22LR vs 17M2 vs 22MAG vs 17HMR What's your favorite rimfire?

skydiver386 · Nov 2, 2026

As much as I love shooting and hunting with the 22LR, it seems like the newer 17's are so much easier to squeeze accuracy from. I've owned several very nice Kimber, Anschutz, and Volquartzen rimfires, but even the inexpensive Savage and CZ rifles with decent 17 cal ammo seem to be more accurate.

Bullet design and quality is likely the main contributing factor in accuracy of rimfires. The 17 cal bullets are more like a jacketed center-fire bullet, where the , 22LR and 22Mag are less sophisticated designs with a thin copper plating.

As much as I love the 22 MAG, the only rifle that ever shot less than an inch at 50 yards was an Anschutz with very hard to find RWS ammo.

I'll always have a spot on the gun shelf for a 22. A while back my cousin brought a box of Remington Mohawk 22LR with a price tag of 59 cents from Gold Circle stores.

What's your favorite rimfire for tree rats, woodchucks and cotton tails?

deewayne2003 · Nov 2, 2026

This Ruger M77/22 All weather .22WMR is a tool that is more than the sum of its parts.

With a quality 40gr sp this rifle is much more capable than one would imagine for shoulder shots and head shots alike on large pigs.

It fills that pig hunting niche when I’m guiding people that are pig hunting during deer season in Oklahoma, if you want to hunt during an open rifle or muzzleloader deer season you must be in possession of an open or filled deer tag for that season or use rim fire.

The out of state rifle license is $710 - so the .22mag makes it cost effective to take companions hunting after the main hunter tagged out.

On the other hand the .17hmr with suppressor was to good to turn down this weekend for a tagged out hunter from another guide…. He shot a hog in the head at 100yds and it ran off squealing into woods the never to be seen again.

Wade J VanGinkel · Nov 2, 2026

I have a sako quad in 17hmr that has taken away almost all desire to use a .22 anymore.

Ndczerwinski · Nov 2, 2026

Tikka T1X in 17 HMR basically is the only rimfire I use given a choice. I have others but there is no reason for me to use anything else.

Have taken prairie dogs out to 300 yds with it. Hard to not use it!

Firebird · Nov 2, 2026

17 hmr from an inexpensive savage rifle. My kids all learn how to use a scope with this little rifle and then move up from there. Ammo can be expensive but has always been available and never a deal breaker. A very accurate little pkg, lots of fun to shoot and I do use it for small varmints but for more serious hunting I prefer to step up to my .223

Sabre · Nov 2, 2026

I have quite a few 22LR and a few 17HMR. The most accurate ones have been the Bergara BMR and Tikka T1X. They are both fantastic accuracy and fun to shoot.

Tintin · Nov 2, 2026

I like the CZ 457 - can easily (and economically) swap barrels and magazines between .17HMR, .22LR and .22 WMR. Maybe it's the poor man's Sako Quad.

Despite having the options, I still use .22LR for rabbits almost all the time.

Here's the Steyr Zephyr II .22LR getting it done. Also shot a fox with it last week.

Schüler Jumbo · Nov 2, 2026

Magnum Research Switchbolt .22LR. Super Star of Rimfire Steel Challenge Speed Shoot.

rookhawk · Nov 2, 2026

skydiver386 said:
As much as I love shooting and hunting with the 22LR, it seems like the newer 17's are so much easier to squeeze accuracy from. I've owned several very nice Kimber, Anschutz, and Volquartzen rimfires, but even the inexpensive Savage and CZ rifles with decent 17 cal ammo seem to be more accurate.

Bullet design and quality is likely the main contributing factor in accuracy of rimfires. The 17 cal bullets are more like a jacketed center-fire bullet, where the , 22LR and 22Mag are less sophisticated designs with a thin copper plating.

As much as I love the 22 MAG, the only rifle that ever shot less than an inch at 50 yards was an Anschutz with very hard to find RWS ammo.

I'll always have a spot on the gun shelf for a 22. A while back my cousin brought a box of Remington Mohawk 22LR with a price tag of 59 cents from Gold Circle stores.

What's your favorite rimfire for tree rats, woodchucks and cotton tails?

The 22lr has incredible versatility and can do many things inside of 75 yards well. For 75 yards to 130 yards, it is really hard to beat the 17hmr. I own both. My 17hmr is semi-custom and it can shoot baby aspirins glued to cocktail straws at 100 yards, something my 22lrs cannot. It can easily kill fox/raccoon with a body shot and coyote with a head shot at 130 yards, something a 22lr cannot.

The 17hm2 was a flash in the pan to allow a higher velocity 17 cal bullet to be shot from a modified 10/22 via a barrel swap. It lacks the power to go with the velocity, making it worse than a 22lr and a 17hmr.

The 22 mag is not really known for accuracy or versaitility, its really a trapper's rifle for making a small hole at close range with minimal pelt damage. I find it inferior to the 22lr and the 17hmr.

Just my opinions. If you need more power than a 22lr at a range over 75 yards, get a 17hmr. If you need more than both or either, get a 22-250.

JG26Irish_2 · Nov 2, 2026

I love all the rimfires and with some effort you can wring some stunning accuracy from them. My favorite caliber is still the 22lr but I love the 17 Mach 2 as well. I have a Sako Quad custom that was made by GA Precision with McMillain A5 stock that runs a Lilja Match 22lr bbl and I had Carson at Lilja spin me up a 17M2 bbl to use when 22 is not enough. The rifle is special. It was one of 49 numbered rifles all built to the same basic spec but no two are identical. i.e Color, bbl length, threaded muzzle or not, etc. They are all snowflakes with no two alike. They are also very accurate. From a bench I can hit 1/2" dum dum suckers with mine from 100y. To pull this off every shot must fall 100% inside of a 1" ring. Try that with your centerfire rifles. It is not that easy to do.

The rifle is heavy but makes a great trainer for Safari Prep. I set up Dum Dums at 35y and shoot them off the quad sticks. I try to hit five with five shots each day leading up to an important hunt. This is roughly equivalent to shooting a 3" kill zone from 200y.

mdwest · Nov 2, 2026

Im an old school 22 LR guy.. but I have to admit Ive been coveting a 22 WMR lately and may buy one soon..

MontanaGrant · Nov 2, 2026

They all hve their place in my arsenal.

For gophers/ground squirrels it’s hard to beat .22LR for the sheer amount of rounds being shot.

.17 is good for reach on the smaller varmints along with being FAR less likely to ricochet than its .22 siblings.

And .22 magnum has more punch for the slightly larger game use such as Fox, coyotes etc.

jomw10 · Nov 2, 2026

It really depend what I want to do.

If I just want to practice trigger control, wind call, etc. I go with my TX1 in 22LR subsonic with a silencer. My hunting rifles are TX3 so this gives me a lot of trigger time for little money!.

If I want to hunt, then I take my savage in 17HMR, that thing is accurate and lethal!.

Flbt · Nov 2, 2026

22 magnum hands down.
I like the mag in a rifle. Have shot hogs with it .
But I really like it in handguns I have had a single 6 since I was 10.
I bought it with my 4-h steer weight gain money. Payed 70$ for it a holster a few boxes of 22 mag ammo ( they could not fine the lr cylinder)
I liked it because out of the s6 it still had the power or close to the power of the 22lr out of a rifle.

I took a liking to the 40gr fmj
It did not mess up small game like the hp or jsp. And the jsp really didn’t open very well out of the handgun.
And it would work on things bigger than the 22 mag was really for.

And it was a wonder on soft shell and snapper turtles.

uplander01 · Nov 2, 2026

I keep an Anshutz medium sporter 22LR suppressed w/zeiss 1.25-4 safari scope using CCI Quiet ammo in the dining room ready for cull activities at all times. I have killed more Chipmunks, Squirrels, Rabbits, and the occasional Coyote than I could ever count over the last 10 years or so......

Gomer · Nov 2, 2026

I’m a 22LR guy. It’s cheap to shoot and does fine for whatever I would hunt with a rimfire. I’m also fond of the 17HMR, but I don’t shoot far enough, often enough, to really need it. By then, the 223 gets the nod. If I lived near a decent population of ground squirrels, I would choose 17HMR.

Tdsmith517 · Nov 2, 2026

I like probably most people here have a good selection of.22lr’s including a Ruger 10/22 that I have far too much money in

. But any time I need to dispatch a problem animal from coyote size down I grab my Savage 93 .22 wmr.

Grumpy gumpy · Nov 2, 2026

Favourite rimfire, 25 Steven’s long. Favourite practical rimfire, 17 hmr ( even if it is a stolen design by hornady) Favourite fun plinker is 22lr. It really depends on what the target animal is and at what distance. The 17wsm seems to be gaining some popularity with hunters who want a more powerful rimfire, I’ve not really tried one yet on live targets.
Gumpy

Sabre · Nov 2, 2026

uplander01 said:
I keep an Anshutz medium sporter 22LR suppressed w/zeiss 1.25-4 safari scope using CCI Quiet ammo in the dining room ready for cull activities at all times. I have killed more Chipmunks, Squirrels, Rabbits, and the occasional Coyote than I could ever count over the last 10 years or so......

22LR suppressed bolt action with CCI Quiet is the most fun to shoot. The firing pin hitting is louder than anything else.

Gomer said:
I’m a 22LR guy. It’s cheap to shoot and does fine for whatever I would hunt with a rimfire. I’m also fond of the 17HMR, but I don’t shoot far enough, often enough, to really need it. By then, the 223 gets the nod. If I lived near a decent population of ground squirrels, I would choose 17HMR.

I ended up getting into 17HMR only because I once found bulk ammo of it so cheap on a clearance I couldn't afford not to buy a ton of it and then get the rifle. It's a fun round.

jruby · Nov 2, 2026

I have never been impressed with the 17HMR. I have one but have never really used it. My logic is if I need something more substantial than a 22LR I will go to the 223 Remington or faster 22's. I grew up shooting fox squirrels back in Michigan with a 22LR. It does that job well.

22LR vs 17M2 vs 22MAG vs 17HMR What's your favorite rimfire?

skydiver386

deewayne2003

Wade J VanGinkel

Ndczerwinski

Firebird

Sabre

Tintin

Schüler Jumbo

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