Prayers answered? Kak .17-5.56 ?

[Oso]

I don't disagree with you. A lot of the press on the 17 Remington was result of a number of factors. Improvements of barrel manufacturing, bullet design, and powders can make an impact. It is just a fact of life that there is a balancing act of velocity, accuracy and barrel life. Efficient case design can make a difference, but only so much. Small bore diameter as compared to powder volume generally leads to shorter barrel life for any caliber, especially if loaded to achieve peak velocities. As long as you go in with reasonable expectations then you won't be disappointed. At $200 for drop in AR15 barrel there is a much lower threshold for entry or regret as compared to a premium barrel and gunsmithing bill for a bolt rifle.

I have a 17-222, and the slightly smaller powder volume and elongated neck of this cartridge makes a difference. Loading for accuracy and not for max velocity makes a difference. It sounds like your reduced loads for 17 Remington mimic my loads in my 17-222. The two cartridges are very similar with the 17 Rem having just a little more powder volume.

.17 Cartridges of Note

I think there are some fantastic vintage cartridges, with the 17 Javeline coming to mind. (see ^ link to Saubier's list and photos of some nice 17 cal. cartridges.

 

[wildcatter]

I don't disagree with you. A lot of the press on the 17 Remington was result of a number of factors. Improvements of barrel manufacturing, bullet design, and powders can make an impact. It is just a fact of life that there is a balancing act of velocity, accuracy and barrel life. Efficient case design can make a difference, but only so much. Small bore diameter as compared to powder volume generally leads to shorter barrel life for any caliber, especially if loaded to achieve peak velocities. As long as you go in with reasonable expectations then you won't be disappointed. At $200 for drop in AR15 barrel there is a much lower threshold for entry or regret as compared to a premium barrel and gunsmithing bill for a bolt rifle.

I have a 17-222, and the slightly smaller powder volume and elongated neck of this cartridge makes a difference. Loading for accuracy and not for max velocity makes a difference. It sounds like your reduced loads for 17 Remington mimic my loads in my 17-222. The two cartridges are very similar with the 17 Rem having just a little more powder volume.

.17 Cartridges of Note

I think there are some fantastic vintage cartridges, with the 17 Javeline coming to mind. (see ^ link to Saubier's list and photos of some nice 17 cal. cartridges.

I had the 17 Javelina, 24" cut it to 22 1/2" chambered to custom 17 Mach IV (same cartridge as the commercialized 17 Fireball). Loaded right around 4000 with 20 grain V Max and aggs under .3" using about 3 grains less powder than the Javelina. It gets bigger gains with smaller increases in powder.

This is in a bolt gun, but after owning both in the same barrel, as well as 17 Rem. In the past, the Mach IV is so much more efficient, and I'm sure barrel life will surpass. But in a semi auto, related shots on a warm barrel will wipe out any thoughts of good barrel life. Keep individual shots taken to avoid heating up the throat will go a tremendous way to better barrel life, in any small bore, but the 17 is most critical.

The best thing to aid on accuracy, is to use a carbon remover every cleaning! The 17 is probably the worst about depositing carbon ring. Maybe because of diameter, or could be the small amount of space for it to collect. But I use c4 at the end of every cleaning, and see it has made a differance in accuracy over time.

 

[JSH]

I looked at a 17-222 quite a bit. I had access to 17R brass along with dies is why I went that way.

17 FB or 17R could sure use some up dated book loads with the powders today. I doubt we ever see much if any unless they come up with a 17CM ;-).

I have my thoughts and ways of dealing with carbon. Very first thing I do is address it ASAP preferably when barrel is still warm.

 

[wildcatter]

I looked at a 17-222 quite a bit. I had access to 17R brass along with dies is why I went that way.

17 FB or 17R could sure use some up dated book loads with the powders today. I doubt we ever see much if any unless they come up with a 17CM ;-).

I have my thoughts and ways of dealing with carbon. Very first thing I do is address it ASAP preferably when barrel is still warm.

Yep not likely to see any new loads for a Mach IV, but very surprised not to see more for the Fierball when Remington commercialized them with the Fireball.

But ya money sells forget relevance! Lable CM on it and watch em sell all day long, witless loads after witless loads, forget relevance.

 

[Wolfdog91]

So just some updates. Got all my build parts in for my upper . This is just a play around caliber so everything with either NBS ,on sale or just chicom. Not halo jumping with this thing strapped to my side , shooting 400rd in a fire fight or dragging it though the mud on some navy seal stuff so I really don't need all the hyper tough milspec stuff. Gonna be popping steel, crows and the occasional Varmint with this thing. And this is supposed to be something for the budget guy who wants a .17cal centerfire without the crazy cost of entry of alot of legacy cartridges.
Anyhow went together pretty easy and just going to use the bolt carrier group out of my .223 Wylde SPR for now
Will say though the 17" hand gaurd looks a little goofy on a 18" barrel but my preferred was out of stock and it was the only one left in my price range that was too short.

Then my dies cam in tonight. Very first set of Redding dies and super impressed with the quality . No shell holder though

 

[Wolfdog91]

So according to KAK'S VERY OWN VIDEOS all you really do is make sure your brass is once fired so it's work hardened then run it up in the resizing die....and that's it. No neck turning or step dies lube and run.
So got some of my my lake city once fired lubed it up with that good ole imperial and well,

 

[Wolfdog91]

Now I e been seeing people over in discord talking about getting a 10-25% reject rate due to crushed necks and yeah seems about right. Would get 5-10 good ones the 3 or so crushes and so one. Seems the main problem is just going to fast into the die

But can always chop it for .300 blk or similar. Anyhow 15mi. Got me 50 PC of decent looking brass and few rejects

 

[Wolfdog91]

 

[TheCZKid]

That's quite the neck-down step! If you had a 223 bushing die, it would probably be a higher success rate if you stepped it down in stages. I do that with my 20 Practical. First stage in my 20P process is just size the cases with a FL RCBS sizing die with the expander ball removed. That necks it down quite a bit, then I do two more bushings from there to get to 20 cal. Do you by chance have a 223 Bushing die? If nothing else, try sizing with a full length 223 die first with the expander removed, no need to buy any new die that way.

 

[Dnchrist1]

This is my 17-556 KAK, using an 80% lower which I did on a Grizzly mill. Fluted 18" KAK barrel. I went with only Lake City brass and the Redding 20 Practical followed by the 17-556 sizer die. I had some trouble with the sizer die AND the barrel, but all OK now. KAK had to hone the chamber. I have shot about 500 rounds. Some of the cases have been reloaded 5 times.

17-5.56 KAK 1:9 Twist .17 cal in a 5.56 case with a resized neck. RCBS Shell Holder #10

Brass: Lake City 5.56 brass ONLY! Trim Length: 1.750”

Directions: First time - Use a Redding sizing die for 20 Practical to bring the neck down from 5.56 to .20. THEN use the Redding 17-556 sizing die. Doing it any other way will ruin the shoulder, and will jam in the rifle chamber.

Primer: CCI BR-4 Bench Rest Primers

Projectile: Hornady 15.5 gr NTX #17016

Powder: CFE 223 27.0 gr. (25.0-28.0 gr.) Velocity: 4225 fps.

OAL: 2.152” Lite Crimp using Lee Factory Crimp Die


Projectile: Hornady 20gr VMax #21710

Powder: CFE 223 26.3 gr. (25.8-26.3 gr.) Velocity: 3895 fps. SD-31

OAL: 2.169” Lite Crimp using Lee Factory Crimp Die


Projectile: Hornady 25gr VMax #17105

Powder: CFE 223 25.5 gr. (25.0-27.0 gr.) Velocity: 3797 fps. SD 14.3

OAL: 2.169” Lite Crimp using Lee Factory Crimp Die




25 yards - 10 rounds of 25gr Hornady V-MAX using 25.5 gr of CFE 223. I got a little sloppy at the end, aiming at a hole...

 

[ArtinNC]

I used a 17 mach4 trim die and didn't have a problem , but I used 222 Rem brass for both 17 Mach4 and the
17 Javeline and annealed the necks first .