Dilemma , replacing 17hmr

[gunner]

Guys , im struggling to decide what to go for as my renewal due . My main calibers 20 practical and 6mmBR for varmint and fox . I was considering a wildcat 17 bee but realize thats going to be to difficult for a number of reasons . Ideally it would have the hmr ballistics and ideally 17 again . For a 150 yard varmint rifle . But not fox . 17 hornets screaming YES but i not sure , i know some may say 17 rem but its too much like my 20 practical , too much powder and oomph for 150 . I did think hm2 but there aint much followers / feedback in this country anyway . Im almost set to go 17 or 22 hornet or maybe 20 hornet ? Whatever it ends up being , i need flat fast leightweight bullets for corvid and general varminting rifle ! Any suggestions thanks .

[hunter686]

17 fireball? The choice seems redundant as you have a 20 prac which is an ideal cal for what you are doing in my eyes if you load up say a 25gr bullet. By the sounds of it you really just want a new rifle

[fizzbangwhallop]

17 fireball? The choice seems redundant as you have a 20 prac which is an ideal cal for what you are doing in my eyes if you load up say a 25gr bullet. By the sounds of it you really just want a new rifle?

Good timing......

http://ukvarminting.com/forums/topic/26739-cooper-rifle-and-scopes/

 

 

Fizz

[hunter686]

Good timing......http://ukvarminting.com/forums/topic/26739-cooper-rifle-and-scopes/

Fizz

Il accept Orical ;-)

[dave thorniley]

hi gunner ive used a 17 rem for 24 years for fox and vermin you say you shoot a 20 prac I,d stick with that, great round it will do all you want and more why waste money when you have got good calibres dave. ps my friend loads his 17 rem with 17 grs and it does great worth thinking about.

[dave thorniley]

hunter 686 I think he does want a new toy

[Pip748]

I have a 17 FB chambered Rem 700. Great little caliber and just about as cheap to load as a 17 HMR round. I am selling it to get a Tikka T3 Varmint and as they don't do the FB going for 204.

 

Could be a cheapest way of experimenting with the round if interested, also have dies and some heads/brass?

[triggersqueezer]

the 17 hornet is awesome,first time out i was comfotable out to 250 yet its no hevier or louder than the hmr.i went with a cz american (savage hornet is pants).the cz are using some nice wood if you shop about and also have a set trigger.

 

iwas going fireball but the noies was as bas as a 223/20cal and all my options were heavy compared and like you i wanted to keep that gap between cals.with factory its grouping on a 10p so looking forward to home loads.

mike

[hunter686]

hunter 686 I think he does want a new toy

He's just going to show his wife to prove "The boys say I should" one step up from the voices in my head told me to do it.

[gunner]

Thanks for advice guys , thanks for offer pip , i didn't mention itd have to be a fairly light weight 18 " for use out my van sometimes , and normally fairly close range 100ish for maggies on 1 pirticular farm . But dave you could be right , do i really need it with the 20 ? Trouble is thats a heavy varminter 25½" its very accurate , i just like the thought of a hmr size 17 that doesn't split cases , reloadings a big plus . If any , i now recon its gotta be 17 hornet from what mike said , thanks again guys . More thinking lol .

[gbal]

The new Hornets are definite contenders-and are in a milder league altogether to the 20,and 224s...I used the 17 and 222 for years,and eventually just used them for everything 100-250y. But there is real joy in a slightly more specialised rig-given you have say a 20 when needed.

In the 1950s,the Ackley Hornet in the delightful short Sako was a top choice-they knew a thing or two then about light carry 150y small vermin rifles!

That's still what to plan,in terms of light and accurate.,for the uses outlined -25g around 3000 fps,and a 6lb rifle.....surely it's still possible ! I get by with a short sako 222,but its really OTT for 125 y work.

Good luck in deciding and getting. Hard to imagine anyone prefering an alleged super rf if they try this option (and reload,of course).

 

gbal

[pork chop]

Gunner ,i got rid of my hmr and was in the same position as you.had my head set on a 20 hornet then when that was going to prove more hassle than i could be bothered with i set my head around a 17 hornet but edgar bothers knocked that one one the head after a phone call with a less than helpful sales person (no idea of any stock in uk or when any were due this was over two years back)

right then i'll build a 17 hornet,got a good cz in a after market stock in 22 hornet but it so much fun and accurate it has stayed as a 22

stop giving yourself a hard time and find a nice 22 hornet,it will fit right in with your other rifles

[pork chop]

Gunner ,i got rid of my hmr and was in the same position as you.had my head set on a 20 hornet then when that was going to prove more hassle than i could be bothered with i set my head around a 17 hornet but edgar bothers knocked that one one the head after a phone call with a less than helpful sales person (no idea of any stock in uk or when any were due this was over two years back)

right then i'll build a 17 hornet,got a good cz in a after market stock in 22 hornet but it so much fun and accurate it has stayed as a 22

stop giving yourself a hard time and find a nice 22 hornet,it will fit right in with your other rifles

Thanks for advice guys , thanks for offer pip , i didn't mention itd have to be a fairly light weight 18 " for use out my van sometimes , and normally fairly close range 100ish for maggies on 1 pirticular farm . But dave you could be right , do i really need it with the 20 ? Trouble is thats a heavy varminter 25½" its very accurate , i just like the thought of a hmr size 17 that doesn't split cases , reloadings a big plus . If any , i now recon its gotta be 17 hornet from what mike said , thanks again guys . More thinking lol .

 

dont go on what mike says,he lies about the size of his groups lol

[triggersqueezer]

gary lies about how many burgers he eat and can't shoot for toffe ,22 hornet is old hat,good but old hat

[dave thorniley]

good luck gunner on whatever you choose but new toys are nice though dave.

[visiter1]

17 hornet fits the bill trust me its the job on corvids to 250

[stillair1]

The 17 hornet is cheap on powder to reload, though that Cooper 17fb set up looks good. On a slight tangent how easy is it to neck down from .221fb to .17fb with forming dies for a novice reloader? TIA.

[hunter686]

[ChrisF]

I use a CZ 527 in 22 Hornet , barrel cut to 20 inches & a SS MAE 22mag suppressor , and a Bushy LRHS 3-12x44mm scope , and its a great wee rifle , its launching a 40gr vmax at 3000fps , using 13.5gr of lilgun over a CCI pistol primer .

 

I LOVE it , it vapourises magpies , THEY HATE it , me I love IT , longest kill was a big billy goat across a vally at 325yds , goat did not like IT .

 

I choose the 22 over the 17 , due to payload ( ie bullet weight is increased with the 22 , almost double ) , and I KNEW , that although ita main diet would be magpies , it also had to drop hares & goats when needed as well , so the little 17 pills , not enough for my liking .

 

Cheers Chris

[English]

During a trip to the USA in 2004 I got the chance to shoot some of the (then) relatively new (certainly to the UK) .17's I had the opportunity to try:

 

.17 Aguila

.17HM2

.17HMR and some other wildcats like .20 Practical, .300 Whisper and .17Mach 4 (the wildcat that inspired the .17Fireball as a commercial loading)

 

On my return I shortly acquired a .17HM2, a .17HMR and due to the difficulties in getting a more exotic .17 centre fire, I opted for a .17 Remington

 

Despite the problems some have encountered with the HMR ammo, I'm still a fan.

 

The .17HM2 is not IMHO a fox rifle other than in unusual circumstances (close up head shots), however it is a fantastic bunny rifle!

 

I also love the point and shoot capability of the .17 Remington, so now they are more readily available I thiunk that a 17 Fireball would be great.

 

No experience of the .17 Hornet but the friends in the US seem to like it?

 

On my last visit 2012 I got to shoot a semi auto FN in 5.7x28 and also a pistol in the same calibre, I think either savage or Remington are now chambering for that and if I had the chance I would be trying one of them. However here in the UK brass and ammo might be a problem? Good luck whatever you do!

[garyw]

The 17 hornet is cheap on powder to reload, though that Cooper 17fb set up looks good. On a slight tangent how easy is it to neck down from .221fb to .17fb with forming dies for a novice reloader? TIA.

one pass through each die and you have a .17fb case ready to shoot takes 30 mins to do 50 cases .

And yes it is a good set up its a very accurate rifle used with nv it takes some beating for vermin.selling to fund a custom build.

[soother223]

17 hornet is s little cracker! Mine is cut down to 18" and is still deadly accurate! Taken a number of crows out to 300 yds with it. It makes 5 shot 1 ragged hole groups at 100yd all day! (homeloads) was thinking of an upgrade to a fb myself.. as mine runs a little slow using viht 120. However there's a thread in homeloading where a gentleman is using 1680 and getting over 3650fps with his! Even with 25's I think... If it groups with this powder which he claims it does then it would be awesome!

Saying that as mine stands... it fits right in my little arsenal where my hmr used to be! .22 fac air rifle, 17 hornet, 204, 22 ppc and 243 for stalking.

If I got a 17 fb I think the 204 would have to go...

I have to say I enjoy shooting the hornet more than anything else! And it's nothing flash! Just love the 17 cals.

[Sherlock]

Gunner, The 17 centrefires are a fantastic calibre .

After owning at least five 17 rem rifles and shooting many thousands of rounds - I am still amazed how deadly the 17 bullets are. Foxes fold on the spot - crows / bunnies out to 400 yrds are in real danger with a good pilot.

 

Velocity wise - My last 17 rem could zip a 20 grn Vmax at 4460 fps with no pressure signs and significantly quieter than my 223 (using the same mod). Its staple fodder was 25 grn Vmax which were superb and trundled along at a pedestrian 3900 fps. If you combine this performance with a very low muzzle report - NO percievable recoil and a bullet that fragments on impact and you can see why the 17 cals have a following.

 

However given the fact you have have 20 cal - I think the 17 rem and probably 17 fire ball would be very close in terms of performance..

The 17 hornet sounds like a good replacement for the HMR.. The Hornet I tried was a plastic stocked Savage which wouldn't be my choice of rifle and actually was disappointing accuracy wise. Personally the CZ look a better made rifle to me..

 

ATB

S

[triggersqueezer]

17 hornet is s little cracker! Mine is cut down to 18" and is still deadly accurate! Taken a number of crows out to 300 yds with it. It makes 5 shot 1 ragged hole groups at 100yd all day! (homeloads) was thinking of an upgrade to a fb myself.. as mine runs a little slow using viht 120. However there's a thread in homeloading where a gentleman is using 1680 and getting over 3650fps with his! Even with 25's I think... If it groups with this powder which he claims it does then it would be awesome!

Saying that as mine stands... it fits right in my little arsenal where my hmr used to be! .22 fac air rifle, 17 hornet, 204, 22 ppc and 243 for stalking.

If I got a 17 fb I think the 204 would have to go...

I have to say I enjoy shooting the hornet more than anything else! And it's nothing flash! Just love the 17 cals.

i have some 1680 on the shelf i'm going to try 1st so will let you know .just waiting on my dies.

[Si-Snipe]

I'm currently running a 17 Rem with 20g bullets. They are pushing 4400 fps and IMO safer than my 17HM2. The extreme velocity makes the rounds even more frangible plus it's a 1:9 twist which increased bullet rpm and I've no doubt aids expansion too. A 20g bullet is perfect for rabbits, magpies etc. I was shooting rabbits at 350yds and none of them exited! That's good to know for some of the shooting I have on flatter fields and near live stock.