17hmr or 22 mag

Wanting a new rimfire for rabbit, raccoons, skunks, bobcats and coyotes that happen to walk past my blinds. Ranges will be 100-150 yards. Which caliber best fills that bill?

I don’t think either will result in 100% successful DRTs but if the goal is just to kill the varmints, I’d go with the 17. And I think even on coyotes a headshot will always lead to a dead animal.

17! I think we have the 17wsm, it’s crazy fast and accurate. Dad took a turkey with it last year at 100yards

Of the two I'd go with the 17 but the 22 mag is no slouch especially with some of the new ammo available. It was my primary weapon when I was selling hides.

I went with the .17 wsm too.....

17wsm owner too - it’s everything you ever wished a rimfire could be! Extremely accurate right out of the box.

I like a .22 mag because they're versatile with a good range of bullet weights.

Base your decision on ammo availability

If coyotes and bobcats are on the menu I’d go .22 mag. I wouldn’t shoot either past 100 yards with any Rimfire though. I’ve never seen a rabbit shot with a .17 HMR or WSM. A .22 mag blows them up.

Looking at the chart, a 17WSM has more thump than a 22 WMR. Not that you're shooting that far, but the Hornady 20gr VMAX has 188 ft/lbs at 200 yards, compared to their 30gr VMAX which only has 141 at 100 yards. I'd look hard at a 17 WSM.

Not even the 17WSM, and why?

I like the WSM, but a little hesitant of buying a new caliber that might not stick around.

.223, .22-250, or .243. An animal should not suffer needlessly.

The best would be a 22TCM, although not a rimfire, it’s a stellar round for small game

Given those two choices I'd go .17 HMR accuracy is much better than any .22 mag I have seen.

Ended up with a Savage 93 17 HMR bull barrel in Stainless. I'll primarily use it for rabbits, raccoons and other small vermin. That said, I won't pass up a head shot on a yote or small pig within a reasonable distance.