17 Hornet and Coons.

[nortpete]

I am not sure if anyone else is experiencing this or if it is just me. This is my first year hunting with my 17 Hornet and I just lost my second coon with it. I shot 17 woodchucks this summer and everyone of them dropped in their tracks. I have shot 3 fox with it and they all died in their tracks. One of them also had a huge exit hole. The coons are a different story. The first one I shot I hit twice. Once in the neck and once in the body and it got away. A few nights ago I shot two. I got one with one shot and another one took two shots. Tonight I called another one in and only got one shot and I hit it in the body. I followed blood for about 60 yards and it just quit bleeding. I am not sure what to think about this round with raccoon's. Anybody else have any experience with this caliber and raccoon's?

[Bowman66]

Out of the 8 I shot so far, 6 have dropped on the spot and two have required a follow up shot to anchor them in there tracks.  I have found that waiting for a head shot has worked best for me with the .17 hornet. I have lost 2 fox with body shots and have been aiming head/neck and having better luck since I started doing so. I hope things get better for you with your hornet.

[nortpete]

If I shoot a fox in the chest with it I will get a good sized exit hole and the drop dead. If I shoot a coon in the chest or neck he looks at me laughs and runs away.

[bigben]

The .223 lays em out.

[Seeking_Coyotes]

Lost my fair share with a .17 Fireball myself.

What bullet are you using?  I don't feel the plastic tipped are the best for predators, varmints yes, predators not so much so.  Your mileage may vary...

[Buckwheat]

I know I am NOT a big fan of the blistic tip type bullets for any fur gun.

[nortpete]

I am using the factory Hornaday V-Max. This is all I have been able to get my hands on. I'm not even sure if they make any other bullet for this caliber yet.

[Buckwheat]

Nortpete
Yea, that is all make. Plastic tip bullets shoot good on paper but are not my pick for killing. That is why I reload.

[Seeking_Coyotes]

Here is the best bullet I have used in the .17 caliber.  I'd get in on this asap and buy as many as you can afford and then some more:

http://www.saubier.com/forum.html

Read the thread Berger 17- 25 grain match bullets.

I have been trolling gun sites for awhile now buying up all I could find from guys who would sell me these discontinued bullets.  Now Berger is going to make a special run for some guys...  Might have to get another 1,000 or so myself.

[Critterslayer51]

hmmm and i've body shot'm with .22LR out of the top of a tree and were dead before they hit the ground, the fireball kind of suprises me...not that i'm callin anyone a liar, just shocked

[Bowman66]

I was out tonight and dropped two fox on the spot, no problem at all. The I called a coon and he ate two bullets like they were grapes. One in the head, one in the neck, and I still had to run him down through some nasty briars.  They are some tuff sob's! 

[shadowchaser]

When I was a kid and we coon hunted with dogs I used to love seeing them death grip a branch and just hang there.  Coon are tough old sob's.