Dear Quick:
As always, you are a gentleman. Thankyou.
Gee, I might even imagine the 17m2 as the ultimate 100 yd squirrel rifle. Please notice thats me imagining. Benchresting and field conditions are two different things, and a squirrel gets awful small out there. They must shrink somehow! Truth is I usually don't even see em till they're a lot closer.
I guess it's the accuracy that I've read about on this forum that really gets my attention. The 22rf is the workhorse, but something that is flatter shooting, longer range, and same or better accuracy in a field grade rifle, well, I guess ya can't help but take notice.
NOT to overlook the 17HMR, any comparisons between 17s and 22s, ect. have been answered very thoroughly, ie, get em both. Very sensible!
Now the old Mossberg 22 still works fine, it's been around for a while, shot a lot of groundhogs, CCI Stingers, open sights, still huntin, maybe 30-40 yds. in the woods and edges. No need to replace it. But something that cuts a finer line would be great for squirrels. Groundhogs too!
There's a lot to be learned on this site, and with the help of the many fine gentlemen here, I'm learnin how to make a good decision and you've all helped me understand that I need one of these rifles! Now, a bit of education about proper selection of optics for such a rifle, is in order.
Thanks again Quick! Woodbutcher