energy<\/a> behind its bullet.<\/p>\nThe 17 HMR is a bottlenecked cartridge while the 22 LR isn\u2019t. A bottleneck helps to focus the propellant gasses\u2019 energy behind the bullet. This gives the 17 HMR\u2019s projectile approximately double the muzzle velocity. The 17 HMR has got a smaller diameter bullet as the result of its narrower case mouth. Part of the reason it can attain such a higher velocity is its lighter weight.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to point out that neither of these rimfire cartridges are powerhouses by any measure. A rimfire primer\u2019s design prohibits a cartridge from having very thick case brass. This, in turn, limits how much pressure the case can contain before it splits open. But we can safely expect a larger rimfire cartridge to achieve higher velocities all the same.<\/p>\n
17 HMR vs 22: Ballistic Performance<\/h2>\n
To preface, let us note that our elevation data reflect test rifles with 1.5\u201d scope heights. This does nothing to obscure the simple fact that the 17 HMR is the flatter-shooting cartridge.<\/p>\n
Interestingly enough, the 17 HMR\u2019s ballistic coefficient (a measure of the bullet\u2019s ability to overcome air resistance in flight) is nearly always lower than that of the 22 LR (albeit by very little). This is the result of the 17 HMR\u2019s significantly lighter bullet (17 or 20 grains as opposed to the 22 LR\u2019s common 36 or 40 grains). A lighter bullet naturally retains less momentum, so its velocity (and energy) both decline more rapidly.<\/p>\n
Velocity<\/h3>\n
But the 17 HMR\u2019s lightweight bullet comes with a big blessing: speed. So fast a bullet is going to hug a laserlike trajectory throughout its effective range, and that\u2019s precisely why the 17 HMR is able to facilitate such pinpoint accuracy up until around 200 yards. (Once the 17 HMR bullet becomes subsonic its accuracy turns to garbage, but plenty of hunters have pulled off kills at 250+ yards.)<\/p>\n
The 22 LR\u2019s trajectory doesn\u2019t arch so dramatically that it becomes far more difficult to aim by comparison. But its bullet must rise significantly more in order to hit even a 100-yard target. The 22 LR\u2019s effective range is also shorter than its competitor at 150 yards. (Bearing in mind that you\u2019ve got to be a somewhat competent shooter to appreciate the 17 HMR\u2019s accuracy advantage beyond 150 yards.) In short, if accuracy is all you want from your next rimfire rifle, the 17 HMR has everything going for it.<\/p>\n
Stopping Power\/Energy<\/h3>\n
The phrase \u201cstopping power\u201d encompasses many aspects of a cartridge\u2019s terminal performance. These aspects include penetration depth, wound channel diameter, and potential for expansion. We would normally take these several factors into account while comparing two self-defense cartridges\u2019 stopping power.<\/p>\n
While the 22 LR and 17 HMR are both occasionally used for personal protection, they are vastly more popular for varmint hunting. Since your life probably won\u2019t be at risk unless you can neutralize a ground squirrel as quickly as possible (unless it\u2019s one heck of an angry ground squirrel), we\u2019re only going to compare these two cartridges\u2019 impact energy. To do this, let us average how much energy each round compared above retains at 25 yard increments.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/22lr-vs-17-hmr-ammo-side-by-side.jpg\")
![\"Shooting](\"https:\/\/www.ammoforsale.com\/ammo-club\/media\/Shooting-17-HMR-rifle.jpg\")
<\/p>\n