The area of Illinois where I hunt is pretty thickly populated. The .17 seems like a good versatile choice for someone looking to drop everything from squirrels, to crows,to coyotes, with more of an emphasis on crows. Shooting a centerfire cartridge can cause problems and is damned epxensive unless one is a handloader. Also, shooting something like a coyote or fox with a 25-06 (my dream gun) tends to produce a mangled fur ball that would not interest a fur buyer. But, that's justmy perspective.