Target .22 - possibilities?

A reader emailed me a suggestion that I am seriously considering. For a 100yd rimfire that is primarily going to be a target gun and a range queen, why not consider the .17HMR chambering?

Hmmm...

Since I'm already resigned to buying expensive ammo, I can't make my normally plaintive "It costs too much to shoot..." argument, the same argument I used to talk myself out of a .300Wby that was on sale. The fact is, I won't be decimating Pepsi cans with this little monster - I'll be very precisely putting little holes in paper sheets at a considerable distance.

For this purpose, the .17HMR looks pretty good. It's a little bitty bullet, typically only about 17 grains, but kicking off at over 2400 fps with little to no recoil and a very flat trajectory. CCI has a couple of offerings that look promising as far as ammo goes, as well as a few others. Nobody like Lapua or Eley have any loadings, though that is in no way indicative of the overall quality of the cartridge - just my own personal biases at work.

I'm going to seriously look into it. In fact, Turners has a Savage in 17HMR on sale right now...looks like I know where I'll spend my lunch hour.

Cheers