Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 17 Rem pet loads?

Travis,

I can't recall reading that Carmichael theory, but had heard some early Remington barrels were rough--which was why I looked for an early 700. When I wrote an article reporting essentially no fouling problems, a guy contacted me saying that some of the early barrels were indeed very bad foulers, and that he'd had more than one. He claimed to have some sort of proof, but I can't remember what it was.

After an initial cleaning of my rifle (which didn't show any visible throat erosion through the bore-scope) I deliberately shot it without any cleaning to see when groups started opening up. It didn't happen until around round 120, and even then accuracy was still around an inch.

I cleaned the bore at that point and treated it with Dyna Bore-Coat, and after that the rifle would go 200+ rounds without cleaning and still shoot the same.

Have seen the same thing with other .17 caliber cartridges, both rimfires and the .17 Hornet and Fireball. In fact I haven't cleaned my CZ .17 Hornet at all since buying it new, and it just keeps shooting 5-shot groups around 1/2", with any load, whether factory or whatever weird handload combo I come up with. Have rarely cleaned my .17 HMR since buying it in 2003, and it just keeps shooting great.

Yet I still sometimes hear people saying they won't own any .17 caliber rifle because they're foulers.

I don't have much to add, but will confirm what others have reported. My first 17 Rem. was in 1971 and began a love affair that is still on going.

Travis,

I've read the same comments. I also believe Remington over corrected on their jackets. I bought a bulk lot of them in the early/mid 90's that were prone to pencil holing on coyotes. I was having coyotes I was sure I had hit well, act as if nothing happened. It wasn't until I killed a few with follow up shots to the CNS that I started finding pencil holes. I realize a few coyotes doesn't make an empirical test but it made me always suspect they ran some 17 bullets with tougher jackets to correct for the early ones. I went back to the Hornadys and have never had a reason to switch. Their 25 grain HP always works.

That had to be one of the very first.



Travis

I briefly thought about using 2001 as the date so as not to date me, but that would have been to much of a lie.

I practically camped over night in front of the gun shop waiting for the first one to arrive. I had read everything I could find about the 17 back in the day. P.O.Ackley and some of those ol' wildcatter that wrote about the 17 cal. back then really had my blood pumping for one.

+1 for 24 grains of 4320 and a 25 grain bullet. Great load in the 17.