If you had the ability, would you reload for the 17HMR?

[WILCO]

http://shootingsports.edgarbrothers.com/images/postprocessed/17_hmr_ammo_18.jpg

[Hick]

I considered the same question for 22LR. I decided, instead, to develop a load for my 223 Remington that had similar ballistics and cost less than 22LR (at current prices). So when I want to do what my 22 LR could do, I instead use the 223 Rem for less money. For less than 6 cents per round I can fire a 60 grain boolit, tumble lubed (no GC), at 1200-1300 fps, essentially emulating the 22LR. It's getting hard to find 22LR less than 6 cents per round.

[Dryball]

It would be nice but I couldn't imagine handling those 17's with my sausage fingers...204 ruger is bad enough with my Vickerman seater.

[M-Tecs]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not having to reload the 17HMR is one of the things I most like about it. I shoot about 1K of 17 HMR a year mostly on prairie dogs plus another 3K to 6K of center fire for PD's.

[Hickory]

Why?
The 17 Hornet is reloadable, and by most accounts is better.

[WILCO]

I couldn't imagine handling those 17's with my sausage fingers....

I agree, but there's something appealing about those little cartridges.

[NavyVet1959]

Does anyone even make a mold in that size? Or should you just get some 'BB' size shot and make a really small round ball load? :)

EDITED:

OK, looks like I answered my own question... NOE makes a mold...

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=102_105&osCsid=cjui6oqioe7maf5i6lq7b1t2e3

[Chill Wills]

If I had the ability, I would lay in a life time supply of all my rim fire needs and stop having to worry about OB and HCR new world order open border.
:drinks:
But I'm guessing that is not where you were intending to go here.

:mrgreen:

carry on...

[NavyVet1959]

If I had the ability, I would lay in a life time supply of all my rim fire needs and stop having to worry about OB and HCR new world order open border.

What do you consider a life time supply? If you have a single shot, I might have an option that would work for you.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?317921-22-rimfire-alternative

[GhostHawk]

I do exactly what Hick does, light loads in .223 as .22lr sub. They work great.

I have zero interest in 17 hmr one way or the other.
Frankly I don't see what the hype is about. I assume it is fast?

[Chill Wills]

What do you consider a life time supply? If you have a single shot, I might have an option that would work for you.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?317921-22-rimfire-alternative

Thanks, but no.

I am firmly in the other camp. The one that thinks that the almost un-loadable 22 rim fire's true value is in it low cost -'buy 'em, shoot 'em and forget 'em- ease. The great value to me is not investing time making them.

I have every base covered in reloading centerfire that 22 may have met. I grew up shooting 22 junior matches and still really enjoy the 22 rifle matches I attend that require very accurate 22rf ammo. We can't make that ammo anyway. The rest of my 22 plinking needs can be met - if it comes to that, by handloading centerfire. The really accurate 22rf games I play may just go away if/when the supply does. I can't control that.

I have been a busy squirrel of late and did my best to lay in a good supply of what I like but who knows what the future brings nor how long I will be walking this earth.

Respectfully and Best of luck on your project!

[Jack Stanley]

I don't have any use for that cartridge that the 22 magnum doesn't fill . I'f I just had to have a seventeen caliber I'd buy one of the centerfire examples .

Jack

[jmorris]

I figure I can do anything I want to, loading rimfire rounds included. The things I choose and choose not to do depend on perceived value vs the time I have to invest.

It would be far too easy for me to pick the .17 hornet and just down load it. Everything is "off the shelf" and can be useful for other things.

That said if it interests you go for it, your the only guy that has to be happy. Lord knows I have don't lots of things that have had folks say I have too much time on my hands.

Said another way I have involved considerable time and resources to projects that are useless except for the information I learned in "doing it".

[castalott]

Exactly right, jmorris.... Who you are is the sum of your experiences. Having done something that pleases no one but yourself, you alone have the experience and pleasure of your task....

[Bzcraig]

Why?
The 17 Hornet is reloadable, and by most accounts is better.


Exactly right, jmorris.... Who you are is the sum of your experiences. Having done something that pleases no one but yourself, you alone have the experience and pleasure of your task....

Exactly!

[Traffer]

I reload 22lr. I am going to reload 22wmr. I will never reload 17 hmr or 17WSM. Why, you might ask? I pick up shells at the range. I pick up 17 rimfires also. It is amazing how many of them are cracked. Yup new out of the box cracked. That tells you something.

[NavyVet1959]

I could easily see making a single shot .17 that was a lot cheaper to load. Cast your own bullets, of course... Drop the bullet into the chamber and seat them firmly against the lands. Then put one of the .22 power load (i.e. blank) cartridges in the chamber as a propellant charge. A lot quicker to do than actually reloading the empty brass and even cheaper than .22LR these days. Hell, even cheaper than just primers for centerfire these days.

[Earlwb]

I would probably go with a .17 Hornet instead for reloading capability. But I got a .22 TCM which can be loaded down to shoot like a .22 LR if I need to.

[B. Lumpkin]

I sold my 17 HMR rifles and bought a 17 hornet.

[robg]

Split cases happen regularly in the club here with the 17 rimfire ,personally I don't see any use for a 17 when I have 223and 22 lr .

[NoZombies]

17 CCM is the cartridge you're looking for. it was based on the .22 CCM necked down. The problem is brass availability and life-span.

[Harter66]

This is why I want something on the order of a 25 ACP rifle .

[Multigunner]

At one time empty primed .22 magnum rimfire cases were sold to those owners of these rifles who wanted to create loads fine tuned for their rifles. If these were still available they could be necked down I suppose.

There are kits available for repriming some calibers of rimfire cartridges.

Personally I find the Mexican .177 bore rifles that use nail gun blanks to propel the bullet very interesting.

[psweigle]

Harter 66 has my vote! I'm still collecting money to finish up my single shot 25 acp project.
But I have reloaded 22lr just to see if I could. I say do it if you want.

[Earlwb]

They used to make some Stevens brand rifles in .250 Stevens (.25 centerfire?) cartridge a long time ago. Some others in Europe made some parlor guns in .25 ACP too. There have been people off and on rebarreling rifles for .25 ACP too as well as some longer cased magnum versions.

[Texas by God]

I think the 5-7 FN necked down would be nigh perfect. That said I do like the the .17 HMR a lot. Very accurate and a crow buster deluxe. Best, Thomas.

[17nut]

Does anyone even make a mold in that size? Or should you just get some 'BB' size shot and make a really small round ball load? :)

EDITED:

OK, looks like I answered my own question... NOE makes a mold...

http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=102_105&osCsid=cjui6oqioe7maf5i6lq7b1t2e3


It is an exercise in frutility casting those "droplets"!

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Sweet%2017/R0012187_zpszhzmn0kc.jpg (http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Chickenthief/media/Skydning/Sweet%2017/R0012187_zpszhzmn0kc.jpg.html)
http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Skydning/Sweet%2017/R0012189_zpsdskowaci.jpg (http://s295.photobucket.com/user/Chickenthief/media/Skydning/Sweet%2017/R0012189_zpsdskowaci.jpg.html)

From a 1:9" barrel it maxes out at roughly 1900fps before it starts to scatter due to rpm (140000)

[Traffer]

I reload 22lr and will begin to reload 22WMR. My rifle range sold me empty rim fire casings for $1.20 per lb. Got many 17 HMR cases. I will never reload those things. As someone said, split cases. LOTS and LOTS of cases splitting at the shoulder and neck. Reloading rim fire requires resizing the cases (If you are serious about it) Can you imagine resizing 17hmr? First you have to make the tools. It was hard enough making tools for reloading 22lr. I make the bullets with swaging. It is the easiest way for me to make the rebated heel and hollow base. I made the tools for resizing the cases. It is still a very time consuming process. You may not even be able to imagine resizing a rim fire cartridge. How to resize the rim? It can be done but I won't try it on a necked down case. Someone who has a gun that will fire those things without cracking the cases MAY try to reload their own brass without resizing. THAT could be done, but my experience with 22lr the cases are so thin that the very maximum you can reload them is 2 times. For me, being able to buy thousands of fired cases for a buck or two is economical but if I had to reload my own cases it would not be anywhere near the cost.
With all that said, I may use spent 17HMR cases, cut down to make 22WMR "shorts" by cutting them off at the shoulder. They will still fit the same amount of powder as a normal 22WMR.

[Stu-NC]

Yes, IF I could get various 15-25g spitzer bullets readily. Goal would be to have a flat shooting, super quiet, lightweight powder burning pest rifle. I can get 3 out of 4 but not all at once.

[Pinsnscrews]

I still want either a 17 or 20 Velocitor, both are based on the 5-7 case. As for the 17hmr, I find I prefer it over the 22lr personally. Maybe it is just that I have gotten really really lucky with the accuracy of the guns I have had in 17hmr compared to any of the 22lr guns I have had.