.17 HMR for Beaver?

Although I have never owned a .17HMR I think it is probably a very good cartridge for beaver.  I say that for a few reasons:

• On my first DVD, KenC shoots a few as I film.  He is able to make good kills at what I thought were respectable ranges (about 80 to 125 yards).  For that you need accuracy and the .17 has it.
• I once owned an HK semi-auto .22 Mag (parent cartridge of the ,17) and thought it was a pretty good cartridge for beaver.  At that time (and now, actually) I was mostly using a .22LR.  The .22 Mag was superior (unfortunately it was stolen).  And, I think the .17 has some significant advantages over the .22 Mag.
• The .22LR is a decent cartridge for beaver but has limitations–mainly being that it doesn’t, in my opinion, have enough ‘extra’ for all the opportunities that beavers present.  That becomes apparent when other, quick, follow-up shots are required at rates that are higher than with other varmint hunting situations.  The .17 eliminates some of these problems.

On the other hand, I do have concerns related to bullet construction and bullet weight.  Not having enough experience with these, however, they may turn out to be non-issues.  Here’s why I wonder:

• The beaver is a very large animal and commonly out-weighs the coyote.  It is also a very compact animal with a lot of ability to absorb bullets (although not really that hard to kill).
• Will the bullet penetrate enough on a body shot to cause near-instant incapacitation?  Will it cause significant head trauma when stiking the skull?

I have frequently shot beaver on my river trips as they sat on shore.  The river I most like to hunt carries a considerable amount of sediment and beavers will be impossible to see once they’ve sunk a few inches.  As well, there is a fairly strong current.  (Sinking can occur at sloughs / ponds but the water is usually clear and retrieval is possible.  There is, of course, no current.)  On beaver hunting expeditions it can often happen that beaver will immediately collapse on shore with a head shot but 5 or 10 or 20 seconds later will begin to kick with its hind legs (this type of reaction can be seen with head shots on any animal–think of all the time you’ve seen it when gopher shooting); this too often results in the beaver kicking itself back into the river and disappearing.  (I haven’t had this type of loss occur very often with cartridges larger than a rimfire; most centrefires seem to anchor them quickly.)  Sometimes, even when in a boat and with all proper haste, you just can’t get there in time.  It seems to be less of a problem in the early spring because beaver tend to float better then; but a few weeks later they sink.  Fortunately, some of the very best hunting happens during the spring flood when beavers will still remain floating.

 

I think there was a reason the old-timers used a cartridge like the Hornet; it had that extra edge of power and bullet strength over the twenty-two rimfires.  Every lost beaver was $XX.00 out-of-pocket so it was worth the extra expense of a center-fire cartridge.

 

So, having said all that, I’d use the .17HMR in an instant.  I think my .222 is more versatile because it allows anchoring shots from across wide rivers or when you have to position yourself further away because of the way the pond is laid out, but those shots are infrequent (unless you plan it that way; if you do, you’d be wiser to use your coyote cartridge).  For all-round beaver hunting, the .17HMR should do it successfully with a high enough percentage that the disadvantages would be minimal.  I say that with the understanding that 100 yards is a long shot for a beaver; most should be under 50 yards.

 

I do have a suggestion for shooting swimming beavers that might help; wait until they are swimming away and shoot them in the back of the skull.  There seems to be less likelihood of glancing shots (with rimfires) with this placement.  When beavers are on land, head shots or chest shots seem to work best.

 

Well, that’s my opinion.

 

Ken

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