Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Rel 17- What's the verdict?

1. Do you find it faster or slower that say 760-4350's.
2. Any excess pressure excursions?
3. How has accuracy been?
4. Footnotes?

1. About the same
2. Nope; ES has never been over 25.
3. Under 3/4 for 5 shots from a sporter, one holers from a bench gun. Always consistent, even going from match bullets to TSX's.
4. Only have used it in one chambering; data was started from IMR 4350 starting loads and worked up. Fouling isn't bad, no issues but have never ran it at any temp extremes, either.

I'm just playing with it now. My 7-08 got about the same (good) speeds with initial loads. It's too early to say for sure about it in that caliber regarding accuracy, etc. I have some 270 win loads done that I'll run in my newly rebarreled mod 721 once it's painted.

I've tried it in several rifles and cartridges, as the opportunity arose while writing various articles. It's performed well in some, not so well in others, but haven't seen any of the magic reported when it first appeared and loading data was just about non-existent.

I have noted that conventional pressure signed do not seem to appear as soon as some other powders in the 4350 burn range.

However I don't believe conventional signs are a reliable indicator of pressure.

My take is that because of the properties of reloader 17 the powder is applying the pressure to the brass over a longer duration there may be some benefits of extended brass life when loaded to equal pressures of other 4350 powders.

I haven't done any testing to confirm as I leave that sort of stuff to gun writers.

1. Do you find it faster or slower that say 760-4350's.
I would say slightly faster than 4350 and I have no baseline for 760. I have used it in 257 roberts, 6.5x284, 270, and 280AI.

2. Any excess pressure excursions?
I had one instance were a neck cracked and caused a sticky bolt in a 280AI. Brass was on its 6th loading from that load.

3. How has accuracy been?
Accuracy is on par with 4350 IME, when I have tried 4350 and 17 in the same cartridge I always ended up going with 17.
4. Footnotes?
Stays relatively temp stable until temps drop in the low 20's starts to fall off after that, not a concern for where I hunt.

That's good info. I only use it in one load, which is a 120 gr bullet in my 260. Shoots great, but some negative comments about the temp stability of the powder had me lightly concerned.

I would agree , kind of like the same pressure put with a press or a hammer , the impact with a hammer will tear something up far quicker.
I have several loads with 17 that are great , maybe I'm lucky. Ill post the data I have later

I got some velocities that were unbelievable in my 300WSM and 180 grain Nozler BTs.Accuracy was pretty good also.

Use it in the 300 WSM and the 6.5-284.
After trying it along side h and IMR-4350 it seems to be faster and the groups are better at longer ranges.

Been playing with in the 25-06 with 115 grain Berger bullets and so far am pleased.
Just need to shoot more of it in some other calibers.

I've had very low spreads with it in many carts. It edges out the 4350s for me in the speed dept. Accuracy between the 4350s and R17 has been gun and load dependent, sort of a toss up.

I did see the magical speeds in a few loads, but think Alliants data is a bit generous. Never saw the common pressure signs, but the chrono was telling me to back off.

In my .243 (all I've used it in):

1. It has a few fps on 4350 with lighter bullets.
2. No.
3. Accuracy has been excellent with the 80 grain TTSX.

The velocity difference between it and H4350 is such that if the H4350 had been more accurate, it would be used instead. The RL17 did show a slight accuracy edge, though. I'd rather have the smaller group than 20 to 30 fps, but if I can get both...

I seem to recall Dober have pretty impressive results with it in the 338-06.

I have used it in a 300wsm, and an old mod 70 '06. Excellent accuracy in both and good velocity.

I am shooting RL17, with the 155 Scenar in the above mentioned '06...right at 3k.

Tony

This has been my observation in the 7mm RM, .338 and .30/06.
John

I went all the way to 2840 fps in a 338/06 with 225 accubond,no conventional pressure signs. I backed off 2 full grains and left it alone. Spread was about 40 fps

Seen the same results in an 8 mm mouser a friend has. With Ramshot Hunter he was getting sticky bolt at 55 gr for 2500 fps 220 gr sierra.

Reloader 17 he cronoed 2650 no sticky bolt sierra 220.
The spread on a Ramshot load of 54 gr was 8 fps. Reloader 17 not so great.

Shod

I go through about 16# a year. I find it one of the best powders ever made. Christer Larssen at Norma agrees with me.

Cartridges that it works extremely well in are: 6.5-284. 260AI. 260 Remington, 340 Wby and 7WSM. These are the ones I have used it in successfully. I can easily get at least 100 fps more velocity than 4350 in any of these chamberings. I find it can be used where, normally, a faster powder would be indicated. I use it with 250 Bergers in the 340 Wby. I can hit 3200 fps but reduce to 3000. At 3200 fps I am sure the pressure is high but I can get 5 loads and still have tight primer pockets. I can only get 3000 fps with one other powder and that is MagPro.

I can get 3000 fps with 140s in the 6.5-284 with a 25" barrel. With 4350 you 30" to do that.

Would I use it in a 1000 yd BR match, no. I can get lower SDs with 4350 and that will win you points in a BR match where group size is so critical. In HP where the rings are bigger and circular, it isn't a handicap and the extra velocity helps.

I use it with 130s in my 6.5 to get 3200 fps. I use MagPro with the 140s as it shoot better for me. The velocity is there. Is it magic? I don't think so but it does an amazing job of lengthening the pressure curve so that you can squeeze a little more out of it.

How does it work in sub-freezing temperatures? I have no idea- I live in Arizona

It works fine when it is 100� out though. And it works fine when it is 35� too.

In the 260AI it is simply amazing. It is supposedly amazing in the 6XC and a few others but I have never worked with these.

I don't have any pressure testing equipment but I can shoot loads over a chronograph with several different powders and carefully inspect and observed the fired brass to determine when I have like pressures- whatever they may be.

It gave me my best speeds and good accuracy in my 300 Saum.

dennisinaz, do you mind sharing some of your loads with RL17 in the 7mm WSM? I have a 7WSM and rl17 but never really got into trying it. Thanks!!!

Tried it further today in the .338.
225gn TSX's easily met 2950fps which is about 75fps less than my .340 loads in a 2" shorter barrel.

265gn TTSX's ran just under 2700fps. The interesting point is that if I use the 4350's as the equivalent powder starting charges, then I do get 100fps+ more velocity and with round primers and easy extraction, which has been the standard for handloaders for nearly a century.

Technically inadequate though it may be in today's world, it still served the better part of all of our reloading practices for decades and before that.

What is most interesting is that the above loads are backed off a couple of grains, not the top end loads I worked up to, and the reason I really backed off, was that I never got any top end loading signs.

Because I am using the chrongraph as the measuring tool, it defeats the purpose of determining whether the powder is superior to the 4350's as we are in effect, holding it back.

This is where the loading recommendations are useless to the handloader. "Not my gun" references are of little value.

Still interested, but very uncomfortable in not knowing what is really going on here.

As a hunter, none of this matters as we have all proven at some point, that 100fps here and there does not matter in the field. How loonie is that? )All due respects to JB)

John