I am considering buying a rifle in one of the Calibers. At this point in the decision making I am undecided as to which to go after.
I will mostly hunt squirells, rabbits, crows, groundhogs, feral&bobcats, foxes, opossums and coons?
Or just say eff it and get a .204 Ruger?

Get the 204 Ruger. I've got a CZ Varmit with the 25.5 inch tube on it. Great shooter and you can watch the bullets hit thru the scope. Once you get above groundhogs and into bobcats and foxes any of the rimfires are dead in the water past 50 yards. The 204 is good on bobcats and foxes well out to 400 yards.

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Bob from Idaho

Thanks Faucettb
I appreciate the info, but everyone is screaming about the great percision accuracy of the .17HMR.
This will also have to be a consideration as well.

The centerfire gets my vote. It's reloadable and vastly superior to the rimfires. .22 L.R. serves my rimfire needs very well. If I need more I reach for a centerfire.

Cheezywan

Of the 2 rimfires the HMR is probably the best bet using the TNT hollow points for the larger predetors.

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Like Cheezywan said, if you reload I doubt there would be much difference in cost of shooting. Which gives the nod to the .204 along with the increase in range.

In choosing between the .204 and the .17 rimfires, check the hunting regs in the states you hunt rabbit and squirrel. In Pennsylvania rifles used for small game must be rimfire. Exceptions are made for woodchuck and crow.

Happy new year!! I really like the 17 HMR. I bought an inexpensive Savage a few years ago, model ?? can't recall right now. Synthetic stock. The only thing I don't like about it is the trigger. It's not smooth. Oh well. I put a 6 x 18 sweet 17 scope on it last year. It's an awesome performer on Ground Hogs at 250yrds with the Hornady 17gr ballistic tip. I think the 17 is too much gun for squirrels and rabbits. Foxes probably OK, but Bobcats are tough, I don't know about that one. The 17 is economical to shoot also at ~$10 / 50 rds. Neighbor has a Ruger 204 which is big step up from the little 17 and a super nice gun. He's dusting Coyotes from his Cattle pastures at 300 yds. and it is certainly capable of more. I just think the 17 is darn fun to shoot and won't drain your pockets.

kramsey, I have a Savage 93, which sounds like what you have. I replaced the trigger (there's a thread on it down the page a ways) and the difference is like night and day!

i just bought one of the Savage rifles in the 17HMR. it is a 93/17HMR with a stainless barrel. with federal hollow point ammo I can easily head shoot squirrels at 100 yds. i have a new Weaver 3>9 with the fine duplex crosshair and it is parallax adjustable from 8 yds. out to 150 yds.. this is a new scope that isn't even shown on their website yet. they call it a 22 scope , but it is ideal for the 17HMR. I paid $211 for mine. Leupold has a scope also with almost identical specs and it can be bought for $350. I wanted the Leupold but just couldn't pony up the money for it this time. the Weaver is good , it's just that I am a Leupold man first.

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BULLEE01

Just consider the power you desire.

.17 Mach 2 is good out to about 50-75 yards.

MORE POWER?

Than go with the .17 HMR.

If you have any targets out past 100 yards try a varminting rifle.

if your thinking at all about a rimfire then my $$ is on the hmr over the mach II. however the .204 ruger is very very interesting. i say just buy both.

The 17HMR and 204 Ruger don't even belong on the same page. The 17HMR is a quiet little rimfire available in inexpensive little rifles like the Marlin and Savage, which I think now has the "accutrigger" upgrade. The 204 is a bellowing cannon at its' best in a heavy barreled varmint rifles weighing twice as much and costing three times as much as the rimfires. One has nothing at all in common with the other.
For the type of hunting you describe I'd certainly go with the 17HMR. The 17mk2 is a nice gun for squirrels and rabbits but really light for anything over 5 pounds weight. For fox and bobcat I'd prefer the .22WMR and even that is on the light side. The most comperable centerfire would be the .22 hornet and that is about the lightest caliber that would generally be recomended to fox or bobcat and even with a hornet I'd limit my range and pick my shots very carefully. Of course if you're talking "treed" cats then head shots with a .22LR will do fine.

I have a marlin 717 17m2 and i have many tree rat and coon kills with it as far as the 204 goes i have one but if you like to eat what you shoot stay with the hmr or m2. i fell that the 204 is a over kill for tree rat hunting be just like taking the 233 out just faster..but in the end its up to you

I have rifles in all three rounds. Each has its own different use IMO. I would not put the .204 Ruger even remotely into the same class as the 17HM2 and 17HMR. I like to compare the 17HM2 with .22LR and 17HMR with .22WMR with similar uses. It depends on what one wants to do with the round as to which one to go with. I am a rimfireaholic, so I went for the gusto and got them all. I'm still looking for a 12-Step program for this affliction.
Regards,
Rich

If the 17 rimfires are not enough and a full blown varmint rig like the .204 Hornady is too much, then check out the Savage Model 40 Varmint Hunter Series. It is chambered in 22 Hornet, has the Accu-Trigger and MSRP is only $452. Street price is around $350.

Go to www.savagearms.com/40Varmint.htm .

Go to www.chuckhawks.com/rimfire_index_cartridges.htm for info on the 17 fimfires.

Scroll down the the bottom of this page and you will find more threads on the 17's.

Also, search the rimfire rifle section here at shootersforum for "Hornady" and "Mach".

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Nitro

Garand Collectors Assoc.
NRA Life Member
SASS #36461

OK I am about to Place an Order for a CZ 453E in .17HMR with the Varmit profile barrel.

The CZ can be had in both .17 rimfires.

The Mach2 has a ten shot magazine option but only 5 for the .17HMR - not that that matters much.

Three quick questions on the CZ in .17 HMR & Mach2:

1. Does anyone have one and opinions

2. What scope did you fit and opinions

3. DIRECTLY to this thread has anyone compared the CZ's in .17Mach2 & .17HMR head to head?

PS: The 453E has the quality adjustabble set trigger.

PSS: looked at the Kimber but noticed it was only in Mach2 - is there a reason for that ?

{I disregarded the Kimber cause they are like $2000 in .17 down under - triple the price of a CZ and half as much again as a top Anschutz - nearly $3000 by the time you top one with mounts and a Leupold rimfire scope - go figure!! }