| The 17HMR is a wonderful round, I just can't say enough about it. It will easily take ground hogs,prairie dogs,squirrels,turkey,(coyotes head shots within 175y) as long as you know your limits as a shooter and the max range to shoot at for each.
As you note that this will be your first hunting rifle I would probably opt for the .223 until you really hone your hunting and shooting skills. This will allow you to use it on other larger game and also will give you more room for error. |