Looking at buying one, is it pretty effective on coyotes out to 75 to 100 yards? I'm not a reloader, so what would be the factory shell of choice for those that shoot one often? Would like to hear any other pro's or con's about them. Thanks

With so may fine cartridges out there, why would one settle for something as marginal as the HMR for that particular job ?? You don't have to reload. They sell ready rolled 204, 223 and a whole bunch of others in shops and online everywhere.

IMO not enough bullet weight to do the job right, will it drop a yote sure will you lose more then you want to yes! Better options out there the .17 is a tack driver on a calm day but not a killing round by any standard. Get a .223 and your options are endless and they are reasonable in price.

don't buy a necked down 22 mag rim fire and call it a coyote gun.

Short of perfect shot placement the .17hmr is not a reliable coyote round. I use it for coon calling with pretty good success but even then its not even as good as .22 mag, which is not a good coyote round either. Stick with a .223 for cheap ammo and reliability on coyotes.

unless you hunt someplace where it is not safe or legal to use a center fire rifle...

22 hornet will work out to 100 yards if you shoot careful. shooting coyotes though its much more often than not you don't get to shoot careful. you shoot quick or you don't take a shot. 223 is lots better. use the hornet for fox. if a centerfire is to dangerous to use buy some 3 inch 12 gauge #4 buckshot. pattern your shotgun to determine range. need to be able to get 4 balls in the chest area. a target about the size of a paper plate used for a piece of birthday cake

Agree with the others...for coyotes, move up to a center fire with a little more umph. I own and love my .17 hmr for up to groundhog size varmints. Savage with a bull barrel is a tack driver. Head shots, no crawl offs. It would handle an occasional coyote in the right circumstances but not my choice for a coyote gun.

Thanks for the replies everyone. My thoughts were that it would be a truck gun, an double as the starter scope gun for my girls. They shoot an open sight .22 a little and instead of putting a scope on it, I could get some use out of the .17 and it would be low recoil enough that we may avoid stitches to the eye or nose when they got ready for a scoped gun.

I've shot coyotes off the back deck when they decide to parade in the back yard at 75 yards. It works but they aren't hit n drop unless you head shoot.

It really depends on the shooter if a 17HMR is a yote gun. If you have steady nerves and are quick on the aim it works fine out to 200yrds on a calm day. A little breeze and it is a 100yrd gun. I have actually started carrying my 17 over my 22-250 the last couple of years on the trap line, but most shots around here are under 200. Shot placement is the key and it isn't for everyone. A good heart/lung shot with the V-max will drop a cat or fox, but a yote will run 25yrds or so. This has been my experience, hope it helps.

Incorrect IMO. .17 hmr is almost irresponsible to use ethically as a coyote gun.




Kind of sounds like you have your mind already made up. A .223 has almost no recoil...

Why ask that Question seems your stuck on 17hmr . So buy it try it and then buy a bigger centerfire ,Lots have very little recoil and wont leave a half moon on your eye

Buy a semi auto-you'll drop em in 100yds if you know how to kill with a semi.5or6 in the lungs.
I know guys that kill wolves with semi 22rf.

I shoot an HMR nearly every day. I use it due to restrictions where I am. It is amazing what that little pill can do, even out to 250-300 yards. It can also be disappointing what it cannot do at less than 200 yards. It is all about shot placement. You need the time required to get a good rest and take a good shot. Coyotes do not offer that very often.
These factors also apply to centerfire guns. A good friend of mine uses a .204 Ruger for coyotes with a lot of success. He placed one shot in the chest which hit the humerus bone, but the coyote ran off as fast as a coyote can run. He found it 24 hours later, still very much alive. The bullet, while doing significant damage, did not make it into the chest cavity. Does that episode make it a bad choice for coyotes?

No sir. It means he is shooting the wrong bullets in his .204. The V-max bullets, though very accurate and very fast, often "splashes" on impact. Little penetration, lots of sewing.

Others can say what they will , but I have killed over 100 coyotes with my hmr, 17 grain hollow points. Head shots and neck shots are most effective and nearly every one just drops. I have laser confirmed kills past 200 yards, the farthest being 234 yards. For a fur friendly caliber that is cheap to shoot and multipurpose, this is a good investment. Now let the wildcatters and more power magnum guys blow volley ball sized holes in their critters, maybe they are better seamstresses than me.

Knowing how many runners a .17 hmr produces on just prairie dogs at even 75-100 yards, I’m gonna say, emphatically and enthusiastically, it is NOT a coyote gun.

Period. End of story.

My mind is not set on the .17, I was just thinking small caliber, small recoil for my girls to get used to when they get around to shooting a scoped gun. I am not a guy that shoots my guns very often. Other than my .22's I have a .243 and .300. I shoot them before season, to make sure scope is still on, then after season they are put back up. I set my limits on distance when I hunt. I won't even shoot at a deer more than a 150 yards away. That is why I asked if the .17 would do the job out between 75 and 100 yards on coyotes. If there out there further than that, it ain't worth shooting at in my opinion. Thanks again for the replies.

if the recoil of a 223 is to much they are not old enough to be shooting hi power. 223 has no recoil. its one of the reasons the military adopted it. a teen ager who has never held a firearm before can be taught to shoot easily. no flinching to overcome