Shooting poodles with a 17 HH. What should I expect?

[Tommie]

First time shooting prairie dogs with a 17 Hornady Hornet. Have shot truck loads of poodles with 17 HMR and loved it. The HMR was unstoppable inside of 200 yards and my farthest kill was 283 yards.

Given the higher velocity and better BC of the 17 HH I’m sure it will stretch more. What distance will I need to reach for the bigger guns?

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I shot a butt load today with my 17 Hornet. Most just go splat.. Seems good to ~ 300 yds if you dope the wind and adjust elevation.. 20 grainers do good, I am trying some 25's now just to see if they carry a bit farther.. My reticle has tic marks so that helps.

I use a range finding bino and 300 is a fer piece..

I usually pack a 22 MAG or 17HMR, and a 22 pistol.. Sometimes, I take a 204 and a 22-250.

 

[spencerhenry]

You guys must shoot smaller prairie dogs than I do. My 17 Ackley Hornet does NOT explode prairie dogs, it mostly just tips them over. However, wyoming or richardson ground squirrels are perfectly suited to the little 17's.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Same ones you're shootin.. Some are big some are smaller.. I live in Wyo, and have shot a lot of em in Colo.
Vmax does em in.. If there are some Boone and Crockett Pdawgs in your area I'd like to blast a few..

 

[moorepower]

I got 2 doubles at 265 yds. They are very effective at 300yds. It's nice to see hits at all ranges. I tried the factory 25hp loads, and they had less splat, but knocked them off the hill harder, if that helps. I have not tried the 25 vmax yet but plan on loading some up with A2200 and giving it a try.

 

[steve123]

When I had a 17K Hornet I wasn't impressed with the splat factor at longer distances for the cartridge.

If compared, too me there is a huge difference stepping up to 20-221AI like I've done. It's my go-to now for little critters. I was hitting a rock at 650Y last week which is pretty telling how well this little round does.

 

[theallcineyes]

I'm a 17 caliber fan and have 17 HM2, 17 HMR, 17 Hornet, 17 Fireball, and 17 Remington rifles. I live in prairie dog country and depending the time of the year use the 17s except the 17 Remington. The 17 Hornet bullets have less velocity than the 17 Fireball and 17 Rem and more then the rim fire 17 HMR and 17 HM2. I have shot my new a CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornet W/ Leupold 4-12 X AO scope off a benchrest and got sub 1/2 inch groups at 100 yards using Hornady 20 grain bullet ammo. Shot a few prairie dogs with CZ rifle at ranges between 75 and 250 yards. I use the 17s for p dog at about the following Max ranges: 17 HM2-120 Yds, 17 HMR-150 Yds, 17 Hornet-250 Yds, 17 Fireball- 300 Yds. For shots past 300 yards and windy days I use a 204 Ruger rifle. The 17 Hornet cartridge is an improved case with thicker brass than the long taper thin walled 22 Hornet which should give longer case life. Until a few weeks ago 17 Hornet ammo was hard to find and the new case primer pockets did not have a problem as some of the first ammo that was made had. My 17 Hornet rifle is accurate , so whats not to like ? I m going to pass on the 17 WSM , problems are being reported about the ammo and B mag rifle.

 

[searcher]

My three ground squirrel hunting buddies and I all use .17 HMR's, plus my buddies use the .17 WSM's and I also use a .17 Hornet (also a CZ that I had re-barreled and re-stocked) When the wind is not blowing, we try to see how far we can hit squirrels. While we have scored hundreds of hits past 300 with the HMR's (out of zillions of shots), once they get out to about 350 and beyond - it is some tough shooting as the bullet drops like a mortar. We have hit them at just over 400 but let's just say they were not clean kills. If they were prairie dogs - I think they would have taken a few hits and crawled in their holes. By comparison - the WSM's are pretty amazing. I watched one of my buddies shoot 6 squirrels in a row at 325+ yards (Savage) and it put them down solid. The Hornet steps it up even more - especially with the 25 V-Max. For P.D.'s, I'd only consider the 25 V-Max as your long shots will be much better and much better knock-down. Some of our squirrels are about as big as medium-large P.D.'s and the Hornet will blow them up pretty good - but you will not see the air carnage like, say a .223 shooting Varmint Grenades. I haven't shot distance too much with the Hornet as the guys get bummed out as they are disadvantaged in our "distance" contests, though I have poked several in the 400 range - and it did put them down cleanly. I think I will ultimately get one at 500 in a calm setting. The wind is still your enemy with this little round though. As soon as the wind hits 10+ mph - I put mine away and reach for something bigger. You can still hit them with good wind reading skills (we use bench-rest-type wind flags on tripods). At "prairie" speeds, the wind blows those little bullets all over the place at distance. Have fun!!!

 

[drover]

My personal limit for the 17's are 150 yds for the 17 HMR and around 225 for the 17 HH. I know that it is possible to hit further with them but those ranges are where I have noticed that they are running out of "thump", and IMO even a PD deserves to die a quick painless death.

drover

 

[Bill K]

Anyone compare the damage done on them between the 20 grain v-max and the 15.5 NTX ?

 

[Jesse Gietzen]

i'm slightly disappointed that this thread has nothing to do with actual poodles. and slightly disappointed in myself for feeling that way. "oh... prairie dogs..." hahaha

 

[Tommie]

i'm slightly disappointed that this thread has nothing to do with actual poodles. and slightly disappointed in myself for feeling that way. "oh... prairie dogs..." hahaha

Buckshot works better

 

[1raggedhole]

First time shooting prairie dogs with a 17 Hornady Hornet. Have shot truck loads of poodles with 17 HMR and loved it. The HMR was unstoppable inside of 200 yards and my farthest kill was 283 yards.

Given the higher velocity and better BC of the 17 HH I’m sure it will stretch more. What distance will I need to reach for the bigger guns?

There is a big difference. HMR is minimally fun for pdogs (aka poodles). 17 hornet is substantially faster and therefore more “pop”. Distance increases, wind drift less. But, I think you should go the next step up for considerably more action, meaning fast 20s.

 

[moorepower]

Here is another little twist. The .17 HMR has 136fpe at 100yds. We all know it has no problem killing a Pdog at 100 yds. The .17 WSM has 188 fpe at 200 yds. This tells me that that same Pdog will be "more" dead at 200 yds. , than a .17HMR at 100yds. The .17 HH has 200fpe at 300 yds. Now I am a public school guy, but since I graduated in 1980, it was before they started to suck, but if the .17 HMR is killing them at 100yds., the .17HH "should be able to kill them and their reincarnated Grand dogs at 300yds. If, God forbid I only had 2 Pdog rifles the .17HH and the .204 would be them. That being said, I am going to load up a few 90 grain Blitzkings @3600 for my .257 Weatherby, for my annual Pdog shoot just in case I run across a really large Pdog, or see a Coyote 600yds away.

 

[Tommie]

There is a big difference. HMR is minimally fun for pdogs (aka poodles). 17 hornet is substantially faster and therefore more “pop”. Distance increases, wind drift less. But, I think you should go the next step up for considerably more action, meaning fast 20s.

I have bigger guns (including a very fast 20 cal) but this is my first time out with the 17 Hornet. For the record I contend that 20 cals are the ultimate prairie dog medicine. Gave up on my .22 calibers all together. If a 20 can’t handle the situation I go right to the 6mm stuff.

 

[rardoin]

@theallcineyes ... I am curious...why not use the .17 Remmy on dogs? I have not shot mine in years but I loved it on small critters inside 200yds. I have been considering a PD hunt in my future and that is one of the rifles I would bring.

Robin

 

[theallcineyes]

@theallcineyes ... I am curious...why not use the .17 Remmy on dogs? I have not shot mine in years but I loved it on small critters inside 200yds. I have been considering a PD hunt in my future and that is one of the rifles I would bring.

Robin

The 17 rem is a lot of fun on prairie dogs - Out to 200yds you cannot tell the difference between 223 and 17 rem as far as explosive effect - the kick is so light that you can see your hits through the scope - something tough to do with a 22-250 unless its a heavy barrel. Bore fouling has not been a problem and if you use a 17 cal. Bore Snake field cleaning is a piece of cake. I reload all my 17 rounds and use the 25 grain hornady bullets - factory rem loads will sometimes fail to expand at longer distances.

 

[rardoin]

I've shot plenty of Crows and other vermin with the 25gr Berger over Varget and 'they dun blowed up reaaal goood'!

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Been looking for pdogs. Don't have them in the Peoples Republic of New Zealand - but we do have a heap of rabbits, imported for meat and fur a couple of hundred years ago. .17 Hornet has proven to be the most useful rabbit gun - and with a good silencer, even better.
Best shot at under 250yds with 20g Hornady's. without waking the neighbours. 12.6g CFE Black gives factory ballistics. I use a .222 for anything longer. Sure you don't get the red mist, but you do get really dead rabbits.

 

[1raggedhole]

I have bigger guns (including a very fast 20 cal) but this is my first time out with the 17 Hornet. For the record I contend that 20 cals are the ultimate prairie dog medicine. Gave up on my .22 calibers all together. If a 20 can’t handle the situation I go right to the 6mm stuff.

You’ll like the hornet. I went with 17wsm last year because I didn’t want to start loading another high volume number. Halfway between the hmr and the hornet. Pretty fun. Added the 20VT this year. Leaving Thursday for MT; can’t wait...