.17hmr vs .22wmr

[tony2]

at the moment i am using a .22lr cz 452 for rabbits normaly sitting 50 yds off a warren but now the harvest has started i would like to get a rifle which i can use whilst lamping and take the rabbits a bit further out on the stubble fields .

i would like some advice on which would be the better gun or should i stick with the rifle i have and use some thing like stingers to get the range.

the choice is between .17 hmr or .22 wmr .

regards tony

[casts_by_fly]

how far is further out?

 

If you're only talking about rabbits and want to push beyond 100 yd, then the HMR will be the ticket. The WMR has the advantage over the HMR in energy on target. The HMR has trajectory and in more cases than not accuracy. You don't need the energy on target, but the velocity is nice and gives you more point blank range.

 

If you are shooting rabbits and crows, then the HMR wins hands down.

 

thanks

rick

[Evilv]

how far is further out?

 

If you're only talking about rabbits and want to push beyond 100 yd, then the HMR will be the ticket. The WMR has the advantage over the HMR in energy on target. The HMR has trajectory and in more cases than not accuracy. You don't need the energy on target, but the velocity is nice and gives you more point blank range.

 

If you are shooting rabbits and crows, then the HMR wins hands down.

 

thanks

rick

 

Excellent answer.

 

Never shot an HMR, but had lots of experience with 22lr and WMR. WMR was a revelation after the LR, pretty flat and 'most devastating' as Mr Burns might have said, but the HMR is very much flatter and has plenty of violence in it at a good range. Look at these figures I just got out of the free ballistics programme Point Blank:

 

Ballistic Coeff: 0.123

Bullet Weight: 17

Velocity: 2550

Target Distance: 110

Scope Height: 1.500

Temperature: 70

Altitude: 500

 

Ballistic Data

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Range Elevation Velocity Energy ETA Drop Max Y 10mph Wind Deflect

0 yds -1.50 in 2550 fps 245 fpe 0.000 sec 0.00 in -1.50 in 0.00 in

25 yds -0.42 in 2381 fps 214 fpe 0.030 sec 0.17 in -0.56 in 0.16 in

50 yds 0.26 in 2220 fps 186 fpe 0.063 sec 0.73 in -0.41 in 0.75 in

75 yds 0.51 in 2064 fps 161 fpe 0.098 sec 1.73 in -0.13 in 1.74 in

100 yds 0.26 in 1914 fps 138 fpe 0.136 sec 3.23 in 0.29 in 3.15 in

125 yds -0.60 in 1772 fps 119 fpe 0.176 sec 5.34 in 0.91 in 5.17 in

150 yds -2.18 in 1639 fps 101 fpe 0.221 sec 8.17 in 1.77 in 7.80 in

175 yds -4.52 in 1513 fps 86 fpe 0.268 sec 11.75 in 2.89 in 10.95 in

200 yds -7.84 in 1398 fps 74 fpe 0.320 sec 16.33 in 4.37 in 14.85 in

 

 

Being able to just put the cross on the target area and know that between 25 and 125 yards it is within half an inch up or down from your cross hairs is a great asset in my opinion.

 

I can't wait to pick up my HMR in the next few days and get 'cracking' with it.

 

By the way, I think the ammo is similarly expensive for HMR and WMR too, so no advantage much either way on that one. I still expect to do a lot of donkey work with my CZ 22LR because of cost when there are a lot of rabbits about like now, but the HMR will really come into its own in the autumn and winter when they get a bit more grown up and shy. I'll probably stop buying the stingers now for longer ranges - HMR will do for them. I've had a lot of fun trying out the stingers though - they really pack a wallop out to 80 yards or so. After that, they aren't accurate enough, at least in my hands, to be sure I get them in the right spot for an instant kill. The main reason for this might be that they're blown about quite badly and it is rarely still on my best shoots.

Edited July 29, 2008 by Evilv

[casts_by_fly]

mine was sighted for a 130 yd zero and was +/- 1" out to 160. Only time I had to watch anything was at the 80-ish yard mark when I was 1" high so that I didn't shoot over the top on head shots.

 

Thanks

Rick