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Hornady .17 Hornet


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Had a pop with this this afternoon, just introduced to UK.

 

Makes a hell of a crack when it goes off -some clever powder technology and seriously shifting downrange - 3650fps.

 

 

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Shown with 17HMR for scale:P1010030800x503.jpgP1010032381x450.jpg

 

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The gun was nice for a compact little model 25 varminter. Primary extraction was a liitle tight needing a firm bolt operation but all seemed ok. Some people had problems with the mag but i had non, you just need to be careful stacking the rimmed cases so they dont snag. There is very little case body taper so i expect primary extraction will get sticky if it gets stoked up hard but it is already running superformance powder.

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I now have 6PPCs old 17AH, that is well moddied by what looks to me like a rimmy moddy. Very light.

 

Personally I think that the Hornady versions less steeply angled shoulders will be much better that the Ackley version from a feeding point of view. Speed you are getting is not that unusual for the AI version. Its a great 150 yard crow basher for sure, I have had about 30 crows this spring so far with mine. Wind though is a real pain, anything much above 8mph and its a struggle, better to take a bit more gun. N120 and 20gr Vmax are the components of choice.

 

A

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Does anyone have reloading data for it? I think i'll see how it pans out before I part with my trusty .22 Hornet. :)

 

 

Lots of data on Saubier, they have had them for some time. N120 and 20gr Vmax is the way to go. 20gr Bergers are not bad either, I have had crows and pigeons in separate parts hit front on.

 

A

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What about dies? Anyone making them yet? This is an interesting cartridge, with a feature on it in the latest Varmint Hunter magazine and I've heard mention of it before. Like 17AH though (and with a nod here to Alycidon who knows his stuff) I have reservations about any round based on the Hornet case. It's very, very antiquated - and it's rimmed. AFAIC doing precision handloading with a rimmed case just adds an extra degree of fiddle-faddle such as checking rim thickness as part of your headspacing standardisation routine.... I still like Fireball, but if I really wanted something even smaller I'd pursue the round I mentioned recently on another thread - 17VHA, based on the HK 4.6x30 case. Rimless, and uses even less powder than the Hornet-based rounds, gives similar velocities. Dies and brass can be had.

Tony

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Any idea how much the ammo will cost??

 

 

Well to reload you are looking at £24 or so for a box of 100 Vmax, you use 10gr- 11.5gr of powder and a standard 205/BR4/CCI 450 primer. So not far short of 40p a pop I would estimate. You don't use this round because its cheaper, it may slightly be cheaper than say 222 etc but only in lower powder costs, its about doing the same but with less, thats where the satisfaction comes in.

 

Anybody thinking of a 17 rimfire would be well advised to hold their horses a year or so, the Hornet has far longer legs.

 

A

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I, for one, am disappointed...Yet another round doing excellent things, with low running costs in a custom (or as it is now, semi-custom) chamber. Hurrah!

What on earth are these folk in Hornady doing??? Have they not heard the 'wind problem'? this is not gone with the new round, it is still there. Don't get me wrong, I love my .17HMR and I would very much like to have had the option to get a .17Hornet at the time when I bought it. I leave it in the cabinet though, if there is a breeze... Yet, the solution is simple and immediately obvious for all to see (well, not all, else the boffins at Hornady would have done it already...): .20Hornet! Better BCs, better bullets, a more efficient round. Time to resurrect Remington's 5mm Magnum me thinks, but who's listening....

 

Finman

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looks good-thats about all,reloaders will get caned over here it will lose out to other better calibres and the yanks will get first dibs on all the reloading gear.

me- im sticking with my 17 rem and 17fb -always wanted a 17A hornet ans still yearn for one but im in no rush.

hope anyone that goes down this route with the 17hh doesnt think the wheel has been re-invented

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I, for one, am disappointed...Yet another round doing excellent things, with low running costs in a custom (or as it is now, semi-custom) chamber. Hurrah!

What on earth are these folk in Hornady doing??? Have they not heard the 'wind problem'? this is not gone with the new round, it is still there. Don't get me wrong, I love my .17HMR and I would very much like to have had the option to get a .17Hornet at the time when I bought it. I leave it in the cabinet though, if there is a breeze... Yet, the solution is simple and immediately obvious for all to see (well, not all, else the boffins at Hornady would have done it already...): .20Hornet! Better BCs, better bullets, a more efficient round. Time to resurrect Remington's 5mm Magnum me thinks, but who's listening....

 

Finman

 

 

Disagree, if going for a small 20 the fireball case is a far better choice I feel. So 20 Vartarg would be my 20 cal lightweight choice using 32 grain pills. Speed in 20 Hornet may also be an issue, you only have tiny powder capacity but you would get increased knock down power. Last year was my first with mine and I did feel that after creating the best part of a 2 inch exit in a pigeon, blowing all its guts out of its backside only for it to fly about 60 yards that more wellie was needed. This year I have felled crows out to about 140 yards pigeons to about 120 yards with no issues at all. Friend of mine has one and he shot 5 for 5 on rabbits at 235 - 250 yards a week or so ago.

 

The 17AH case undoubtedly has its shortcomings, one is that the shoulder is to steep to feed from a mag,( or even a single shot follower) that looks like it has been corrected. There are other issues with brass quality and it will be interesting to put a mic onto a HH case, Matt, if you have a spare fired case I would not mind acquiring it., thanks.

 

A

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Disagree, if going for a small 20 the fireball case is a far better choice I feel. So 20 Vartarg would be my 20 cal lightweight choice using 32 grain pills. Speed in 20 Hornet may also be an issue, you only have tiny powder capacity but you would get increased knock down power. Last year was my first with mine and I did feel that after creating the best part of a 2 inch exit in a pigeon, blowing all its guts out of its backside only for it to fly about 60 yards that more wellie was needed. This year I have felled crows out to about 140 yards pigeons to about 120 yards with no issues at all. Friend of mine has one and he shot 5 for 5 on rabbits at 235 - 250 yards a week or so ago.

 

The 17AH case undoubtedly has its shortcomings, one is that the shoulder is to steep to feed from a mag,( or even a single shot follower) that looks like it has been corrected. There are other issues with brass quality and it will be interesting to put a mic onto a HH case, Matt, if you have a spare fired case I would not mind acquiring it., thanks.

 

A

 

thats why i got rid of my tikka m595 fireball. couldnt be doing with single shot. on a bigger calibre for foxing or long range vermin single shot isn't so much a issue.

but when shooting up the orchard rows on rabbits one night i found it very fiddly loading single shot so it had to go.

 

18 grains of powder with 20 vmax use to give me great speed and accuracy so i wanted to keep with a 17 but went for a straight 17 Remington.

 

no fancy cases. feeds perfect from the mag superb performance

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I would love to use one instead of my HMR but I have no interest in high volume reloading, I would use my 20 Tac if I was going to do that, so it would have to be factory ammo but I'm pretty sure it's going to be far too expensive in comparison.

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I would love to use one instead of my HMR but I have no interest in high volume reloading, I would use my 20 Tac if I was going to do that, so it would have to be factory ammo but I'm pretty sure it's going to be far too expensive in comparison.

 

 

I would think factory prices will be similar to 222 etc, most of the components are the same.

 

A

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That must be frustrating - to see all the kit and know it'll cost 2x at home :/ And laos that you can't buy much over there these days for return to UK :/ I swear sometimes i think about moving to the US - everything would be a lot simpler lol

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