The 20 grn Vmax had better accuracy and Mr. Nagels 20 grain pill was the most accurate. Hodgdon has data available online. 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. Starting at 18.0 grains of CFE BLK, I worked up to 21.5 grains, a charge that fills the case about halfway up its neck. While the 17 Fireball is about 300 fps slower with all bullet weights than the 17 Remington, it is probably more popular today because it burns about 20 percent less powder with each squeeze of the trigger. 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. All recorded groups are fired from a solid bench rest at an outdoor rifle range. It would quickly become the benchrest shooting champion until the PPC cartridges appeared in 1974. A 50-grain V-Max exiting the muzzle of a rifle in .223 Rem. A friend of mine has two custom rifles in 17 Hornet, and accuracy from one is best with the Remington 6, while the other prefers the Winchester WSR. In this cartridge, an overcharge of a fraction of a grain, particularly when working with near maximum loads, can produce excessive pressuresso a little extra care in this step is essential. 55mm. Rem. 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). 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). Published Jul 22, 2022 2:40 PM EDT. Like I said, different rifles, different preferences in primers. Possibly one of the best varmint load - consistently under 1/4" at 100 yards is 75 grain Sierra (Speer and Remington shoot well too) with 58 grains IMR4350. 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. The Sierra 40-grain BlitzKing delivered the smallest groups when seated out to lightly kiss the rifling, while the 50-grain BlitzKing preferred 0.005 inch of jump. Reloder 7 did its best with a maximum load of 16.5 grains; .53 inch at 4,039. Barm: I have 3 (three) Varmint type Rifles in caliber 17 Remington. The Cooper Model 21 Varminter I have been using for about several years consistently squeezes five shots inside a half-inch at 100 yards with the various bullet weights. Years ago, a friend who worked at Remington informed me that more Model 700 rifles in .17 Rem. But he became best known for the development of wildcat and improved cartridges bearing his name. Here, listed in alphabetical order, are several of the best .17-caliber rifles available today: Kimber's Hunter Pro Desolve Blak takes the firm's more affordable mountain rifle to new heights. Shooting reloads may void any warranty on your firearm. The 17 Hornet was given a S.A.A.M.I. [br] Other powders to consider are those in the same burn rate range. Hodgdons Ron Reiber was the first to try CFE BLK in the field. 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). One in the chamber and another in the magazine makes it a two-shooter. According to my measurements, its gravimetric density is 0.980 gram per cubic centimeter, the same as for water. The reason the author made the first .17 caliber was the result of a deal with the late C.H. BP-B2. There are a variety of .17-caliber bullets for handloaders to choose from. When a new cartridge is introduced, its origins can often be traced to a cartridge P.O. 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. .17 rimfire rifles are normally tested with a good quality telescopic sight set at a magnification of nine power or higher. Shooting this series during March, Id have to await sunshine to allow employing a standard chronograph to begin testing. MV with a 20 grain bullet is 3000 fps and MV with a 25 grain bullet is 2600 fps. However, maximum powder charges for the .17 Ackley are 0.2 to 0.7 grain heavier than for the .17 Hornady. Beyond that distance, the Swift was the clear winner at bucking wind and dropping whistle pigs in mid-munch. The rifle weighs right at 7 pounds with a Turkish walnut stock and a Burris 10x scope. As I mentioned, running the case through a 17 Ackley Hornet full-length resizing die bumps back the shoulder, allowing it to fit into the Ackley chamber. 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. All rights reserved. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. After firing the factory loads, case lengths had stretched to 1.343 inches. 17 Remington cartridge with a 24 inch barrel makes 3900-4000 fps very easy with IMR 4198. Lot-to-lot powder variations do exist and in a cartridge this small, they can cause a significant difference in pressure and velocity. The factory 20-grain loads were accurate and had a velocity of 3,567 fps when shot from a CZ 527 American. Russ, thought I would hijack your thread to report that my 17 Rem. The 20-grain bullet of Hornady factory ammunition had to free-travel 0.102 inch prior to rifling engagement. 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. load in a winchester mod. Bullets for the .17 Remington have come a long way since 1971, both in quality and variety. 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. At 100 yards there is still a healthy 3,389fps velocity and 638ft/lb striking energy that is more than enough for humane despatches. The Berger 30-grain bullet delivered only slightly better accuracy with 0.005-inch jump than with no jump, and an increase of another 0.005 inch opened up groups. The Hornady and Ackley versions of the 17 Hornet are examples. For the bigger animals such as predators, its very hard to beat a 25-grain hollow point. Reloder 10x performed exceptionally, assembling .40- and .55-inch groups at 3,950 and 4,051 fps providing an excellent combination of accuracy and velocity. The SCAR 15P is chambered for 5.56 NATO and, with its 7.5-inch barrel, is the most compact SCAR to date. 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. Powered by UBB.threads PHP Forum Software 7.7.5. The .17 Remington was originally introduced with 25 grain bullets, and for this middle weight, most of the powders that work well in a 22-250 or 308 work quite well. 7 1/2 primers and 4320 have been the go to combo for 17 Rem. He admitted to being stuck in his ways and did very little changing. They are not the most accurate bullet of the bunch. According to the story, OBrien wagered that his guide could not kill the bear with his rifle in .17 Mach IVand lost the bet. It is my fathers favorite rat rifle and I was able to borrow it only because it was during the off-season. It ends up with a shorter neck than a case formed from 22 Hornet brass, but prairie dogs dont seem to mind, and accuracy does not suffer. They shoot whisper-tiny projectiles the same diameter as the BBs we all loved to pop away with as kids. 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. Whereas the Redding Model No. Following are the Average Overall Group Size test results for the various .17 caliber rimfire rifles reviewed by Guns and Shooting Online (measured in inches). 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. The .17 Fireball includes such mild recoil that the shooter gets to watch all the action through the scope. 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. Test: CCI A17 averaged 2642 fps for five rounds, which is only 8 fps slower than the factory-touted numberpretty remarkable. Reiber's load consisted of the Remington 6 primer, Hornady case, and Hornady 20-grain V-Max seated out to lightly engage the rifling. Formed by necking up the .223 Rem. Cases are available from Nosler and Normaand they are quite goodthough a bit more heavily constructed than the original Remingtonsso the handloader must take this into consideration and work up loads carefully if using data that was developed in Remington cases. Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. It would not go 20 rounds without overheating the barrel and experiencing velocity excursions. Meet the all-new Taurus Judge Executive Grade, a revolver featuring a hand-polished satin finish, presentation-grade wood grips, a brass rod front sight and an exceptional hand-tuned trigger. . This is especially important when loading ammunition on a progressive press. Ackleys load data lists 25-grain bullets with a velocity of 3,585 fps from 12.0 grains of 4198 and 3,570 fps from 11.5 grains of 4227. In its original configuration, it was a fine cartridge, though somewhat limited. The magazine of the Ruger rifle will handle longer. With a price tag under $700, this Mauser is one of the most accurate deer rifles you'll find for the money. A newer powder that shows great promise is StaBall 6.5not only is it temperature insensitive and spherical (which makes charging cases easier), it is fast. Use of the Remington 6 primer improved accuracy in Reibers gun as well as mine. The Berger reloading manual shows the exact same maximum powder charge weights for both. 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. Using Hornady .17 Hornet brass to form .17 Ackley Hornet cases eliminates the need for case-forming dies. This concludes with an average overall group size for all types of ammunition. Compression is light when the Berger 30-grain bullet is seated to an overall cartridge length of 1.830 inches. A sleeper that works very well is W760 and its stablemate H414. It pushes 25-grain bullets up to 3,200 fps. The .17 Remington requires consistent cleaning. The Hornady .17 case, however, is a bit shorter in length and to the base of the shoulder than the Ackley case. Longer stick propellants can bridge when flowing through purpose-designed .17 caliber powder dispensing equipment, and for this reason I always weigh my charges carefully and inspect the charged cases prior to the bullet seating operation. The shoulder diameter of the Hornady case is also a bit wider in diameter than the Ackley. The .17 Hornet (right) is quite a bit smaller and burns about three-quarters as much powder as the .17 Remington Fireball (left). The Remington case is about 0.006 inch larger in diameter at its body/shoulder juncture, and its head-space dimension is about 0.004 inch longer. The Nosler 20-grain bullet was happiest at 0.015 inch. On the faster burning end of the usable spectrum, and with lighter bullets powders like H322 can deliver astonishingly high velocity with excellent accuracy. Moving up in powder capacity, the .17 Mach IV was introduced during the 1960s by Las Vegas gunsmith Vern OBrien, whose custom rifles were on the dainty Sako L46 action. This American-made, double-base spherical powder is a slower derivative of A-2230. The new Sako Finnlight II sports an innovative stock and Cerakote metal paired with the terrific 85 action. It made a huge difference for me on my group size. bullet. This load shoots in all the .17 Remington's I've owned; at about 4040 fps', the advertised Remington velocity. Stocky's Owner Don Bitz walks David Faubion through the company's new rifle stocks for 2023. This bullet, seated to a 1.81-inch OAL, also started turning in better groups. Primers open another interesting can of worms. J. Scott Rupp takes a first look at the Springfield M1A Loaded rifle chambered in the popular 6.5 Creedmoor. And Aaron,thanks for your info too. 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