I was out with my 5 year old son scouting and generally playing around last month. I put my savage .22 on a Caldwell Fieldpod in the stand just in case we saw a (insert name of legal game/varmint).
I hit the slate call just to see if I could get a tom to gobble back. We had three bust out of the timber, head right at us. He said, daddy are you going to shoot one?! I explained all the rules we would be breaking including hunting before season and using the wrong gun. As they got within 10 yards, it was a little hard not head shooting the nice tom.
Also, I have a little experience between the 17, mag and .22 hornet. a friend has had all three and spent many hours, many rounds through them all. he ended on the hornet. center fire and he can load different for small critters, to harvesting bigger animals like deer with head shots. it being center fire you could load turkey rounds at a lower velocity, and or heavier bullet to mitigate damage to bird. i wouldn't go 17 hmr on something you want to eat, stuff or mount. Like everyone said its devastating to soft tissues.
Between your two choices id say 22 mag, stay with a small .22cal, look at 22 hornet loaded to the specific target.
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