I shoot a .223 with 55 gr. ballistic tips. It is fairly fur friendly, and does the job much better than the smaller .17. I have seen the .17 shooter unable to shoot, when there was a bush, or even a bit of grass between him and the animal. Also, the .17 is not always fur friendly. At close range, I've seen it blow holes as big as my hand. So, I would suggest the 222, 223, or something in that range. Randy