NEWBIE AND 17 HORNET

[spencerhenry]

I run an Ackley hornet, AA1680 is the only powder I use. I run 20gr vmax and it consistently groups under .5 moa at 100. I do not run them hot, in fact the same load for fire forming is my load for ground squirrels.
I am shooting a Cooper 38, using ww super 22 hornet brass. I also have some remington brass that shoots just as well and to the same point of aim.

 

[JSH]

Scott, if we were not chasing bug holes, we probably wouldn't be here or having this conversation,lol.

Are you seating to fit the mag, or single shot?

I am going to try the graphite also. May dust some #9 shot and just wiggle case mouth in that to coat so it doesn't cake up. B23 guided me in a good direction on my 17WSM Bmag. If this shows good on the 17HH all the better.
FYI I have been using that Lyman long tapered chamfer tool. Makes a difference seating for sure. The expander on some dies can wreck havoc pulling through and messing up necks. I would think you could tweek them seating bullets as well?

The collet die for the 22Hornet worked well. Wish there were some for the 17's.

Played with about three different 22 Hornets in the past. I got some good groups, nothing ever great. Very usable for the purpose for as far as I would use a Hornet.
Hardest I worked with one was for 1/2 size IHMSA targets out to 200 meters. Had to push it hard to use the same load all the way through, so case life was short. Then performance on steel critters were iffy at best.

If you get PO'd at the 17 Hornet, study up on the 17 Fire ball. Small case but bigger and tougher than the Hornet.
Jeff

 

[JSH]

The CZ is good, but it ain't no Cooper. I think the Ackley may also have an edge.....

The Cooper has a bit more care when being built I would imagine. Handled a few and shot a few, very nice rigs.

 

[oneshot 66]

The CZ is good, but it ain't no Cooper. I think the Ackley may also have an edge.....

The Cooper has a bit more care when being built I would imagine. Handled a few and shot a few, very nice rigs.

JHS
Fun shooting little groups, but a pain when it doesn't work. I have works with a lot of 270 down to 22, but never had this much trouble.
I haven't tried to push to the lands, just running factory length.
I'd be happy with consistent .5 groups and maybe a few under that on a good day. Wind is the devil.
Scott

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Here's a tip for what it's worth. I have a cheap tool engraver, one of those vibrating ones, that I use to settle my powder. I never use a drop tube, just the engraver. Just a touch on the side of the case and your powder is as compacted as it's gonna be.

Place your finger over the case first.

 

[B23]

I don't know about the others, but I know the freebore in the CZ 527 17 Hornets is so long that a 20gr Vmax will pretty much fall out of the case before it'll touches the lands.

 

[moorepower]

I had 150 pieces of new hornady 243 win brass 2 bags of 50 were same lot. Highest to lowest reading was over 10 grains difference. That was the last hornady brass I bought.

You won't be loading an .17HH then unless you form your own brass. As crappy as it is, it still shoots 5/8-3/4' factory ammo 5 shot groups. I am using A1680 at a little under max for about 3625 fps and it is a little over 1/2" . When I used the factory 25 grain hp load it only shot 5 in 1 1/4". I can't say a single miss out to over 260 yards was not my fault with the 25 grain load. I have CFE BLK and A2200 to test this spring. Some say it needs a slight crimp, most don't. Trial and error with your gun is the only way you will know. Mine is a Ruger/ PacNor not a CZ.

 

[oneshot 66]

You won't be loading an .17HH then unless you form your own brass. As crappy as it is, it still shoots 5/8-3/4' factory ammo 5 shot groups. I am using A1680 at a little under max for about 3625 fps and it is a little over 1/2" . When I used the factory 25 grain hp load it only shot 5 in 1 1/4". I can't say a single miss out to over 260 yards was not my fault with the 25 grain load. I have CFE BLK and A2200 to test this spring. Some say it needs a slight crimp, most don't. Trial and error with your gun is the only way you will know. Mine is a Ruger/ PacNor not a CZ.

I set my Ruger aside for a while, couldn't get it to shoot well (maybe the brass). The CZ shot better right away, but not as pretty. If can't get consistent decent groups with the sorted new brass, I will be looking for 22 hornet brass to form.
I have loads ready in h4198, a1680 and cfe black. We will see when the wind dies. I shot some good groups with 4198 loaded light, I will be increasing to see what happens.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

You won't be loading an .17HH then unless you form your own brass. As crappy as it is, it still shoots 5/8-3/4' factory ammo 5 shot groups. I am using A1680 at a little under max for about 3625 fps and it is a little over 1/2" . When I used the factory 25 grain hp load it only shot 5 in 1 1/4". I can't say a single miss out to over 260 yards was not my fault with the 25 grain load. I have CFE BLK and A2200 to test this spring. Some say it needs a slight crimp, most don't. Trial and error with your gun is the only way you will know. Mine is a Ruger/ PacNor not a CZ.

Hornaday sells unprimed brass.. That's what I use. I started with factory ammo and figured I'd reload the empties.. Big NOPE .. Hornaday 17HH factory ammo has a primer crimp. My swager would work but the backing shaft for 17 isn't available commercially. Hence I use Hornaday brass..

 

[moorepower]

Hornaday sells unprimed brass.. That's what I use. I started with factory ammo and figured I'd reload the empties.. Big NOPE .. Hornaday 17HH factory ammo has a primer crimp. My swager would work but the backing shaft for 17 isn't available commercially. Hence I use Hornaday brass..

It was crimped for a very short period of time. I have 400 pieces of once fired without a crimp. Actually none that I have ever bought has or had a crimp.

 

[moorepower]

I set my Ruger aside for a while, couldn't get it to shoot well (maybe the brass). The CZ shot better right away, but not as pretty. If can't get consistent decent groups with the sorted new brass, I will be looking for 22 hornet brass to form.
I have loads ready in h4198, a1680 and cfe black. We will see when the wind dies. I shot some good groups with 4198 loaded light, I will be increasing to see what happens.

The problem with the Ruger, might be the Ruger and not the brass, or ammo. Barrel, bolt, bedding and trigger were bad on mine.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

It was crimped for a very short period of time. I have 400 pieces of once fired without a crimp. Actually none that I have ever bought has or had a crimp.

I had 250 pieces with a crimp. Called Hornaday and talked to em. Haven't bought any factory ammo since. Just brass

 

[B23]

Hornaday 17HH factory ammo has a primer crimp.

It was crimped for a very short period of time. I have 400 pieces of once fired without a crimp. Actually none that I have ever bought has or had a crimp.

This is correct, Hornady hasn't had crimped primers in their 17 Hornet ammo for years.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

This was just in the last year and a half. I bet there is still some out there, not that I am going to find out. Just be aware.

 

[oneshot 66]

This was just in the last year and a half. I bet there is still some out there, not that I am going to find out. Just be aware.

I shot A1680, H4198 and CFE Black. The H4198 was a load I had shot the .225 group with and produced one of the worst 4 shot groups I have ever papered. The A1680 wasn't much better. The CFE Black 12.9 grains was .460, which is just ok. I had a 3 primers leak out of 13 shots. This is frustrating, but hope that the new brass will be the ticket (its all the same lot #).

 

[B23]

I shot A1680, H4198 and CFE Black. The H4198 was a load I had shot the .225 group with and produced one of the worst 4 shot groups I have ever papered. The A1680 wasn't much better. The CFE Black 12.9 grains was .460, which is just ok. I had a 3 primers leak out of 13 shots. This is frustrating, but hope that the new brass will be the ticket (its all the same lot #).

And how much of those powders are you loading and with what bullet?

My "go to" load w/20gr Vmax, in both of my CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornets, is 12.2gr 1680. I've gone up and down, but 12.2gr w/1680 seems to always shoot the best. I've used both Rem 7 1/2 and Fed 205M primers and neither seem to shoot any different.

 

[oneshot 66]

And how much of those powders are you loading and with what bullet?

My "go to" load w/20gr Vmax, in both of my CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornets, is 12.2gr 1680. I've gone up and down, but 12.2gr w/1680 seems to always shoot the best. I've used both Rem 7 1/2 and Fed 205M primers and neither seem to shoot any different.

These were all Nosler Varmagedin 20 gr., Hornady cases not sorted neck sized, Rem. 7 1/2 primers, primer pockets cleaned and flash hole sized from the front. All shot at 100 yds. 12.9 CFE BLACK----10.5 H 4198----10.8 A 1680. I know the H4198 is a starting load, but it shot great a few times. Got to be the brass. I have tried VMAX 20 &25 and a few other 20 gr.

 

[oneshot 66]

And how much of those powders are you loading and with what bullet?

My "go to" load w/20gr Vmax, in both of my CZ 527 Varmint 17 Hornets, is 12.2gr 1680. I've gone up and down, but 12.2gr w/1680 seems to always shoot the best. I've used both Rem 7 1/2 and Fed 205M primers and neither seem to shoot any different.

I weighed 100 new Hornady brass (all the same lot). They varied from 52.46 to 51.76, that's .7 of a grain difference. Much better that what I have been using. I will do a volume check and let you know.

 

[Frankm]

JSH ... I have a Lee Collet die for my 17 Hornady Hornet. Bought a 17 Rem LCD and a machinist friend of mind and I sat down, compared the SAAMI dimensions and machined that off the bottom of the die. Then built a same length spacer that fits above the collet and spaces the anvil up. Works like a charm!! I use it for loading on my Dillon 550.... Can produce loads of grd squirrel ammo in a short time. Accuracy is as good, if not better, than when I used RCBS neck die. We did polish a thousandth or so ( forgot the amount) off the anvil for better neck tension. As it came stock for 17 Rem the tension was minimal when sizing the Hornet (thinner necks) and bullets occasionally fell into case.

You might get Lee to build one, took us a couple hours and some simple calculations! WELL worth it.

 

[Billy 30-06]

You need to work up a load using Vithavouri powders. I had the same problem with the .19 Calhoon not shooting consistent small groups. At the low pressure the Hornet cases run the small bore fowls quickly using dirty burning powders. With Vithavouri N-120 I could shoot upwards of 100 rounds in Dog towns without noticing accuracy loss.
Billy