Reloading the 17 Hornet

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Timboon » 02 Oct 2019, 12:16 am

Arghhh technicality!

I prefer option A!

I've never liked impostors
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by gunnnie » 02 Oct 2019, 4:50 am

Well actually the 17 Ackley Hornet was quite common 20+yrs ago. Certainly more so than it is these days.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by SCJ429 » 02 Oct 2019, 8:13 am

gunnnie wrote:Well actually the 17 Ackley Hornet was quite common 20+yrs ago. Certainly more so than it is these days.


I thought that Hornady brought out the 17 Hornet in 2010. Before that the 17 Hornet AI was a rare thing to see. Anything shooting a 17 cal was uncommon bar the occasional fox shooter. Perhaps my memory has steered me wrong.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Bill » 02 Oct 2019, 11:14 am

Ruger 77 17 Hornet at Magnum Sports if ya quick $1100
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 02 Oct 2019, 2:29 pm

SCJ429 wrote:
gunnnie wrote:Well actually the 17 Ackley Hornet was quite common 20+yrs ago. Certainly more so than it is these days.


I thought that Hornady brought out the 17 Hornet in 2010. Before that the 17 Hornet AI was a rare thing to see. Anything shooting a 17 cal was uncommon bar the occasional fox shooter. Perhaps my memory has steered me wrong.


the 17 ackley was one of the main fox shooting rounds when fox pelts were worth some coin,
shoot a fox in the chest, it feels like broken egg shells inside the fox, never an exit and you have to skin it to find the entry wound
my 17 ackley hornet paid for a house when skins were worth selling, they are very capable out to 250 and very cheap to run
very precise to shoot :drinks:

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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by SCJ429 » 02 Oct 2019, 6:02 pm

I saw fox shooters with 17 Remington in the 80s but I assume the 17 Hornet was strictly a wildcat. I would have thought that anyone buying 17 projectiles owned a Remington 700 fitted with a factory barrel back then. Even then any sort of 17 was uncommon in my neck of the woods.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 02 Oct 2019, 6:30 pm

fox shooters with 17 rem's had to back them off to around 3600fps to stop the damage to skins, the 22-250 had the same problem of blowing out the backs of skins
the 17 mach 4 was another fox round that was very popular back then, way more efficient than the 17 rem
but you are right the 17 ackley is still a wildcat, and so is the mach 4 but the 17 hornady hornet is not
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 02 Oct 2019, 6:43 pm

your a pretty clever fella Bills Shed :thumbsup: just had another look at the projectiles you made and I am amazed :drinks:
I wish I could make them
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by gunnnie » 02 Oct 2019, 7:46 pm

SCJ429 wrote:
gunnnie wrote:Well actually the 17 Ackley Hornet was quite common 20+yrs ago. Certainly more so than it is these days.


I thought that Hornady brought out the 17 Hornet in 2010. Before that the 17 Hornet AI was a rare thing to see. Anything shooting a 17 cal was uncommon bar the occasional fox shooter. Perhaps my memory has steered me wrong.


Well, yes you are right in saying the 17 Hornady Hornet was released in 2010, where as PO Ackley bought out the 17 Ackley Hornet in the 50's. Granted it wasn't as common as say a 222 or a 22Hornet for that matter, but with the excellant BRNO ZKW465 rifles around, the die was struck. The ZKW mini-Mauser action was a perfect candidate for re-barrelling to the 17 wildcat Hornet.

I remember reading articles from shooting mags back in the 60's & 70's about the benefits of this new wonder 17 cartridge. The Martini custom 17AH I have was made in the late 70's, early 80's so the original owner was telling me. He also had a BRNO made up in one and preferred the bolt action, so the Martini sat in the safe until I bought it off him in '98.

Yes a lot of fox shooters ran the 17Rem also, especially when skins were very good money. A mate's F-i-L was a rabbit shooter in northern SA & I remember him telling me that he run a 17AH made up on a Sportco Hornet bolt action, as a fox rifle while using a BRNO Mod2 in 22rf for rabbits. He said a lot of the blokes in his area used 17AH's as fox guns back round 1960-70.

As has been mentioned the 17Rem was a tad destructive on the skin if you didn't plant the pill smack in the chest front on. The slower 17AH wasn't anywhere near as bad, plus it had the benefit of almost no recoil & minimal report compared to the bigger 17. Hornet brass was readily available, Simplex were producing dies, formers etc to make the rounds & with the popular release of the 17Rem, a great projectile. The Remington 25gn Core-lokt projectile was the ducks nuts in the little wildcat.

:thumbsup:
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by SCJ429 » 02 Oct 2019, 9:52 pm

Fans of the 17 Hornet owe a debt of gratitude to Hornady and Savage to breath life into the case and make it available as a factory chambering. Today with the powders and projectiles available have made the Hornet a real capable varmint cartridge. Back in the 80s I could not find a cleaning rod for a 17.

We are spoilt for choice today and 20 cals are some of the best varmint rounds for me. Thank goodness for Ruger and the 204.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Bills Shed » 02 Oct 2019, 10:35 pm

marksman wrote:your a pretty clever fella Bills Shed :thumbsup: just had another look at the projectiles you made and I am amazed :drinks:
I wish I could make them


Maybe not so clever. I import my dies from the USA. One day I will make my own dies. ....maybe. All other equipment I tend to build myself.
The 17 ca projectile has been fun to build but I am happy that I made .224 before I went to .17 cal.
The cartridge is just fun.
Swaging your own projectiles is the ultimate in flexibility.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 13 Oct 2019, 7:28 am

Interesting reading from everyone, thanks for the info!
I should pick up my savage model 25 17 hornet this week, a mate and I are getting 2 x identical rifles as fox night vision units.
I had read that Hodgdon lilgun was the go to powder for this calibre and picked up 3 x 1lb tins in preparation for loading after we shoot some factory ammo and obtain some brass.
I hope Ive bought the right stuff, looks like you guys are having success with 2205?
Anyway, I have 2 mates who already shoot the model 25, both rifles get under MOA with factory ammo so we figure reloading we can improve on that a bit hopefully.
My mate David uses his to good effect with a dedicated night vision on it so I will be building mine the same except Im using a thumbhole stock version (hes a left hander so couldn't )
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by gunnnie » 13 Oct 2019, 12:16 pm

SCJ429 wrote:Fans of the 17 Hornet owe a debt of gratitude to Hornady and Savage to breath life into the case and make it available as a factory chambering. Today with the powders and projectiles available have made the Hornet a real capable varmint cartridge. Back in the 80s I could not find a cleaning rod for a 17.

We are spoilt for choice today and 20 cals are some of the best varmint rounds for me. Thank goodness for Ruger and the 204.

We certainly are spolit for choice.
Another good aspect of the smaller cartridges is the cost of reloading. When you look at the cost of projectiles in the 224 & smaller range, compared to the bigger cals, it can be a lot cheaper.
I have begun shooting more of the small cal rifles than the big stuff of late. Unless the big cal is shooting a cast reload it doesn't see as much range time.

Have another small cal on the way in the form of a 20-222Rimmed. Should be another cheap shooter.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 13 Oct 2019, 2:23 pm

ratpaker wrote:Interesting reading from everyone, thanks for the info!
I should pick up my savage model 25 17 hornet this week, a mate and I are getting 2 x identical rifles as fox night vision units.
I had read that Hodgdon lilgun was the go to powder for this calibre and picked up 3 x 1lb tins in preparation for loading after we shoot some factory ammo and obtain some brass.
I hope Ive bought the right stuff, looks like you guys are having success with 2205?
Anyway, I have 2 mates who already shoot the model 25, both rifles get under MOA with factory ammo so we figure reloading we can improve on that a bit hopefully.
My mate David uses his to good effect with a dedicated night vision on it so I will be building mine the same except Im using a thumbhole stock version (hes a left hander so couldn't )


2205 is a quicker powder that I have used but I think the go to powder for the 17 ackley or 17 hornet is 2207
currently I use 9gr of 2205 for fireforming cases and 11 gr of IMR4227 (old stock) for formed cases, when its gone l will be using 2207
lucky for me I use the exact same loads for both my 17 ackleys, very accurate
I am having thoughts about building another because if 2 is good 3 is better :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have heard of problems using lilgun being too hot for the 17 burning throats out quicker than should, but l cant say that is gospel :unknown:
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Stix » 13 Oct 2019, 2:46 pm

marksman wrote:]
2205 is a quicker powder that I have used but I think the go to powder for the 17 ackley or 17 hornet is 2207
currently I use 9gr of 2205 for fireforming cases and 11 gr of IMR4227 (old stock) for formed cases, when its gone l will be using 2207
lucky for me I use the exact same loads for both my 17 ackleys, very accurate
I am having thoughts about building another because if 2 is good 3 is better :lol: :lol: :lol:
:

Hey Marksman...
I think you're right...3 is better...!!!

But...

i cant help but respectfully volunteer some advice coming from my genuine want of good will everywhere...

You see, having more than two 17 hornets will be much like guide dog puppies...once weened but still at a young age, you'll need to foster them out to good loving foster carer's, who are willing to give them the time, training, & most of all, the love they so rightly deserve...

And dont be fooled by any false propositiins that may follow here, that are fake & lack the genuine volumes of good natured gun-loving-ness that-foster'ers such as my self clearly have... :D

:lol:
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 16 Oct 2019, 11:10 am

Have done a bit of internet searching regarding the claims of hodgdon lilgun running a bit hot.
General feeling is that in revolvers and semi auto pistols it may be a problem as shots can be rapidly fired one after another.
I'm going to be using it in a bolt action so hopefully that won't be any problem.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 08 Jun 2020, 7:52 am

So we have tried the hodgdon lil gun, only with the 20 grain z-max projectiles and to be honest, results are disappointing, velocity was higher than the recommended amounts of powder in the loading data stated although this could have been due to using magnum primers.
Anyway, accuracy wasn't great, tried every powder weight in the scale and adjusting by .05 of a grain in a ladder test.
So, my question is, we have some 25 grain v-max projectiles to try and also every type of ADI powder listed to be suitable for 17 hornet (my mate is a loading fanatic and loads a lot of different calibres so has a wide variety of powder on hand).
With 25 grain projectiles the data on the ADI website lists 2219 has a viable powder but is anyone getting better results using 2205 or 2207?
Looking for sub MOA accuracy in savage model 25s, with factory loaded hornady 25 grain ammo we get that easily enough but unfortunately that ammunition and projectile is discontinued from hornady.
Another alternative is the berger 25 grain projectiles, hard to obtain in Aus but some seem to swear by them, also they are about 52 cents each so not cheap.
We only use these rifles for hunting, foxes specifically so I don't mind if ammo isn't super cheap, I'm not using a lot of it.
Thanks in advance for any tips!
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 08 Jun 2020, 11:09 pm

for the use of the adi powders my recommendation is 2205 for 20gr bullets and 2207 for 25gr bullets, they work for the 17 ackley anyway

l came across some old 25gr hornady hollow points a few weeks ago that l have shot for years using adi 2207, rem 7.5 primers in winchester cases
these bullets are on a different level as killers compared to the z-max and v-max bullets, chest shoot the fox, you have to skin it to find the entry hole, still no exit and feels like broken egg shells inside the fox body when you pick them up, l would like to hear how the bergers go if you try them :thumbsup:
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 09 Jun 2020, 5:28 am

marksman wrote:for the use of the adi powders my recommendation is 2205 for 20gr bullets and 2207 for 25gr bullets, they work for the 17 ackley anyway

l came across some old 25gr hornady hollow points a few weeks ago that l have shot for years using adi 2207, rem 7.5 primers in winchester cases
these bullets are on a different level as killers compared to the z-max and v-max bullets, chest shoot the fox, you have to skin it to find the entry hole, still no exit and feels like broken egg shells inside the fox body when you pick them up, l would like to hear how the bergers go if you try them :thumbsup:

Agreed about the 25 grain hornady projectiles, I am using factory loads with those and they are quite accurate and certainly are death to foxes, such a pity we cant get them any more, have heard good things about the bergers, will definitely be trying some!
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 31 Aug 2020, 12:41 pm

Managed to locate hornady 17 cal 25 grain hollow points at 18 dollars per 100 at centre way firearms.
Bought a heap but they have some left
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 31 Aug 2020, 6:44 pm

bugger, to slow, they sold out :thumbsdown:
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Bravs » 01 Sep 2020, 3:51 pm

Bought 500 of them. Now just need to pickup my savage 25 in 17HH. This bloody lockdown.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by marksman » 01 Sep 2020, 4:56 pm

Bravs wrote:Bought 500 of them. Now just need to pickup my savage 25 in 17HH. This bloody lockdown.


dont waste them on plinking Bravs, they dont make em anymore and they kill really well, way better than the vmax's :drinks:
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 07 Apr 2021, 8:45 am

Sorry to revive an old thread but what powder are people getting best results from when using 25 grain projectiles?
Ar2205 or ar2207?
Time to load some Aussie powder!
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Bills Shed » 08 Apr 2021, 8:58 pm

I was shooting some of my 25gn projectiles last week. I just used 2205 and used the ADI starting load. Surprisingly it shot just as well as the 20 if just a tad better. Ozzy trapper on AHN gave them a run also. Drop him a line and ask what he loaded. He did say they shot well but no idea what powder he stoked it with.
Nothing wrong with Aussi powders. Aussi made, totally dependable and easy to get.

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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Downunder » 30 Jun 2021, 3:22 pm

Running 12.4 gn 2207 (C), Rem71/2, 20gn Vmax for 3690 ~ FPS, 1/2 MOA groups
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Bills Shed » 30 Jun 2021, 9:25 pm

That is a lot of 2207 in a little case. I was compressing it at 11.2.
I gather there was a lot f tapping the case to get that much powder in it!
If you have it, 2205 will get you the same velocity with less powder.

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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Downunder » 30 Jun 2021, 10:33 pm

Tapping rests the charge just below the case mouth, I haven’t found any issues with the compressed loads.
I’ve dabbled with lilgun but not with any great results, it will also get to the same velocities without compressing the charge.
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by Downunder » 12 Jul 2021, 4:45 am

Bills Shed wrote:That is a lot of 2207 in a little case. I was compressing it at 11.2.
I gather there was a lot f tapping the case to get that much powder in it!
If you have it, 2205 will get you the same velocity with less powder.

Bill


I just looked at 2205 last night, the pressures on paper are considerably higher for similar velocities.....
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Re: Reloading the 17 Hornet

Post by ratpaker » 23 Nov 2021, 6:21 am

Sorry to revive an old thread....but as I have a good supply of 25 grain hollow points and ADI lists a load for that using AR2219, has anyone tried that combination?
Pressures are quite low and velocity looks good...anyone had any experience?
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