I have several rimfire rifles and handguns and have hunted smallish game/varmints with .22LR, .22 Mag, and 17HMR. Lately, the .17HMR takes me out to the fields/woods near the house more often than anything else. I don't hunt rabbits, but often take varmints like red squirrels, woodchucks, and coyotes. On walkabouts lately, the .17 HMR has been my favorite and was lucky to encounter two coyotes inside of 100 yards in a blueberry field. They had been sleeping and each got up individually to look across the field at a few turkeys to my left. The first one was about 40 yards or so and it surprised the heck out of me, as I sat on an old concrete bench we'd retired to the edge of that field.
Anyway, I got both of them with that "puny" .17 and am really impressed with its killing ability, considering the size/weight of the projectile. However, the relative power of the cartridge causes me to not shoot anything in trees when I need to shoot high into the air, even if the maximum range may be about the same as a .22LR. It has also killed a few woodchucks in the back yard quite effectively. They're hard to kill quickly due to the relative toughness and ability to absorb damage and still make it to a den.
Favorite walk-about rifle is a Heavy-Fluted CZ455 American .17 HMR, with a Bushnell 3-9X scope. It shoots just under 1" at 100 yds, and holds steady both offhand or rested, due to slight forward-weight bias. I bought it used with a standard.22 Mag barrel, but really love it with the fluted heavy barrel, especially for offhand shooting.
