.17 HMR for Coyotes?

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One Eyed Fat Man

New member
Ok, first let me say I have two AR-15's in .223 that I will most likely use most of the time for predators including coyotes, however, I'm in the market for a rimfire with some punch and like what I read regarding the .17 HMR. It appears to be a bit better all around option vs the 22 mag. So I came here to ask the experts their opinion on the .17 HMR as a coyote round. I'll be hunting in woodlands and fields in the Southeast US but most likely will NOT be taking any shots over 100-125 yards. What do you say?
 
I’m no “expert” by any means, but I’ll bite… The general consensus is NO, it isn’t a good choice for coyotes. The overwhelming majority of experienced, successful predator hunters agree that the 17hmr is not a good choice for a coyote rifle. Volumes upon volumes of conversation and arguing on this very question is available at your fingertips just by doing an internet search on the subject.

My personal thoughts… You already own a much better option in the 223. Unless you are legally bound by game laws to use a rimfire for coyotes I would suggest you take the 223. If you are legally bound by game laws to use a rimfire I would suggest a 22WMR or 17WSM. I believe a Shotgun with 4 buck or similar would be a better choice but obviously a short range option. The hmr can and will get it done if you do your part but there’s not much room for error. Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
I've killed a few with the .17HMR and quite a few with the .22mag and several with the .17wsm. I take head and neck shots only using a .22mag. Lost two and both were shots to the body. I'm positive they died but I didn't find them.

I'll say this for rimfires. Out to 150 yards a .17wsm smokes the other two. Not even a close comparison. The only one I ever had to shoot twice was with the 15 grain offering in that cartridge and it was around 200 yards when I shot it. First shot hit it in the neck. Second hit was above an eyeball. But it definitely wasn't going anywhere after the first hit. That first one jacked it up fiercely bad. I've killed 99% of them with hits behind the shoulder. A few ran 25 yards or so. The first one I ever shot with it was at 150 yards. The bullet made it completely through one side of the rib cage and out the other. Double lung shot.

There are better options. Definitely a .223 is better. But if you must shoot a rimfire there's no reason to jack with weak sauce. Get the WSM.

Between the .17HMR and .22mag the .22mag is the winner inside of 100 yards. I've killed over 100 badgers with rimfires. They're hefty animals but I've had way more one shot kills with the .22mag .17HMR is poopy for anything bigger than a jackrabbit. Anything bigger and you have to have a perfect shot or it's going to run off. I shot a big boar raccoon directly in the chest with the .17HMR once from about 45 yards and it ran off to die in a junk pile. It only happened once because I try not to make the same mistakes twice. For shootin prairie dogs and skunks it's fine. If it's over 10 pounds I want more power.
 
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One Eyed Fat Man said:
Thanks for the comments. I’ve read the .17 WSM can be difficult to find.
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At times it is but it can be found on GunBroker and things like that. I know it's easier to find than a coyote that's ran 1/2 a mile wounded when the fur market is up and the temperature is down. I've had days like that. I don't worry about cost or availability if it'll make putting a coyote in the back of the truck easier. Might cost a little more on the internet but ain't none of it cheap really. The days of good priced ammo are long gone.
 
It’s all fun and games until the first one you shoot at runs and then you’re going right back to your 223. Been there did it done it. All the choices you mentioned will kill a coyote, but a lot of times they run after the shot and they go a long ways. I called in a red fox last year and shot it with a 30 grain Vmax. I’m sure if I had a clear shot I probably would’ve dropped it. Shot it at about 25 yards and I didn’t have a clear shot. It’s spun around and ran. I pumped a few more rounds at it. I followed the blood trail for about 350 yards until it ran out. I didn’t know a red fox could bleed that much! It even climbed up a tree about 30 feet and jumped out. There was enough blood on the ground for three foxes with the trail. I can’t believe I didn’t find that thing! I still would take it out again calling, but I have my doubts unless I get a close shot. That’s completely clear which doesn’t happen in real hunting scenarios in my woods.

my fault I should’ve never took the shot because it wasn’t a clear shot so I blame it all on me anyways and not the caliber. Here’s a tree it climbed about 300 yards away from where I shot it. I never knew red fox climb trees… straight up trees that is. it must’ve been a good 30 feet plus up into that tree and then jumped out. There was blood up all the way to where the tree bent where it was sitting up there, and then it jumped out. The blood trail only went about 20 more yards and dried up. There was snow, so I had easy tracking until I got to that point. They’re also were two big bald eagles, circling above, so I’m wondering if one came down and grabbed it while I was tracking it?


 
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