There is no comparison to the 22 lr vs the 17 hmr. But put the 22 wmr up against the hmr and its a whole other story. The wmr may not shoot as flat but has more KE than the hmr at any of their effective range.
Now the hmr is a dang accurate round. I've hunted squirrels with it and it wasn't even a challenge. I had to start limiting myself to head shots only and took a few at around 75 yards.