The .17 HMR was developed by Hornady in 2002. HMR stands for Hornady Magnum Rimfire, so naturally the 17 HMR is a rimfire rifle cartridge. The .17 HMR stemmed from the .22 Magnum, and it was created by necking down the .22 Magnum case to take a .17 caliber bullet. The .17 HMR offers much faster muzzle velocities than the .22 Magnum, but the .17 HMR is also much more costly to shoot.

Wildcatters who sought to craft a rimfire cartridge with an extraordinarily flat trajectory contributed to the development of the 17 HMR rounds. The wildcatters wanted to create a round that was an equivalent to the obsolete 5mm Remington Magnum Rimfire. Since the 5mm diameter barrels and bullets were not sufficiently available at the time, the wildcatters chose to go with the commercially available .17 caliber. The wildcatters were able to far surpass the 5mm velocities and flat trajectory.

Hornady, together with Marlin Firearms and Strum, Ruger, developed a chamber to fit the new 17 HMR cartridge. They accomplished this by doing an easy barrel change on the .22WMR. The .17 HMR was very popular once it hit the market in 2002. Even though the .17 HMR was somewhat expensive to operate due to the high-performance .17 caliber bullets it used, it still sold well due to the availability of reasonably priced and accurate firearms from Marlin and Ruger.

Several manufacturers make the .17HMR. There is a savage 17 hmr, a CZ 17 HMR, a Remington 17 HMR, and a 17 HMR Mossberg, among others.

The .17 HMR is often compared to .22LR ammunition, and in many aspects the .17 HMR comes out on top. First, the .17 can reach higher speeds than the .22. The .17 can fly up to 2,350 to 2,550 feet per second, versus the .22LR’s 1,255 feet per second.

Secondly, the .17 has a flatter trajectory, so that the user does not have to modify to the projectile’s drop as much as would be needed for the .22LR. In addition, the .17 HMR also has the backing of Hornady and the ammunition is considered to be of excellent quality.

Due to its high speeds, flat trajectory, and accuracy, the .17 HMR is very popular among users who shoot varmint including squirrels, crow, prairie dogs, foxes, and coyotes. The 17 HMR is also popular for use in target shooting and plinking.