17 HMR vs 22LR for Squirrel Hunting

If you want to spark up an interesting conversation with a squirrel hunter, ask them to name the best rimfire caliber for squirrel hunting. Ask ten different squirrel hunters, and you’ll probably hear various opinions and answers. However, the bulk of those surveyed will most likely say a 22 caliber, while others may suggest a 17-caliber variant like the .17 HMR or 17 Mach II. So let’s take an in-depth look at comparing the 17 HMR vs. 22LR for squirrel hunting.

Both calibers are suitable for squirrel hunting, but each caliber has its own set of strengths and weaknesses as well.

And to be clear, when discussing squirrel hunting, I’m talking about the gray squirrel species or fox squirrel species. These species are different than the ground squirrel species found in the western portion of the US.

Before I dive deeper into those strengths and weaknesses, let’s do a quick overview of each caliber.

17 HMR Caliber

Introduced in 2002, the 17 HMR is a rimfire caliber built on a necked down 22 WMR case mated to a .17 caliber bullet. This caliber started as a wildcat cartridge designed to replicate the performance, muzzle velocity, and terminal ballistics of the Remington 5mm rimfire caliber.

While the 17 HMR does not mimic the Remington 5mm exactly, with a 17-grain bullet, this caliber generates muzzle velocities that approach the 2800 feet per second mark. Other than the 5mm caliber itself and the newer 17 WSM (Winchester Super Magnum) caliber, the 17 HMR is the next fastest mainstream, commercially produced rimfire caliber on the market.

When the 17 HMR first hit the market, only a 17-grain bullet with a polymer tip option was available. Today, .17 HMR ammunition is available in the following bullet grains:

• 15.5 grains (for areas with lead bullet restrictions)
• 17 grains
• 20 grains

In addition to the various bullet grain options, 17 HMR ammo is also available in the following configurations:

• Polymer tipped
• Full metal jacket
• Hollowpoint

From a firearms popularity standpoint, the popular rifle action for the 17HMR is a bolt action. However, a select few firearms manufacturers offer a semi-automatic rifle chambered in the HMR.

22LR Caliber

The Union Metallic Cartridge Company is credited with developing the 22 Long Rifle caliber around the 1884 time frame. Cartridge and firearms historians haven’t really agreed on a definitive year that the 22 caliber was introduced, but most agree it was around 1884.

If the Union Metallic Cartridge Company doesn’t sound familiar, how about their UMC designation? They merged with Remington Arms in 1912, and many Remington-based ammunition is and were stamped with the “UMC” designation.

Today, the 22LR caliber is the most popular caliber in the United States and the top-selling ammunition caliber as well. It’s used for everything from introducing new shooters to firearms, basic rifle shooting instruction, target shooting, small game hunting, and precision shooting.

The 22LR is available in several different ammo configurations based on the velocity of the round. Those include:

• Subsonic (And within this group, there are specialized types called Match or Target)
• Standard velocity
• High velocity
• Hyper velocity

In addition to the different types of 22LR ammunition, there are also several popular bullet options with varying grain weights. The bullet grain weights range from 20 grains all the way up to 60 grains. The most popular bullet grain weight is 40 grains, common in subsonic ammunition.

Understanding the Different 22 Calibers

Today, when you discuss 22 ammunition, the assumption is that you are referring to 22LR ammo. However, that wasn’t always the case.

When I was younger, 22 ammunition was available in different versions, including:

• 22 Short
• 22 Long (which is different from 22 Long Rifle)
• 22 Long Rifle (which is commonly listed as 22LR

Today, the 22LR is the default 22 ammunition, and the 22 Short and 22 Long are more difficult to find. Most all modern-day 22 rifles are chambered in 22 LR.

If you happen to have an older 22 rifle that is marked as being chambered in 22 Short only or 22 Long only, those specific rifles will not safely shoot a 22 LR and are ammo-specific to the 22 Short or 22 Long.

Squirrel Hunting – 22LR vs. 17HMR

Let’s talk specifics about comparing the 17HMR vs. 22LR caliber for squirrel hunting. Both rimfire calibers work exceptionally well for squirrel hunting, but each caliber has its own set of strengths and weaknesses for squirrels.

As the comparison basis, I’m using the following criteria as it relates to squirrel hunting:

• Accuracy
• Shooting Distances
• Ammo Availability & Costs
• Harvesting Squirrels

Let’s dive a bit deeper into each criterion. First, keep in mind that the information that I’m going to present in terms of a comparison is based on my own experiences with the 22LR and 17 HMR. I own more than I own more than one rifle in each caliber and routinely use both calibers for squirrel hunting.

Accuracy

Both the 22LR and the 17HMR have the capability to be very accurate shooting calibers. However, that accuracy is dependent on several factors, including:

• The specific rifle
• Type and style of ammunition
• Shooting conditions (such as the off a bench versus in the woods)
• Shooter’s skill level

A decent shooting 22 rifle will group ½” at 50 yards, and a decent shooting 17 HMR rifle will do the same or better. However, it’s important to note that both calibers are capable of substantially better accuracy than the ½” at 50 yards. I’ve seen 22LR rifles that would do a five-shot group at 50 yards of ¼” or less, and I’ve seen 17 HMR rifles that would shoot a five-shot group of ½” or less at 100 yards.

In terms of out-of-the-box accuracy, I’d give the edge to the 17 HMR as it’s a surprisingly accurate round.

Shooting Distances

Maximum effective shooting distances are an area where the two calibers begin to exhibit fundamental differences.

While a 22LR is capable of squirrel level accuracy out to distances of 100 yards, the caliber really performs better at distances under 75 yards.

A 40 grain 22 LR bullet zeroed for 50 yards will drop between 8-10 inches when fired at a 100-yard target (on average). The shooter has to account for the drop via holdover using a BDC reticle or turret dialing with that much drop. With a game species that is active as squirrels (who rarely sit still for long periods of time), an ethical and accurate 100 yard shot in the field is very challenging. That’s not to say that you can’t hit a squirrel at 100 yards with a 22LR, as I’ve seen it done, but it’s probably not an ethical or advisable shot for the average squirrel hunter.

Since the 17HMR is faster, flatter shooting caliber than the .22, the 17 HMR is better equipped for longer-range shots at squirrels because the bullet drop is substantially less than a 22 round. For example, a 17 HMR bullet zeroed for 50 yards only drops approximately ½ an inch at 100 yards (on average), which basically eliminates the need for holdover adjustments.

The effective squirrel killing range for the 17 HMR is between 125 and 150 yards, with 150 being about the absolute max distance for ethical shots (in my opinion). At 150 yards, the HMR bullet drops between 5-6 inches but still retains between 70- and 80-foot pounds of energy, depending on the bullet grain.

Ammo Availability & Costs

Another point worth discussing involves the ammo options and ammo costs for each caliber in the comparison. Again, since the ammunition can play a significant role in the accuracy, costs and availability come into play.

Here’s a real-world example of ammo availability and related costs:

One of my favorite squirrel hunting rifles is a CZ 452 chambered in 22LR. The barrel was professionally shortened and threaded for use with a suppressor. Since this rifle uses a suppressor, my ammo testing focused on subsonic match-grade ammo with a hollow point. Testing indicated that this rifle shot the best with Eley Subsonic hollow points in 38 grains.

About three years ago, Eley decided to phase out this ammo and replace it with a newer version in a white box. The white box version did shoot near as well as the original green box version of Eley Subsonic. Although I had some of the green box version of this ammo on hand, I didn’t have much for future use.

Since Eley phased out the green box variant, it became hard to find in a short period of time. Because I was so impressed with the accuracy of the green box variant coupled with my somewhat shortsighted ammo planning, I ended up having to purchase the hard-to-find green box version at more than 2x the typical pricing. So instead of shooting at squirrels with a .12 per round ammo, I ended up shooting at squirrels with a .25 per shot round.

22LR Ammo

From an ammunition availability perspective, few calibers have the broad options and choices found in 22LR ammunition. Walk into any store that has ammo, and you’ll most likely find a healthy amount of 22 options (under “normal” circumstances).

In addition to all the different 22 ammunition velocities and styles, you’ll also find that 22 ammo comes in a wide range of pricing. Pricing can range from the less expensive bulk rounds for general plinking all the way up to top-of-the-line match grade 22 LR ammunition that costs nearly .50 cents per shot.

Typically speaking, you’ll find that match grade ammo is the most consistent and most accurate, although results can vary. From a squirrel hunting standpoint, there are very few “match grade” 22 rounds on the market made specifically for hunting (as in coming with a hollow point or game point tip). Therefore, most squirrel hunters using a 22 rifle either find a designated hunting round that shoots well enough in their rifle to work for squirrels or they shoot a match grade round or sub-match grade round that is a solid point (as in non-hollow point).

Personally, I prefer to use a designated hunting round as I find them more effective than traditional solid point bullets.

17 HMR Ammo

In terms of 17 HMR ammunition, there are far fewer ammo options on the market compared to the number of 22 ammunition options available. While the ammunition manufacturers have increased the number and types of 17 HMR ammunition on the market over the last few years, only around seven ammunition brands offer 17 HMR ammunition. Those brands include:

• Hornady (since the 17 HMR is a Hornady based round, it makes sense that they are one of the leading ammunition brands for the caliber)
• CCI
• Federal
• Winchester
• Remington
• S&B
• PMC

Here’s an interesting fact: the CCI brand of ammunition manufactures all the 17 HMR ammunition offered by Hornady, Federal, and Remington.

As previously mentioned, 17 HMR is currently only offered in 15.5, 17, and 20-grain bullet options. Any of those bullet grain options will work for squirrels, but the 17-grain bullets seem to be the most popular.

Along with the different bullet grains, 17 HMR bullets also come in various configurations like polymer tipped, full metal jacket, etc. Any of those configurations will work for squirrel hunting, but the FMJ and hollow-point models may be a bit overkill for squirrels.

17 HMR ammunition tends to cost more than all but the most expensive 22 rounds from a cost perspective. The 17 HMR is generally a bit more costly to shoot between the two calibers.

Another point to mention with 17 HMR ammo: while 22LR ammo is available in a match grade or target grade of ammunition, the same cannot be said of 17 HMR ammo. Currently, no ammo manufacturers produce or sell a “match grade” version of HMR ammunition.

Harvesting Squirrels

Both calibers are very successful calibers for hunting squirrels but in slightly different ways.

As mentioned before, the 22 LR is better equipped for short-range hunting situations where the shots are typically under 75 yards. In addition, even with hollow-point bullets, 22 ammunition is not overly destructive to squirrels when hunting for meat.

The 22 is also not as loud as the 17 HMR, and the 22LR is available in actual subsonic ammunition. When paired with a suppressor, the subsonic 22 ammo is extremely quiet for hunting purposes (where legal).

The 17 HMR is a better option for hunting situations where the shooting distances are longer than 50 to 75 yards. In those situations, the 17 HMR shines as a squirrel caliber.

However, it comes with three potential downsides:

Noise level

The 17 HMR is significantly louder than a 22LR. I don’t have the exact decibel numbers for reference, but it’s much louder, in my opinion. I won’t shoot a 17 HMR without hearing protection (or a 22 LR, for that matter). While the HMR can be suppressed, and the suppression reduces some of the noise at the muzzle, there is still a downrange crack as the round goes supersonic.

Meat damage

The 17 HMR is very destructive on squirrels, and a body shot will ruin quite a bit of usable meat. Even the FMJ bullets result in a decent amount of damage to the meat. Therefore, I prefer to try for headshots only with the 17 HMR.

When I first started using the 17HMR for squirrel hunting, I hit my first squirrel in the chest right between the front legs with a 17-grain poly-tipped Hornady round. After that, there was hardly anything left to skin other than the rear legs.

Wind drift

In all my years of hunting and shooting, I’ve never seen a caliber more affected by wind than the 17 HMR. Even the larger 20-grain bullets can be affected by even a tiny amount of wind. The 15.5-grain bullets are the worst, and even a slight bit of wind can get one way off target. Therefore, I try to use the 17HMR to hunt squirrels on calm days with no wind.

Squirrel Hunting with 17 HMR

While there are many opinions about the 17 HMR for small game, here’s how I prefer to use the 17 HMR for hunting squirrels:

For me, the 17 HMR is a late-season squirrel caliber best suited for hunts when all the leaves are off the trees and the typical shooting distances begin to extend to 75 yards or more.

I prefer to take up a hunting position where I can see for longer distances and use binoculars to aid in spotting squirrels. My preferred method is to shoot from a seated position with my back against a tree, and I use shooting sticks as a shooting rest.

As previously mentioned, I do my best to stick with headshots (but things don’t always work out that way). When a squirrel is hit, I mentally mark the spot for later recovery. Even though the HMR is loud, it typically doesn’t take that much time before the woods return to normal after a shot is fired.

Squirrel Hunting with a 22LR

The 22LR is my preferred early and mid-season caliber for squirrels. I hunt suppressed (which is legal in my home state) and stick with dedicated subsonic rounds to take full advantage of the suppressor’s noise reduction capabilities.

With a 22, I’m comfortable hunting from a specific position, still hunting, or stalking in range for squirrels that have been spotted.

Although it’s not absolutely required, I also try to stick with headshots for a 22LR to protect as much of the meat as possible.

What’s the Best Caliber for Squirrel Hunting?

This is one of those questions with no wholly right or utterly wrong answer. It’s also a question where the answer is based on factors like individual preferences, personal experiences, and overall hunting experiences.

That being said, here are some thoughts on the 22 LR vs 17 HMR debate:

22LR

The 22LR is without a doubt the most popular rimfire rifle caliber for squirrel hunting, and most hunters would rate it as their number one choice.

Given the number of quality rifles on the market chambered in 22 LR, the round’s accuracy potential, and the available and reasonable cost of ammunition, it is easy to understand why the 22 LR would be the top choice.

17 HMR

While the 17 HMR is not as popular as the 22LR for squirrel hunting, the caliber does have a devoted following based on one major factor: potential laser-like accuracy.

The 17 HMR is one of the most accurate, out-of-the-box rimfire calibers on the market today. While the ammunition costs are more than a typical 22, it’s not hard to see why squirrel hunters consider this a solid squirrel hunting caliber.

17 Mach II

Since most squirrel hunters may not be familiar with this caliber, it’s a bit of a sleeper. The 17 Mach 2 is another Hornady-based caliber that was introduced after the 17 HMR.

It’s built on a CCI Stinger cartridge mated to a 17-caliber bullet. While this caliber has less velocity than the larger 17 HMR, it has significantly more velocity than the standard 22 LR.

The velocity and small-caliber bullet make this caliber very flat shooting like the 17 HMR, with little to no drop accuracy out to 100 yards. However, the Mach II does less damage to the meat and is not as loud as a 17 HMR.

Unfortunately, the Mach 2 did not catch on as well as the larger 17 HMR and is somewhat dying a slow death. These days, very few rifle makers offer rifles chambered in the caliber, and the number of ammo brands offering HM2 ammo is dwindling as well.

Even though the 17 Mach II is slowly disappearing from the firearms industry, it has a small but highly devoted fan base that believes it to be the “perfect” squirrel hunting caliber. I happen to agree that it’s an excellent squirrel hunting round.

FAQS

Here are some commonly asked questions that I see being asked regarding squirrel hunting with a 17 HMR and squirrel hunting with a 22LR:

Is a .17 HMR good for squirrel hunting?

The 17 HMR can be a very efficient caliber for squirrel hunting, and it will more than do the job. However, a body shot taken with the HMR will result in significant damage to the meat. Therefore, I’d suggest doing head shots on squirrels, and the 17 HMR is very capable of that level of accuracy.

Is a 17 HMR louder than a 22LR?

The 17HMR is much louder than a 22 LR both at the muzzle and downrange as well. So while using a suppressor with a 17 HMR does reduce the noise level at the muzzle, this caliber still can be loud because the bullet cracks the sound barrier downrange.

Is a 22 good for squirrel hunting?

The 22 caliber is an excellent option for hunting squirrels because it has little or no recoil, is powerful enough to harvest squirrels ethically, is accurate, and 22 ammunition is readily available. In addition, the 22 caliber is the most popular and commonly used rimfire caliber for hunting squirrels in the US.

Can you squirrel hunt with a suppressed 22?

The answer will depend on your particular state’s NFA laws and wildlife hunting regulations. Some states don’t allow suppressor ownership at all, while others will allow suppressor ownership but won’t allow them to be used for hunting purposes. Therefore, I’d strongly recommend that you research both your state’s NFA and hunting regulations before attempting to squirrel hunt with a suppressor.

I’m fortunate that my home state of North Carolina allows suppressor ownership and allows hunting with a suppressor for most any game species, including squirrels.