wildcatter
Silver $$ Contributor
Finally got the 17 up and running I bought as a 17 Javelina on the old Pence barrel. Ron hasn't built a barrel in over 25 years and to me just to add another to my collection was good enough. But knowing how these 17 javelinas were taken to the dog fields and fried in a couple trips, I wasn't giving iot much hope of making me excited, and was willing to have it just for a keepsake. But wanted to give it a fair shake, and try it in a little smaller more sedate round, especially knowing with the 1-11 twist, it would be only good with the lighter bullets? So I had Fred @ SSS take 1.5" off the chamber and recut it as a .196" NK 17 Mach IV. leaving me a 22.5" barrel. I worried that this might limit my velocity and restrict me from hitting the 4000 fps I wanted to get with the 20 grain V-Max, and 20 grain Varmagedon.
I threw 18.0 grains of H322 in the Nosler fireball brass after neck turning and running through my FL die, with a 20 grain V-Max and a remington 7 1/2 primer, Then I hit the range last friday just to get it sighted in and after 2 sight in shots, put the las 3 loads I had in a little under 1/2" group, zeroed 1" high.
But today I loaded what I had left of the 322, 25 rounds, and then loaded 3 of the 20 grain Varmagedon with 19.3 grains of XBR 8208, thats .7 tenths less than the max in the Nosler load data for their 17 fireball, and 20 grains is there accuracy load over all other powders? After sending two thru the chrony, I shot the last one at the 12" gong at 300 yard's, and yes, I can go the other .7 if this load doesn't suite me. I held dead on the 300 yard crosshair, and about 2" left for the wind.
But what really pleased me,was that 20 grain V-max load that I had zerod 1" high for a 200 yard dead on for my main crosshair, it made me very happy, I hit 3977 fps with the 18 grains of H322, just 1 grain under max! But best of all, in the 10 to 15 mph wind, with gusts to 25 this afternoon, it proved to give acceptable accuracy. Now I know this only 2 shots, on a 6" 300 yard gong and not the best conditions. I was using the Zeiss Z Varmint reticle in the 6.5-20x50 Conquest scope, set at 16X but holding about 2.5" into the left to right wind, in field conditions with no flags, I gotta say, if this is what it will do day in and out, I am one happy varminter!
I have a good starting point now for load development with both bullets, and after today my thoughts that this cartridge is just a 250 yard small varmint round has changed. I am now confident that 300 yards is no problem with this little cartridge, and maybe a tad further on smaller varmints. But for sure, to find this old Pence hand cut rifled barrel was a sweet find, and as for having no needs for a 17 caliber, that thought has changed as well. I used to wonder why all them old guy's liked them little bitty cartridges when there were so many other choices,,,,,,,, I guess you just gotta be an old guy to understand,, I do now!
I am in no hurry to work up loads for this rifle now, especially when this V-max load is shooting llike it is with no load development involved. I really just wanted to find a safe starting point to work from and get the rifle sighted in. I am aware that I could have found the magical load right off the bat, and if this is the best this barrel will do,, so be it, I can make it work. But the chances of finding more speed with a load that shoots as well or better, is pretty good. Either way, I can live with it.
Oh ya, and after this, I'm going to have to get a box of 25 grain V-Max just to see if this slow barrel can shoot them, I just gotta see for myself, especially now that I see the velocity it is getting with the 20's. So many projects,, and so little time?
I threw 18.0 grains of H322 in the Nosler fireball brass after neck turning and running through my FL die, with a 20 grain V-Max and a remington 7 1/2 primer, Then I hit the range last friday just to get it sighted in and after 2 sight in shots, put the las 3 loads I had in a little under 1/2" group, zeroed 1" high.
But today I loaded what I had left of the 322, 25 rounds, and then loaded 3 of the 20 grain Varmagedon with 19.3 grains of XBR 8208, thats .7 tenths less than the max in the Nosler load data for their 17 fireball, and 20 grains is there accuracy load over all other powders? After sending two thru the chrony, I shot the last one at the 12" gong at 300 yard's, and yes, I can go the other .7 if this load doesn't suite me. I held dead on the 300 yard crosshair, and about 2" left for the wind.
But what really pleased me,was that 20 grain V-max load that I had zerod 1" high for a 200 yard dead on for my main crosshair, it made me very happy, I hit 3977 fps with the 18 grains of H322, just 1 grain under max! But best of all, in the 10 to 15 mph wind, with gusts to 25 this afternoon, it proved to give acceptable accuracy. Now I know this only 2 shots, on a 6" 300 yard gong and not the best conditions. I was using the Zeiss Z Varmint reticle in the 6.5-20x50 Conquest scope, set at 16X but holding about 2.5" into the left to right wind, in field conditions with no flags, I gotta say, if this is what it will do day in and out, I am one happy varminter!
I have a good starting point now for load development with both bullets, and after today my thoughts that this cartridge is just a 250 yard small varmint round has changed. I am now confident that 300 yards is no problem with this little cartridge, and maybe a tad further on smaller varmints. But for sure, to find this old Pence hand cut rifled barrel was a sweet find, and as for having no needs for a 17 caliber, that thought has changed as well. I used to wonder why all them old guy's liked them little bitty cartridges when there were so many other choices,,,,,,,, I guess you just gotta be an old guy to understand,, I do now!
I am in no hurry to work up loads for this rifle now, especially when this V-max load is shooting llike it is with no load development involved. I really just wanted to find a safe starting point to work from and get the rifle sighted in. I am aware that I could have found the magical load right off the bat, and if this is the best this barrel will do,, so be it, I can make it work. But the chances of finding more speed with a load that shoots as well or better, is pretty good. Either way, I can live with it.
Oh ya, and after this, I'm going to have to get a box of 25 grain V-Max just to see if this slow barrel can shoot them, I just gotta see for myself, especially now that I see the velocity it is getting with the 20's. So many projects,, and so little time?
