SmallCaliberCentral

You guys that reload, what do you think the attainable velocity will be when reloading for the 17 Hornet?

Hornady shows the 17 Hornet at 3650 fps with their special blend. It is my understanding that with the available powder for reloaders, such a number would not be attainable.

Thanks.

I believe that you will be able to get very near that velocity with readily available powders and a 20 grain bullet. If you have access to the 17 grain bullets you can exceed that velocity most times.

I shoot the .17 Ackley Hornet, and using a 20gr V-Max and 12.6grs of AA1680, I can easily obtain 3,810 fps and 100 yard 5-shot groups in less than .300" safely. The little rig is pure death on PD's and ground squirrels to almost 400 yards.

I don't think it's a stretch at all to see a factory velocity for the new round at 3,650 fps. Just for comparisons sake, here's The Three Amigos, the .22 K-Hornet, standard 22 Hornet, and the .17 Ackley Hornet. Looks fast just sitting there, eh?



One thing for sure, when this factory reloadable little gem comes out, the reason to own a 17 HMR will need questioning, when you can reload a box of 50 of 17 Hornets with easy 350 yard capability, compared to buying non-reloadable HMR with maybe 250 yard reach for PD's or squirrels for about the same cost. To me, it appears the paradigm has shifted to smaller calibers using smaller cases. Just consider the 204 Ruger to the 220 Swift. Smaller caliber, smaller case, better performance. When the round is reloadable, so much the better.

Even tho I own a couple, it is nice to see that a person can get by so well without a "magnum rifle". Our new rounds coming out and around the past few years, make me think of coming back around, full circle, to what we shot back 50-60 years ago, when I started varmint hunting. The newer .17's 20's and 223's are some shooters and we can have so much fun with them and they, alongwith the rifles, are so much more accurate. Even on big game, those that toot "Magmun" or you can not kill, are missing the boat on calibers that worked for years, in the hands of a good shot and woodsman. Sorry guys, in a way, but just a old guy remembering way back... I am truely enjoying my 204's and now the 20VT shortly. Bill K

Bill K wrote:I am truely enjoying my 204's and now the 20VT shortly. Bill K

Bill - Once you start shooting your new 20VT to compliment your 204R, you'll wonder why you even need any other calibers for what we do. 'Course the more rifles and calibers the better, but in all honesty, you could do about 98% of all varmint tasks with these two alone. But what fun would that be?

Heck, when you put the two Terror Twenties together, they just "look" right beside each other. (Both the 204R & 20VT loaded with 32gr SBK's):



Skippy and his rock chuck pals have a very deep respect for both these rounds around this neck-o-the woods (these guys all fell to my Cooper M38 VR in 20VT shooting Nosler 32gr BT's over RL-7).



Sorry, had to post that pic again. It's 18*F outside, everything is frozen, snow on the way, so it seemed proper to post something to remind me that spring indeed WILL come again, and with it our favorite little buddies to entertain us in the nice warm weather. Bill will welcome them with HIS new little 20 VarTarg.......

(I'm ready for springtime, and it's not even the freakin' first day of Winter yet! )

I hear ya, Bill. All my deer and elk hunting has been with a .270W since 1981. Used a .243 for deer before that. My numbers are embarrassing compared to Rick's so I will not say how many! I will say that I have NEVER lost an animal that I shot at, never felt under gunned. I'm on my second .204R and love it as much as the first day. The .17HH definately has my attention but, it will have to wait for me to get a .20VT first!

Rick, we are having a heat wave here. It was 16 when I went to bed last night, this morning it was a balmy 24! Highs may even get above freezing later this week. Winter certainly is not my cup-of-tea, just something to get through so we can have Spring and Summer!

I hear ya, Oregon bretheren, For the last week or better we are not getting above 32 degrees, during the day and nights its getting down into the low teens, close to single digits. My new Cooper, in 20VT is just waiting for some warmer weather, for some load work-up, so it will be ready for spring.
I just had a procedure on my back, so I am really taking it easy. All my 204 brass is ready and my 223 is also all done for springtime.

Hey you guys live in a banana belt... Down around 3-5 above here and days reach into the high 20's. However I bundle up and another guy (he's nuts also) take off and walk to warm up and chase some jackrabbits..in the high sage in the Ravendale area (some of you may know where that is, north 395. Frosty and cold, but sure is fun and beats sitting at home for a few hours in the am hours.. Bill K

I know there are places much worse than here, winter just seems to bug me a little more each year. A week and a half without sunshine sure makes me grumbly though! Great weather for killing things but, a pain trying to keep animals alive and well.

I can relate to that. Every year I find I dislike the cold, snow and lack of sunshine, more and more.. I guess that comes with getting old and wanting warm/sunny weather.. But we live and survive with what is given. Bill K

Iv read that CZ, Ruger, Savage , and Anschlutz will be comming out with a Hornady 17 Hornet rifle. I ll run some reloads past my crony and find out what the MV is for the 20 and 25 Gr bullets. But I dont know when the rifles will be available , Hornady shows cases and reloading dies on their web site. The 17 Hornady will fit righ in with my 17 HM2, 17 HMR, 17 Fireball, 17 Rem, and 204 Ruger rifles.

The data I received from Hornady showed a Max amount 10.1 Gr of Lil Gun powder behind the 20 Gr V-Max B.C. 0.187 bullet in a Hornady case with Winchester primer would have a MV of 3,750 ft/sec out of a 24 inch barrel.---- 9.2 Gr of Lil Gun was the Max powder charge using the 25 Gr HP B.C. 0.187 bullet. MV was listed as3,350 ft/sec from the 24 inch barrel. Please note that the powder charges were the- max amounts-of the Lil Gun powder loads.