the .17 is a great cartridge, at least on paper. Question is, at 50 yards or less will it do any more than a good 22 LR or WMR cartridge? Also, you can safely chamber lesser .22 cartridges in a bolt action chambered for the LR (such as short, BB cap, etc). Fat chance you'll do that with a .17. Plus the .17 has a nasty sounding crack to it that alerts anybody within a half mile that something just got shot.