It seems to me that none of the bullets currently loaded in the 17 HMR are adequate for deer and clearly shouldn't be used except under life or death situations. I know, folks who disagree will say shoot them in the CNS, but hitting the CNS is often easier said than done.
OTOH, 22 MRF 40 and 45 grain loads are often the cartridge of choice by professional herd reduction/improvement shooters. If the 17 HMR was superior, those professionals would adopt it for their purposes. Since none that I know of have, I am sticking with the 22 MRF.
I'm not anti-17 HMR, I've got several of them and have fired around 5K 17 HMR cartridges at ground squirrels, pdogs, and paper since the 17 HMR was 1st introduced. But I don't think that the 17 HMR is a better choice than the 22 MRF for heavier or tougher animals. I know that is 180-degrees different than your take on the subject, but it is my take on the subject, based on shooting several different brands of ammo from several different rifles, both factory specs and custom.
Jeff
