Preacherman
Member
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?
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?