WSM v HMR

[Bayou City Boy]

I don't mind the 18.5" barrels on my laminated stock 17 WSM and 17 Hornet rifles. I'm mostly a hunter at heart and the shorter barrels make for very compact rifles.

OT here maybe, but I love the handling characteristics of my factory original 18" barreled Sako carbine chambered in 7MM Mag that I hunt with. I'm not as fond of the fuss that occurs when you pull the trigger on it, but it gets the job done. I have a friend in Wyoming who has the same Sako chambered in 338 Win Mag. It's a brutal noise maker that spouts flames at high noon on a sunny day

In addition, with smaller cased 17 caliber rifles used for pd shooting, I prefer to walk around the edges of a dog town and sit down occasionally to shoot an area versus camping behind a shooting table at a fixed location.

For me, shooting tables go with larger case 17 and 20 caliber rifles plus zippy 22 caliber rifles where the goal is to "reach out yonder".

JMO - BCB

[jimreed1948]

Originally Posted by Wiserfool

I don't own a WSM, but have shot a CZ 453 in HMR for a decade or so. I considered the WSM for a long while, even borrowing a buddy's Savage B-Mag for a live fire trial. I decided that as the HMR reaches it's useful range, I have a quiver of centerfires that pick up where it leaves off. Due to the known issues of the rifles chambered in 17 WSM, coupled with the almost inevitable ammo shortages that low popularity rimfires suffer from, I decided I was good with an HMR and a few quality 22 LR's, backed up by a bunch of accurate small bore centerfires.

I think that is a very wise choice.

[barretcreek]

Thank you, all. Think the money will go to either a Hornet if I can find one or a Douglas barrel for one of the orphans.

[moorepower]

I think CZ blew it by not building the 527 into a WSM. What is really sad is the .17H has almost no rifles left offering it. It really has a lot to offer for small varmints.

[JDHasty]

Originally Posted by Bayou City Boy

I don't mind the 18.5" barrels on my laminated stock 17 WSM and 17 Hornet rifles. I'm mostly a hunter at heart and the shorter barrels make for very compact rifles.

OT here maybe, but I love the handling characteristics of my factory original 18" barreled Sako carbine chambered in 7MM Mag that I hunt with. I'm not as fond of the fuss that occurs when you pull the trigger on it, but it gets the job done. I have a friend in Wyoming who has the same Sako chambered in 338 Win Mag. It's a brutal noise maker that spouts flames at high noon on a sunny day

In addition, with smaller cased 17 caliber rifles used for pd shooting, I prefer to walk around the edges of a dog town and sit down occasionally to shoot an area versus camping behind a shooting table at a fixed location.

For me, shooting tables go with larger case 17 and 20 caliber rifles plus zippy 22 caliber rifles where the goal is to "reach out yonder".

JMO - BCB

My buddy and I shot north of 200 rockchucks a couple weekends ago with our CZ Americans in 17 Hornet. What we have found is that after about 225 yards the 20 grain tipped bullets don't open reliably. The HP bullets are good out to 275 and have pretty much the same POI up close but drop a lot more on longer shots. Both are equally accurate though.



I'm not sure what muzzle velocity you are getting out of an 18.5 inch barrel and/or what your requirements are, but for the shooting we do we are not comfortable giving up a couple hundred FPS.

We had a guy join us who had an ~18 inch barreled rifle, shooting factory ammo he just wasn't able to keep up.

[Bill K]

So JD you are saying, that beyond a certain range, your 17 hornet and the 20 grain allowed those chucks you hit, to go off and die in the den ?
Or how did you know they did not open reliably ? Would dead be dead, even if it made it inside the animal and it was killed, even if it did not blow them to bits ? Just curious.

You must also have a very big crop of chucks, to allow you to kill north of 200 and still leave some for seed, for another day and season, right ?

[GLWenzl]

The HMR is neat and dear to my heart but that said, seems like it gets jumped over… I seem to go from the 17 HM2 to the WSM. The WSM would get used even more of it was an auto loader

Since I got rid of my 17 CCM the WSM kind of filled that void.

RF for me are best in an semi auto rifle where I don’t worry as much of I lose a few pieces of brass.

I’m still waiting on the 20 WSM

[Bayou City Boy]

Originally Posted by JDHasty

My buddy and I shot north of 200 rockchucks a couple weekends ago with our CZ Americans in 17 Hornet. What we have found is that after about 225 yards the 20 grain tipped bullets don't open reliably. The HP bullets are good out to 275 and have pretty much the same POI up close but drop a lot more on longer shots. Both are equally accurate though.



I'm not sure what muzzle velocity you are getting out of an 18.5 inch barrel and/or what your requirements are, but for the shooting we do we are not comfortable giving up a couple hundred FPS.

We had a guy join us who had an ~18 inch barreled rifle, shooting factory ammo he just wasn't able to keep up.

Lol... Please don't lose any sleep over me not being "able to keep up". I wouldn't be using the 17 WSM or even the 17 H on rock chucks at extended ranges.. I was talking about 150 yards and less distance on PD's with the 17 WSM while walking the fringes of a dog town.

I own far too many guns, but more than just a couple are great at shooting rock chucks "way out yonder", far beyond 275 yards. I'm old and I've never seen rock chucks "herded up" in the hundreds for shooting in one weekend. Do you use a call? Or are they grain fed? And was the "what we have found" a new revelation" about the 17 H?

Just curious........

-BCB

[Bayou City Boy]

Originally Posted by GLWenzl

The HMR is neat and dear to my heart but that said, seems like it gets jumped over… I seem to go from the 17 HM2 to the WSM. The WSM would get used even more of it was an auto loader

Since I got rid of my 17 CCM the WSM kind of filled that void.

RF for me are best in an semi auto rifle where I don’t worry as much of I lose a few pieces of brass.

I’m still waiting on the 20 WSM

Good post, Gary. It puts the 17 WSM into the proper perspective where maybe it trunps other RF cartridges. It won't ever replace CF cartridge loaded to higher pressures with significant increases in velocity and range in most cases. And everyone has valid opinions on what is best for them.

Me too on the 20 WSM.........

I hope that all is well at your house....

-BCB

[Bill K]

Idea... 17, 20 & 22 Hornets. That would be a good team, for covering a lot of shooting yardage. And being reloadable, just about as cheap, maybe even more so than a 17 WSM. Thoughts ?