RE: 8th Caliber opinion: The .17 HMR
Don't have any use for it.
.22LRs are much cheaper and are just as good on squirrels as a .17 HMR. Squirrels are the only game animal I shoot with a .22 rifle. The only varmints in my area are woodchucks and coyotes, both of which I'd rather shoot with something much larger than a .17