ORIGINAL: smoothsteve
All this talk on the 17HMR has really gotten to me. I want one bad, and what better timing, my birthday is coming up. Anywho. Are squirlles and Rabbits too small for it, and are yotes to big? Just some questions.
I have a Marlin 917VS with a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x on mine, and have only used it on rabbits and squirrels (other than target shooting).
If you check out Midway (
www.midwayusa.com) there are a lot more bullets available for the .17 HMR than you usually see in stores. If you are going for rabbits and squirrels, forget about the ballistic tip styles. They are way too destructive. CCI now has a 20 grain Gamepoint. While less destructive, it is still a hollowpoint, and moving very fast. So far, my favorite round for small game is CCI's full metal jacket. That thing is moving so fast, and has so much energy for small game that expansion isn't really necessary. With this bullet, it is deadly on rabbits and squirrels.
I will try and take a couple pics this coming weekend for you.