I have a Savage .17 HMR that came with a pretty nice scope and it is dead on accurate. It is a bit heavy with the bull barrel and for a while .17HMR shells was hard to find but no longer a problem.
I think if I were buying again today I might look for a .17 WSM (Winchester Super Magnum) rifle. This uses a .27 caliber shell casing necked to a .17 so it carries a lot more powder than the .22 hull. The ballistics on it are far better than the .17HMR although I have no idea what the cost of ammo for this gun might be. One review I read said that the bullet was so fast that small game ran off without realizing that they were mortally wounded. I have had the same thing happen with crows that I shot with the .17HMR but they don't get far before dropping dead. I am sure that if I were shooting larger predators like coyotes, the .17 WSM would be much better especially at 200+yards away.
