Ok guys iam in the market in looking for a good gun for shooting animals size of squrils up to coyotes and will be using it at night i already got a 223 outfited with a 6.5-24x 50mm scope for long range but iam wondering what some of you that maye have the savage 17hmr think about it... prefer bull barrel
 
Range for coyotes ect and if its good for hunting in dark for fox's and coyotes and how far i can shoot pesty birds with one... thnx
 
John
Team G-Bow

You'll hear many different suggestions for and against an HMR......we all have different experiences with it....my personal experiences say that an HMR is not at all a coyote gun or even a fox gun.....a good "pesty bird" gun and squirrel gun as well as other small game....just not "big" enough for a 100% kill on coyote and fox sized game.....
 
 Your .223 will work well for the aboce mentioned night and fox/coyote shooting....I shoot a .204 Ruger for my short and long range varminting....
 
 If you are looking for a close range varmint/small critter gun I'd say your perfect fit would be a .22 hornet.....capable of killing coyote/fox sized game up to 100 yds or so as well as everything else you mentioned.....low recoil, noise and I'd say just about perfect for your applications.....

cant use centerfires on public land here and thats another reason iam looking at 17hmr no centerfires on public land i know 223 is good for night just got one spot i can use it and cant go other huntig places

Got ya....that said I still prefer a .22 mag to an HMR.....but with both rimfires I would be cautious of using it on game on the size you want it to be used for....my .02 my friend... oh and welcome to THL....hope you can drop in when you have the time....

The HMR isn't a coyote cartridge.
 
This subject has been pounded to death, and anyone who won't accept the above ought to just go out and find it out for themselves.
 
It'll handle the rest of the critters you mention, but won't work consistently or reliably on coyote sized animals.
 
Daryl

what bout fox's and smaller cause if the 17 cant take coyotes i might just goto 22 lr i have killed 50 plus coyotes with a 22 lr at 50 yards and id sure hope a 17hmr can kill them at 50 yards im not talking far at all just need a gun for public land for varmints cause i wont shoot them with shotgun anymore since i have ruined many furs with shotgun

See above posts and I will not even comment on using a 22lr for coyotes.......

For your particular situation, where rimfires are mandated, the 17 HMR is the best choice. Like has been mentioned over and over again, and I concur, the HMR is not the cartridge of choice for coyotes, but, when a rimfire is all you can use, thats where I strongly sugest the 17HMR. If you hit them where your supposed to, it's as consistent as your going to get with any rimfire out there. Way surpasses the 22LR, and in my personal experience, gets the nod over the maggie. Ive killed a bunch of coyotes with the  HMR, and those hit well, surprised me as to how hard they were hammered, those hit badly, didn't surprise me, just like any hit baldy with any of the reccomended centerfires.

I agree Az! Wholeheartedly!

Just because you CAN kill something with a caliber that most experienced people feel is underpowered, doesn't mean you SHOULD use it on a regular basis....

I got deer on our ranch when I was just a button with my 'ol .22 pump, using .22 shorts!
Would I condone it? Nope, no way no how!

I feel the same about the HMR as I always did. It is great for anything up to & including a fox.....

Rockin'

cause i have no choice beside my bow and shotgun for hunting public land and i refuse to shoot good pelts with a shotgun because i have ruined to many furs blown arms off all that junk and will not use my shotgun for public land so iam gonna look into 17hmr some more cause its faster than 22lr and hits harder but still rimfire cause i shot coyotes dead with 22 lr in head 17hmr should kill them head shots no problem.  and my grandpa used to shoot bears in alaska before i was born with a 22lr so its all shot placement im just wondering now more on does anyone have experiance with the savage 17hmrs? ..

I have luck with shotguns not tearing up pelts too bad with BB shot for geese....all there will be is tiny, tiny, holes that will shrink......also try a modified choke instead of a full choke.....

A lot of guys tell me they wouldn't use the .17 for this or that and thats fine, but my brother bought one for coyotes and never looked back.
I would want to get hit by one at any range It'd probably kill me! LOL

cause theres no way im using goose loads on coyotes costs to much for a dog id rather use a 22 lr on public land and call them in 20 yards and get head shot and have 1 hole instead of 40 or 50 so if a 22 lr can do it i know a 17hmr can at close range im just wondering if anyone has used the Savage version of the 17hmr's and what they think of them... thnx for the critisizing though

Plush,
 
I kinda wonder why you asked this question in the first place?  You're already convinced that it'll work, or appear to be, so why ask for the advice of experienced callers?
 
Like I said earlier, just go get an HMR and find out for yourself.
 
There's really no need to argue about it, unless that was the intent of starting this thread?  This subject can be found on every board that I know of that has anything to do with coyotes and/or the HMR, and every thread I've read has a lot of conflict in it.  If you just want to argue, maybe you should try one of them.
 
Take care,
Daryl

Read carefully iam saying SAVAGE and MARLIN does anyone have experience with the different brands of hmr's and know which one theyd prefer more thats what my question is and whats the trigger pull like ect.... thats what my last statement says if you read it carefully.... its asking about the quality of the gun alone not the cartridge