RE: .17HMR or .22LR
 

For squirrel hunting, get a .22LR. There is no other sane choice save a pellet gun in the rifle catagory.

I have a Savagte 93R17 in 17HMR. And yes....deadly accurate is an understatement. Off the bench that gun will shoot spent primers out of shotgun shell hulls at 150 yards all day if there is no wind.

BUT....if you shoot a squirrel with it anywhere but the head, and at any angle save dead broadside, it will look like you shot it with a cruise missle.

For squirrel hunting, I like my 77/22 with eley Subsonic Hollow points or just good old CB Longs. Nice and quiet so they don't scare every tree rat in the woods back to the nest. Won't ring your ears, and plenty deadly enough.

RE: .17HMR or .22LR
 

I will agree that those hmr's will wake the dead as compared to toher rimfires.

RE: .17HMR or .22LR
 

A 17 HMR is loud but they are actually quieter then a 22 Mag.