poole93
Senior Member
Looking at buying one of the two for using on wmas during small game. Pros and cons?
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17 hmr or 22 mag
- Thread starter poole93
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Big7
The Oracle
.22 WMR all day. I'd even take a .22 LR over a .17.
No pro's for .17 on hogs. IMO.
No pro's for .17 on hogs. IMO.
Danny Leigh
GONetwork Member
Have a 22 mag and prefer to take the muzzle loader.
bany
Senior Member
Never shot a 17. I can assure you a 22mag 30gr placed between the ear hole and eye hole results in DRT!
.22 mag, definitely. I'm just not a fan of the .17-it's the same caliber as a bb gun and is a one-trick pony. The .22 mag will give you a much bigger and more versatile selection of ammo, from light, flat-shooting polymer-tipped bullets to heavier jacketed softpoints.
bfriendly
Bigfoot friendly
.22 mag lover here too.......plenty flat enough at 100 and ammo is no longer an issue.....lots more energy than the .17
Killer Kyle
Senior Member
Neither. .50 Cal muzzleloader. Packs a punch. Also, in the winter furbearer season, you can use a centerfire rifle unless your WMA specifies otherwise. If you absolutely MUST buy a peashooter, buy a .22 mag. The heavier bullet will make a difference.
frankwright
Senior Member
I have killed several DRT with a .22 magnum to the head. If I was starting over (and still might) I would get a 17 WSM like my hunting partner has. It is unbelievably accurate and deadly on pigs.
He has the plain old Savage but put a real nice Boyd's stock on it to make a nice looking gun.
He has the plain old Savage but put a real nice Boyd's stock on it to make a nice looking gun.
jiminbogart
TCU Go Frawgs !
17 WSM. I just got a Bmag. http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/B.MagTarget
jiminbogart
TCU Go Frawgs !
Ballistics:
17 WSM
20 gr 3,000 feet per second 400 foot pounds energy
25 gr 2,600 FPS, 375 ft lbs
22 Mag
28gr 2,200 FPS, 301 ft lbs
17 WSM only comes in 20 gr & 25 gr.
28 gr 22 Mag was the closest I found via Google.
17 WSM
20 gr 3,000 feet per second 400 foot pounds energy
25 gr 2,600 FPS, 375 ft lbs
22 Mag
28gr 2,200 FPS, 301 ft lbs
17 WSM only comes in 20 gr & 25 gr.
28 gr 22 Mag was the closest I found via Google.
Killer Kyle
Senior Member
Y'all's ballistics and energy figures still can't hold a candle to a .50 Cal muzzleloader with a 300-400 gr bullet and 100 grains of powder. A .50 cal ML will smoke an 800 lb elk easy peasy, but y'all are shooting small game weapons meant for squirrels and mice. I cant figure out why. Forget the stuff with 400 ft/lbs energy and go with big lead, and big powder. If you shoot a hog in the head with a .50 Cal ML at 60 yards, you will slap flip that sucker upside down. ,1,000 lbs energy. A .17 or .22 can't do that. Never could,never will.
One thing to consider: you might want marksmanship practice. If you shoot a hog anywhere but the boiler room / bullseye with a .17, well, you basically just shot it with a BB gun. If you smack it in the neck with a .50 cal sabot, it will only go 18".....straight down. A .50 cal will plow through a big boar hog like he just got hit by a train. A misplaced shot by a .17 or a .22 will just feel like a flea bite, and he'll stop and scratch it after he laughs at you.
One thing to consider: you might want marksmanship practice. If you shoot a hog anywhere but the boiler room / bullseye with a .17, well, you basically just shot it with a BB gun. If you smack it in the neck with a .50 cal sabot, it will only go 18".....straight down. A .50 cal will plow through a big boar hog like he just got hit by a train. A misplaced shot by a .17 or a .22 will just feel like a flea bite, and he'll stop and scratch it after he laughs at you.
jiminbogart
TCU Go Frawgs !
Agreed, but I also use a bow addition to the smoke pole and 17WSM.
Your argument would stand up against sling' arrows and where is the fun in that?
Besides, if your gonna be shootin' squirrels on the same hunt a 400 grain Buffalo Bullet makes a mess of them.
Agreed on all counts if you're specifically hog hunting. But I think the main deal is that a lot of people like to actually small game hunt, but be prepared if they see a hog while doing so. A .22 mag will work on a hog, but a .50 doesn't work too well on a squirrel or rabbit.
bowhunterdavid
Senior Member
I have a 22 mag and a 17 hmr , from the results i have seen on the little 17 is amazing, Sugar Ray Lynard was small but he was one bad dude to. It will drive tacks at a 100 yards and hogs shot in the head dont know what hit them. Its a little rough on the squirrels though.
poole93
Senior Member
I'm mainly looking for something for hogs during small game season which looks to be like the muzzleloader would be the go to weapon, I have several private places to take the shotgun or 22 lr for squirrel and rabbits that don't have any hogs, I wasn't aware of being able to use the muzzleloader for small game
GunnSmokeer
Senior Member
I would not compare the ballistics of a .17 to a .22 magnum with the bigger caliber loaded with a lighter than standard bullet.
Give me a full 40-grain HP or soft-point projectile.
Then, run the kinetic energy at typical hunting distances. Say, 25 yards and 100 yards. I think that's reasonable.
At the muzzle, a 40-grain .22 WMR exits at 1900 f.p.s. and should give you about 325 ft. / lbs. energy.
I can't find any 25-yd. data.
At 100 yards, that .22 mag load is down to 165 foot/ lbs.
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The .17 HMR with the little 17-grain starts out at 2,550 fps, but by 100 yards its down to 1900, the same velocity as what the bigger caliber had from the muzzle.
But due to the tiny bullet, the energy isn't the same. 17 grains at 2,550 f.p.s. is only 245 foot/pounds.
Out at 100 yards, you're down to 136 foot/ pounds.
.22 WMR wins the energy battle due to the much heavier bullet.
Give me a full 40-grain HP or soft-point projectile.
Then, run the kinetic energy at typical hunting distances. Say, 25 yards and 100 yards. I think that's reasonable.
At the muzzle, a 40-grain .22 WMR exits at 1900 f.p.s. and should give you about 325 ft. / lbs. energy.
I can't find any 25-yd. data.
At 100 yards, that .22 mag load is down to 165 foot/ lbs.
**********************
The .17 HMR with the little 17-grain starts out at 2,550 fps, but by 100 yards its down to 1900, the same velocity as what the bigger caliber had from the muzzle.
But due to the tiny bullet, the energy isn't the same. 17 grains at 2,550 f.p.s. is only 245 foot/pounds.
Out at 100 yards, you're down to 136 foot/ pounds.
.22 WMR wins the energy battle due to the much heavier bullet.
southGAlefty
Senior Member
I recently got a Savage A22 Magnum to hunt small game/hogs with on WMAs. Its a tack-driver, though I have had some issues with it reliably cycling. I definitely don't feel under-gunned with it.
BowArrow
Senior Member
Bought a Savage 22 B Mag today to shoot hogs at Fort Stewart. Hog weapons legal on the Post vary almost month to month and to areas you hunt. Any time hog season is in and that is all year except during turkey season, the 22 Mag will be legal in all gun areas including the shotgun areas. The 22 Mag was recommended over the 17 by friends (gunsmith) and gun shop owner. Hope to get it ready and registered at Fort Stewart by May 15.
