CCCC,The .17 HMR is good to far more than 125 yards in typical prairie dog conditions. In fact the .17 Mach II is good to 125.
Am guessing you're using hollow-points in the .17 Hornet. Using plastic-tipped bullets in the increases both ballistic coefficient and expansion enough to at least double that 125 yard limit. And I am recommending and claiming from quite a bit of experience.
I do not doubt your experience and certainly support your wish to recommend and claim. But, might see a gap between what I wrote and what you assumed. Your post is mostly consumed with what some .17s will do out to or past 125 yards (in "typical" conditions) and your expression of knowledge and bullet recommendations seem based on an assumed problem - that my .17 Hornet is not effective past 125 yards.
But, those are poor assumptions both on which bullets I load and the effective yardage of my Hornet. Please note my opinion that it is better than the .17 rim fire stuff and most other smaller case .17s.
I said that I "tend to limit the .17 Hornet to about 125 yards" but in no way said that mine is not effective beyond that distance. Here, decisions like that often are based on availability of better alternatives and data other than holes in paper and chrono findings.
