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Common uses: Varmint, Small Game
| Type | rifle (rimfire) |
| Typical load | 17gr Hornady Varmint Express V-MAX |
| Muzzle velocity | 2550 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 246 ft-lb |
| Stored G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.125 |
| Case length | 27 mm |
| Overall length | 1.35 in |
| Listed maximum pressure | 26000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:9" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2550 | 245 | -1.5 |
| 50 | 2206 | 184 | 0 |
| 100 | 1891 | 135 | -0.3 |
| 150 | 1608 | 98 | -3.1 |
| 200 | 1364 | 70 | -9.2 |
Small-game/varmint context — the deer- and elk-sized energy references aren't applicable to the cartridge's listed uses. When a downrange table is available, its retained-energy column can provide context; verify the exact load and follow local game regulations for legal methods.
Published BCs depend on a reference drag model and stated velocity conditions. A source review does not independently measure a BC. Understanding BC sources
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .17 HMR is prized as a flat-shooting, accurate rimfire for varmints and small game, driving a very light bullet fast enough to extend the practical range of rimfire hunting well beyond what the .22 LR or even .22 WMR offer. Loaded almost universally with polymer-tipped or hollow-point bullets, it delivers dramatic, explosive terminal effect on pests such as ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and rabbits, and is also used on foxes at moderate distances; on coyote-sized predators the light bullet is marginal, best reserved for close range and precise shot placement. Its main limitations are wind sensitivity, since the tiny lightweight bullet drifts readily in a breeze, and relatively expensive ammunition compared to the .22 LR. It generates very little recoil and modest report, making it easy to shoot accurately, though the light frangible bullets limit it to smaller quarry rather than larger game.
Introduced by Hornady in 2002, the .17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire) was created by necking down the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire case to accept a .17-caliber bullet.
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