Do you think the .17 HMR / .17 Mach II would make a good defensive round?

[Preacherman]

Since the launch of the .17 HMR, I've heard a lot of people talking about how good this would be to have in an ultra-lightweight snubby or a small pistol for CCW. I'm hearing the same comments now with the launch of the .17 Mach II.

Personally, I can't help but believe that these would be very poor defensive rounds. All the loadings I've seen have used 17gr. bullets, which have been designed to "blow up" in the first couple of inches of flesh. This is all well and good for small varmints, but pretty much useless to stop a drugged-up or hyper-aggressive attacker at close range! There wouldn't be nearly enough penetration to reach anything vital. Of course, a CNS hit would stop him - but a head shot is your only option, as the rounds won't have enough power to punch through the torso to reach the spine.

What do you think?

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Well it is better then nothing, but I would prefer a nice comforting 25 ACP over it.

 

[shooter1]

NO!!!

And would you believe, Tarus is actually making a 2" snubby in the Mack ll??
str1

 

[sm]

NO!

I just found out about the Mach II, discussion about a magazine article [ AH I think].

It's a given I'm an old fuddy dude on some stuff, but does anybody else wonder what is in the water or do any of the Wall St marketing boys actually shoot?

Nevermind...everthing seems to boil down to greed, money or sex...I keep forgetting that. Happens to folks like me hitting curmudgeonhood early.

 

[tc300mag1]

No

 

[Joshua Hutchison]

In a mini-gun maybe.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Personal experience... The .17 HMR is a wonderful manstopper... IF the man's chest is 1.5 inches thick.

The .17 HMR will completely expand and disintingrate in a squirrel's chest, dropping him like a bad habit. Same thing with prairie dogs and pigeons. Just POP-THUMP. Nothing ever exits.

However, against anything over the size of a small coyote (at close range, head shot) I'll grab something larger.

 

[Chuck Dye]

.17 rimfire as a defensive round? Maybe in a 10/17 with lots of high cap mags for suppressive fire until backup arrives, but not for up close and personal.

 

[pauli]

i think .17hmr and .17 mach II are excellent defensive choices, should you suddenly find yourself starring in a real live version of the birds.

(i also think that if the ammo cost came down, either one would be a riot for plinking)

 

[gbran]

I'm really excited about the 17 mach 2. I might even sell off my other rimfires and use the 17m2 exclusively for targets and varmints.

But I'd never rely on the 17 for SD.

 

[Josey]

Yes, in a 100 round Calico.

 

[Mannlicher]

I don't think they would be much good for defense, in a handgun.

 

[otomik]

Personal experience... The .17 HMR is a wonderful manstopper... IF the man's chest is 1.5 inches thick.

give them time and they might produce an FMJ version, unless it uses a heeled bullet like the .22lr, the cartridge it's based upon...

 

[Majic]

Maybe if you were attacked by a rogue squirrel.

 

[bad_dad_brad]

They are excellent small varmint rounds. Nuff said.

 

[0007]

Damn, Josey, now you got me started thinkin'. Hmmm, rebarrel one of the Calico .22's to .17MII; just the thing when the annual downfall of tree catapillars starts in the spring....

 

[blades67]

Do you think the .17 HMR / .17 Mach II would make a good defensive round?

NO!



Some people are just dumber than rocks.

I hope you told them that would be folly.

 

[gearbox]

'Cause sometimes a .22 is overkill.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

There is no overkill; there is just "fire" and "reload".


these .17s would be just fine if you could hit the eye socket, under stress, 100% of the time.



I think they might be better if they launched their projectile to 3200 FPS. they might revolutionize pistolshooting as we know it.

 

[Smoke]

.17 inch hole or .45 inch hole?
.17 grain bullet or 230 grain?


hmmmmmmm....


Smoke

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

No, I think these are too specialized to work for self defense. They fragment well, but everything points to small varmints. Maybe a total solid bullet in the 30 grain range and no plastic tip would work well and give better penetration. Hmm...

 

[Sean Smith]

I think that much-maligned firearm alternative, the sharp stick, really would be a better choice.

 

[Joshua Hutchison]

The ideal pistol cartridge for .17: 17gr going at 9000 FPS That could be fun.....But who has a .50 cal BMG pistol and can either sabot OR neck down and re-barrel it X-TREM plinking!

 

[seeker_two]

Do you think the .17 HMR / .17 Mach II would make a good defensive round?

Now, really, what was your question?....

 

[Standing Wolf]

Better than nothing, I guess.