.17hmr

foxman

Active Member
I am thinking of buying a .17hmr for rabbits is it right that they blow rabbits up or not ive heard so many stories i was wondering can anybody put my mind at rest and also the best round to buy so that they are still eatable if its possible to do that
 
I shoot quite a lot of rabbits with the 17HMR and no they don't blow them up. Obviously head shots will not damage the body, but if hit a bit far back they will make a bit of a mess! but there will always be meat left to eat!
I normally chest shoot them and edible meat damage is minimal. All in all an excellent round for rabbit control. I use 17grn Hornady ammo.
 
Sometimes it makes a mess.... others you can't tell where it's been shot. I think it depends whether it hits bone or not.
Last night I hit one in the side, bullet passed straight through leaving tiny entry and exit holes of equal size. Yet another I head shot and the result was rather gruesome.
 
As some others have said head shots and no problem.

Like Si has said if you do hit anywhere else the rabbit may be resigned to the hedge, if there is no harvestable meat on it.

Cheers

Ross
 
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17s group much tighter than 20gn in mine.
zero at 100yds.

any shot inside 100yds will be messy, you wont want to stick them in your inside Barbour pocket for the walk home put it that way. just how messy depends entirely on the POI
I can produce 1/2" groups at 100 with vmax 17gn so head shot are the most favourable shot
 
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