Are the 17's as noisy as a subsonic .22? As a high velocity .22? Or even noisier? I value the quietest guns. If the 17 is quiet, I might consider it.
i'd say the 17mach2 is about as loud as the average high speed 22long rifle.
to my ears, the HMR has a noticeably louder/sharper report than any 22long rifle load, and that includes hyper-velocity rounds such as CCI Stingers, etc...if you value quiet, the HMR might not be what you are after.
i shot a couple of squirrels with the CCI FMJ rounds in 17HMR, body shots were not overly destructive, and they shot OK in my barrel...but not sure i'd risk buying a gun in the hopes it would shoot well with the one single loading available that would not splatter whatever you are planning to eat.
