Been there, done that. No way would I ever again hunt our big bean-fed Eastern groundhogs on a regular basis with a .17 Hornet. If you took potshots at one here at 350 yards I swear they’d laugh at you. Good for small, colony varmints but I found a good ol’ .22 Hornet kills ‘hogs better, and the only reason I own any Hornet is because of the (relatively) mild report for use around developed areas (will admit to seriously considering a .19 Calhoon Hornet, though.)
If noise isn’t an issue, something with more case capacity like the .221 Remington Fireball and either of its variations (.20 VarTarg, .17 Fireball) will smoke any Hornet. There are used .17 FBs out there; one could order a Cooper, Shaw etc. or easily convert a CZ 527 or Remington .221. FWIW, I own a Cooper and a Remington LVSF chambered in .221 Fireball and really can’t make a case for modifying that chambering: 40 grain ballistic tips out of them will make Jello out of woodchuck guts out to 250 yard or so; if I need more I’ll bring a .204 Ruger or something bigger.
