What are these guns good/used for? You can't hunt squirrels with them.

Same thing here. I bought one about a year ago or so and just sold it. I rather have a rifle chambered with something I can reload...

WHY?.......I would'nt use a .17 Rem on squirrels, but a .17 HMR on head shots, why not?

You can hunt squirrel with them. Just go for head shots or use a less explosive ammo. Like the TNT or 20 grn XTPs instead of the Vmax ammo.

They were really intended for small varmints like gofers, ground squirrels and small woodchucks though. You could also take fox and some take coyotes with them as well.

I target shoot and do pest control with mine. If you wanted to squirrel hunt the HM2 would have been a better choice.

Check out rimfirecentral, we talk about the 17 quite a bit over there.

Paul

oh, I thought it was illegal to shoot squirrels with the .17. Guess I just heard that
somewhere.

Where do you live? It is a possibility in your state that it is not legal to shoot them with a 17HMR, never heard of it though. Then again I have not read every state and counties regs either. If it is legal to shoot them with a rimfire where you live the HMR should be legal unless specifically stated otherwise. There may be some law that says they must be shot with a .22 or larger caliber or something to that effect. This would be to keep people from shooting them with .177 pellet guns would be my guess. Most likely a law before the HMR's came about.

Paul

Man,you nevershota squirrel with a .22 Mag?

Quote:

Man,you nevershota squirrel with a .22 Mag?

I have noticed that a 22 Mag does much less damage than a 17 HMR if you are using the TNTs out of the 17. I really wish I could get hold of some of those 20 grain bullets that are supposed to be more for game than varmints. I shot a squirrel in the head with a TNT and it peeled him past his shoulders.

YEP! I was in NC in Oct. and my wife's cousin had just bought a scoped Savage and 500rds of TNT's, WOW!
It surely does some damage on impact.

thats what the hmr was designed for is small game and varmint/pest control. i have shot probably hundreds of squirrels and rabbits with them and if you shoot it in the head it works fine. i also have shot 3 coyote and a fox with it. last fall i set up on some beavers with it and it killed them 1 shot. i also carry it coon hunting and shoot rimfire tournaments with it its a great caliber for all things just listed. id does a good job on woodchuck p.dog and ground squirrels too.