D F
I honestly don't have hardly any opportunities to use a 17 HMR, 204, et.al. There aren't very many varmints round here.
I have friends in/on 3-4 deer leases where 'shooting' is NO problem BUT it's all timber land (piney woods of varying stages). More of the 'crop' is too large for visibility. Clearcuts are great but there aren't that many of them and good shooting only last 4-5 yrs each.
That's one thing I really MISS about living in La. I had access to 1000S of acres of timber land, not leased. There were lots of opportunities for varminting. I don't have that any more.
Jerry
It's pretty amazing what a .17 HMR or a .22 WMR will do to a hog if you use FMJ bullets.
A good bud educated me.
You can buy really good, cheap guns in both chamberings. Those make great truck/tractor knock around guns. Don't have to worry about skinning them up; they shoot a lot better than they look, are utility tools that can do the job.
IMO.
DF
