17 hornet reloading

[flicker204]

i have plans of having my buddy reload my 17 hornet brass and would like to know what powder and whatever it takes to do it. pm me info and i would appreciate it. thanks

 

[Bill K]

Google Hornady's Load Data site and check out some powder/loads. I use CFEBLK and am super happy with FPS/accuracy with it and the 15.5 NTX bullet.

 

[Tommie]

Google Hornady's Load Data site and check out some powder/loads. I use CFEBLK and am super happy with FPS/accuracy with it and the 15.5 NTX bullet.

What velocity are you getting with that combo? Been curious about that NTX bullet. A buddy used it in a HeBee and it seemed to do well.

 

[Tommie]

i have plans of having my buddy reload my 17 hornet brass and would like to know what powder and whatever it takes to do it. pm me info and i would appreciate it. thanks

Priming that brass is an M effer. Some of the early production brass is staked. Also I found that getting primers started is really tricky. Instead of sliding the shell all the way into the holder, pull it back a tiny bit and sort of wiggle the case and slowly squeeze the primer in. It’s a pain in the rear. If you try priming as usual you’ll almost definitely run into some ugly issues. I popped several primers. Hope this helps.

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Never had any problems . I bought Redding dies and CFE Black with 20g Hornady's
Great varmint cartridge.

 

[JSH]

As mentioned some of the early brass had primer pocket issues. I treated it like military brass and went on.
CZ527 Varmint
My best accuracy was a case full of 4198 with a 20 grain Vmax.
My other go to is AA2200.
All I use projectile wise in the Hornet is the 20’s.
Loading to mag length and having it feed well, the 25’s just never shot enough better for me to waste them.

I tried a lot of other powders. My numbers over the chrono and groups on paper, with the less than full case just didn’t make me happy.
YMMV.
Jeff

 

[B23]

With my two CZ 527 Varmint model 17 Hornets I use a Redding bushing neck size only die, with a variety of bushing sizes because the brass has a pretty healthy variance in neck thickness from lot to lot, and only FL size when needed. I would not recommend FL sizing the brass back to SAAMI spec every time or you are certain to have premature case head separation.

My load for my 17 Hornets.
Powder: 12.2gr 1680 (I have friends that have had very good results with CFE BLK as well)
Primer: Rem 7.5 (I typically use Fed or CCI but I have a shit ton of Rem 7.5's so that's why I use them in my Hornets)
Cases: Hornady 17 Hornet brass either from once fired factory ammo that I've shot in my guns or new Hornady 17HH brass I bought.
Bullet: 20gr Vmax

The 17 Hornet can sometimes be a little quirky to load for. I don't know about the Ruger or Savage 17 Hornets but I can tell you the CZ's come with a pretty generous chamber in them and they have quite a bit of freebore, so much so that the bullet will pretty much fall out of the case before you can touch the lands.

Don't be shocked when fired brass comes out looking a little funny. It's often referred to as being bulged just above the rim but it's actually just the opposite and is smaller in diameter. Because the chambers are typically long in these factory guns the brass stretches quite a bit and thins down there just above the rim.

If you can find it Federal American Eagle factory ammo seems to shoot better than does the Hornady factory ammo. I'm not really sure why because I've talked to Federal numerous times and they told me their 17 Hornet ammo is exactly the same and loaded for them by Hornady just with a different case head stamp and in a different box but anyone who has shot both generally prefers shooting the American Eagle ammo although both usually shoot pretty well.

 

[flicker204]

thanks guys for your info.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

As mentioned some of the early brass had primer pocket issues. I treated it like military brass and went on.
CZ527 Varmint
My best accuracy was a case full of 4198 with a 20 grain Vmax.
My other go to is AA2200.
All I use projectile wise in the Hornet is the 20’s.
Loading to mag length and having it feed well, the 25’s just never shot enough better for me to waste them.

I tried a lot of other powders. My numbers over the chrono and groups on paper, with the less than full case just didn’t make me happy.
YMMV.
Jeff

The primer issues I had were with Hornaday factory ammo. I called and for some reason Hornaday staked those primers on factory ammo. New brass was OK.

My loads for my CZ 527 I use 2200. Thats the best grouping loads I have found. I did try several other powders, like Lil Gun and some others, but 2200 is the best in my gun.

 

[charlesasmith]

Traditional powders for the 17 Ackley Hornet were 2200 and 1680. The gunsmith who built mine used Win small rifle primers, but I always used Rem 7.5. I recommend annealing or split necks will be quite common,

Chuck

 

[searcher]

My best accuracy loads use: (all with Hornady brass and CCI 400 primers - CZ rifle W/Lilja barrel)
9.3 IMR 4227, 20 V-max (moly coated)
11.5 H4198, 20 V-Max (moly coated)
10.8 H4198, 25 Berger (hbn coated)

 

[IPPM]

G’day from Australia
This took some work, the Hornet is a fickled little cartridge, little things that have no bearing in larger cartridges impact the hornet, a few of them combined and it’s a cluster fark.
Weirhrauch HJ60 (66 timber stock)
Once fired Win factory brass
Decapped
Primer pockets reamed to uniform .123 depth
Annealed
FLS with a Hornady die (no expander) with custom shimmed shell holder to .002 headspace
.170 mandrel neck expansion (provides .0022 tension)
Trim to 1.340 chamfer and bevel
CCI BR4 SRP
12.4 gn (C) ADI 2207
20 gn VMAX CBTO 1.425 (to fit single stack mag) with .060 jump to the lands
4 shot group 3685 fps (Magnetospeed) average, SD 12.4 For .3MOA.

I was going to neck turn the little SOB’s but given the current output I think I’m wasting my time.

 

[nvtoy]

Yes, seems that 1680, 2200, CFE Blk and possibly VV120 are the powders most used. Brass quality has improved in my experience. IPPM, looks like you’re doing great! If that’s a fox it has the longest legs and tail I’ve ever seen. nvtoy

 

[searcher]

Am curious as to what method you use to anneal those tiny cases. Mine are ready for annealing - but wont fit in the machine I have.

 

[charlesasmith]

Searcher:

I have the MRB (Mike's Reloading Bench) Annealer. I had to send in 17 AH cases so he could make a rotating wheel with the right size slot for it to work.

Chuck

 

[AckleymanII]

annealing:

use a needle nose pair of channel lock pliars holding a THICK washer that barely goes over the case.

Stand the cases up, heat them one at time.

Over size chambers, undersize brass....nightmare with no end in sight. I would find another way, Savage maybe?

 

[Bill K]

What velocity are you getting with that combo? Been curious about that NTX bullet. A buddy used it in a HeBee and it seemed to do well.

Sorry for taking so long. Easy in the 3800 FPS area. I don't load hot.

 

[searcher]

Priming that brass is an M effer. Some of the early production brass is staked. Also I found that getting primers started is really tricky. Instead of sliding the shell all the way into the holder, pull it back a tiny bit and sort of wiggle the case and slowly squeeze the primer in. It’s a pain in the rear. If you try priming as usual you’ll almost definitely run into some ugly issues. I popped several primers. Hope this helps.

I use a Sinclair hand priming tool just for priming those little buggers. Works much better than the "sloppy" centering capabilities of most shell holders and presses.

 

[Frankm]

I found neck sizing was helpful to both my accuracy AND brass life. As said earlier, many rifles in 17 HH have loose/generous chambers!

 

[moorepower]

With my two CZ 527 Varmint model 17 Hornets I use a Redding bushing neck size only die, with a variety of bushing sizes because the brass has a pretty healthy variance in neck thickness from lot to lot, and only FL size when needed. I would not recommend FL sizing the brass back to SAAMI spec every time or you are certain to have premature case head separation.

My load for my 17 Hornets.
Powder: 12.2gr 1680 (I have friends that have had very good results with CFE BLK as well)
Primer: Rem 7.5 (I typically use Fed or CCI but I have a shit ton of Rem 7.5's so that's why I use them in my Hornets)
Cases: Hornady 17 Hornet brass either from once fired factory ammo that I've shot in my guns or new Hornady 17HH brass I bought.
Bullet: 20gr Vmax

The 17 Hornet can sometimes be a little quirky to load for. I don't know about the Ruger or Savage 17 Hornets but I can tell you the CZ's come with a pretty generous chamber in them and they have quite a bit of freebore, so much so that the bullet will pretty much fall out of the case before you can touch the lands.

Don't be shocked when fired brass comes out looking a little funny. It's often referred to as being bulged just above the rim but it's actually just the opposite and is smaller in diameter. Because the chambers are typically long in these factory guns the brass stretches quite a bit and thins down there just above the rim.

If you can find it Federal American Eagle factory ammo seems to shoot better than does the Hornady factory ammo. I'm not really sure why because I've talked to Federal numerous times and they told me their 17 Hornet ammo is exactly the same and loaded for them by Hornady just with a different case head stamp and in a different box but anyone who has shot both generally prefers shooting the American Eagle ammo although both usually shoot pretty well.

I know this is a little dated, but the Federal AE is Hornady brass and bullet with a Federal headstamp.