I bought the .17hmr in the NEF when it first came out. I have shot hundreds of rounds through mine by now. It is very accurate and flat shooting and has lived up to its tack driving ability. I have a 3x9x30 scope on mine and sighted it in dead on at 25 yards. I have food plots and the armadillo' s were tearing it up. I have shot armadillo' s at 125 yards with no problem at all. I really love the little gun, but I love all guns. If you' re not a gun nut and you have a .22lr or a .22 mag, then you probably don' t need a .17. It does give more versatility than the .22, but either .22 will get the same job done--only at shorter distances. The damage to small game isn' t bad if you can shoot the gun. I hunt squirrels with mine. Shure, a body shot would be devastating. But with a gun that is dead on at 100 yards, why would you shoot for the body? I have taken the eyeballs out of many of squirrels with mine.