It is a fantastic varmint round.
It was very popular among varmint shooters right out of the gate. But it has ridiculous pressure spikes and a lot of semi-autos were recalled accordingly.
If you can get one in a bolt gun or single shot, and lay in a good supply of ammo, they are well worth the effort. But I will add that it is awful in high winds and some modern 22LR gives an equivalent "pop" on a rat or rabbit.
They are insanely accurate. Typically.
The 17HM2 seems like it would be the perfect round for shooting iguanas at long range down your way or for shooting armadillos in the southwest.
