17 hornet

[Love Life]

I am almost out of 17 HMR ammo, and over the years my savage has gone from a sub 1 inch shooter to a 3+ inch shooter (bought 4,000 rds when on sale for $7.75 per 50).

Since the savage is toast, and I don't want to play the rimfire where's waldo game anymore, I am now looking into getting a 17 hornet to fill my soon to be 17 caliber void.

Bullets are cheap, and it sips powder.

At this time I am looking at the CS 527 Varminter as the platform.


Is anybody on the forum shooting the 17 hornet? If so, is it all that and a bag of chips as it appears to be? Worth getting?



Thank you,
Dick

[No_1]

Brass is the problem with this one. I have considered the 17 Hornet since I have (some) brass and a 17 HM2 Contender barrel but most likely will purchase some type of improved 22 Hornet barrel for my next purchase.

[scb]

I like mine
140062

[No_1]

Just when I thought I was over this you post a picture of some cute cases on a bug holed target. Thanks Brother. :groner:

[MarkP]

I have had two since 94' and I love them. I would use one on prairie dogs out to 175 yds to 200 ish with great results, longest prairie dog hit was 417 yds. No expansion at that distance just punched a small thru hole. I would usually start out with that rifle until they were further out, mild report would keep the dogs out longer as compared to starting out with my bigger 22's & 6's. I was using 25 gr Hornady HP's and converted some 25 gr HP's by facing the tip off in a lathe and inserting a 22 cal V-max tip. These were in the 19 gr range.
At reasonable distances it will perform similar to a 221 FB, 222, 223 on small varmints and should be a noticeable step up from a 17 HMR and it is reloadable.

[Mauser48]

Id get a 204 ruger. Better brass availability and more gun options. If you want to stick with something weaker I would get a 22 hornet. Still not a ton of brass but more than 17 hornet.

[runfiverun]

I think the 17 mag rim fire win just put out is super close ballisticly.
and I see ammo for it all over the place.

[Love Life]

All good points to consider. I have seen brass available off and on, and I reckon a big buy of 500 pieces aught to last the life of a barrel.

The 17 WSM isn't really appealing because it is a rimfire.

Thank you all for the information.

[MarkP]

Cases are very easy to make from 22 Hornet brass; neck down to 17, load and fire form. No neck reaming or turning req'd.

[snowwolfe]

I wouldn't worry about brass as Powder Valley is selling loaded Hornady ammo for $17.50 per 25.
Buy 4 boxes till you can find brass and you are set.
One of these days I plan on building a lefty 17 Hornet, interesting round.

[kenyerian]

A good friend of mine has a 17 hornet Savage 25 Walking Varminter that is a great little rifle. He has some hay fields and he keeps the ground hog population down with it. He really likes it. I've been thinking about getting one myself but I have 3 22 hornets so I really can't justify it., He does reload for it .

[scb]

Just when I thought I was over this you post a picture of some cute cases on a bug holed target. Thanks Brother. :groner:

Glad I could help.

[MT Gianni]

17 Hornet is one cartridge i see in almost every gun shop I walk in. North 40 In G. Falls had 4+ 50 rd boxes last week, same store in Havre had 3. Sportsman's in Bozo had 2 3 weeks ago and at least one box in Helena.

[dkf]

The 2013 Hodgdon Annual Manual and the August 2014 issue of Handloader has some good articles on the Hornet and forming brass from .22 hornet.

I have been considering a .17 hornet rifle myself. I would prefer a .22ccm over the .17 hornet but the lack of .22ccm rifle availability and brass rules it out. I have .22 lr and .22mag , thatis enough rimfires for me and I will never buy another rimfire caliber. I am not going to be dependent on factory ammo more than I already am.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have an TC Encore in 17 Ackley Hornet which is essentially identical to the 17 Hornet. I make my cases using a forming die, but 17 Hornet stuff seems readily available. The CZ is brilliant platform. Stsy away from the BMag ans 17WSM, it sucks. Ammo is awful. I am on my second rifle, both shoot 4moa on a good day.

[roysha]

Just curious. Why a 17 Hornet and not one of the 17s based on the 221 case? As far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a bad 17, just some better than others.

With the Hornet you are pretty much stuck with the availability of Hornet brass whereas with the Mach IV or 17 Fireball, brass should never be an issue and, for all practical purposes, what you can do with one, you can do equally well with the other.

[dkf]

Just curious. Why a 17 Hornet and not one of the 17s based on the 221 case? As far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a bad 17, just some better than others.

With the Hornet you are pretty much stuck with the availability of Hornet brass whereas with the Mach IV or 17 Fireball, brass should never be an issue and, for all practical purposes, what you can do with one, you can do equally well with the other.

I might as well just shoot my .223/5.56 rifles then. The .17 hornet is easy on powder and a little easier on the barrel.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Converting 223 cases to 17 Remington Fireball or 17 Mach 4 is not as easy as it sounds. Check the Redding site. Both require a large set of conversion dies. I think the thing with these cases is to buy them when you see them and not get into troube when they run out.

[roysha]

I might as well just shoot my .223/5.56 rifles then. The .17 hornet is easy on powder and a little easier on the barrel.

Really?


"Converting 223 cases to 17 Remington Fireball or 17 Mach 4 is not as easy as it sounds. Check the Redding site. Both require a large set of conversion dies. I think the thing with these cases is to buy them when you see them and not get into troubke when they run out."

You are quite correct. When I made that statement I was thinking about when I built my MACH IV and had (and still have) available to me a large supply of 221 brass. That is a much simpler conversion.

[Tackleberry41]

Was talking to someone this weekend, he was after one of the 17s. He had never heard of the 17 hornet, was going to go look for one.

[JDHasty]

Really?


"Converting 223 cases to 17 Remington Fireball or 17 Mach 4 is not as easy as it sounds. Check the Redding site. Both require a large set of conversion dies. I think the thing with these cases is to buy them when you see them and not get into troubke when they run out."

You are quite correct. When I made that statement I was thinking about when I built my MACH IV and had (and still have) available to me a large supply of 221 brass. That is a much simpler conversion.

I just use REALLY GOOD lube and run them into a 17 Rem die then turn the necks. I have an UltraWildcat in 17 Rem and shoot short necked brass when I don't want to worry about picking up empties. That little rifle shoots half inch groups with 17 Rem brass and not quite so good, but plenty good with 223 brass, like 3/4 inch.

[JDHasty]

I would go with the 17 Hornet. I shoot a CZ 22 Hornet and can carry 200 in a BDU pocket and put the empties in the other pocket. Not really possible with the 223 or fireball. If that is not an issue, then by all means go for whatever.

FWIW, my Hornet started out with a 2-7 on it and today wears a 5-20 because it is that accurate. I can slip a bullet through the smallest cracks in the basalt and bust the heck out of chucks with it with that scope on it. I also have a CZ American in 204 and it is just as accurate though and allows 300 plus yard shooting wherein the Hornet is not that capable. The Hornet sips powder and the 204 not so much in that regard though.

I am not so sure you can get a factory rifle for a 17 Fireball either, but that being said... I stay out of gunshops in deference to my financial health.

[JDHasty]

Here is a consideration: How about a 22 Hornet CZ American? Mine shoots sub 1/2 inch ten shot groups using a Calhoon modified magazine or his single shot device. Not quite as good with shorter factory magazine though. How about 3,250 fps across our Oehlers with a Hornaday 40 Vmax and Lil' Gun?


That being said, I am going to get a 17 Hornet CZ 527 Varmint though because I want to see my bullets hit when I climb up a talus slope and shoot all by my lonesome... which is becoming more and more my M.O. lately. I shoot also down the alley (with absolute iron clad permission) at a couple feed lots that are sometimes full of cattle being finished. I am a little uncomfortable with the 22 bullet fragmenting completely even though those shots are less that a hundred twenty-five yards. The Hornet tears adult chucks in half at those ranges and on smaller ones God only knows what the bullet fragments may have left in them after hitting a young tender chuck.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I will have to get my 17 Ackley Hornet going again. It has been languishing in the safe.

[JDHasty]

I will have to get my 17 Ackley Hornet going again. It has been languishing in the safe.

I really need to shoot my old 17 Rem UltraWildcat more. It too has been gathering dust for a couple years now. Sometimes I wonder: as we grow older and acquire more stuff, if the satisfaction we are chasing is getting further away? I was in my mom's basement, where my loading shop is located, and was thinking to myself... holy cow - there are more interesting rifles gathering dust in my safes than there were in that whole shop I was in today! You know, I already subconsciously knew that, when the magazines show up on my door step - I don't read the "latest and greatest" I read about the classic old rifles and rifles that shoot cartridges I already own.

[Four Fingers of Death]

I like the classics as well, but I must admit I get a real kick out of my 223 Ruger American Compact, it is such a handy little package that punches way above it's weight. My friends joke that I probably have more guns than the local gunshop and my collection is definitely more interesting.

[dale2242]

My son just got a Savage 25 in 17 Hornet and my cousin has a CZ as well.
Hornady must have made a large run of brass as there was a lot of brass and loaded 17 Hornet ammo available this spring.
I haven`t looked lately , so I`m not sure how much is around at this time.
Both rifles are very accurate with 20gr V Max bullets and the case is easy to reload.
I have a friend trying to make brass from 22 Hornet and it seems to be a PITA.
Make it easy on your self. Buy factory brass or ammo.....dale