The .17 Hornet is the quintessential mid-range varmint cartridge—regardless if you’re hunting east or west of the Mississippi River. The tabulated results clearly illustrate why; only 12.2 grs. of Accurate 1680—that’s 573 shots per pound of propellant—is needed to propel the volatile, 20-gr. V-Max bullet to 3726 f.p.s. And, when zeroed at 200 yds., the tiny projectile impacts 1" high at 100 yds. and only drops 6.1" at 300 yds., where it still has 210 ft.-lbs. of energy remaining—plenty to ruin the day of the largest coyote. Trajectory-wise, that’s slightly better than the .223 Rem. when loaded with the 55-gr. V-Max, and the .17 Hornet has a mild report and nil recoil, too. Even in a full-value, 10-m.p.h. wind, the .223 Rem. offers only slightly less deflection than the .17 Hornet out to 300 yds.
