From looking at your pictures and from seeing the squirrels I have killed with the HMR I'd have to say you didn't get any expansion. Those .17 caliber bullets used in the HMR and HM2 literally explode when they expand. The largest animal I have used the .17HMR on to date was a feral dog that had dug under my fence to get on to the farm. Range was 91 yards and the hit was right to the base of the neck front on. It dropped at the shot. There was no blood and I really had to look for the entrance wound. No exit wound. A necropsy of the animal seemed to indicate that the bullet entered the body then expanded violently when it contacted the base of the windpipe. The only bullet evidence found was very small pieces of copper jacked and lead, did not find the plastic tip. On small animals like squirrel and rabbit they will be decapitated with a head hit out to 117yds and 75yds (longest shots on those to date). Crows, sparrows, starlings and barn pigeons will disappear in a puff of feathers with a point of breast hit out to 75yds. With the larger pigeon you will usually find the feet and wings and sometimes with the crows but with the smaller pests birds they seem to completely blowup. I�m in no way badmouthing the HM2. In fact I already have a new 10/22 in hand and I�m waiting for a Volquartsen bolt, barrel and trigger group on the way to build a .17HM2. That will be my summer project gun. Still haven�t decided if I�ll put a fancy walnut or some kind of composite stock on it yet. IMHO there is a place for both .17s, .22lr and .22M in every rim fire shooters battery. I like them all, shoot them all but just now I�m having lots of fun with the .17HMR.<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
