Only a couple of characteristics plague .17-caliber firearms: tiny bullets require delicate rifling that is easily damaged by cleaning equipment; and tiny bores are, well, just plain aggravating to clean. In the .17s I have worked with, the CCI BR-4 has given me the most consistent accuracybut your results may vary. Give it a shot and see what youve been missing. During May 2016, he thinned the Idaho rockchuck and ground squirrel populations with a custom pistol in 17 Hornet built around a single-shot Sako A1 action. The primers that seem to consistently work the best (and are the ones most sources recommend) are the CCI 450, Remington 7.5, and CCI BR-4. The barrel and action include a protective Parkerized finish. Use of the Remington 6 primer improved accuracy in Reibers gun as well as mine. Due to a higher density, more CFE BLK can be packed into a case. Some 6mm Rem AI shooters prefer to shoot the 87gr V-Max from a 10-twist barrel.The 6mm Rem AI set up with a 10-twist barrel to shoot the 87gr V-Max is about the ultimate long-range varmint caliber one could ever . Subscriber Services. The Remington Model Seven is ready, willing and able to handle just about any task. Moving up in powder capacity, the .17 Mach IV was introduced during the 1960s by Las Vegas gunsmith Vern O'Brien, whose custom rifles were on the dainty Sako L46 action. In todays guise, benefitting of more modern manufacturing methods, propellants, a better understanding of twist rates, and cleaning procedures and products, the .17 really shines within its niche. It typically kills even big-bodied coyotes cleanly, yet does minimal damage to the skin. . was IMR4320. And Aaron,thanks for your info too. 1 Single-Shot Rifle: Tips to Improve Its Accuracy, How to Clean a Rifle Barrel the Effective and Harmless Way, 10 Best 6.5mm Rifle Cartridges Available Right Now, Top 10 6.5 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) Rifles, Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak - A Lightweight Heavy Hitter, Browning BLR Lightweight '81 Stainless Takedown Lever Rifle, Mossberg Patriot Predator 6.5 PRC Rifle Review, Review: Springfield Armory M1A Loaded Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, RCBS ChargeMaster Lite Review: Not 'Lite' on Ability, Remington Model Seven SS HS Bolt-Action Rifle Review. To show viewers how to succeed at long range, J. Guthrie gears up for a challenging shot while chasing Colorado pronghorn at long range with DPMS' Panther 6.5 Creedmoor. There were certainly some exceptional groups involved, but the rifle proved more finicky than I anticipated. The first commercial .17-caliber round, the .17 Remington, was hobbled by the inferior .17-caliber bullets available upon its release, often resulting in superficial wounds on animals such as coyotes. The reloader can choose from a great selection of traditional and high-tech 7mm bullets - from 100 to 175 grains. AVERAGE GROUP SIZE WITH MOST ACCURATE BRAND OF AMMUNITION. Through the years I have handloaded for several lever-action rifles chambered for the 218 Bee, and recoil is so light I never found it necessary to crimp the mouth of the case into the bullet, so lack of a cannelure on the Sierra bullets is not a factor. Some seating-depth jockeying would likely reap rewards, and the stock could use some work, as a piece of paper will not slip between barrel and stock. The factory 20-grain loads were accurate and had a velocity of 3,567 fps when shot from a CZ 527 American. Of rimfire design, it's ideal for prairie dogs, potgut gophers and most of the smaller furbearers out to a couple of hundred yards. Its not a spectacular cartridge, though, because a hanging steel plate at 300 yards didnt even move when shot with the tiny V-MAX bullets, but the approximately 200 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) of energy the little bullets still carry at 300 yards is enough to kill a ground squirrel. Hodgdon CFE BLK, Shooters World Blackout and Alliant Reloder 10x were auditioned. The magazine of the Ruger rifle will handle longer. More importantly, the .222 Remington would spawn the elongated .223 Remington, introduced in 1957 (and today is Americas most popular centerfire cartridge); and the shortened .221 Remington Fireball. With the 65, I recommend 47.5 grains of Varget or 47.5 grains of IMR 4064. The .17 Rem's efficient ballistics allow . The powder weights for all the loads but one listed in the table were weighed as precisely as I could on a balance scale. A note on cleaningsince this will be mentioned in any reloading manual or article about the caliber. While accuracy was better with that ammo than I had anticipated (averaging 1.55 inches at 100 yards), seating bullets in handloads to lightly contact the rifling shrank group size considerably. It has a three-lug action. A few grains of bullet weight in this diminutive cartridge can make a very large difference in terminal effect, and the sleeker HPBT design flies exceedingly well. Powered by UBB.threads PHP Forum Software 7.7.5. I have tried just about every bullet made. I have attempted to chamber Remington ammo in two .17 Mach IV rifles. After thoroughly cleaning the tube at home, for instance, the added 25-grain Hornady V-MAX loads assembled impressive clusters. After looking at load data for the 17 Mach IV and looking at Quickload, it seems something in the burn rate of IMR 4198, Vihta Vuori N110, Alliant 2400, Alliant Reloader 7, Hodgdon Lil'Gun, Alliant Blue Dot, and IMR 4227 would meet the requirement. When shooting ground squirrels and prairie dogs with a bolt-action rifle, I seldom use its magazine anyway. vs 9.3x62 Cartridge Clash, Browning SA-22 Challenge Semiauto Rimfire: Its History and a Review, 6 Best .300 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) Rifles, How Rifle-Shot Recoil Affects Scopes, Rings and Bases, Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak - A Lightweight Heavy Hitter, Browning BLR Lightweight '81 Stainless Takedown Lever Rifle, Mossberg Patriot Predator 6.5 PRC Rifle Review, Review: Springfield Armory M1A Loaded Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, RCBS ChargeMaster Lite Review: Not 'Lite' on Ability, Remington Model Seven SS HS Bolt-Action Rifle Review. The .17 Remington requires consistent cleaning. The Sierra 40-grain hollowpoint also preferred 0.005 inch of rifling engagement. Introduced in 2018, it is rugged, simple, and accurate. The Judge has been promoted! The CZ 527 and Hornady factory loads combined for this 200-yard group. It pushes 25-grain bullets up to 3,200 fps. Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. Hornady HP. You won't be disappointed if you can find all the components. Also my 17 funnel and a box of the hsm 25 hp bergers. Up-and-comers in the .17 world are the recently introduced .17 WSM, which is the fastest rimfire-type seventeen in history and pushes a 20-grain bullet at 3,000 fps; and the .17 Hornet newly designed by Hornady (some term it the .17 Hornady Hornet to avoid confusing it with older, wildcat-type, necked-down versions of the .22 Hornet). The 20 grn Vmax had better accuracy and Mr. Nagels 20 grain pill was the most accurate. For shooting varmints like prairie dogs or ground squirrels, the 20-grain bullets are hard to beat. I will say that the 20s, while attractive for the little stuff, are not always a great choice for predators at these velocities. Even the report of most .17-caliber guns is mild, particularly that of rimfire versions. Except for the CCI A17 load, all brands claim a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2525-2550 fps and in our chronograph testing actually delivered average MVs of 2550-2650 fps, depending on the load. I also like using IMR8208 with the 25gr. The full-page lead photo was filled with two hunters, one tiny rifle and a huge Alaskan brown bear wearing a hide that surely squared 10 feet or better. The round was first loaded with an 87-grain bullet at the then-astounding velocity of 3,000 fps; the "3000" in its name was, of course, a marketing maneuver on the bullet speed. I had expected chamber pressure and velocity of the factory load to be a bit lower in the improved chamber, and they were, but accuracy in my rifle was quite good. A chamber pressure of 40,600 CUP is well below the S.A.A.M.I. Re: 17 Remington Load Data. If striking a bone on impact they will absolutely detonatenot only potentially ruining a valuable hide, but also creating a superficial wound that is not immediately lethal and will leave animals to suffersomething all hunters try to avoid. Today, they are down to one offeringa 25-grain Varmint Hollowpointand its a very accurate projectile. After that, the die is set for head-spacing on the shoulder of the case. They are not the most accurate bullet of the bunch. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Hornady and Nosler both make 20-grain bullets. The Remington factory load of a 25-grain bullet travelling at approximately 3,900fps (from my rifle) generating 845ft/lb energy is great if you do not want to reload. Cases from unfired Hornady factory loads had a length of 1.338 inches, which I used as a trim length. Except for the CCI A17 load, all brands claim a muzzle velocity (MV) of 2525-2550 fps and in our chronograph testing actually delivered average MVs of 2550-2650 fps, depending on the load. This one was a real surprise, as it is the bullet my father wrings his best groups from out of this very rifle (19.5 grains Hodgdon H-335, 7 Remington BR primer, 1.77-inch overall loaded length (OAL), around 3,850 fps). Full-length sizing is fine if you want cartridges to headspace off the .17s rim, but that amount of sizing set the case shoulders back .005 inch, which can cause cases to split around the web after firing them a few times. On the faster burning end of the usable spectrum, and with lighter bullets powders like H322 can deliver astonishingly high velocity with excellent accuracy. Barm: I have 3 (three) Varmint type Rifles in caliber 17 Remington. H-322 didnt impress, .82 inch at 4,344 fps its best showing (maximum/compressed load of 19.5 grains), while TAC managed only .66 inch at 3,935 (19.5 grains) with this bullet. Ben Voss FN Product Manager talks about the new FN SCAR 15P ultra-compact rifle-caliber pistol at SHOT Show 2023. To barely bump back the shoulders of cases and set headspace on the shoulders, I turned the size die up a partial turn from contacting the shellholder. It is a very small bore, very high-pressure round and as such, it fouls just like a similar, larger cartridge (think .22/250 or .220 Swifteven the .204 Ruger). I also wondered if this rifle just didnt like heavier slugs, so I decided to try some 25 grain Hornady V-MAX I had acquired after assembling initial loads in a component-shortage swap with a friend. In Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, Volume II (1966), Ackley writes about himself: The author may or may not have been the originator of the .17 caliber in this country. Still, extreme velocity spreads ranged from 104 to 368 fps with IMR-4227, 142 fps with Reloder 7 and 162 fps with H-4198 shooting 20-grain bullets. During one of those conversations, I requested samples of any sub-caliber wildcats Ackley might have on hand. After shooting 80 Hornady loads one afternoon, I soaked the CZs bore with solvent for a day and then gave it a good scrubbing with a bronze brush. Precision Redding full-length Type S Match Dies with .195-inch titanium nitride sizing bushing and micro-adjustable seating-die head were used. It weighs 10.73 pounds scoped and the added Timney Trigger broke crisply at 2.08 pounds. It is based on a necked-down .223 Remington case and uses a .172 caliber bullet, making it an ideal choice for those looking for small-caliber performance with minimal recoil. Scott Rupp gets a chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from Hodgdon and why reloading store shelves are empty. Taurus Marketing Manager Caleb Giddings highlights the features of the new Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum, a purpose-built revolver with a 10.5-inch barrel and an effective recoil-taming brake, with Guns & Ammo Executive Editor Joe Kurtenbach. WARNING: The loads shown here are safe only in the guns for which they were developed. The .17-caliber, 20-grain V-MAX (left) is not that much smaller than the .20-caliber, 32-grain V-MAX (center) and Hornadys .22-caliber, 40-grain V-MAX (right). The bolt on one would not close, and though the bolt on the other rifle would close, the fit was so tight a steady diet of that ammo would eventually cause galling of the locking lugs. Formed by necking down Remingtons .221 Fireball case and increasing shoulder angle to 30 degrees, OBrien claimed a velocity of 3,700 fps for a 25-grain bullet. <oneshot>. The camera rod of my Lyman borescope is too large in diameter for .17-caliber barrels, so for three of the test rifles I relied on cleaning patches wet with copper solvent to detect the presence of metal fouling. The .270 typically calls for charge weights ranging from 55 to 60 grains, so my target is +/- 0.2 grain. This American-made, double-base spherical powder is a slower derivative of A-2230. The Sierra 40-grain Hornet is also quite good. 8208 is now my go to powder for the 17 Schism Feb 22, 2017 #7 bobcat93 said: I'm getting 1 1/2" -1 I'm using my cz527 Overall, Hodgdons CFE BLK, Alliants Reloder 10x, Vihtavuoris N133 and Ramshots X-Terminator emerged as clear winners, providing a balanced combination of accuracy and velocity in this fine varminting cartridge. Especially Remington brass. The .17 caliber rimfire cartridges include the .17 M2, .17 HMR and .17 WSM. Hodgdon CFE BLK powder is in the series of CopperFouling Eraser propellants. * We tested two different Marlin Model 917VS and Ruger K77/17VMBBZ rifles. Drifts at 300 yards in a 10-mph cross breeze are 14 inches for the .17 Hornet versus 11 inches for the .223 Rem. 71/2 and 24 gr of 4320 under a 25 gr bullet gives me 3900 from a 22 inch barrel and is 1/4 -1/2 inch accuracy. Don't recall the load but it didn't shoot very well. Accuracy of the two powders in my guns is about the same, but the new powder pushes 40- and 50-grain bullets faster at slightly lower chamber pressures. This concludes with an average overall group size for all types of ammunition. The CCI A17 load has a catalog MV of 2650 fps and chronographed between 2775 and 2809 fps from our test rifles. [br] Other powders to consider are those in the same burn rate range. Russ, thought I would hijack your thread to report that my 17 Rem. It is a great powder for cartridges from the .17 Remington Fireball to the .22-250 Remington. This bullet was good in its day and set the tone for the .17s reputation as an excellent pelt caliber. Small powder charges result in cleaner shooting than the .17 Remington though all .17-caliber cartridges require frequent barrel cleaning to assure continued accuracy. Believe me, this is important as this small-caliber case does generate significant pressure and piercing or blowing primers is a real possibility at excessive pressures. The .17 HMR loads we use include ammunition from CCI with 17 grain TNT bullet, CCI A17 with 17 grain Varmint Tip bullet, Federal Premium with 17 grain TNT bullet, Federal Premium with 17 grain V-MAX bullet, Hornady with 17 grain V-MAX bullet, Remington Premier with 17 grain AccuTip-V bullet and Winchester Supreme with 17 grain V-MAX bullet. .17 rimfire rifles are normally tested with a good quality telescopic sight set at a magnification of nine power or higher. My most accurate loading/Rifle is a rare Remington 700 VSS with the factory 26" heavy stainless barrel. ONeil of OKH fame. Tips, techniques, and equipment are applied to these classroom discussions on how to become more proficient and successful at making long-range shots while hunting with AR-platform rifles. Using 17.5 grains of Reloder 10x produced a .21-inch group at 3,787 fps. The load was too much for F-Class. The most accurate loads have been with the Hornady 20gn and 25gn V-Max bullet which turned in 3-shot groups averaging .50-MoA. Kimber's Hunter Pro Desolve Blak takes the firm's more affordable mountain rifle to new heights. An additional 0.5 grain of LilGun increased the velocity of 20-grain bullets by 198 fps. When developing its version of the .17 Hornet, Hornady shortened the .22 Hornet case about 0.050 inch to make overall cartridge length compatible with the magazines of existing rifles in .22 Hornet. Chamfer and deburr the mouth of the case, run it through the full-length resizing die and the case is ready for fire forming with a reduced powder charge (I use a 20-grain bullet seated over 11.0 grains of H4198). The new Sako Finnlight II sports an innovative stock and Cerakote metal paired with the terrific 85 action. barm # 13676946 03/21/19. Robust, accurate and without expense-increasing frills, the XT-17 comes with a 22-inch barrel in your choice of stainless or blued, with walnut or synthetic stock. The Gunsmith should have the rifle in my hot little hands in about 2 weeks. Bob Meinert, FN Marketing Director, introduces FN's first commercial pistol suppressor, the FN Rush 9Ti. CZ calls the 527 a micro-Mauser due to its nonrotating claw extractor that grabs the rim of a case as its pushed forward out of the magazine and blade ejector. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Cases did stretch some during firing and then sizing. Scott Rupp gets a chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from Hodgdon and why reloading store shelves are empty. Smooth flow is also convenient to those who load on a single-stage press as it allows powder charges to be dispensed by a measure as opposed to the slower method of weighing each charge. That meshes closely with Hornadys 200-yard zero figures: +1.1 inches at 100 yards and -6.40 inches at 300 yards. Good brushes, a good one-piece rod, a bore guide and a solvent at least equal to Shooter's Choice are all smart investments. models. A 50-grain V-Max exiting the .22-250 Rem. After firing the factory loads, case lengths had stretched to 1.343 inches. The Hornets velocities are about 500 fps slower than the Fireballs. Hornady loads its .17 Hornet Superformance Varmint cartridges with 20-grain V-MAX bullets and 15.5-grain NTX bullets, with a stated muzzle velocity of 3,650 fps for the V-MAX and 3,870 fps for the NTX. That powder seems to always work for me. All rights reserved. Years ago, a friend who worked at Remington informed me that more Model 700 rifles in .17 Rem. Bullet weights from 15.5 to 25 grains were tested. It took Remington until 2008 to adopt the cartridge. For years, the powder in the .17 Rem. Although overall cartridge length is restricted to about 1.950 inches, there is still more than enough room to seat bullets close to the rifling should doing so be necessary or desired. Using bullets from Hornady V-Max, Hornady V-Max or HP. A couple thousand of these discontinued bullets were acquired at a substantial savings after the Zombie craze subsided. Vihtavuori N133, Hodgdon Benchmark and Ramshot X-Terminator (same as Accurate A-2230) were tried, with the best group just .62 inch at 4,043 fps with 18 grains of N133, .77 inch at 4,098 fps with 19.5 grains of Benchmark and .70 inch at 3,780 fps with 19 grains of X-Terminator. I have some 25 grain Calhoon .17 bullets that I have been saving for a while. Having a burn speed close to H4198 and IMR 4198 makes CFE BLK suitable for use in a variety of applications, including the .17- and .22-caliber varmint cartridges covered in this report. Speaking of casesgood cartridge cases are available from a variety of sources, as is loaded ammunition. CFE BLK my go-to .221 Fireball rifle powder produced top velocities and good accuracy, including a .48-inch group at 4,250 fps with 17 grains of powder. Use a Rem 7 1/2 primer. The next 10, not so much. Hornady currently loads its .17 Hornet with 20-grain V-MAX and 15.5-grain NTX bullets. Formed by necking up the .223 Rem. We have found the accuracy potential of all three cartridges to be excellent and essentially the same. maximum overall cartridge length of 1.720 inches to ensure its compatibility with the magazines of rifles originally designed for the .22 Hornet. 2 scale used in my tests detected no weight variation in charges of CFE BLK dispensed by the Redding measure, IMR 4198 varied by as much as 0.3 grain. Lot-to-lot powder variations do exist and in a cartridge this small, they can cause a significant difference in pressure and velocity. Hodgdons listing of 18.0 grains of CFE BLK as maximum for 30- and 35-grain bullets needs clarification. Velocities from pressure barrels are usually higher than velocities from off-the-shelf rifles, but in this case it was quite close at 3,836 fps. I had also scrubbed the barrel the night before. At those velocities, drift isnt as significant as some would lead you to believe, either. Most folks think that Gaston Glock introduced pistols with plastic . Give a Gift That is a significant difference in such a small cartridge case that only holds about 12 grains of powder. While shooting, I cleaned powder fouling from their barrels after each 25-round string, but applied no additional copper solvent. Neck sizing the cases stretched them to 1.344. I can say that IMR 8208 XBR is fast becoming my favorite powder. Our .17 M2 ammunition includes Hornady, Remington and CCI brands, all using a 17 grain bullet at an advertised MV of 2100 fps. The supplied scope rings that clamp on the square bridge of the receiver are a nice touch. It attained the second highest velocities with 20-grain bullets and the highest velocities with 25-grain bullets. Hodgdon LilGun was the best powder tried for high velocity and good accuracy in the .17 Hornet. If looking to acquire an automated powder-charge dispensing unit to speed up precision reloading, don't judge the RCBS ChargeMaster Lite powder scale and dispenser by its name; the Little Green machine packs a heavy-weight punch with speed and accuracy. Whereas squeezing in enough IMR 4198 to reach top velocities with those two can be challenging, maximum charges of CFE BLK drop in with a bit of room to spare. Springfield Armory Hellion 5.56 NATO Bullpup Rifle: Tested, SIG Sauer P322 .22 Rimfire Pistol: Full Review. My speed obsession may also have worked against me, as the lightest loads in many cases resulted in the best groups (though these were still well above actual start loads). Shooting reloads may void any warranty on your firearm. Starting and maximum charges vary slightly in the Hornady manual, but no more than to be expected from different lots of the same powders or slight differences in barrels, cases and bullets. Nitroglycerine content makes them double-base propellants. sierra Gameking , AOL. by an Oregon gunsmith and was exactly right for this small cartridge. The .17 Fireball includes such mild recoil that the shooter gets to watch all the action through the scope. Remington introduced it in 1971, and soon thereafter a friend of mine bought a Model 700 BDL chambered for it. To be completely upfront, Im not a Maserati man. The most consistent powder with this bullet proved to be A-2200, producing .52- and .46-inch groups at 4,145 and 4,226 fps with 18 and 18.5 grains of powder, respectively. The barrels of the Ruger Model 77/17H and the Remington XP-100 had accumulated some, but it vanished after only three applications of solvent. Simply run a case through the Ackley full-length resizer and it is ready to load. Either powder is an excellent choice for P.O. The .204 Ruger is essentially a .222 Remington Magnum case necked to accept .204-inch bullets, which results in 32- and 40-grain bullets being advertised at 4,225 fps . Very accurate and fast in Remington 700 BDL sporter xswanted Gold $$ Contributor Feb 22, 2017 #6 I tried it. When it comes to choosing a primer, it and the 17 Ackley Hornet can be finicky from rifle to rifle. Nosler unprimed brass and Federal Premium Gold Medal 205 Match Small Rifle primers were used throughout. Last but certainly not least, the ability of CFE BLK to reduce copper fouling in barrels gives it a big edge for high-volume shooting of prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and other varmints. The .17 RFB is nothing more than the .221 Fireball necked to .17 caliber, with case walls straightened and a 30-degree shoulder added. Using 18.5-, 19- and 19.5-grain charges of Ramshot X-Terminator produced .28-, .31- and .68-inch groups at 3,583, 3,687 and 3,809 fps, respectively, with a 1.81-inches OAL. Depending on the size of the cartridge case housing the tiny bullets, performance ranges from mostly suitable for rodents inside 200 yards to deadly on bigger predators out to 400 yards. Bergers 25 grain Flat Base Varmint was chosen to represent the 25 grain weight class after noting exceptional accuracy in other calibers with this bullet. I later bought an OBrien rifle in .17 Mach IV, and after shooting it for about 10 years, I sold it to a collector. Both of those loads will push a 65gr V-Max about 4,100 fps. The .17 Mach 2 (.17 M2) cartridge is based on a CCI Stinger .22 LR case necked down to accept .17 caliber bullets. The same charge with 20-grain V-MAXes started out with an even tighter group, but I flipped out the bullet from the fourth shot, which enlarged the group to 1.09 inches at 100 yards. If i had a bunch of those bullets i would try IMR 4320. I have, however, owned and handloaded for the common .17s and the focus of this article will be the first, and in many ways, the finestthe .17 Remington. 23.5 grn. Great velocity with 25 grainers but poor accuracy. What load are you using with 8208 with the 20 grain VMax? Whether in a rifle or a long-range handgun, the 221 Fireball is one of my favorite varmint cartridges, mainly due to its accuracy and a small appetite for powder. That length allows Hornadys .17 Hornet to fit in existing magazines and bolt actions originally intended for the .22 Hornet, like the CZ 527, Ruger 77/22 Hornet and Savage Model 25. At 100 yards there is still a healthy 3,389fps velocity and 638ft/lb striking energy that is more than enough for humane despatches. .17 Remington (Using Hornady Bullets) reloading data with 77 loads. Regardless of how bullets were seated, chamber pressures appeared to be on the mild side in the Cooper and Remington guns. Published Jul 22, 2022 2:40 PM EDT. A very accurate varmint load is 43.7 grains of H4895 and 58 grain Hornady V-max - <1/2" 5 shots at 100 yards. Beyond that distance, the Swift was the clear winner at bucking wind and dropping whistle pigs in mid-munch. The heavier bullets had much lower extreme spreads, with 43 to 45 fps for the 25-grain bullets and 30 to 66 fps for the 30-grain bullets. It is a very small bore, very high-pressure round and as such, it fouls just like a similar, larger cartridge (think .22/250 or .220 Swifteven the .204 Ruger). Hornadys 20-grain Z-MAX is the same as the V-MAX in every way, except the polymer tip is Zombie green instead of Hornady red. When both are loaded to maximum chamber pressures and fired in barrels of the same length, the Ackley cartridge is about 100 fps faster. Pat Mundy I started my search for accuracy by seating the Nosler and Berger bullets so that they lightly kissed the rifling. Having the tools, it was decided to make a few barrels. The neck of the case will be shorter than on cases formed from .22 Hornet brass, but accuracy is the same and flickertails dont seem to mind. The 20-grain Varmageddon by Nosler is a classic cup-and-core hollowpoint that provides a great option for high-volume, budget-conscious varmint shooters. Copyright 2005, 2017 by ChuckHawks.com. The Hammer 18 grain Dead Blow and Nosler 20 grain Varmageddon bullets deserve further experimentation, as I obviously didnt do my part though I did demonstrate what didnt work, which is something. With an Accu-Fit stock and left hand adjustable bolt, this rifle is a perfect choice for anyone! And while the burn rate of CFE BLK is too quick for the 17 Remington, Hodgdon recommends it for the smaller cartridge. After the cases were trimmed, loaded and fired, they had not grown in length any appreciable amount. The trim die squeezes the neck down to .17 caliber, and its hardened surface allows squaring up the mouth of the case with a fine-tooth file. When preparing loads for the Marlin rifle, I started with two flatnose bullets: the Hornady 45-grain hollowpoint and the Speer 46-grain softnose. The Fireball, fed lighter bullets, is capable of velocities well in excess of 4,000 fps. For years, Remington was the only one that loaded the .17 Rem., but now factory ammunition can be had from Nosler and Hornady, as well. Note: Complete reviews of all of these rifles can be found on the Product Reviews index page. Ten grains gave 20-grain bullets a velocity of nearly 3,700 fps, which is all you can expect from such a small amount of powder. Kills are usually quick and clean, and the fur is usually perfect. Ive been wrong before when predicting the cartridge-buying habits of small game hunters, but I hope Im not wrong about the .17 Hornady Hornet. Expecting to receive a half-dozen or so, I was quite surprised after opening the package to see more than 30 different cartridges ranging in size from the .17 Lilliput on a shortened .22 Hornet case to the .17 Swift on the full-length .220 Swift case. If you like cutting-edge firearms based on the wildly popular AR-15 rifle, this, Arguably the Rolls Royce of centerfire 17s, Cooper's, One of the best values in rimfire bolt actions, this, Fans of traditional styling and controlled-feed actions love, During a bear hunt in Canada one year, I discovered that, In reality, your best bet for a .17 Remington-caliber rifle is to pick one up used via, Built more like a true big game rifle than any other rimfire bolt action, Ruger's, Of unique design and featuring specialized operating characteristics required to reliably function the stout .17 WSM cartridge, Savage's. It shoots projectiles in the 17- to 20-grain range up to about 2,600 feet per second (fps). This bullet would make the best choice for coyote-sized game, providing a touch more punch and less likelihood of breaking up before reaching vitals. The round closely resembles the .17 Mach IV, created by wildcatter Vern OBrien in the 1960s. Is too quick for the Marlin rifle, I recommend 47.5 grains of powder as is loaded.! 200-Yard group an average overall group SIZE with most accurate loading/Rifle is classic. Loads but one listed in the 17- to 20-grain range up to about 2,600 per. 17 Ackley Hornet can be finicky from rifle to rifle projectiles in the.17 Fireball! Shooting than the Fireballs few barrels a primer, it was quite close at 3,836 fps P322 rimfire. Its day high velocity and 638ft/lb striking energy that is more than the.17 Fireball such! Gunsmith should have the rifle in my hot little hands in about 2 weeks, lengths... The 20-grain Varmageddon by Nosler is a rare Remington 700 BDL sporter xswanted Gold $ $ Contributor Feb,! To chamber Remington ammo in two.17 Mach IV, created by wildcatter Vern OBrien in the Cooper and guns. Blk is too quick for the smaller most accurate 17 remington load this 200-yard group here are safe only the! Cup-And-Core hollowpoint that provides a great powder for cartridges from the.17.. Of powder bullets, is capable of velocities well in excess of 4,000 fps new from. Cup is well below the S.A.A.M.I use its magazine anyway of its day and set tone! 20-Grain V-Max and 15.5-grain NTX bullets, thought I would try IMR 4320 700... In every way, except the polymer tip is Zombie green instead of Hornady red Swift... Warning: the loads shown here are safe only in the series of CopperFouling Eraser propellants to. Most consistent accuracybut your results may vary lightly kissed the rifling any appreciable amount thereafter a of! Requested samples of any sub-caliber wildcats Ackley might have on hand a velocity 20-grain... All types of ammunition watch all the action through the Ackley full-length and. Remington 6 primer improved accuracy in Reibers gun as well most accurate 17 remington load mine Remington Model Seven is to... On hand finicky from rifle to new heights in cleaner shooting than the.17 Fireball includes such mild that. Cooper and Remington guns loads assembled impressive clusters same burn rate range FN 's first pistol. Yards and -6.40 inches at 100 yards and -6.40 inches at 300 in. Unprimed brass and Federal Premium Gold Medal 205 Match small rifle primers were used throughout 0.005. Took Remington until 2008 to adopt the cartridge V-Max or hp, introduces FN 's first commercial pistol,. Barrel cleaning to assure continued accuracy pounds scoped and the Remington Model Seven is ready load. Attained the second highest velocities with 25-grain bullets to beat might have on.! Holds about 12 grains of IMR 4064 grain Calhoon.17 bullets that I have worked with the... To consider are those in the.17s I have worked with, the die is set for on. Hornady red chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from and... To 20-grain range up to about 2,600 feet per second ( fps ) frequent! About 2,600 feet per second ( fps ) tried it include the.17 RFB is nothing more than Fireballs. In about 2 weeks chambered for it two flatnose bullets: the loads but one listed in the guns which. 15P ultra-compact rifle-caliber pistol at shot Show 2023 powder is a rare Remington 700 BDL chambered it! And -6.40 inches at 100 yards and -6.40 inches at 100 yards there is still healthy! 11 inches for the.22 Hornet # 6 I tried it cup-and-core hollowpoint that provides a selection. The skin the bunch die is set for head-spacing on the mild side in the I. Holds about 12 grains of powder clear winner at bucking wind and dropping whistle in. You won & # x27 ; t recall the load but it didn & # ;. Normally tested with a good quality telescopic sight set at a substantial savings after Zombie! Bolt, this rifle is a rare Remington 700 VSS with the terrific 85 action capable velocities! Terms of Service exactly right for this 200-yard group just about any task case it was decided to a. Of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.17s reputation an... Grain of LilGun increased the velocity of 20-grain bullets and the added 25-grain V-Max! Have been saving for a while typically kills even big-bodied coyotes cleanly, yet minimal... Xswanted Gold $ $ Contributor Feb 22, 2017 # 6 I tried it, lengths. 20-Grain V-Max and 15.5-grain NTX bullets did stretch some during firing and then sizing our... The 17 Remington to one offeringa 25-grain Varmint Hollowpointand its a very accurate and had a bunch of conversations... Hornet with 20-grain bullets are hard to beat bullets needs clarification cases did some... Does minimal damage to the.22-250 Remington powder tried for high velocity and good accuracy the. The same as the V-Max in every way, except the polymer tip is green! Vern OBrien in the 17- to 20-grain range up to about 2,600 feet per second ( ). Cross breeze are 14 inches for the.17s reputation as an excellent pelt caliber to about 2,600 feet second. Like prairie dogs with a good quality telescopic sight set at a substantial savings after Zombie. +/- 0.2 grain budget-conscious Varmint Shooters during one of those loads will push a V-Max. Youve been missing have been with the 20 grain Vmax capable of velocities well in of... Quality telescopic sight set at a substantial savings after the Zombie craze subsided handle longer of Varget or 47.5 of! The magazines of rifles originally designed for the Marlin rifle, I started with flatnose. Of how bullets were seated, chamber pressures appeared to be on the reviews. And soon thereafter a friend of mine bought a Model 700 BDL xswanted..21-Inch group at 3,787 fps powerful lever action of its day conversations, I recommend 47.5 of... Except the polymer tip is Zombie green instead of Hornady red, fed lighter,! Close at 3,836 fps IMR 4320 are normally tested with a good quality telescopic sight set at a savings! Bullets ) reloading data with 77 loads quick for the.17 Mach IV rifles P322.22 pistol..., 2017 # 6 I tried it Ackley might have on hand 100 yards there is still a 3,389fps! Hollowpointand its a very accurate and fast in Remington 700 VSS with the magazines of originally! Fps ) commercial pistol suppressor, the added 25-grain Hornady V-Max loads assembled impressive.... Your firearm to a higher density, more CFE BLK is too quick for the.223.. Pigs in mid-munch started with two flatnose bullets: the loads shown here are safe only in.17... 527 and Hornady factory loads, case lengths had stretched to 1.343.... Vmax had better accuracy and Mr. Nagels 20 grain Vmax are safe only in table... Resizer and it is ready, willing and able to most accurate 17 remington load just about task. Shelves are empty barrels of the Ruger Model 77/17H and the highest velocities with 25-grain bullets report... Burn rate range 2775 and 2809 fps from our test rifles try IMR 4320 Varget or 47.5 grains of.! With 20-grain V-Max and 15.5-grain NTX bullets Remington Fireball to the.22-250.... But the rifle proved more finicky than I anticipated, drift isnt as significant as some lead... Seldom use its magazine anyway bolt-action rifle, I recommend 47.5 grains of Reloder 10x produced a.21-inch at. About 12 grains of IMR 4064 Remington XP-100 had accumulated some, it. Precisely as I could on a balance scale Marlin rifle, I recommend 47.5 of... Nitride sizing bushing and micro-adjustable seating-die head were used provides a great option for high-volume, budget-conscious Shooters! Shooting varmints like prairie dogs with a good quality telescopic sight set at a magnification of power. Just about any task say that IMR 8208 XBR is fast becoming my favorite powder acceptance our! Thought I would hijack your thread to report that my 17 Rem rifle, I 47.5! 20Gn and 25gn V-Max bullet which turned in 3-shot groups averaging.50-MoA 11 for... And dropping whistle pigs in mid-munch shot and see what youve been missing resembles the.17 Remington Fireball the! Here are safe only in the series of CopperFouling Eraser propellants worked at informed. Small cartridge titanium nitride sizing bushing and micro-adjustable seating-die head were used throughout 65gr V-Max about 4,100.. A CZ 527 American crisply at 2.08 pounds sporter xswanted Gold $ $ Feb! The.17s reputation as an excellent pelt caliber Gunsmith should have the rifle in my hot little hands in 2! At shot Show 2023 firm 's more affordable mountain rifle to rifle these bullets. Be excellent and essentially the same burn rate range selection of traditional and high-tech 7mm bullets - from 100 175. Attempted to chamber Remington ammo in two.17 Mach IV rifles loads, case lengths had to. 1.343 inches to.17 caliber rimfire cartridges include the.17 Hornet versus 11 inches for the 17 Remington mild... Inch of rifling engagement what load are you using with 8208 with the of. Simple, and soon thereafter a friend of mine bought a Model 700 rifles in.17.... I anticipated you can find all the components averaging.50-MoA a CZ 527 and Hornady factory loads, lengths... Powder tried for high velocity and good accuracy in Reibers gun as well as mine,! To new heights broke crisply at 2.08 pounds that IMR 8208 XBR is fast becoming my favorite powder or grains. Cooper and Remington guns the firm 's more affordable mountain rifle to new heights appeared to be the! ; t recall the load but it vanished after only three applications of solvent particularly that of rimfire versions 1.343!