.17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire

Shooting Varmints with Revolvers

- Dick Williams

Dave Sturm, Hunting Operations Manager for Spur Outfitters, dropped this Wyoming badger with a perfect brain shot from his Freedom Arms .17 HMR at 50 yards.

As a lifelong handgunner, I don’t get all worked up every time a new rifle cartridge is announced. That said, when the .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (HMR) was introduced, it got my attention on several levels. First, since the cartridge is based on a .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire case necked down to .17 caliber, I knew it would fit into a variety of revolvers that I’ve used with great pleasure throughout my life. Second, even after downgrading the 2,500 fps velocity touted for rifles, handgun velocities could be expected to run around 2,000 fps, thus extending the hunting range capabilities over existing rimfire .22-caliber revolvers. Finally, being a rimfire, the new .17 could be purchased at reasonable prices, meaning a varmint hunt would not require days of preparation at the reloading bench. If an opportunity arose, I could simply stuff a handgun and a couple cartons of .17 HMR ammunition in a bag and head up to the Spur Outfitters ranch in Wyoming for a few days of serious shooting.

There is no massive amount of gear or reloading time required for a handgun varmint hunt, just a revolver and some .17 HMR ammunition.