I’ve always heard 17 HMRs were too destructive to be a good squirrel rifle. I’d shot a few with game points and found that was indeed the case, though they weren’t nearly as bad as v max’s.

I still like the 17 but tried for head shots.

Decided to try some FMJ’s today and purposely went for a body shot. Worked great, about the same damage as a 22 LR subsonic HP, in fact maybe a little less.

Attached File


Definitely sold on the 17 for squirrels now in the late season. Pretty damn flat out to 100 yards. Previously I’d use 22 subsonic HPs and dialed for ranges past 50, but getting a good range for squirrels can be difficult as shot opportunities don’t last long. I’d either be over or under a lot at distance. The 17 is a winner.

.17 HMR is the business on small game.

I always hunted squirrel with .22lr solids and I killed plenty.

Nice.  Had I tried that, I may not have sold mine a while back.  Guess I'm sticking with 22lr for now tho.

My .17 has killed more varmints than I can count. It's a fantastic little round.

17hm2 on the little stuff for me.  204 ruger for the larger stuff.

I got fairly poor groups from FMJ in my 17. VMAX are accurate enough for headshots. I like to use the 17 when sitting in the deer stand, where I’m most likely to get distant shots. Out stomping, a semiauto 22 or shotgun works much better.

Any load accurate enough to put the shot in vitals is enough to drop squirrels. I prefer SV for the noise, but a HVHP does help a lot when I fail to locate the bullet perfectly.

17HMR really puts the horsepower on the coons and groundhogs where 22 is lacking. The 17gr VMAX makes a devastating wound channel on the bigger critters that can appreciate the power. Squirrel/rabbit just aren’t big enough for the excess energy to really do anything.