Is one actually better than the other?

Are you talking .17 hmr or .17 win mag??

The .17 hmr, the dang near seem to be for the same purpose.

I’ve seen a lot of coyotes killed with both, same with coon. The little .17 is a neat little round.
I’ve got both, Nate.
Jim

The HMR is more accurate but lacks some of the knock down power of the .22 mag. I use both for raccoon calling and the .22 mag is the better choice for that purpose. You get a lot of running shots and putting it in the perfect spot is hard to do. The less than perfect shots still knock them out of the tree with the .22 mag, where with the 17hmr they can sometimes make it back in the hole. Now if you were looking to shoot 100+ yards and hit a setting squirrel in the left eye, go with the .17. It's good fox gun too. Neither are great for anything bigger than a coon IMO, but like the .22lr will get the job done with the right shot placement.

22 mag all day. I can't speak of my test records but trust me the 22 mag makes them deader faster.

22mag is a pig getter if you know where the off switch is and how to thread the bullet. It'll do the same on deer, or so I'm told but I know nothing about that. I do know that it and the 22lr will drop a beef as I've been part of the clean up crew on that one. I wouldn't even consider trying that with the go splat bullets that come in the 17.

I have both. They are both small caliber with limited energy which means that you need to depend on shot placement for dropping larger animals.
My 17 HMR is more accurate than my 22 mag,
The 17 HMR is significantly flatter shooting than a 22 mag, therefore more forgiving in terms of shot placement when moderate range estimation mistakes are made.
I started off with a 22 mag and am very impressed with what a well placed shot will do.
The same can be said about the 17 HMR. I just find it easier to make that well placed shot with the 17 HMR.
Now having said all this, if I had a cranky old neighbor who has only owned one rifle in his life and it was a 22 mag, I'd very likely ask him if I could mow his lawn for him just to stay on his good side.

All depends what you are going to use it for. I have a 22 mag.

I'm just curious, it seems there both used for the same critter's, and other than the .17 shooting slightly flatter there about the same. If a guy had his choice which would be his go to gun if a fox coon or other critter was in your chickens/garden and it was now or never.

.22mag 100% for that application.

HMR lacks the knockdown power accuracy yes but stopping power no. IMO

I’ve probably killed close to 100 pigs 40 or 50 coyotes and 20 or so fox with my little Ruger youth 22 mag. I shoot the v-max varmint rounds and most of my shots are one shot kills,