I was shooting my friend's Savage 93 17HMR earlier after seeing him put all his shots in the same holes at 50yds. Granted it wasn't that far, the scope he has wasn't that high powered. I was using CCI polymer tipped ammo which isn't too pricey.
Anyways, I had a 5 round loaded up and I fired the first round with ease. The Savage trigger is really crisp and light. Bullseye. The other 4 shots followed suit and I was shooting into the same holes. It isn't even fair to small rodents , they don't stand a chance up against the 17hmr. I wish I had a use for this because it is a ton of fun to shoot. No kick, high velocity, long range potential, there really isn't anything wrong with this cartridge except the price. $14 /50 isn't that bad but I can buy a 20rd box of 223 for $5 and I'll get a lot more power.
End of rant. If you are looking for a small game tack driver, get the 17hmr.