I haven't warmed to the 17 HMR yet, although I own 3 of them... a Marlin Heavy Barrel, a NEF and a Ruger 77/17 Heavy Barrel...
My main prejudice toward it, has been ammo price and lack of red mist...
However since Speer/CCi has started loading the 20 grain TNT and the 17 grain XTP for Hornady, they give me a load more red mist it seems than the 17 grain V Max...
Also that has been something to motivate me more on its 'bigger capabilities' has been the 20 grain FMJ bullets now available...coyote sized stuff is now more reliably taken...haven't done it, more would I need to try it under normal circumstances, but a head shot on a deer with the FMJ, I bet would be lethal...( you never know with the economy and the world situation, if we might have to rely on survival situations in the future..)
The last thing that has added to my enthusiasm for the Ruger especially, is the availability of a Shooter's Ridge 25 round, double stack magazine.. which sells for $19.00...
it is half the protrusion of the regular 25 round banana clip mags used on 10/22s.. I picked up two... but you can load up the full box of 50 rounds in the two magazines..
Wish money was no object, I'd love to have about 4 of them, with a 100 rounds total and all the 17 HMR ammo I could find, and use it as a walking varminter... stopping every 100 rounds to reload the 4 mags and get back out shooting..
with that set up, I'd bet going thru a 1000 rounds in an afternoon with the Ruger in 17 HMR wouldn't be all that hard...and sure would be a boat load of fun...