17FB H4198 vs IMR4198

[Sidewinderwa]

OK, I know that this is a 204 site but I know that there are a lot of 17 shooters out there. Since powder is so tough to get I will try to get only one type of 4198. Is there any advantage of H4198 over IMR4198 for the 17 Fireball loads? It looks like the H4198 may have slightly less pressure. They say that both are not effected by the temperature, extreme powder. Anybody have any first hand information on this? My new Remington will not get here until May sometime and it is Skippy season now!

[FireBallGuy]

I prefer to use hodgdon's extreme powders as we usually work up loads in the heat of summer and use said loads at -40 temps in the winter. There appears to be little to no velocity loss when using this stuff and that is why I have stuck with it. H4198 is awesome in the furball!!! with either 20 or 25 grain bullets just off a max charge my guns will go well under 1/2" for 5 shots at 100 yards. You can't loose with H4198. Also am getting superb results with benchmark, actually the smallest groups IU have shot with the furball have been using this powder. I have a mess of test ammo assembled just waiting for the weather to warm up using H335, H322, H4198, Benchmark and RL-10X will do a full report once they are all burned up.

[Sidewinderwa]

Thanks FireBallGuy. Please keep us updated on your shooting results. I always like to speed up the learning curve on a new caliber.

[race4hills]

I use H4198 in mine, works very good, a little better than Benchmark. I have two friends that use H322 and get great results, that what I will try next.

[FireBallGuy]

I thought th ebugs were out of my new SPS until the last time I went to the range.....boy was I wrong!!!! Can't put more than 20 shots down the tube before it is so badly fouled that it won't shoot at all!!! I work at cabelas canada and by pure dumb luck our remington rep was in the store yesterday, told him about the problems I was having with chambering, the fact I had to use 20 cal brushes to clean a 17 bore and he told me that he would check if the gun had come in yet and get right on it. That's what I call good service!!! Having had LOTS of previous experience with the caliber I know for a fact that that barrel is good for at leat 125 accurate shots before it needs cleaning and the fact I had to almost stand on the bolt to chamber a round meant this gun has a very serious problem of some sort. It should now be resolved shortly now so I cant wait to get a new gun back and get shooting again. As a side note I tried 2 of my test batches of ammo with the 25 grain hornady hp with H335 and H322 the best I could get out of H335 was just over an inch for 5 shots and H322 was much worse. Tried a few 25 grain vmax's with a known good charge of H335 and the end result was not very good. Clean this gun way more than I shoot it. Once I have a new one I will give a full report o all the stuff I have sitting here reaady to shoot.