Get ready for the battle of the rimfires. This short post will break down some of the main differences in performance and subsequent capabilities of two of the most common rimfire cartridges out there: the .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfore (HMR) and .22 Long Rifle.
Here’s what to know.
Bullet Style and Weight
The .17 HMR is loaded with a substantially lighter bullet than the .22LR. Bullet weights for the .17 HMR range roughly from 15 to 20 grains whereas the Long Rifle is typically loaded with bullets that range from about 29 to 60 grains.
Moreover, the style of bullet is considerably different, too. The .22 is a round nose bullet, like a .30-30 but scaled back significantly in size. On the flipside, the .17 HMR is loaded with a smaller, lighter spitzer bullet.
Muzzle Velocity
The .17 HMR is loaded into a larger, longer case with a higher propellant volume and subsequently higher max pressure ratings. Since it shoots a lighter bullet, its muzzle velocity far outpaces the .22, and by a long yard. Muzzle velocities for the .22LR range from 1,070 FPS (or even lower for subsonic rounds) to around 1,400 FPS for hot hyper velocity loads. For the .17 HMR, muzzle velocity ranges from 2,500 FPS to 2,650 FPS, much, much higher than the .22 LR.
Muzzle Energy
Despite the smaller, lighter bullet, the .17 HMR’s muzzle energy is a lot higher than the .22LR’s thanks mostly to the faster muzzle velocity. Depending on load data and bullet weight, the .17 HMR can attain muzzle energy scores as high as 240 ft-lbs, whereas the .22LR is usually just above 100 ft-lbs or so, sometimes in the area of 120 ft-lbs.
Bullet Drop
Because the .17 HMR is loaded with a spitzer bullet and it leaves the barrel at a much higher velocity, it is a flatter-shooting cartridge with a much greater effective range.
Load data, inclusive of bullet weight and muzzle velocity, will determine exact bullet drop at a given range, but to make an example, we’ll compare a pretty standard 40 grain .22 bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,235 FPS to another fairly standard .17 HMR round with a bullet weight of 17 grains and a muzzle velocity of 2,550 FPS.
At 100 yards, the .22 round would drop 3.3” if it were zeroed at 75, which means it would actually drop a total of 4.6” at that range, measured from the muzzle.
For the .17 HMR round, the bullet would drop only .3”. At 200 yards the same round would drop 9.1”.
It is also the case that the .17 HMR maintains ballistic energy much more efficiently at greater ranges than the .22, so while neither is an effective long-range round (these are both rimfire cartridges, after all) the .17 HMR takes the edge, even though it’s loaded with a lighter bullet.
Price
The .22LR has the market (and the .17 HMR) cornered on this one, folks. In general, expect .17 HMR to cost twice as much, if not more, than the .22LR. If you buy .22LR bulk ammo, you can engineer the price down to 10 cents per round, sometimes less. It’s not uncommon to pay close to 40 cents per round for .17 HMR.
Availability
Availability is another area in which the .22LR shines. You can get it at any gun shop, and in most areas of the country, everywhere else. The truth is most convenience stores, hardware shops, corner stores, bait shops and naturally any sporting goods shop is going to carry .22 rimfire ammo. That’s not the case with .17 HMR, and the fact is there are some gun shops that don’t even carry it.
The Takeaway
Ultimately, this is a situation in which both the .22LR and .17HMR have advantages. The .17 HMR hits harder, shoots flatter, and delivers more lethal energy. It’s also categorically more accurate, especially at extended ranges.
On the flipside, the .22LR is cheap, available, and still pretty accurate. You can use it for plinking, hunting, trapline dispatch, and everything in between.
If you’re in it for a lethal varmint or small game hunting cartridge that’s more effective at slightly greater ranges, go with 17 HMR. If you need an affordable rifle for plinking that shoots cheap ammo, the .22LR has it.
Ultimately, it comes down to what you need it for. In both of their respective spheres, they are excellent cartridges.
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