22lr, 22 magnum or 17 hmr

[PossumSlayer]

I respect this community's advice on hunting... so I'm looking for overall best as far as availablility of ammo for small game predator ammo I've got a hundred rounds of 22lr but am starting to feel like a decent 17hmr could change my mind or should I go 22 mag.?.?
I'm going to check my local Tuesday and see which ammo they get more often .

 

[cbpedigo21]

I have seen .22 mag ammo several places, where there was no .22 lr or .17 HMR ammo

 

[Jcalder]

Add the 17wsm to your list. I have no idea about availability tho

 

[KPH]

I like the 22 mag but it is a little costly

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I bought a .17 hmr a couple years ago when there was a scare on .22 ammo. It's one of my favorite guns.

 

[Remington700]

I like 22 mags. I have an old Marlin 25mn I love to small game hunt with.

 

[mike243]

I bought a 17hmr in a Nef rifle when it first came out, very accurate but a lot slower to reload than a bolt gun, love my marlin 22 mag more for squirrel hunting due to reloading time, fun guns to hunt with and nice to have choices

 

[hillbillyfab]

I don't own nor have I ever shot the .17, but can say that I see ammo for it sitting on shelves before the others over the past few months.

 

[ImThere]

I want a 22 tcm! Lol

 

[Mtncur76]

The 17 HMR is very accurate to 100yrds + as long as the wind not blowing real fun to shoot with no recoil can see your hits. 22 mag is more accurate in wind with the heavier bullet 22 lr is on the bottom of list on speed and accuracy but all around good shooter

 

[2in1shot]

22 Mag hands down for small game.

 

[RUGER]

I like 22 mags. I have an old Marlin 25mn I love to small game hunt with.

I have one of those as well.
Believe I got it for Christmas, from my wife, in 1990.

I absolutely LOVE shooting my .17 though.
One word of advice, if you plan on eating the squirrel you better hit them in the head if you use the .17.
Amazing the damage it does.

 

[Grill-n-man]

If looking for something for squirrels to coyotes it will be 22mag or 17hmr. I prefer the 17. With either head shots on small game you want to eat. Pro of 22mag is heavier bullet pro for the 17 is speed Both get the job done. Ammo is a 50/50. I've seen availability equal between the 2 but it's like just about all ammo, pot luck.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Over all, it's hard to beat a 22lr. Yes, the 22 mag and 17 hmr are going to give you more range, but do you really need it? The 17wsm beats all of them..and it's not even close, but do you really need it for squirrel hunting? You weren't very specific about your intended use, so not much more I can say. If yotes are your main target, I would go 17wsm, 22 mag, 17 hmr...in that order. If squirrel...22 lr. The rest do to much damage. As to ammo availability..it's all out there if you want to pay for it.

 

[Crow Terminator]

I gave the 17 HMR and 22 Mag a good lengthy field test. I never shot anything larger than a groundhog/opossum with them but hands down, the 22 Mag out performed the 17. I found the 17 to be very unpredictable in what it did after the bullet struck the animal. Using the Hornady Vmax ammo for both. Some groundhogs, the 17 would hit and cause the most gruesome wound channel that you could imagine. And then on another one, the groundhog barely have a hole and run off and die. With the 22 Mag, those particular bullets were pretty much the same result for everything I shot...everything had a quarter to half dollar size wound channel and never took another step. There's also a bigger variety of bullets for the 22 Mag asides from the Vmax. I sold my 17 and haven't missed it at all.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Or....do like I did...buy a CZ 457 and all the barrels. You're covered for all your needs..

 

[Displaced_Vol]

Or....do like I did...buy a CZ 457 and all the barrels. You're covered for all your needs..

Exactly what I was going to suggest.
they make the American combo that comes with .22lr & .17 hmr barrels. Easy to change them out.
Got mine last summer and still haven't gotten around to getting a scope on it but it is a sweet feeling & looking gun.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Exactly what I was going to suggest.
they make the American combo that comes with .22lr & .17 hmr barrels. Easy to change them out.
Got mine last summer and still haven't gotten around to getting a scope on it but it is a sweet feeling & looking gun.

I went with heavy barrels, and a Boyd's spike camp stock.

 

[PossumSlayer]

Wife picked new couches.

 

[Tenntrapper]

Wife picked new couches.

Lol..