.17 Hornady Hornet

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Geezerbiker

New member
Anybody here have any experience with loading for this round. I was hoping to make some loads with #2400 and Hornady 20g bullets but I can't find any date for this powder.

The only powder I have that I can find data on for the .17 Hornet is Lil'gun and I've sworn off it because of how fast it heats the barrels up on the guns I've tried it in...

Tony
 
A

ATCDoktor

New member
I have been loading the 17 Hornet since about 2012.



I can't help you with any data using Alliant's 2400, I use the aforementioned Lilgun and as far as I'm concerned it is "the" powder for the 17 Hornet.

I've tried all powders shown on the Hodgdon Website and Lilgun gave the best combination of accuracy and velocity.

If you decide to work up some loads using 2400 be very careful, 1/10th a grain differences in charge weight make a huge difference in this cartridge.

I couldn't even get close to the maximum loads listed in the Hodgdon manual (in my gun) using any of the listed powders.

In fact my chosen load falls almost a half grain below the STARTING charge weight for the 20 grain bullet.

A tenth of a grain more and plastic mallet is required to get the bolt to lift.

The load I'm using gives me 3600 fps with a 20 grain Z max bullet.

It mirrors factory ammo ballistics and has been used to take a great many jackrabbits.

 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
Thanx, I may end up loading it with lil'gun since I'm not going to use it in my other guns. Since you're using less than the starting load, what do you recommend as a starting load of lil'gun?

I'm not after max velocity but I like shooting my own loads so if I have the option to shoot 2400, I'll try it...

Tony
 
C

Crankylove

New member
I have a .22 Hornet, not the .17, but I've had good results with Lil Gun, and my go to load is W296.

I've also tried 4227, 4895, Bullseye, and Trailboss..............some worked, some...........not so much. But, with limited powder availability, I researched the powders I hand on hand and tried a few.
 
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ATCDoktor

New member
Since you're using less than the starting load, what do you recommend as a starting load of lil'gun?
Click to expand...

If your rifle is like mine and has a very tight chamber, I'd start at 9 grains of Lil gun and work up a tenth of a grain at a time and see how it goes.

Bolt lift and extraction went from fine at 9.4 grains to having to use a mallet to lift the bolt at 9.5 grains.

My go to load is 9.3 grains of Lil gun and a 20 grain zmax bullet and I get near 3600 fps and .5 to .75 inch groups at 100 yards.
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
Thanx, I'll try that. If the start load shoots OK, I'll probably stick with it. I'm not one to wring out the last bit of performance out of a load...

Tony
 
L

Longshot4

New member
I have been wondering about the 17 Hornet. How are the cases holding up. Do the cases stretch much? Homany times can you fire the cases before trimming?
I use LilGun in my 22 K Hornet. It's by. Far the best powder I have EVER used. Low pressure,fast and easy to work up loads.
 
M

Magnum Wheel Man

New member
I have a 17 K Hornet Contender barrel... forming cases was a major pain... I'm loving the 17 Hornady Hornet, as the cartridges fit in my chambers & fire form from factory ammo... just wish I could find it more easily... I seat my cases on the shoulder of the 17 K Hornet... are you guys doing that with the Hornady Hornet ??? to the poster asking, I get much better case life & slightly less stretching, by seating against the shoulder rather than the rim... ( I find stretching more related to the heat level of the load with the thin Hornet case ) if you can do the same with the Hornady 17, I'd expect you'll see the same...
 
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Longshot4

New member
Magnum Wheel Man:
What do you mean by stretching cases by heat? I have 22 K Hornet. Did you bore out a 17 Hornet to a K?
 
M

Magnum Wheel Man

New member
... by how hot / fast / how much powder was put in the case... if they are loaded at the hotter side of the load charts they have a tendency to stretch more than softer loads

I'm not sure if my barrel was an old factory custom or ??? it is a 10" light weight octagon barrel factory blued, with factory stamped 17 K Hornet on the barrel... I bought it used at a gun show...
 
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Longshot4

New member
Thanks Magnum Wheel Man. Now that I am now annealing I will be taking the flame to Hornet cases before I use hotter loads to form. Thanks for your input.
 
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G

Geezerbiker

New member
I heard back from Alliant today. Apparently the latest Hornady manual has the load for the .17 Hornet with 2400. Unfortunately I my manual is one version too old...

The nice people at Alliant sent me this load.
"Hornady manual #9 using Alliant 2400 powder the starting charge is 7.8 and the maximum charge is 8.8 grains. Velocity is from 3200 - 3500 fps. COAL = 1.710."

I'll probably back that starting load off a couple tenths and see how it goes...

Tony
 
A

ATCDoktor

New member
The nice people at Alliant sent me this load.
"Hornady manual #9 using Alliant 2400 powder the starting charge is 7.8 and the maximum charge is 8.8 grains. Velocity is from 3200 - 3500 fps. COAL = 1.710."
Click to expand...

This is good info, I appreciate you going through the trouble to get it.

I assume the data is for 20 grain projectiles?
 
G

Geezerbiker

New member
Yes, for 20g bullets. Sorry, I shouldn't have left that out. Maybe some one here has the latest Hornady manual and can post the rest of the loads for us...

Tony
 
P

pathdoc

New member
From Hornady's 9th (checking carefully for typos, but still, user beware).

20gn Vmax (COAL 1.710"):
Alliant 2400, min 7.8gn/3200fps; max 8.8gn/3500fps
H110: 7.9/3200 to 9.5/3600
Win 296 8.2/3200 to 9.7/3600
Vihta Vuori N-120 9.7/3200 to 10.8/3600
Accurate Arms 1680 10.3/3200 to 12.4/3750

25gn HP (COAL 1.675") and 25gn Vmax (COAL 1.710"):
IMR4227 8.8/3200 to 9.5/3100
Viht N120 9.3/2900 to 10.0/3100
IMR 4198 9.6/2900 to 10.1/3100
Accurate 1680 9.7/2900 to 10.9/3200
Viht N130 10.2/2900 to 11.0/3100
Norma 200 10.5/2900 to 10.8/3000.

Not much leeway on that last one!

Loads developed with Winchester Small Rifle primers. Savage Model 25, 24" barrel, 1 in 9" twist.

Anything else anyone needs to know?
 
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