Rimfire Ammo
.17 HMR Ammo
In stock from $0.28 / round · 4 of 4 products available now
The flattest-shooting rimfire there is: almost no holdover at varmint range, and bullets light enough that wind moves them noticeably.
In stock today
- Cost per round
- $0.28 to $0.38
- 2 Brands
- CCI, Hornady
- Bullet weights
- 16, 17 grain
- Pack sizes
- 50, 500 rounds
Order before 4:00 PM ET on a business day and it ships the same day, then 1 to 5 business days in transit depending on how far it travels. You will see the arrival date before you pay.
Learn more about .17 HMR
At a glance
- Also known as
- .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, .17 Hornady Mag
- Common bullet weights
- 15.5, 17 and 20 grain
- Typical use
- Varmints and pest control out past 150 yards
- Before you buy
- Wind moves these bullets noticeably, and they will ruin close-range edible game or a pelt
- Age to purchase
- 21+ (the federal licensed-dealer minimum for ammunition suitable for a handgun, applied as TAS policy)
.17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire is a .22 WMR case necked down to take a tiny, very fast .17 calibre bullet, and the result shoots flatter than anything else in rimfire. Out to the ranges that matter for varmints it needs almost no holdover, and good rifles shoot it remarkably accurately. The trade-offs are equally clear: the bullets are so light that wind moves them noticeably, they are frangible by design and will destroy small edible game or a pelt at close range, and the cartridge has never made a happy home in a semi-automatic.
- CCI
CCI 17 HMR Ammo VARMINT TNT 17GR (JHP) 50RD BOX
17gr JHP · 50rd
Also in 500rd
$18.35$0.37/rdIn stock
- Hornady
Hornady Varmint Express 17 HMR AMMO 15.5 gr Non-Toxic Lead-Free 83171 50RD BOX
16gr 50rd
$16.19$0.32/rdIn stock
Before you buy
What to know about .17 HMR
What people buy it for
- Varmint and pest control at extended rimfire range
- Prairie dog, ground squirrel and similar small-target shooting
- Farm and property rifles where a flat trajectory saves a range estimate
- Rimfire accuracy shooting where the wind is cooperating
Flat, but wind-sensitive
Very high velocity from a very light bullet gives an exceptionally flat trajectory: you can hold on a small target across a considerable stretch of field without thinking about drop. The same lightness means a crosswind pushes it around more than a heavier .22 WMR bullet. On a still morning it is superb; in a steady breeze the .22 Magnum starts to look better.
Frangible bullets and what they do to game
The standard 17gr polymer-tipped bullet is built to come apart violently on impact, which is exactly right for pests and exactly wrong for anything you want to eat or skin at short range. Heavier 20gr and hollow-point designs penetrate a little more and destroy a little less. If small game for the table is the point, choose deliberately.
Bolt actions dominate for a reason
Nearly every .17 HMR rifle is a bolt action or a single shot. The cartridge has proven difficult to run reliably and safely in blowback semi-automatic actions, and the market has largely settled around manually operated rifles. If you want a semi-automatic rimfire, .22 LR is the sensible cartridge.
Price, and no reloading
.17 HMR costs several times what bulk .22 LR does per round and cannot be reloaded: it is rimfire. It is a cartridge you buy fifty rounds of and make count, not one you fill an afternoon with. That makes the cost-per-round comparison on this page more useful here than almost anywhere else in the catalog.
Questions
Common questions
Is .17 HMR better than .22 WMR?
For flat trajectory and pure accuracy on small targets, yes. That is what it was designed to beat. .22 WMR carries more bullet weight and energy, handles wind better, and does far less damage to edible game. They cost broadly similar amounts per round. The right choice depends on whether your shooting is limited by trajectory or by wind and terminal effect.
Can I use .17 HMR on small game for the table?
With care. The standard 17gr polymer-tipped bullet is designed to fragment and can ruin a great deal of meat on a close shot. Heavier 20gr and expanding hollow-point loads are more restrained. Many hunters simply take head shots with it, which its accuracy makes realistic. If pelts matter, test on something you are not planning to keep first.
Why are there so few semi-automatic .17 HMR rifles?
The cartridge's pressure has made it difficult to run safely in simple blowback actions, and the manufacturers who tried had a hard time of it. The result is that the market settled on bolt actions and single shots. If a semi-automatic rimfire is what you want, .22 LR is the cartridge with decades of reliable designs behind it.
Can .17 HMR be reloaded?
No: it is rimfire, so there is no primer pocket and the case rim is deformed by firing. Every case is a consumable. Combined with its relatively high price, that makes .17 HMR a cartridge to buy thoughtfully; the per-round price beside each listing here is the number to compare.
How much does .17 HMR cost per round?
.17 HMR runs from $0.28 to $0.38 per round in stock right now. Every price on the page carries its cost per round beside it, so the comparison is one glance rather than arithmetic.
Is it cheaper to buy .17 HMR by the case?
Usually, yes. We stock .17 HMR from 50 rounds up to 500, and the cost per round beside each price is what shows whether a particular case actually beats the box. It is not automatic: a discounted box sometimes wins.
Which brands of .17 HMR do you stock?
CCI and Hornady are in stock in .17 HMR today. Stock changes as the feed runs, so the list on the page is the current one.
What bullet weights does .17 HMR come in?
The .17 HMR in stock runs 16, 17 grain. Weight changes how the round feels and where it prints more than most shooters expect, so it is worth matching what you already shoot.