kd4rgwml":3cn5d6gr said:
shoot44 i understand the mess a 17 will make of the meat BUT I'll use any excuse for a new gun LOL :lol:
Sure, understand that completely! Just didn't know if you were aware of the effect of that tiny little 17 grain polymer-tipped HP at over 2500 fps. (And you won't believe what it does to ground squirrels!)
I bought one for use on squirrels 'cause I didn't care about the meat, and I couldn't really shoot my 22 up in the trees due to my surroundings. The 17 bullet just disintegrates when it hits ANYTHING, so there is no danger of shooting someone/something a mile away like there clearly is with the 22.
I found out afterward that this is a very accurate little caliber, even when shot in a pretty 'run-of-the-mill' rifle. So if you ARE interested in the meat, head shots are not difficult at most ranges.
If you are interested in the cartridge, there is a website named "varmint shooter", or something like that, that has a very long article on it, and the different ammo that is available for it, and how it differs. That guy has done a LOT of experimentation with it.
Edit: the URL is:
http://varmintal.com/17hmr.htm