coyotes around my house but if I want to take down a coyote do I need to go bigger?

You don't need to go bigger to take down a coyote.
To be successful consistantly with an HMR, you need to choose your shots well, place your shots well, and be prepared to pass on shots that you would otherwise take with a centerfire.

There is no advantage to using an HMR over a centerfire, except in regards to safety and noise concerns.
 
Originally Posted By: 6mm06
The "Super Hummer" is going to up the odds in my opinion, especially for fox.

Yes, this will all start over again, but that's a good thing, isn't it? Discussing a new round and it's potential is what this is all about.





As long as the Super Hummer doesn't turn into another elk/bear gun, we are good.


As to "upping the odds" if you don't have a 17 Winchester Mag and have to buy one, you can just as easily and cost effectively by a 17 HH and be done with it.
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I would only use the 17 rim fires for trophy mouse hunts and such, but that's just me.
 
Welcome, these guys have tons of good information. When you search mix up how you word it, or where you put the "." sometimes searching google brings up good links for here too. Good luck and happy shooting.
 
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As long as the Super Hummer doesn't turn into another elk/bear gun, we are good.


The Super Duper Hummer will surely be overkill on the likes of elk and bear. Cape buff and beyond is where it will shine.
 
Welcome Josh,As others have said the HMR has it's limitations. Just get to know your gun and what it can do for you. I have the 17 HMR and also the Savage model 10 predator in .223. I use both guns for coyote but depending on the range of my setup tells me which gun I take. I saw your earlier post saying that you had a .223 also but trying to avoid the expense of the higher priced .223 ammo. Well I've tried the Hornady Steel Match in my .223 and love them. Great accuracy and with the steel casing a box of 50 is selling around 23.00. This might be something you want to look at, and again welcome to the forum. I'm new myself and have lots to learn, PM has lots of info, just jump in and read. Ron
 

Originally Posted By: Smokeless
As long as the Super Hummer doesn't turn into another elk/bear gun, we are good.

As to "upping the odds" if you don't have a 17 Winchester Mag and have to buy one, you can just as easily and cost effectively by a 17 HH and be done with it.
grin.gif


I would only use the 17 rim fires for trophy mouse hunts and such, but that's just me.


The good thing about all this Smokeless, as you eluded to, is that we all have our own opinions. It might be mice for you and fox for someone else.

What I am waiting to hear is how this new round might perform on predators, ie coyotes, bobcats and fox and to hear some real-life stories. Up front initially in my mind is that this new round "might" be a neat fox cartridge - maybe. The HMR has killed fox, but not to the point of what I would consider a good choice for them. Not sure about the V-Max 20 gr. bullet either, but maybe some of the ammo manufacturers might later join in and come up with a bullet that penetrates a bit better, such as what I have found with the CCI 20 gr. Game Point in the HMR.

I currently have serious doubts that the new cartridge would even be considered a remotely good coyote round, though no doubt some will take coyotes with it. Bobcats are tough critters to drop on the spot, in my experience, but "maybe" this cartridge in the hands of a seasoned hunter might be a pelt saver. Fox - I'm thinking it might show a better score there. But, I'm just thinking out loud since I don't know yet.

Most of us recognize this new round, small as it is, rimfire, and not in the same class as a .223, is not going to be a super predator round. But also, the new Winchester load at 3,000 fps (if that's for real) is not too shabby, especially for a rimfire, and is right in the middle of the HMR and .17 HH.

Also to consider is this: Some guys don't reload and some guys are restricted to rimfires. As well, some guys hunt areas where noise is a factor and where higher powered stuff might pose a problem. There's all kinds of reasons why someone might want the new cartridge over the .17 HH. For me personally, and no doubt a lot of others, I want both. I enjoy rimfires, and this one is the most suped-up one I have ever seen. How it might perform in the field remains to be seen. Ammo cost isn't a factor in my mind just yet, maybe it will be later, but cartridge capability and accuracy are what I want to hear about, ponder and consider.

And so, the new round will get a lot of publicity, be it positive or negative, from a lot of people who use it for this or that, and with success and failure. It will be interesting to see how things develop. Personally, I'm anxious to see the stories and photos begin.

As to it being an elk / bear gun, well, I know you are exaggerating and know your meaning. You just have to bear with (and overlook) those who want to take it grizzly hunting. Claw marks on their back might lead them to take your advice and spring for the .17 HH.


 
Originally Posted By: kymailman98Having grown up on a farm, farmed for 30 years, and still owning the farm and now letting someone else do the hard work, there was a standing order......varmints were to be shot on sight, regardless of what caliber rifle you had, and if you just wounded them and they ran off, then dragging them off was one less job you had to do. I have killed coyotes in every month of the year. I have destroyed dens with pups inside. I have shot them with 22LR, 22 Mag, and the 17 HMR, plus a large variety of centerfire calibers. Unlike some on here, who more than likely do not and have never lived on a working farm or ranch, I do not view the coyote as a magnificant game animal to be treated with the same respect such as would a deer or elk. There is a reason the season is open on them 365 days here with no bag limit. Now, having said what I have, I do a lot of coyote hunting when other seasons aren't open, and always use a centerfire caliber, never a rimfire. The rimfires are for short range only, and I want don't want to be restricted that much. If I were to shoot and lose a deer, I would probably lose sleep over it and regret taking a bad shot. But, it would not bother me in the least to put a bullet in a coyote and have it run away wounded, except that I would go home and check the zero on the rifle and make sure the rifle was not off. I guess I just don't view the coyote like a lot of others do.

I think you have exactly the right outlook on coyotes...as the saying goes, the only good coyote is a dead 'un.
 
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