The 22 and 17 Hornet are both interesting rounds but ammo/brass is unobtainium. The truth is, for centerfire varmint hunting in the current supply situation the 223 is really the round that makes the most sense. I find the once fired brass laying around the range for free almost every time I go shoot.

As for the rimfires, the 17HMR is a fun little round. Would like to get another rifle chambered in 22WMR someday too.

My BCA 22WMR upper has been suprisingly accurate and reliable with pointed tip 30 or 40 grainers. It doesn't feed as well with JHP type ammo. It doesn't out shoot my old .17HMR but it's better than minute of corn feeder coon which is all I require.

Wouldn't mind having one of those.

Got an H&K 22 magnum auto.with a Leupold 2-7x scope. Tack Driver!!

I been looking at a 22mag golden boy. Would have bought one the other day but I’d left my money at home. Never really considered a 17. Sounds like some of y’all really like them.

I have 2. 1 that was in perfect shape when it was stolen, but terrible shape when I got it back 2 years later. I am happy that I got it back. I had it parkerized and don't worry about it getting bumped around. The second one an old friend gifted to me a year or so ago. It's in pretty good, but not perfect shape. It has the prettiest walnut on it as I have seen on any.

I have that same rifle in 22 mag and mine shoots the same way. The 30 gr Hornady ammo is best but not by much because it is a genuine 1" 5 shot group gun @ 100 yds also. I bought a 10 rnd magazine for mine right after I got it. My rifle chronographs a flat 2000 fps with Federal 40 gr! That's cooking! I also have a Marlin 25m that shoots just as well after I glass bedded it.
As far as the reputation for being inaccurate, I cant buy it. I have to think that it was the rifle or shooters fault and not the round it's self. My son's 9422 Win is a pretty close to a 1" gun but you really have to bear down to make it do that. After all, it was not designed to be a bench gun.
Ammo is a bit pricey but thankfully, Barack Obama's term in office taught me how to buy primers and ammo!!

I fondled a Keltec CMR 22 mag last weekend and it's got me wanting to scratch an itch.

Here are my thoughts:

Gun Broker Link

Mine shoots the CCI A22 ammo the best. It is a 35 grain soft point and is tougher than most lighter than 40 grain bullets. I shot a hog in a trap with that load. It went through the hogs head and was on the bone of the ham of the hog that was behind it in a perfect little mushroom.

I mounted a scope and zero'd it on 1 of those rifles a long time back and I was a tack driver. Trigger is not the greatest but it was acceptable and if you ever loose the magazine, they are as scarce as honest politicians. For that "buy now" price it is worth it. I have heard that the little Rossi 22 mag semi auto is a good gun and reasonable too. Ruger made a great one but they discontinued it pretty quick.

I had a friend who shot a big sow in the noggin at about 70 yds with a 30 gr Hornady and it surprisingly went through it's head too. Would have never thought that.

Thank you Goatkiller. I never even knew that gun was in this world

The magnum research 22mag auto is death

I wouldn't have either. One thing I know, The 22 mag round has surprised me numerous times over the years. I have killed truck loads of game and vermin and it always seems to hit well above its weight class.

The ammo would be the only draw back.

I have one of these. It shoots good also. Remington 596 magnum

If I can’t kill it with a 22 long, I’ll use a 223. 22 long is all I carry to dispatch hogs, coons, squirrels, coyotes, foxes.. and the like. 22 mag and 17 hmr are fun rounds but I don’t want to buy ammo for it.

Funny story about a 22lr…an intern we had in texas was set to film at a feed location an was trying to get footage of a certain deer that was hangin around..215in plus monster..low fence native beast….anyway…we had serious pig problems…an they had all but destroyed this feed location about twice at that point, and this boy was the one who had to rebuild it both times…well..he had his 22(ruger 10/22)…an he was just gonna body shoot as many pigs as he saw..letem runoff an die…bastages…anyway…the only pig that come out was about a 300lb boar that they had hardly ever seen…so..he picked up his rifle after the pig had crawled hunder the feed pen panel..he popped him right behind the shoulder…he was anticipating the pig to jump the fence an run off in the brush to die…pig took about 6 steps an fell over dead…he shot it right in the heart…he had to then go drag the nasty sucker about a hundred feet away in the brush…he told it in a funny way an i cackled through the whole story..its pretty funny if you think about it.

At night with my thermals, I INTEND to shoot coyotes with my 223. Often, it never gets the chance.

My scanner is actually another thermal sight that resides on a lightweight 22LR. It probably accounts for at least as many coyotes as the ‘big’ gun, just because stuff sometimes happens faster than I can get the slung rifle into play vs just plugging them with 22 subs. Don’t recall many survivors.