Personally I've been having GREAT FUN "Poppin' Squeeks" and makin' Rabbits do blackflips with .17 HMR using Hornady NTX 15.5gr (and also the CCI Green TNT's 17gr)
Way more accurate then I am. Farthest shot on Ground Squirrel so far was 92yds. But like others above said, it's not like Ground Squirrels run away. Just sit down and be still in a good spot with shooting sticks, and wait.
I happen to have the Savage 93R17 with the Bull-Barrel. Some place had it on sale for like $249.
If you get one of these... HunterSpec has a zippered pouch sleeve for the butt stock. That sleeve raises up your cheek-weld to just right! And it's also very comfortable to rest upon. The stock by itself puts your line of sight just a lil too low below the scope's line of sight. So I kept having to raise my head up off cheek weld ever-so-slightly, which is not good for your accuracy.
I cannot say enough good things about the accuracy of that rifle and cartridge! Rounds go pretty much EXACTLY where you want them to. The only time you have to do some thinking is when the target presents itself much closer, so you have to place the crosshairs above the desired P.O.I. as the bullets path hasn't risen up enough yet in the arc. But that's only like in the first something like 30-40yds.
Just make sure to review a ballistics report about the cartridges you use before ya go out so it's fresh in your mind for that day.
Stronger crosswinds do mess with ya a bit when you're trying to reach out to like 100yd+. Again, review the ballistics report so you have an idea of how much to compensate. But yeah... pretty much anything within 100yds is toast.
And seriously... since I've started using the .17 HMR I have no desire to use the .22 LR anymore.
For spits and giggles, while I was out in the field hunting for Rabbits last year, I found an old expended 12ga shell. I set it up at 80yd, and off the little Kwik Stik shooting sticks it was no problem hitting that thing. The accuracy of that .17 HMR is such a Joy! And... since such low recoil you actually get to see your target get hit in the scope!
Way more accurate then I am. Farthest shot on Ground Squirrel so far was 92yds. But like others above said, it's not like Ground Squirrels run away. Just sit down and be still in a good spot with shooting sticks, and wait.
I happen to have the Savage 93R17 with the Bull-Barrel. Some place had it on sale for like $249.
If you get one of these... HunterSpec has a zippered pouch sleeve for the butt stock. That sleeve raises up your cheek-weld to just right! And it's also very comfortable to rest upon. The stock by itself puts your line of sight just a lil too low below the scope's line of sight. So I kept having to raise my head up off cheek weld ever-so-slightly, which is not good for your accuracy.
I cannot say enough good things about the accuracy of that rifle and cartridge! Rounds go pretty much EXACTLY where you want them to. The only time you have to do some thinking is when the target presents itself much closer, so you have to place the crosshairs above the desired P.O.I. as the bullets path hasn't risen up enough yet in the arc. But that's only like in the first something like 30-40yds.
Just make sure to review a ballistics report about the cartridges you use before ya go out so it's fresh in your mind for that day.
Stronger crosswinds do mess with ya a bit when you're trying to reach out to like 100yd+. Again, review the ballistics report so you have an idea of how much to compensate. But yeah... pretty much anything within 100yds is toast.
And seriously... since I've started using the .17 HMR I have no desire to use the .22 LR anymore.
For spits and giggles, while I was out in the field hunting for Rabbits last year, I found an old expended 12ga shell. I set it up at 80yd, and off the little Kwik Stik shooting sticks it was no problem hitting that thing. The accuracy of that .17 HMR is such a Joy! And... since such low recoil you actually get to see your target get hit in the scope!