17 HMR vs 22LR vs 22 Magnum [Which is the Best?] | Rimfire Showdown

17 HMR vs 22LR vs 22 Magnum [Which is the Best?] | Rimfire Showdown

.22 LR, .22 Magnum (WMR), and .17 HMR are the most popular rimfire calibers by far in recent times. But which one is best for you? Ricky discusses the uses, ballistics, and pros and cons of each rimfire round and gives practical advice on how to choose the best one for your needs.

If you're looking for a .22 LR, .22 WMR, or .17 HMR AR-15 check out Bearcreekarsenal.com!

Timeline
0:00 Intro
0:16 Why Rimfire?
1:06 .22 LR
2:04 .22 Magnum
3:07 .17 HMR
4:03 Pros and Cons
5:01 Who is the Winner?

Today we are comparing the uses, ballistics, pros, and cons of 17 HMR, .22 LR, .22 Magnum.

First of all, why would you even want a rimfire gun? Well, the first main advantage is the significantly cheaper ammo, especially in .22 LR.

Secondly, rimfire firearms are often significantly less regulated than centerfire. Even people in states with strict gun laws can often purchase an AR-15 chambered in a rimfire caliber without an issue. .22 Magnum is powerful enough to use as a self-defense round in a pinch, so it could be a good option for those who can’t get the real thing.

Finally, these calibers are fun, easy to shoot, and make fantastic beginner guns. They have almost no recoil and are much quieter than many centerfire cartridges.

Now let’s get into the pros and cons of each one so you can decide which is best for you!

The 22lr is a great round for a pseudo-AR-15, especially if you are stuck at an indoor range or at a short range around 25 yards or less. At 25 yards and under, you cannot tell any difference in trajectory between a .223 AR-15 and a .22lr AR-15.

While both use identical projectiles, there is a big difference in performance between the .22lr and the .22 Magnum. The magnum is no joke; no, it won’t confuse anyone with being a .223, it is a lot sturdier a caliber than the .22lr.

A 40-grain lead round nose in .22lr exits the muzzle around 1,250fps. But an identical projectile in .22WMR? It’s exiting the muzzle at over 1,900fps.

At an MSRP of four times the price for a box of 50, I should hope it’s much higher.

The .22 WMR would not be my first pick for personal defense, but it sure beats a Buck knife or throwing rocks.

The .17 HMR is a tiny little projectile, weighing in around half of a .22lr slug (around 20 grains). But man are they fast; well over 2,300fps for a rimfire.

It is ideally suited for small game, and deadly enough for it. While the ballistics do taper off fairly fast, it is still just shy of 1,500fps at 150 yards. It is a rimfire, so don’t expect to be knocking off woodchucks at 600 years. If you want that, get a .22-250.

But it is hard to beat a .17 HMR for your 100-ish yard shots on small game and small varmints. It is lightning quick, has almost no felt recoil in a rifle (especially our rimfire AR-15s, which soak up all of the recoil), and will level even the largest of rodents.

Now for the pros and cons of each caliber.

You can’t beat a .22lr for plinking and training on a budget. If you want to train on the AR platform for a fraction of the price, just buy a .22 LR upper and drop it on your mil-spec lower. The cons of .22 Long Rifle are that it is not powerful or reliable enough for self-defense. Bulk .22 LR ammo is notorious for having a few duds and it’s not worth putting your life in it’s hands.

The .22 WMR is great for varmints, rodent removal, and self-defense in a few applications. It’s only real cons are that it’s not as cheap as .22 LR or as powerful as 223 and 5.56.

The .17 HMR is a hot rod rimfire with a flat trajectory over those first hundred yards or so. It works great for rimfire precision shooting and small varmint hunting, but not much else. It doesn’t have the rock bottom prices of .22 LR or the punch of .22 Magnum, but it does what it’s designed to do very effectively.

So who is the winner of our showdown? Well just like fighters have different weight classes, so these calibers each wear the belt in their own applications. For inexpensive plinking and training, choose .22 LR. For precision rimfire shooting, .17 hmr is your go to. And for hunting or defending yourself against critters bigger than rabbit size, .22 Magnum is the rimfire round you should turn to.

Make sure to check out Bear Creek Arsenal’s full line of rimfire rifles and uppers. We have offerings in each of the three rimfire calibers that we’ve talked about here.

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